US5114153A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Mechanical card dispenser and method of playing a card game
Assignee: BRESLOW MORRISON TERZIAN & ASSOCIATES Inc A CORP OF IL
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Filing: 1991-02-08
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Granted: 1992-05-19
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Expires: 2011-02-08
Abstract
Abstract The present invention is concerned with providing a game that mechanically dispenses additional cards to a player in a dramatic manner. Card play initially determines whether a player may have to operate the dispenser. However, a chance element in operation of the device may still permit the player to escape receiving any additional cards. Depression of a button in accordance with card play, indexes a disc having variously spaced apart detents for actuating a battery motor driven eccentric wheel that expels the cards from a reservoir.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald A. Rosenwinkel
- 👤 Randall H. Moormann
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 12:07
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F1/00; A63F1/06; A63F1/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
91 words
A game comprising in combination: a supply of cards; a housing having a bottom; an reservoir in the housing for receiving at least some of the supply of cards; a motor mounted within the housing; means driven by the motor for dispensing a bottommost card from the cards in the reservoir; means for actuating the motor; a manually depressible actuator carried by the housing; and means connecting the actuator and the actuating means such that the motor is actuated in response to some but not all manual depressions of the actuator.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
91 words
A game comprising in combination: a supply of cards; a housing having a bottom; an reservoir in the housing for receiving at least some of the supply of cards; a motor mounted within the housing; means driven by the motor for dispensing a bottommost card from the cards in the reservoir; means for actuating the motor; a manually depressible actuator carried by the housing; and means connecting the actuator and the actuating means such that the motor is actuated in response to some but not all manual depressions of the actuator.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
16 words
The game of claim 1 in which the motor is an electrical motor powered by batteries.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
30 words
The game of claim 2 in which: the actuating means includes a normally open switch; and the connecting means includes one or more detents selectively engageable with the open switch.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
26 words
The game of claim 3 in which the connecting means includes a rotatable piece and the one or more detents are spaced around the rotatable piece.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
13 words
The game of claim 4 in which the detents are irregularly spaced apart.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The game of claim 5 including means rotatably indexing the rotatable piece by incremental steps in response to each depression of the actuator.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
15 words
The game of claim 6 including means releasably restraining the indexing of the rotatable piece.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The game of claim 6 in which: the indexing means includes a member carried by the housing for reciprocating movement; the member includes means biasing the member out of indexing engagement with the rotatable piece; and the member includes a cam surface engageable with the manually depressible actuator.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
30 words
The game of claim 8 in which: the member includes a pawl; and the rotating piece includes a series of teeth each of which is serially engageable by the pawl.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The game of claim 9 in which there are less detents than teeth.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
The game of claim 1 in which: the reservoir includes an inclined wall adjacent the dispensing means; an opening in the wall; the cards in the reservoir are supported by the wall in dispensing communication with the dispensing means through the opening; and means biasing the cards in the reservoir against the wall.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The game of claim 11 in which the biasing means includes: a pivotally mounted lever; and a biasing element urging the lever into pressure exerting engagement with the cards in the reservoir.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
20 words
The game of claim 12 in which the dispensing means includes a rotating eccentric that periodically extends through the opening.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
21 words
The game of claim 1 in which the connecting means includes one or more detents selectively engageable with the actuating means.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
27 words
The game of claim 14 in which the connecting means includes a rotatable piece and the one or more detents are irregularly spaced around the rotatable piece.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
65 words
The game of claim 15 including: means for rotatably indexing the rotatable piece by incremental steps in response to each depression of the actuator; the indexing means including a member carried by the housing for reciprocating movement; the member including means biasing the member out of indexing engagement with the rotatable piece; and the member including a cam surface engageable with the manually depressible actuator.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
36 words
The game of claim 16 in which: the member includes a pawl; the rotating piece includes a series of teeth, each of which is serially engageable by the pawl; and there are less detents than teeth.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of playing a game comprising the steps of: supplying a number of players with a supply of cards; providing a card holder and dispenser that upon operation will expel cards; dealing a predetermined number of cards to each player; placing one of the remaining cards face up in a discard pile; putting the remainder of the cards in the dispenser; allowing the players to proceed, in turn, to discard a card upon the discard pile; permitting a player upon discarding a particular card to direct the card holder and dispenser toward an opponent; and causing the opponent to operate the card holder and dispenser.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
106 words
A method of playing a game comprising the steps of: supplying a number of players with a supply of cards; providing a card holder and dispenser that upon operation will expel cards; dealing a predetermined number of cards to each player; placing one of the remaining cards face up in a discard pile; putting the remainder of the cards in the dispenser; allowing the players to proceed, in turn, to discard a card upon the discard pile; permitting a player upon discarding a particular card to direct the card holder and dispenser toward an opponent; and causing the opponent to operate the card holder and dispenser.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of playing a game of claim 18 including the step of requiring the opponent to continue to operate the card holder and dispenser until it expels cards.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of playing a game of claim 18 including step of letting the opponent direct the card holder and dispenser toward another opponent if the operation of the card holder and dispenser did not result in the expelling of cards.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-05-19 | 1995-11-18 | 1996-05-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-05-19 | 1999-11-18 | 2000-05-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-05-19 | 2003-11-18 | 2004-05-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |