US2717782A - Device for shuffling playing cards - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 13, 1955 J. w. DROLL DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 18, 1952 F 11 m liv Sept. 13, 1955 Filed Feb. 18, 1952 J. W. DROLL DEVICE FOR SHUFFLING PLAYING CARDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent DEVICE FOR SHUFFLlNG PLAYING CARDS Joseph W. Broil, (Ihicago, Ill.

Application "February 18, 1952, Serial No. 272,210

3 Claims. (Cl. 273-449) The present invention relates to devices for shufiling playing cards.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a card shuttling device which is an improvement upon, and has certain inherent advantages over, previously-designed devices for the same purpose and is characterized by the fact that the cards at the conclusion of a shuffiing'operation are in the form of a single pack and in connection with a card shuffling operation a so-called milking action is obtained as the result of the bottom and top cards of the pack being alternately arranged. In general the improved device comprises a horizontally elongated housing-like supporting structure having an open bottom card-collect- .ing space in the central portion of its interior and embodying at the upper portions of its ends a pair of pockets for receiving the pack of cards to be shuffled after it has been divided into two half packs. One of the pockets has at the top thereof an abutment member and a card discharging passage adjacent the member and leading 'to the card-collecting space, and is provided with a substantially vertically slidable spring biased presser member for urging the half pack of cards in the pocket upwards against the abutment member. The other pocketfhas at the bottom thereof an abutment member anda card discharging passage adjacent the member and leading to the card-collecting space, and is provided with a substantially vertically slidable spring biased presser member for urging .the half pack of cards in the pocket downwards against the abutment member. Disposed over the one pocket are two laterally spaced ejector members which are mounted fixedly on a horizontal shaft and operate in connection with drive of the shaft successively to slide only the uppermost card of the half pack in said one pocket laterally into the card-collecting spacevia the card passage that is associated with the one pocket; and disposed beneath the other pocket are two laterally'spaced ejector members which are mounted fixedly on a horizontal shaft and operate in connection'with drive of the shaft successively to slide only the lowermost card of the half pack in the other pocket laterally into the ,cardcollecting space via the card passage that is associated with the other pocket. In addition to the parts heretofore mentioned the improved shuttling device comprises a crank outwards of one side of the housing-likesupporting structure and gearing between the crank for driving the two shafts in one direction. The pair of ejector members on the one shaft are so arranged with respect to the pair of ejector members on the other shaft that in connection with turning of the crank'the twopairs of ejector members alternately slide into the card-collecting space the cards from their respective "half packs. At the conclusion of a card shuffling operation there is a composite orcomplete shuflled pack within the card-collecting space, every other card of which is a top :card'from the half pack that was originally 'in the one pocket and the alternate cards of which are bottom cards from the half pack in the other pocket.

Another object of the invention is to provide a card shuflling device of the'aforementioned character'in which the various parts are arranged in a compact and novel manner.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a card :shufiiing device of the type and character under consideration which includes a handle which permits the device to 'be carried or transferred from place to place, is mounted for limited vertical sliding movement with respect to the housinglike supporting structure, and is so operatively connected to the presser member that is associated with the other pocket that when it is depressed it serves to retract such presser member so as to enable the user of the device readily to insert a half pack of cards into said other pocket .as a preliminary to a cardshufiling operation.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a card shuffling device which is generally of new and im- ,proved construction, effectively and efiiciently fulfills its intended purpose and 'is so designed that it may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

Other objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present device for shuffling playing cards will be apparent from a consideration .of thefollowing'detailed description.

The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set 'forth and are more particularly defined by-claims at the conclusion hereof.

'In the drawings which accompany and form a part of thisspecification or disclosure and in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a;perspective view of a cardshufiding device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is 'a vertical longitudinal section "illustrating in detail the construction and arrangement ofthe compo- .nent parts of the device and showing the position of the spring biased presser members when there are no half packs of cards to 'be shuffled in the open sided pockets at the upper portions of the horizontally elongated housing-likesupporting structure of the device;

Figure 3 :is a similar section showing the pockets with half packs of cards therein and illustrating 'the manner in which 'the rotary ejector members serve alternately to slide the top card of one of the half packs and the bottom card of the other half pack into the card-collecting space in the central portion of the interior of the supporting structure; and

Figures *4 and 5 are vertical transverse sections taken respectively on the li-nes 4-4 and 5-5 of Figure 3.

