Patent Document

RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is a continuation application of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/498,297 filed Jul. 6, 2009, which, in turn, is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/389,524, filed Mar. 24, 2006 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,266 issued Jul. 7, 2009. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    The present invention relates to the field of playing card shufflers and particularly to the use of a gravity feed system for assisting entry of the cards into a transportation system or card moving system of a playing card shuffling system. 
         [0004]    2. Background of the Art 
         [0005]    In the gaming industry, certain games require that batches of randomly shuffled cards be provided to players and sometimes to dealers in live card games. It is important that the cards are shuffled thoroughly and randomly to prevent players from having an advantage by knowing the position of specific cards or groups of cards in the final mass of cards delivered in the play of the game. At the same time, it is advantageous to have the deck(s) shuffled in a very short period of time so that there is minimal down time in the play of the game. 
         [0006]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,310 describes a card handling apparatus comprising: a loading station for receiving cards to be shuffled; a chamber to receive a main stack of cards; delivery means for delivering individual cards from the loading station to the chamber; a dispensing station to dispense individual cards for a card game; transfer means for transferring a lower most card from the main stack to the dispensing station; and a dispensing sensor for sensing one of the presence and absence of a card in the dispensing station. The dispensing sensor is coupled to the transfer means to cause a transfer of a card to the dispensing station when an absence of a card in the dispensing station is sensed by the dispensing sensor. Individual cards delivered from the loading station are randomly inserted by insertion means into different randomly selected positions in the main stack to obtain a randomly shuffled main stack from which cards are individually dispensed. The insertion means includes vertically adjustable gripping means to separate the main stack into two spaced substacks to enable insertion of a card between the substacks by the insertion means. The gripping means is positionable vertically along the edges of the main stack. After gripping, the top portion of the stack is lifted, forming two sub-stacks. At this time, a gap is created between the stacks. 
         [0007]    Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,085 describes apparatus for shuffling or handling cards including a chamber in which a main stack of cards are supported, a loading station for holding a secondary stack of cards, and card separating mechanism for separating cards at a series of positions along the main stack to allow the introduction of cards from the secondary stack into the main stack at those positions. The separating mechanism grips cards at the series of positions along the stack and lifts those cards at and above the separation mechanism to define spaces in the main stack for introduction of cards from the secondary stack. 
         [0008]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,372 describes an automated playing card shuffler, comprising: a frame; an unshuffled stack holder for holding an unshuffled stack of playing cards; a shuffled stack receiver for holding a shuffled stack of playing cards; at least one ejector carriage mounted adjacent to said unshuffled stack holder, said at least one ejector carriage and said unshuffled stack holder mounted to provide relative movement between said unshuffled stack holder and said at least one ejector carriage; a plurality of ejectors mounted upon said at least one ejector carriage adjacent the unshuffled stack holder, for ejecting playing cards from the unshuffled stack, said ejecting occurring at various random positions along the unshuffled stack. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,139,014 and 6,068,258 describe a machine for shuffling multiple decks of playing cards in a batch process. The device includes a first vertically extending magazine for holding a stack of unshuffled playing cards, and second and third vertically extending magazines each for holding a stack of cards, the second and third magazines being horizontally spaced from and adjacent to the first magazine. A first card mover is positioned at the top of the first magazine for moving cards from the top of the stack of cards in the first magazine to the second and third magazines to cut the stack of unshuffled playing cards into two unshuffled stacks. Second and third card movers are at the top of the second and third magazines, respectively, for randomly moving cards from the top of the stack of cards in the second and third magazines, respectively, back to the first magazine, thereby interleaving the cards to form a vertically registered stack of shuffled cards in the first magazine. Elevators are provided in the magazines to bring the cards into contact with the card movers. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,368 describes a playing card shuffler having an unshuffled stack holder that holds an infeed array of playing cards. One or more ejectors are mounted adjacent the unshuffled stack holder to eject cards from the infeed array at various random positions. Multiple ejectors are preferably mounted on a movable carriage. Extractors are advantageously used to assist in removing playing cards from the infeed array. Removal resistors are used to provide counteracting forces resisting displacement of cards, to thereby provide more selective ejection of cards from the infeed array. The automated playing card shuffler comprises a frame; an unshuffled stack holder for holding an unshuffled array of playing cards in a stacked configuration with adjacent cards in physical contact with each other and forming an unshuffled stack; a shuffled array receiver for holding a shuffled array of playing cards; at least one ejector for ejecting playing cards located at different positions within the unshuffled stack; and a drive which is controllable to achieve a plurality of different relative positions between the unshuffled stack holder and said at least one ejector. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,149,154 describes an apparatus for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into plural groups, each of said plural groups containing a random arrangement of cards, said apparatus comprising: a card receiver for receiving the first group of unshuffled cards; a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, said stack generally adjacent to and movable with respect to the first group of cards; and a drive mechanism that moves the stack by means of translation relative to the first group of unshuffled cards; a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack; and a processing unit that controls the card-moving mechanism and the drive mechanism so that a selected quantity of cards is moved into a selected number of compartments. 
