US2675239A - Device for shuffling playing cards or the like - Google Patents

Description

April 13, 1954 L, P. SAUNDERS DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS OR THE LIKE Filed My 26, 1950 IN V EN'T 0R.

@ MJW Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS OR THE LIKE Laurence P. Saunders, Lockport, N. Y.

Application May 26, 1950., Serial No. 164,312

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in a device for shuffling playing cards or the like.

The objects of the invention are to provide a card shuffler on which two groups or stacks of playing cards or the like can be quickly and offectively interleaved; and which is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing in which Fig. i a perspective elevational view of a card shuffler embodying my invention, no playing cards being illustrated on the device.

Fig. 2 is a top plan elevation view thereof on a slightly smaller scale and showing two groups or stacks of playing cards in position before bein interleaved.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 with a central portion of the upper card rest being broken away to show the interleaved condition or overlapped The card shufiler as illustrated is made of plastic pieces cemented together although it is to be understood that any suitable material can be used aiso any suitable mode of connection of the various parts can be employed.

The card shuffisr comprises a base HJ shown in the form of a rectangular plate on which are arranged means for holding two groups or stacks of playing cards in an upwardly inclining position and at an angle to each other .so that when these stacks are pushed downwardly toward the base the adjacent corner portions of the cards become interleaved .or overlapped. For this purpose stops are provided on the base .lll against which the lower end of each stack of cards rests and. an upper rest member is arranged above the base it to support the upper end of each stack of cards.

The lower stops for :one stack -of cards represented at C are shown as two upstanding par-ts i l and i2 rising from the base to andspaced from each other transversely of the "stack of cards rengaged thereby so as to engage the rear edges of the cards in such stack. A similar pair of stops H and il are provided for the other stack of cards represented at C The inner stops II and H are adjacent each other.

.An outer side guide plate [3 engages the outer lateral end face of the lower outer stop I? and extends forwardly at a right angle to such stop. This guide plate [3 braces the stop I? and also the inner surface of this guide plate serves as a guide for the outer side edges of the stack of cards C. A similar outer side guide plate I3 is provided for the other outer stop I2 An inner side guide plate l4 engages the outer lateral end face of the lower inner stop H and extends forwardly parallel to the outer side guide plate l3. A similar inner side guide plate 14 is provided for the inner stop I'l These inner side guide plates [4 and I4 extend forwardly from the front faces of the respective inner stops 1 l and I l for a distance about equal to half the length of the playing cards as best shown in Fig. .3.

'The perpendicular distance between the opposing faces of the respective side guide plates I3, 14 and I3 I4 is slightly greater than the width of the playing cards so as to permit the cards to move both vertically and horizontally relative to these guide plates without binding between them.

The upper card rest comprises a transverse bar indicated generally at 15 arranged in elevated position above the base Ill. This bar is shown as supportedby a pair of rearwardly and downwardly turned arms 1'6, [6 connected respectively to the outer side guide plates l3, I3 and a pair of upright posts 17, I1 arranged near the forward ends of the arms I6, I16 and connected respectively thereto. The posts H, H are preferably set back as shown a relatively short distance from the corner juncture of the transverse bar 15 with the .front end of the respective arm [5 or IE and these posts serve as outer guidesfor the side edges of the stacks of cards .0 and C respectively adjacent their front ends.

The transverse bar !5 is formed to provide a pair of vertical card engaging surfaces i8 and I8 each having a continuous lower rear edge it or I 9 .respectively parallel with the upper surface of the base 110. The surfaces 18 and I t are arranged at an angle to each other so that the surface i8 is parallel with the card engaging or front faces of the lower stops II and i2 and thesurface I8 is ,parallel with the card engaging or front faces of the lower stops H and 52 .A horizontal reenforcing rib 20 is shown as arranged on :the front of the transverse bar it to rigidity this bar.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 the card engaging surfaces for one stack of cards is arranged at such an angle to the card engaging surfaces for the other stack of cards that the adjacent front upper inner corners of the stacks C and C are slightly separated when resting against the transverse bar l as shown in Fig. 2; but when these stacks are lying fiat on the base It the adjacent corner portions of the cards in the two stacks are interleaved or overlapped, as shown in Fig. 3.

Further, the front or card engaging surface of the various lower stops ll, H 12 and I2 are preferably curved about the lower rear edge H3 or I9 as a centerline and having a radius equal to the distance between this edge and the front faces of the respective stops. However, the front or card engaging surfaces of these lower stops may be straight as a chord of the curve shown.