The 'device'which is shown in the drawings constitutes the preferred form or embodiment of the invention. It serves as a medium for shuffling a pack of playing cards after the pack has been divided into two half packs. vOne of the half .packs is designated in the drawings by the reference letter C and the cards thereof are designated by the reference letter 0 and .the other half pack is designated in the drawings by the reference letter C and the cards thereof are designated by the reference letter c. As its principal components the card shuffling device comprises "a horizontally elongated housing-like supporting structure 10, a pair of rotary ejector members 11 for successively ejecting the top cards of the half pack C and a pair of rotary ejector members 12 for successively ejecting .the bottom cards of the half pack C.

The supporting structure 10 is of unitary character and comprises a pair of laterally spaced, similarly shaped, vertically extending side walls 13, a horizontally extending top wall '14 and a pair of spaced apart vertically extending end walls 15. and 16. Such walls are preferalily "in the form of sheet metal stampings. 'The side walls 13 are-spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the length ofthe-cards to be shufiied and have rounded or "curved upper corners. The bottom margins of the U side walls are straight and embody at their right hand end portions as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, integral, inwardly extending, right angle flanges 17 and at their left hand end portions integral, inwardly extending, right angle flanges 18. The top wall 14 of the housing-like supporting structure extends between the upper margins of the side walls 13 and is provided at the side margins thereof with integral, downwardly extending, right angle flanges 19 which lap the upper margins of the side walls and are secured thereto by screws, rivets, or other suitable attaching devices. The right hand portion of the top wall 14 as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, is bent downwards to form an extension 20 which is spaced inwards of the upper portions of the right hand end edges of the side walls 13 and defines at its bottom margin an abutment member 21, the purpose of which is defined hereafter. The left hand end portion of the top Wall 14 as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, is bent downwards to form an extension 22 which, as shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, is disposed inwards of the upper portions of the left hand end edges of the side walls 13. The end wall 15 extends between the central and lower portions .of the right hand end edges of the side walls and embodies on its side margins a pair of integral, inwardly extending, right angle flanges 23 and on its bottom margin an integral, inwardly and horizontally extending extension 24. The flanges 23 fit against, and are suitably secured to, the central and lower portions of the right hand end margins of the side walls 13 and the inwardly and horizontally extending extension 24 rests on, and is suitably secured at its ends to, the inwardly extending right angle flanges 17. The upper edge of the end wall 15 and the lower edge of the abutment member 21 are spaced apart vertically and endwise and define therebetween a downwardly and inwardly inclined pocket 25 for receiving the half pack C consisting of the playing cards 0. The other end wall, i. e., the end wall 16, extends between the central and lower portions of the left hand edges of the side walls 13 and embodies on its side margins a pair of integral, inwardly extending, right angle flanges 26 and on its bottom margin an integral, inwardly and horizontally extending extension 27. The flanges 26 fit against, and are suitably secured to, the central and lower portions of the left hand end margins of the side walls 13 and the inwardly and horizontally extending extension 27 rests on, and is suitably secured at its ends to, the inwardly extending right angle flanges 18. The upper edge of the end wall 16 and the bottom edge of the extension 22 are spaced apart vertically and endwise and define therebtween a downwardly and inwardly inclined pocket 28 for receiving the half pack C consisting of the playing cards 0'. The central portion of the interior of thehousing-like supporting structure 10 constitutes an open bottom space 29 for collecting the cards after they are slid inwards from the pockets 25 and 28 as described hereafter.

