Random lotto marker

Claim 1

Portable hand-operated mechanical apparatus for making a random wager selection, comprising: (A) means for generating a substantially random first pattern, said generating means including a cage, cage-biasing means, and a plurality of balls, said cage being moveable between a vertically extended normal configuration enabling random horizontal movement of said balls within said cage and a vertically collapsed printing configuration fixing said balls against horizontal movement within said cage and forcing said balls downwardly, said cage-biasing means biasing said cage to its vertically extended normal configuration and thereby permitting said balls to assume the first pattern after said cage is randomly shaken; and (B) means for marking a wagering sheet with printing in a second pattern essentially the same as said first pattern and constituting a wager selection, said marking means including a plurality of independently selectable marking elements independently moveable between inoperative and operative positions and element-biasing means, said marking elements in said inoperative position being longitudinally elevated and said marking elements in said operative position being longitudinally depressed, said element-biasing means biasing said marking elements to their inoperative position; said apparatus additionally including a downwardly extending lip for maintaining said marking elements in said inoperative position spaced above the sheet while enabling said marking elements in said operative position to engage the sheet; whereby downward movement of said balls as a result of the movement of said cage to its vertically collapsed printing configuration operatively vertically depresses the marking elements vertically aligned with said balls to their operative positions, a vertical alignment of one of said balls and one of said marking elements being required for said one marking element to mark the sheet.