Article dispensing – With recorder – register – indicator – signal or exhibitor – Dispenser part position or adjustment indicator
Reexamination Certificate
1999-05-17
2001-09-25
Bartuska, F. J. (Department: 2167)
Article dispensing
With recorder, register, indicator, signal or exhibitor
Dispenser part position or adjustment indicator
C221S026000, C221S121000, C221S240000, C221S31200B, C283S106000, C283S903000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06293424
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices for dispensing pull tab gaming tickets and other tickets or articles adapted to be retained and dispensed by such devices.
BACKGROUND
Pull tab tickets according to the prior art are used for gaming and entertainment. In the usual fashion, a merchant buys an inventory of tickets and retains them in a jar or other container. Patrons buy the tickets and open them to reveal the outcome for the ticket. The outcome may be a combination of symbols, e.g. cherries, 7's or “bar” symbols of the type found in slot machines. The outcome may also be a number or series of numbers. For the game to which the tickets pertain there is a pay schedule for the outcomes, i.e. two cherries win five dollars, or winning numbers are posted. If the outcome of the ticket matches a winning outcome, the establishment pays the player the indicated amount. If the outcome is a losing outcome, the ticket is a loser and the purchaser receives no prize. The schedule of prizes or awards is designed, for the number of tickets printed and sold for the game, to provide the establishment with a profit.
The individual tickets are fashioned from paper and are rectangular. A portion of the ticket is printed with the outcome (or number). To conceal the outcome portion of the ticket, that portion is folded over on itself to form a folded bundle. The bundle is then secured by a burstable band. When the ticket is purchased, the band is bursted and the bundle unfolded to reveal the outcome. The portion of the ticket extending from the bundle, may be printed with serial numbers or other material to identify the ticket and the game.
As can be appreciated, it is important to conceal the outcome prior to the purchase of the ticket.
Some types of tickets may arrange several tickets together, fold-bundle them and, with a single band, secure the bundle. When the band is bursted, the tickets are unfolded to reveal multiple outcomes. “Tickets” will hereinafter be used to refer to either single or multiple outcome tickets.
Aside for the issue of security, it can further be appreciated that retaining the tickets in a jar or container can subject them to theft. Stolen tickets represent a loss or revenues for the game to the establishment. There is a need for a device which can prevent theft.
A further consideration is that in some jurisdictions where pull tab tickets are legal require the establishment to offer tickets for two different games. These games may, for example, offer different prizes. Thus the need for security is heightened by the need to secure two sets of tickets prior to sale.
There is also a need for a device which can automatically accept payment for a ticket and dispense a ticket without the intervention of establishment employees. Again, when tickets are sold but the payment is not remitted to the establishment, i.e. the establishment employee pockets the money, the establishment loses profit related to the game. Further, employees attend to their normal duties without having to sell tickets and collect the money therefor.
A need exist for a device which can automatically dispense pull tab tickets, which can dispense several different types of such articles such as different game pull tab tickets, different debit cards, lottery tickets or a combination thereof, which provides for security and a pull tab ticket adapted to be so dispensed. There is also a need for a device which can keep a running tally of money received, tickets sold and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention a device for dispensing a pull tab ticket which provides for security for the unsold tickets and which automatically accepts payment for and dispenses the tickets. Also set forth is a device which can dispense tickets for different games and which can generate and store data concerning the sales of tickets.
Toward this end, the device includes a closed housing having a discharge opening. A magazine is disposed in the housing, the magazine having a ticket mounting rod. Each ticket has a body with a fold-bundled portion containing the printed outcome. At a margin of the body is a deformable slot extending to a bore which is adapted to deform to remove the ticket from the rod. Accordingly the tickets are stacked along and retained by the rod with the rod passing through the bores thereof. A dispenser is disposed in the housing and, when actuated, engages a ticket to pull it from the rod, the slot deforming to pull the ticket from the rod. Preferably the dispenser includes a finger which engages the fold-bundle to urge it from the rod and carry the ticket to the discharge for dispensing thereof. Means are included for accepting payment such a bill validator, coin acceptor credit or debit card acceptor or the like. Upon receipt of payment the dispenser is actuated to dispense a ticket.
The device may mount a plurality of magazines on a rotatable carousel to offer different tickets or to provide for a greater inventory of tickets for sale. Means are provided for indexing the carousel to position a magazine containing tickets at the dispenser for dispensing thereof. Multiple carousels may be provided.
Instead of providing carousels, the tickets may be contained in one or more magazines. The magazines would be arranged in a row. In this instance the dispenser would be linearly indexed to the magazines or alternatively the magazines would be indexed to the dispenser to dispense tickets from the magazines. Further each magazine could have associated therewith a dedicated dispenser. As hereinafter described, the term carousel shall be interpreted to mean either a round carousel or a linear carousel.
Additionally the dispenser and carousels may be under control of a processor which receives signals from the payment acceptance means and which controls the actuation of the dispenser and indexing of the carousel(s). Further, sensors may be provided to sense whether the magazine at the dispenser is empty. The processor may further include a data structure to store data indicating the payments received and the tickets dispensed which data may be downloaded and for tracking and accounting purposes.
Also set forth according to the present invention is a ticket for the dispenser includes the deformable slot and bore to releasably retain the tickets on the rod in the magazine.
The magazine for the rod may be generally closed. Full magazines may be exchanged for empty magazines to change or refill the supply of game tickets.
While the present invention is directed to pull tab tickets it is also adapted to dispense other articles such as debit cards, lottery tickets and the like.
Accordingly, the device and ticket according to the present invention provides an integrated system for offering and dispensing pull tab tickets and other articles. The device provides security by housing the tickets as well as providing the system for dispensing the thickets. The tickets or other articles, in turn, are adapted to be releasably retained in a stacked relationship for dispensing thereof. Multiple games may be provided by use of one or more carousels. Games may be introduced quickly and easily by providing new magazines of tickets.
REFERENCES:
patent: 748795 (1904-01-01), Scheble
patent: 3051286 (1962-08-01), Stange et al.
patent: 5056684 (1991-10-01), Beach et al.
patent: 5529208 (1996-06-01), Carstens et al.
patent: 5921547 (1999-07-01), Wilner
Bartuska F. J.
Quirk & Tratos
TKO Technologies Corp.
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