         [0012]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,096 describes an apparatus for continuously shuffling playing cards, said apparatus comprising: a card receiver for receiving a first group of cards; a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, said stack generally vertically movable, wherein the compartments translate substantially vertically, and means for moving the stack; a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack; a processing unit that controls the card-moving mechanism and the means for moving the stack so that cards placed in the card receiver are moved into selected compartments; a second card receiver for receiving cards from the compartments; and a second card-moving mechanism between the compartments and the second card receiver for moving cards from the compartments to the second card receiver. 
         [0013]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,267,248 describes an apparatus for arranging playing cards in a desired order, said apparatus including: a housing; a sensor to sense playing cards prior to arranging; a feeder for feeding said playing cards sequentially past the sensor; a storage assembly having a plurality of storage locations in which playing cards may be arranged in groups in a desired order, wherein the storage assembly is adapted for movement in at least two directions during shuffling; a selectively programmable computer coupled to said sensor and to said storage assembly to assemble in said storage assembly groups of playing cards in a desired order; a delivery mechanism for selectively delivering playing cards located in selected storage locations of the storage assembly; and a collector for collecting arranged groups of playing cards. 
         [0014]    U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,712 describes a card shuffling apparatus that comprises an input apparatus, an output storage means and an interposed shuffling storage means. The cards are inserted via a narrow gap into the shuffling storage means. Sensors (photoelectric cells) check whether the respective compartments of the shuffling storage means are free for receiving cards, with the status of each compartment being stored in an electronic register. 
         [0015]    EP 0 777 514 B1 describes a card shuffling apparatus that conveys the cards from an input apparatus to a shuffling storage means and from there to the output storage means. The introduction into the shuffling storage means occurs via guide elements which press the currently drawn card against draw-in rollers. Sensors detect whether cards are conveyed out of the input apparatus into the shuffling container and from there out again in order to enable the control of the respective motors for driving the draw-in rollers and the shuffling storage means. 
         [0016]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,979 suggests that the teachings in the art of playing card shufflers relates to technical solutions for shuffling playing cards and that little emphasis is placed on a continual verification of the number of used playing cards situated in the card shuffler. That patent asserts that this disadvantage is avoided by providing a card shuffler which is capable of displaying continuously the number of playing cards situated in the card shuffler or in the shuffling storage means and to thus giving the operator the opportunity to have certainty at all times about the complete number of playing cards. The described shuffling system offers an error-free possibility of detecting the number of the cards situated in the shuffling storage means, thus reducing the possibility of unauthorized and unnoticed removal of cards from a game. The introduction of a card into the shuffling storage means and the removal of the cards from the shuffling storage means can be detected in a contact free manner. 
         [0017]    There are essentially four or five types of automatic playing card shuffler formats known in the art, and those formats include 1) a riffling or interleaving action in which cards are separated into approximately two stacks of cards and shuffled together (riffled) to combine the two sets into a single set, 2) a system wherein two stacks of cards are provided with a central stack of cards, and cards are randomly moved from the top of the two stacks into a central stack (and some of the cards from the central stack may also be moved randomly back into the two stacks) until a final single stack of cards is formed, 3) a single set of cards is moved one card at a time randomly into compartments (carousels, fans, wheel, stacks, etc.) and the cards in the compartments are delivered to a final card collection area, and 4) a set of cards has cards randomly ejected from within the set and transported to a collection area (or compartments and then a collection area). These shuffler systems are taught in the above cited references, all of which are herein incorporated in their entireties by reference. 