It is also to be noted that the distance between the edge l9 or I9 and the card engaging surfaces of the respective stops I 1, E2 or H I2 is slightly less than the length of a playing card so that the respective card engaging surface on the transverse bar l5 will support a stack of cards resting against the lower stops, but yet permitting the upper front ends of the cards to pass the edge 19 or I9 successively beginning with the lowermost card when pressure is applied to the top of the stack to bow the same, as shown in Fig. l. If desired a tool or mechanical means (not shown) may be arranged to contact the cards directly and apply the pressure thereto, instead of manually engaging the cards as illustrated in Fig. 4.

In use,"the cards to be shuffled are first divided into two groups or stacks C and C containing approximately the same number of cards. The stacks C and C are then placed in the respective positions shown in Fig. 2 in which each stack rests against its lower stops and leans against the transverse bar I5. The operator then presses downwardly on the stacks simultaneously at about their centers. .This causes the cards from the bottom card to the top card in each stack successively to traverse the edge IE or I9 and as the cards fall toward the base It the adjacent front inner corner portions of the cards from the two stacks overlap one another. With the partially interleaved cards on the base [0, the operator can place his fingers in the space between the pair of lower stops and push the cards forwardly away from the lower stops. In doing this the partially interleaved stacks of cards are guided by the side guide plates 13, I4, I3 and M and posts l1 and I! to move toward each other and increase the degree of overlapping. At the same time the cards are presented forwardly of the transverse bar I5 where they can be easily picked up by the operator.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides a card shufiler which has a simple construction and can be manufactured at low cost, and which is easy to operate to effectively shuflie stacks of cards rapidly.

I claim:

1. A device for shuffling cards, comprising a base, a rest bar supported in an elevated position abovev said base and having separate card engaging surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, and separate card engaging stop members arranged on said base on the same side of said bar and opposite said surfaces, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against saidsurfaces and stop members and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

2. A device for shufliing cards, comprising a base, a bar member supported in an elevated position above said base and having its rear face inclining rearwardly from opposite ends of said bar member to provide two surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, and upstanding stops on said base disposed rearwardly of said bar member, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against said surfaces and said stops and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to caus the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

3. A device for shufiiing cards, comprising a base, a bar member supported in an elevated position above said base and having its rear face inclining rearwardly from opposite ends of said bar member to provide two surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, and a pair of spaced upstanding stops on said base disposed rearwardly of said bar member and opposite each of said surfaces, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against said surfaces and said stops and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

4. A device for shuffling cards, comprising a base, a bar member supported in an elevated position above said base and having its rear face inclining rearwardly from opposite ends of said bar member to provide two surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, a pair of spaced upstanding stops on said base disposed rearwardly of said bar member and opposite each of said surfaces, and a side guide on each of the lateral outer sides of each pair of said stops, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against said surfaces and said stops and arranged between the corresponding pairs of said side guides and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

5. A device for shuffling cards, comprising a base, a bar member arranged in an elevated position above said base and having separate card engaging surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, a post on said base adjacent each end of said bar member and connected thereto, separate card engaging stop members arranged on said base on the same side of said bar member and opposite said surfaces, and side guide means associated with said stop members, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against said surfaces and said stop members and between said side guide means and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave'successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

6. A device for shuffling cards, comprising a base, a bar member arranged in an elevated position above said base, a rearwardly and outwardly facing card engaging surface at opposite ends of said bar member on the same side thereof whereby such surfaces are arranged at an angle to each other when viewed from above, a support arm extending upwardly from said base and, forwardly toward each of said surfaces substantially perpendicularly thereto and connected at its forward end to the adjacent outer end of said bar member, a post arranged on said base adjacent each of said arms and connected thereto adjacent its forward end, and upstanding card engaging stop means on said base disposed rearwardly of said bar member and opposite each of said surfaces, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends resting against said surfaces and said stops and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

7. A device for shufiling cards, comprising a base, a bar member supported in an elevated position above said base, a rearwardly and outwardly facing card engaging surface at opposite ends of said bar member on the same side thereof whereby such surfaces are arranged at an angle to each other when viewed from above, the lower rear edge of each of said surfaces being substantially straight and parallel with the upper surface of said base, and upstanding card engaging stop means on said base disposed rearwardly of said bar member and opposite each of said surfaces, the front face of each of said stop means being curved about the respective one of said lower rear edges as a center and the radius of such curvature being slightly less than the length of a playing card, whereby two inclined stacks of cards having their opposite ends engaging said card engaging surfaces and front faces and with their upper edges at an angle to each other can be pressed toward said base to cause the elevated ends of the cards in said stacks to leave successively said surfaces and partially overlap one another as the cards fall onto said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 6,968 Great Britain 1890 27,568 Great Britain 1909 29,288 Great Britain 1913

Images