Disposed a short distance inwards of the end wall 15 is an upwardly and transversely extending wall 30, the lower edge of which terminates directly above the extension 24 and the upper edge of which is bluntly tapered as shown in Figure 4 and terminates a comparatively small distance inwards of the lower edge of the abutment member 21. The side margins of the wall 30 are provided with integral, inwardly extending right angle flanges 31 which fit against, and are suitably secured to, the adjacent portions of the side walls 13. Disposed substantially midway between, and in parallel relation with, the upper portions of the side walls 13 is a stamped metal strip 32. It is located a small distance beneath the top wall 14 of the housing-like structure 10. The right hand end of the strip 32, as viewed in Figures 2 and 3, abuts against the inner face of the downwardly extending extension 26 and embodies an integral, depending extension 33, the lower edge of which defines with the central apex portion of the upper edge of the wall 30 a card discharging passage 34 which is located adjacent the inner upper portion of the card receiving pocket 25 and leads to the upper portion of the card-collecting space 29 in the central portion of the interior of the supporting structure. The height of the card discharge passage 34 is slightly greater than the thickness of a single playing card. Associated with the pocket 25 is an inverted U-shaped presser member 35 for urging the half pack C upwards against the abutment member 21. Said presser member comprises a slightly downwardly and inwardly inclined top wall 36, a depending outer side wall 37 and 21 depending inner side wall 38. The top wall 36 of the presser member 35 is adapted to abut against the lowermost card 0 of the half pack C. The outer side wall 37 is located inwards of the end wall 15 and the inner side wall 38 fits slidably against the wall 30 and is provided at its end margins with pairs of integral, outwardly extending tongues 39 which extend through, and are upwardly and downwardly slidable in upwardly and inwardly inclined slots 40 in the right hand end portions of the side walls 13, as viewed in Figures 1, 2 and 3. The tongues 39 and the slots 40 coact to guide the presser member 35 for upward and downward sliding movement. A serpentine leaf spring 41 extends between the presser member 35 and the extension 24 on the lower margin of the end wall 15 and serves to urge the presser member 35 upwards. The lower end of the spring abuts against the extension 24 and the upper end of the spring abuts against the top wall 36 of the presser member 35. When the half pack C of playing cards 0 is disposed in the pocket 25, as shown in Figure 3, the presser member 35 urges the half pack upwards so that the topmost card abuts against the abutment member 21 and is aligned with the card discharging passage 34. When it is desired to insert the half pack C into the pocket 25 the inner side portions of the cards a are placed on the outer portion of the top wall 35 of the presser member and are then forced downwards so as to depress the presser member against the force of the serpentine leaf spring 41. After the presser member 35 is depressed to the proper extent the half pack C is shifted or slid inwards so that the inner side edges of the cards c abut against the upper portion of the wall 30, as shown in Figure 3.

The bottom portion of the pocket 28 is defined by a downwardly and inwardly inclined transversely extending abutment forming wall 42, the outer side margin of which is bent downwards to form a flange 43 which fits against, and is suitably fixedly secured to, the upper margin of the end wall 16 (see Figures 2 and 3). Disposed beneath the wall 42 is a vertical, longitudinally extending stamped metal strip 44 and disposed above the wall 42 in an upwardly and inwardly inclined, transversely extending wall 45. The strip 44 is disposed midway between the central portions of the left hand ends of the side walls 13 and is provided at its outer end with an integral right angle flange 46 which fits against, and is suitably secured to, the depending flange 43 on the outer margin of the abutment forming wall 42. The upwardly and inwardly inclined, transversely extending wall is located inwards of the downwardly extending extension 22 of the top wall 14 and is provided at its ends with inwardly extending right angle flanges 47 which fit against, and are suitably secured to, the adjacent portions of the side walls 13 of the housing-like supporting structure. The lower portion of the wall 45 defines the inner end of the pocket 28 for the half pack C consisting of the cards 0. The central portion of the lower margin of the upwardly and inwardly inclined, transversely extending wall 45 is provided with an integral, depending extension 48 which directly overlies the inner upper corner of the strip 44 and defines therewith a card discharge passage 49 which is located at the inner lower portion of the pocket 28 and permits the lowermost card c of the half pack C to be slid laterally from the pocket 28 into the card-collecting space 29. The height of the card discharge passage 49 is slightly greater than the thickness of a single playing card in order that only the lowermost card 0 may be slid from the pocket 28 into the aforementioned card-collecting space. Associated with the pocket 28 is a C-shaped presser member 50 for urging the half pack C downwards against the abutment forming wall 42. Said presser member 50 is in the form of a metallic stamping and comprises an upwardly and inwardly inclined side wall 51, an inwardly extending top wall 52 and an inwardly extending bottom wall 53. The bottom wall 53 of the presser member 50 is adapted to abut against the uppermost card c of the half pack C. The inner corners of the top and bottom walls 52 and .53 of the C-shaped presser-member 50 are provided with integral, outwardly extending tongues 54 and these extend outwards through, and are upwardly and downwardly slidable in, upwardly and inwardly inclined slots 55 in the adjacent portions of the side walls 13 of the supporting structure. The tongues 54 and the slots 55 coact to guide the presser member 50 after upward and downward sliding movement. An upstanding spiral tension spring 56 serves to urge the presser member downwards. The lower end of the spring is anchored to a screw 57 on the central lower portion of the wall 45 and the upper end of the spring is anchored to the central portion of the top wall 52 of the presser member. When the half pack C of playing cards 0 is disposed in the pocket 28, as shown in Figure 3, the presser member 50 urges the half pack downwards so that the lowermost card abuts against the Wall 42 and is aligned with the card discharge passage 49.