         [0018]    In feeding a single deck or a single set of cards into shufflers where a single deck or single set of cards is initially provided, and cards are removed from the single deck or single set, one-at-a-time from the single set to another function in the shuffler, a number of problems tend to arise. Among the more common problems are the ability to consistently feed a single card (rather than multiple cards) from the single set into the shuffler, the ability to assure that the last of the playing cards in the first set placed into the input area are moved out of the system, and preventing premature activation of the removal of cards by the shuffler as the first set of playing cards are inserted into the input area. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0019]    A gravity feed system is provided for assisting playing card shuffling devices in moving an initial set of cards first placed into the device and then moved into a card handling region of the shuffler. The system is referred to as a gravity feed because it is primarily gravity that motivates or moves the cards towards mechanical elements that further move and direct playing cards within the shuffler, such as pick-off rollers. The gravity feed system has a critical and narrow angle of slope on which the cards are seated and may be provided with extendable/retractable barriers to prevent premature movement of the first set of cards by the mechanical elements that move playing cards out of the card input area towards the shuffling system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         [0020]    The invention is now explained in closer detail by reference to the enclosed drawing, wherein: 
           [0021]      FIG. 1  schematically shows a card shuffler in accordance with the invention with removed cover; 
           [0022]      FIG. 2  shows a top view of the input apparatus; 
           [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a detail of a withdrawing apparatus; 
           [0024]      FIG. 4  shows an output storage means in which the shuffled cards are output; 
           [0025]      FIG. 4A  shows a top view of the output storage means according to  FIG. 4 ; 
           [0026]      FIGS. 5 ,  5 A show details of variants in the arrangement of compartments of the shuffling storage means; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective representation of the shuffling storage means. 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  shows a top plan view of a security container with a shuffling storage means. 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  shows a side elevational view of a gravity feed section of a shuffler. 
           [0030]      FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C and  8 D show variations of blocking elements to prevent playing cards from prematurely exiting a playing card input compartment. 
           [0031]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of the gravity feed section with the playing card support plate removed. 
           [0032]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the playing card input compartment with a support plate removed, the pick-off and transportation rollers exposed, and part of the lever for a blocking element shown. 
           [0033]      FIG. 11  shows a side view of an opened playing card input compartment with blocking fingers in an unblocking position. 
           [0034]      FIG. 12  shows a bottom exposed view of the playing card input compartment with the levers and the fingers shown in an unblocking position. 
           [0035]      FIG. 13  shows a top exposed view of the playing card input compartment with the fingers shown in an unblocking position. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0036]    The description of the practice of the present technology will be generally described with regard one particular format of playing card shuffling device that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,979, which has been incorporated by reference herein. Even though the descriptions and examples focus on that particular construction, as noted above, the technology originally described herein is useful in any playing card shuffling device where cards are to be moved from one stack of cards into a card moving system. In  FIG. 1 , a carousel format shuffling storage means  2 ′ is situated on a console formed of two legs  9  (only one is viewed because of the side view) which are arranged on a base plate  1 , which shuffling means is formed by a rotatably held drum  2 . The drum or carousel or wheel  2  is shown connected via spacers  62  ( FIG. 6 ) with two disks  3 . The drum may be a unified, single piece molded article, however. The flanges  2 ″ of the drum  2  are provided with or form compartment-like slots  69  which are provided for receiving one or more cards  13 . 
         [0037]    The disks  3  are each shown in  FIG. 1 . Each disk  3  is provided with a circular toothing  70  that serves as a pinion gear. The shuffling storage means  2 ′ can be driven via a gear  4  mounted to shaft  5  or any other driving mechanism, (such as pulleys, magnetic gearing and the like). The gear  4  is, in turn belt driven via a continuous belt  6 , by a rotational shaft  7  driven by motor  8 . Gear  4  and motor  8  are jointly held rotatably inside a housing, one side of which is shown as a plate or bar  25 . The motor  8  may be driven via a random-check generator and optionally moves the shuffling storage means  2 ′ in mutually opposite directions (e.g., clockwise and counterclockwise), so that an oscillating movement of the shuffling storage means  2 ′ can occur and a shortest route to a next selected compartment for insertion of cards can be achieved. Although specific structures, features and components are discussed, as previously noted, these are merely specific examples within a disclosure of a generic concept. 
       Prior Art Shuffling System 
       [0038]    A prior art system for input of cards (according to the teachings of U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,979) is shown with its playing card storage container or playing card input compartment  10  for the playing cards to be randomized, shuffled or sorted (e.g., played cards)  13 . This card input compartment  10  is provided as part of a playing card input apparatus  106 . It comprises a wedge  11  which rolls by way of a roller  12  which is arranged rotatably in the same on an inclined floor  107  of the storage container  10  against two elastic rollers  14  ( FIG. 2 ). The two rollers  14  (again, only a single roller can be seen because of the side view) are held rotatably on a common shaft  28  between the two plate bars  25  that form sides of the housing and the rollers  14  can be driven jointly with the rollers  15  via two pulleys  26  (and  FIG. 2 ), a toothed belt  29  ( FIG. 2 ) as well as a pulley  27  ( FIG. 2 ) via a motor  17 . Two rollers  16  touch the two rollers  15  at their circumferences, so that they are co-rotated by surface friction. 
         [0039]    In  FIG. 2 , two bridges  104  each form with the floor  107  of the playing card input storage container  10  a gap-like draw-in zone which is substantially the thickness (yet still greater than the actual thickness) of a playing card  13  to guarantee that only one card at a time is conveyed to the shuffling storage means  2 ′ and to prevent jamming or misalignment of cards within the input compartment  10 . A position or optical reading (camera) sensor  24  may be provided as a preferably optical sensor for recognizing the presence or rank/suit of respectively moved card  13 . Each card which is moved from the playing card storage container  10  to the shuffling storage means  2 ′ must therefore first pass a gap-like draw-in zone one after the other and then the sensor  24 , with the sensor  24  being covered or triggered at first by the playing card  13  entering the sensor zone and being uncovered again after the passage of the card  13 . An electronic controller, preferably a microprocessor, which is provided downstream of the sensor, may therefore register the change from covered to uncovered sensor as a passing playing card  13 , as long as the electronic control does not recognize a jam in the card path. 
         [0040]    The electronic control advances the cards  13  so that they are inserted one by one into the individual compartments  69  of the shuffling storage means  2 ′ and stores the information in an electronic register and then the electronic control subtracts the cards  13  taken from individual compartments according to their number from the electronic register with the goal of keeping a continual inventory on the playing cards  13  situated in the device  2 ′. 
         [0041]    A jam in the card path is recognized when the rollers  14 ,  15  or  19  are stopped and thus the motors  17  and  20  show an increased current consumption. Alternatively, a jam can be recognized when the playing card  13  covers the sensor  24  for a longer period than that time which corresponds to the conveying speed of rollers  14  and  15  with respect to the conveyance of a playing card  13  or when the sensor remains uncovered for a longer period than is standard for an active shuffling mode for the device while the electronic control triggers the drive of the rollers  14  and  15  and the playing cards  13  are located in the storage container  10 . This jamming event or fact can also be verified through a sensor (not shown) in floor  107 . 
         [0042]    The roller pair  19  and the pair of rollers  18  which touches the other pair on their circumferences and which pairs  18  of rollers are each situated on a shaft  30  can be driven in the same manner by motor  23  as described above. 
         [0043]    Two levers  21  are shown in  FIG. 1  as being used for fully pushing the respectively moved card  13  into a compartment  69  of the shuffling storage means  2 ′ and can be driven in an oscillating fashion via the rod  22 , which is swivelably connected with one of the levers  21  by the shaft  34 , through an eccentric disk  23  seated on a motor. Any other injection means, including gravity and momentum from rollers (e.g.,  18  and  19 ) may also be used to advance cards into compartments  69 . 
         [0044]    At least two variants of output storage means  42 ,  42 ′ are provided for the shuffled cards  13  which output storage means can be fastened optionally on the base plate  1  and can be exchanged easily for each other. 
         [0045]    A card storage or card receiving means  42  comprising a support area such as U-shaped table  43  is provided which comprises two alignment pins  100  which are inserted into the base plate  1  and on which a card storage means  42  ( FIG. 1 ),  42 ′ ( FIG. 4 ) for the shuffled cards can be inserted onto the end of the shuffling device  2 ′, which card storage means is provided in the zone of its floor with respective bores  102  ( FIG. 4 ). To fix or secure the respective card storage means  42 ,  42 ′ a screw  101  may be provided which engages in a threaded bore  103  of the card storage means  42 ,  42 ′. 