In addition to the parts hereofore mentioned the supporting structure comprises a handle 58 whereby it may be carried or transported from place to place. The handle overlies the central portion of the top wall 14 and is provided with a depending rod 59 which extends slidably through a hole 60 in the top wall 14 and is provided at its lower end with a depending bifurcated part 61. A crosspin 59 on the central portion of the rod 59 coacts with the handle to limit upward and downward sliding movement of the handle with respect to the top wall 14 of the supporting structure 10. A lever 62 extends between the bifurcated part 61 and the presser member 50 and operates when the handle 58 is slid downwards to slide such presser member upwards against the force of its spring 56 in order to permit the half pack C to be inserted into place in the pocket 28 as shown in Figure 3. The central portion of the lever 62 is fulcrumed by way of a horizontal, transversely extending shaft 63, the ends of which are journaled in coaxial holes 64 in the upper central portions of the side walls 13. The central portion of the shaft 63 extends through a hole in the central portion of the lever 62. One end of the lever is disposed between the furcations of the bifurcated part 61 and is pivotally connected thereto by way of a horizontal pin 65 which extends through aligned holes in said one end of the lever and the furcations of the part 61. The other end of the lever underlies the inwardly extending top wall 52 of the presser member 50. When it is desired to insert the half pack C into the pocket 28 the handle 58 is shifted downwards. Such shift on the part of the handle results in the lever 62 turning in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 and resultant upward sliding movement of the presser member 50 against the force of the tension spring 56. As soon as the presser member 50 is raised to the proper extent the half pack C is slid laterally into the pocket 28. After proper positioning of the half pack in such pocket the handle is released so that the spring 56 operates to urge the presser member 50 downwards.

The rotary ejector members 11 are disposed over the inner upper portion of the pocket 25 and are located on opposite sides of the right hand end of the strip 32 as viewed in Figures 2 and 3. They are formed of rubber or other suitable material having a high coefficient of friction and are fixedly mounted on a horizontal, transversely extending shaft 66, the ends of which extend through, and are journalled in, a pair of coaxial holes 67 in the upper right hand corners of the side walls 13. The shaft 66 is disposed inwards of the depending extension 20 of the top wall 14. The peripheral portions of the ejector members 11 consist of arcuate tread parts 68 and pairs of flats 69 between the ends of the tread parts. Preferably the tread parts 68 extend through arcs of approximately 240. The ejector members l -1 are of such size and so positioned that in connection with each 360 rotation in a clockwise direction as viewed in .Figures .2 and 3 the tread parts 68 are brought into engagement with the uppermost card a of the half pack 'C and slide such card inwards through the discharge passage 34 into the card-collecting space 29. The flats 69 are so arranged-that when they are disposed opposite to .the outermost card 0 they do not engage such card and hence efl'ect no inward sliding movement :thereof. -I-n connection with constant clockwise rotation of the ejector members the cards 0 are slid successively one at .a time from the top of the 'half pack-C into the card-collecting space 29 where :they drop by gravity to the bottom of the space.

The rotary ejector members 12 are disposed near the .lower portion of the pocket 28 and are located directly beneath the upwardly and inwardly inclined wall 45 and on opposite sides of the strip 44. They are shaped similarly to, and are formed of the same material as, the rotary ejectormembers 11 and are fixedly mounted on a horizontal, transversely extending shaft 70, the ends of which extend through, .and are journaled in, a pair of coaxial holes 71in the side walls 13. The central portion of the shaft fits within a notch 72 in the inner end --of the strip 44. The peripheral portions of the ejector members 12 consist of arcuate tread ,parts .73 .and pairs 0f :fiats 74 between the ends of the tread parts 73. The ejector members are adapted in connection with each 360 rotation in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 to have the tread .parts 73 brought into engagement with the lowermost card 0 of the half pack C and slide such card inwards through the "discharge passage 79 into the card-collecting space '29. The flats 74 are so arranged that when they are disposed opposite to the lowermost card 0 they do not engage such card-and hence effect no inward sliding move- .ment thereof. 'In connection with constant clockwise rotation of the shaft 70 of the ejector members 12 the cards 0 are slid one at a time from the bottom of the half ;pack G into the card-collecting space 29 where they drop to the bottom of the space.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3. The rotary ejector members 12 are so angularly positioned with respect to the rotary members 11 that their tread parts 73 engage :the lowermost cards 0 of the half pack C before the tread parts 68 of the ejector members 11 engage the uppermost card 0 of the half pack C. As a result of this, continuous clockwise rotation of the ejector members results in the cards c that are successively ejected by the members 11 and the cards 0 that are successively ejected by the members '12 being arranged in interleaved or alternating relation when they collect within the space 29. At the conclusion of a card shufiling operation there is a composite or complete shuflled pack within the card-collecting space, every other card of which is a top card from the half pack C that was originally in .the pocket 25 andthe alternate cards of which are bottom cards from the half pack C in the pocket 28. Access is had'toithe complete shuffled pack by raising the housinglike supporting structure 10.

The shafts and '70 are conjointly driven in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 2 and 3 by gearing comprising a crank 75, a horizontal shaft 76, a drive sprocket wheel 77, a pair of driven sprocket wheels 78 and 79 and an endless chain 80. The shaft 76 extends transversely of the housing-like supporting structure and has its ends extending through and journaled in coaxial holes 81 in the central portions of the side walls 13 and also in holes in the lower ends of a pair of downwardly inclined brackets. The latter are located directly inwards of the upper portions of the side walls 13 and have their upper ends riveted to the adjacent portions of said side walls as shown in full lines in Figure 4. The crank 75 is disposed outwards of one of the side walls 13 and has its hub part connected fixedly to the adjacent end of the shaft 76. The drive sprocket wheel 77 is disposed directly outwards of the other side wall of the supporting structure and is keyed or otherwise fixedly secured to the other end of the shaft 76. The driven sprocket wheels 7 8 and 79 are disposed in the same vertical plane as the drive sprocket wheel 77. The driven sprocket wheel 78 is fixedly connected to the adjacent end of the shaft 66 and the driven sprocket wheel 79 is fixedly connected to the shaft 70. The endless chain 89 extends around the three sprocket wheels 77 78 and 79, as shown in the drawings. When the crank 75 is turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 1 it operates through the medium of the shaft 76, the drive sprocket wheel 77, the endless chain 80 and the driven sprocket wheels 78 and 79 to drive the shafts 66 and 7% together with the ejector members 11 and 12 conjointly in the same direction. The cards c and c after ejection or inward sliding movement from their respective pockets are guided downwards in the card-collecting space 29 by a pair of upstanding fingers 82 and a pair of upstanding fingers 83. The fingers 82 are connected to, and extend upwards from, the inner margins of the extension 24 and terminate adjacent the upper end portion of the wall 30. The other fingers, i. e., the fingers 83, are connected to the inner margin of the extension 27 and terminate a small distace outwards of the shaft 70. As shown in Figure 4, the three sprocket wheels 77, 78 and 79 and the endless chain iit) are enclosed within a sheet metal housing 84. The latter is provided with inwardly extending flanges 85 which are suitably connected to the adjacent side wall of the supporting structure.