         [0046]    The output of the cards  13  from the compartments  69  to a card storage means  42 ,  42 ′ may be effected or occurs by means of a pushing or ejection device, such as two swiveling arms  35  which are swivelably mounted on the two legs  9  and are oscillatingly drivable via lever  37  and via an eccentric disk  38  seated on a motor. Pins, bars, shafts, plates, compressed air, rollers and other physical systems may also be used to remove cards from the slots  69 . The two swiveling arms  35  shown each carry at their upper end an inwardly projecting rail  36  ( FIG. 3 ) which grasps the cards  13  situated in a compartment  69  and conveys them to a nip line of two clamping rollers  40 . The clamping rollers  40  are held in the sides of the housing or plate bars  45  and are simultaneously drivable by a motor  41 . 
         [0047]    The clamping or transporting nip rollers  40  convey the respectively moved cards  13  to the card storage tray means  42  as shown in  FIG. 1  for the shuffled or sorted cards for the purpose of a stack-wise removal of the cards  13 , or to a card storage means  42 ′ for a removal of shuffled cards  13  one after the other. 
         [0048]    A card storage means  42  is shown as formed substantially by a U-shaped table  43  in which the cards  13  are deposited in a stack  44 . The cards can be upwardly removed from said table  43  by the croupier in an optionally stack-wise manner. 
         [0049]    The card storage means  42 ′ according to  FIGS. 4 and 4A  is provided for removing cards  13  one by one. The cards  13  emerging from the nip line of the clamping rollers  40  enter the card storage means  42 ′ via a gap  50 , which card storage means is delimited by a downwardly extending oblique wall  49  and for example a spring-loaded block  47 . The cards  13 , which may also optionally be present within the card storage means  2 ′ several of them at the same time, are pushed between the block  47  and the wall  49  or the cards  13  already situated in the card storage means  42 ′, with the block  47  being pushed back against the force of the spring  48 . The block  47  slides over the inclined plane of an L-shaped basic body  46 . A gap  73  remains between the lower edge of the wall  49  and the L-shaped basic body  46  through which the cards  13  can be withdrawn one by one. 
         [0050]    As is shown in  FIG. 4A , the inclined wall  49  is provided at its lower edge with a centrally arranged recess opening  72  which facilitates the withdrawal of individual cards  13 . The card storage means  42 ′ is delimited at the side by walls  50 . The shuffled cards  13  can be removed one by one by the croupier in such a way that the front one of the playing cards  13  is grasped by friction with the fingers through the recess  72  in wall  49  and a single card is pulled out through the gap  73 . 
         [0051]    As is shown in  FIGS. 5 and 5A , springs  51 ,  52  are arranged in the compartments  69  of the shuffling storage means  2 ′ which produce a clamping of the card(s)  13  pushed into the respective compartment  69 . A spring  52  is provided with a bend-off  55  which covers the radially outer openings of the compartments  69  and prevents cards  13  from being ejected outwardly through centrifugal force during the rotation of the shuffling storage means  2 ′. 
         [0052]    The springs  51  according to  FIG. 5A  are arranged as bent or offset leaf springs and are inserted in a slot  53  of the one wall of the compartment  69  and press against the respective opposite wall of the compartment  69 . The card pushed into the respective compartment  69  is therefore clamped between said spring  51  and the opposite wall of the compartment  69  and held in this way in the respective compartment  69 . 
         [0053]    The output of the cards  13  of a compartment  69  occurs in such a way that the card  13  or a package of up to nine cards  13  for example is ejected as a group. This occurs by means of the swiveling arms  35  and the rails  36 , as has already been described above. The springs  51 ,  52  are deformed during the ejection of the card(s)  13 . 
         [0054]    As is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 , the drum  2  rests with its axle journals  57  in receiving means of the legs  9  and can be removed or lifted off from the same easily. Since the compartments  69  are provided with springs  51 ,  52 , the cards  13  remain in their compartments when the drum  2  is removed. 
         [0055]    The drum  2  can be placed in a security container  63  ( FIG. 7 ) and can be transported with the same, with the container  63  being closeable by a lid  64 . For this purpose, flanges  65 ,  66  are fastened to the container  63  and the lid  64 . This allows connecting and locking the container  63  with the lid  64  in a manipulation-proof way. 
         [0056]    In order to continually check the number of cards  13  situated in the shuffling storage means  2 ′, it is necessary to detect the number of all cards  13  which were placed in the compartments  69  of the shuffling storage means  2 ′. At the same time it is necessary to detect the number of cards  13  which were removed from the compartments  69 . For this purpose it must be ensured at first that the cards  13  are inserted into the compartments  69  one by one. It is provided for this purpose in accordance with one embodiment of the invention that the cards  13  are guided through a gap-like drawn-in zone  105  (see  FIG. 1 ) of defined thickness, with the thickness corresponding substantially to the thickness of a card  13 . The gap-like draw-in zone  105  is defined in the present embodiment by two bridges  104  that project inwardly from the side walls  108  of the storage container  10  and are separated from the floor  107  of the storage container  10  a distance substantially equal to the thickness of a card  13 . It is understood that instead of the two bridges  104  it is also possible to provide a continuous bridge which connects the two side walls  108  of the storage container  10 . 
         [0057]    After the card  13  has passed said draw-in zone  105  (again see  FIG. 1 ), a sensor  24 , preferably an optical sensor, is provided which detects the passage of a card  13 . After the passage of a card  13  an internal register of an electronic memory of the electronic control is increased by the value of one. At the same time the electronic control system stores the number of the compartment  69  in which the card  13  was inserted. The allocation of numbers to individual compartments  69  also occurs by the electronic control system upon activating the card shuffler. 
         [0058]    When cards  13  are removed from the compartments  69  of the shuffling storage means  2 ′, this occurs via the withdrawing apparatus  35 ,  37 ,  38 , as described above. In the present embodiment, a compartment  69  can only be emptied completely. Since the electronic control system is informed at all times about the number of cards  13  per compartment (card value) it is thus easy to determine how many cards are taken from the shuffling storage means  2 ′. 
         [0059]    A sensor detects actuation of the withdrawing apparatus  35 ,  37  that ejects all cards from a compartment as a group. An internal sensor facing the front side of playing cards (not shown) may be positioned within the device where cards are stationary or where cards are moving to read the rank and suit of cards so that such rank and/or suit information may be passed to a processor that can use that information for various legitimate purposes within the venue of a casino. 
         [0060]    The sum total of the cards  13  situated in the shuffling storage means  2 ′ is thus obtained in a simple manner by the addition of the cards  13  inserted in the shuffling storage means  2 ′ and the subtraction of the cards  13  removed therefrom. 
         [0061]    It is understood that the method can also be applied to a card shuffler which allows the removal of individual cards  13  from the shuffling storage means  2 ′, i.e. an entire compartment  69  is therefore not completely emptied. In this case it is not necessary that the electronic control system stores the number of cards  13  per compartment  69 , because after the removal of the individual cards  13  from the shuffling storage means  2 ′ the same can be moved past a sensor again. As a result, the electronic control system is informed at all times about the cards  13  individually supplied to and removed from the shuffling storage means  2 ′, as a result of which the sum total of the cards  13  situated in the shuffling storage means  2 ′ is always known. 
       Improved Gravity Feed System 
       [0062]      FIG. 8  shows a side view of a novel gravity feed section  200  of a shuffler playing card input compartment  10 . A base plate  201  for the input compartment  10  is shown, with two pick-off rollers  202  shown extending through the base plate  201  to contact the bottom of playing cards  13   a    13   b  in the playing card input compartment  10 . A slight separation  203  is shown for illustrative purposes between the bottom-most cards  13   b  and the support plate  201 . There is a critical angle {acute over (Ø)}  203   a  that exists with respect the support plate  201  and the horizon. That angle must be steep enough for the effects of gravity to significantly balance or overcome static friction between the playing cards and the support plate  201  and gradual enough so that cards are not forced too strongly down an incline over the support plate  201 . Even though the frictional forces could be controlled by modifying the surface properties of the support plate, the angle has been found to be more important, as the surface of the plate  201  will change over time with usage. That critical angle has been found to be circumscribed around 17°, as between 12°-21°, preferably between 13°-20°, and more preferably between 15°-19° slope. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the ends  214  of lower cards  13   b  are stopped by extending and recessing pins (which may be provided as fingers passing through or under the wall  218 ) or plate  204  while the ends  216  of upper cards  13   a  pass over the pins or plate  204  to rest against the wall  218  of the input chamber  10 . The pin or plate  204  prevents lower cards (such as  13   b ) from continuing downward into the exit slot or screening slot  210  where they would then contact advancing nip rollers  206 ,  208 . The number of cards passing through slot  210  is at least partially controlled by the size of slot  210  which is determined by the gap between the lower plate  210  and the lowest point  212  of end wall  218 . Also shown is a nub or glide element  220  that is affixed to the inside of the back wall  222  of the playing card input compartment  10 . The glide element  220  assists in allowing cards to slide down into the input chamber  10  and giving cards a slight push forward, down the slope, in the input chamber  10 . The guide  220  may be constructed of a heard material such as metal or hard plastic or a softer material such as rubber or a softer plastic. 
         [0063]      FIGS. 8A ,  8 B,  8 C and  8 D show variations on blocking elements for a gravity feed system or for any other slot feed system.  FIG. 8A  shows a “finger” blocking element  204   a  in a blocking position. The end of the finger element  204   a  extends far enough to block the slot  210 , preventing any playing cards (not shown) from entering the slot  210 . The blocking element  204   a  may unblock by rotating about pin or pivot point  230 . 
         [0064]      FIG. 8B  shows a blocking plate or panel  204   b  that can be moved vertically to block the slot  210 . 
         [0065]      FIG. 8C  shows a vertically transposing blocking element  204   c  that has two arms  242  that move down and up (see arrow  242   a ) to block and unblock, respectively, the slot  210 . 
         [0066]      FIG. 8D  shows an angled pin or plate  204   d  that moves at an angle through the wall  218  to extend downward to block the slot  210 , and would be retracted upwardly to clear the slot  210 . 
         [0067]      FIG. 9  shows a top view of the gravity feed section  300  of a shuffler with the playing card support plate removed to expose the pick-off rollers  302  and  306 . The pins  304  can be seen extending into the card receiving well  310 . The pins  304  do not have to be very large to prevent playing cards from advancing against the slot (not shown) and may be flat, rounded, sloped or even form a continuous bar or plate a sufficient portion of or across the slot so as to prevent card entry. Although the pins  304  are shown here as extending approximately horizontally or at a slight downward slope (in  FIG. 8 ) to block the slot, a plate, pins, a bar, or other blocking surface may move in a more vertical direction to block the slot and then retract to expose the slot A slope or guide  320  on the rearward side of the system is present to assist in guiding playing cards into the gravity feed section  300 . 
         [0068]      FIG. 10  is a top view of the playing card input compartment  10  with a support plate removed, the pick-off roller  340  and transportation rollers  302 ,  304  exposed, and part of the levers  204  for a blocking element shown. A slide  330  for directing cards into the input area  10  is also shown 
         [0069]      FIG. 11  shows a side view of a playing card input compartment  10  with blocking fingers  204   a  in an unblocking position. One format for operation of the blocking fingers  204   a  is for a motor  258   a  to drive arm  256  via cam  256   a  up and down, by engaging guide or roller  258  with a slot  258   a  in the arm  256 . This causes a second arm portion  259  to articulate or rotate about pin  260 , which in turns drives the blocking element  204   a  against an axel  262  on forward drive wheel  264 , causing the blocking element  204   a  to rotate clockwise towards the slot  210  and block the slot  210  as shown in  FIG. 8   a.    
         [0070]      FIG. 12  shows a bottom exposed view of the playing card input compartment (not shown, as this is a bottom view) with the levers  204  with fingers shown in an unblocking position. Pick-off roller  340  is also shown. 
         [0071]      FIG. 13  shows a top view of the playing card input compartment  10  with the fingers  204  exposed. The fingers  204  are shown in an unblocking position adjacent the playing card-moving rollers  262 . 
         [0072]    The use of a gravity feed system, without sliding weights and without mechanical springs, glides or other forwarding moving or downward pressing weights and devices simplifies the manufacture and operation of the movement of playing cards within and out of the playing card input compartment. The use of slides, glides, rollers, weights and other mechanical devices also provides a basis for complications in the initial movement of cards out of the playing card input compartment by way of jamming or forcing multiple cards into or through the exit slot from the compartment. The sloped angle has been found to be important and even critical within the narrow defined range for the operation of the gravity feed system. 
         [0073]    As repeatedly noted herein, although specific examples are shown for illustrative purposes, these specific examples are not intended to be limiting in the definition of the technology and inventions described herein, but are merely representative of specifics within the generic scope of the technology described.

Technology Category: 1