When it is desired to use the device the housing-like supporting structure 10 is placed on a table or other supporting surface. Thereafter the pack of cards to be shufiied is cut into two half packs. packs is inserted into the pocket and the other half pack is inserted into the pocket 28 as heretofore mentioned. When the two half packs are in place the crank 75 is rapidly turned so as to effect conjoint clockwise rotation of the ejector members 11 and 12. Such rotation of the ejector members operates successively to feed the cards 0 one at a time from the bottom of the half pack C and the cards 0 one at a time from the top of the half pack C. The eiected cards c and 0 become arranged in interleaved relation as they are successively ejected through their respective discharge passages with the result that at the conclusion of a shufiling operation the shufiied pack within the card-collecting space 29 has an alternate arrangement of bottom cards from the half pack C and top cards from the half pack C. After a card shufliing operation the device is raised by way of the handle 58 in order to expose the shufiied cards on the subadjacent supporting surface.

The herein described card shuffling device is essentially simple in construction and design and, due to its particular mode of operation, serves to effect an extremely efiicient shuffling of the cards which are run through the device.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable device adapted to be placed on a sup- One of the half s porting surface and to shufiie a pack of cards after it has been cut into two half packs and comprising a horizontally elongated housing-like supporting structure embodying a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a top wall between the upper margins of the side walls and a pair of end walls extending between the end margins of the side walls and having their upper mar ins spaced from the end margins of the top wall so as to define therebetween a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly extending open sided pockets adapted to accommodate the half packs respectively and to have said half packs inserted into them by positioning the half packs outwards of the side wails and then shifting them laterally and inwards through the open sides of the pockets, said supporting structure having an internally disposed open bottom card-=2oliecting space between the pockets, a fixed abutment member at the top of one of the pockets, means adjacent said abutment member forming a single card disch ing passage leading from the top of the one pocket to upper portion of the card-collecting space, a rigid presser member mounted beneath the one pocket to slide up and down and provided with spring means whereby it is urged upwards in such manner as to force the half pack in said one pocket upwards against said abutment member, a movably mounted ejector member positioned over said one pocket and operative when actuated to discharge the cards at the top of the half pack in said one pocket one at a time through the card discharging passage into the card-collecting space for gravitation into the supporting surface, a fixed abutment member at the bottom of the other pocket, means adjacent the second mentioned abutment member forming a single card discharging passage leading from the bottom of said other pocket to the upper portion of the card-collecting space, a rigid presser member mounted over the other pocket to slide down and up and provided with spring means whereby it is urged downwards in such manner as to force the half pack in said other pocket downwards against said second mentioned abutment member, a movably mounted ejector member positioned under said other pocket, operative when actuated to discharge the cards at the bottom of the half pack in said other pocket one at a time through the second mentioned card discharging passage into the card-collecting space for gravitation onto the supporting surface and so arran ed with respect to the first mentioned ejector member that when it is actuated conjointly with the latter it operates to discharge its cards so that when they enter the card-collecting space they are in interleaved relation with the cards that are discharged by said first mentioned ejector member, and gear mechanism mounted on the supporting structure and adapted conjointly to actuate the two ejector members, said device being adapted after a card shufiiing operation to be raised in order to expose the shuffled cards on said supporting surface.

2. A portable device adapted to shuffie a pack of cards after it has been cut into two half packs and comprising a horizontally elongated housing-like supporting structure embodying a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a top wall between the upper margins of the side walls and a pair of end walls extending between the end margins of the side walls and having their upper margins spaced from the end margins of the top walls so as to define therebetween a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly extending open sided pockets adapted to accommodate the half packs respectively and to have said half packs inserted into them by positioning the half packs outwards of the side walls and then shifting them laterally and inwards through the open sides of the pockets, said supporting structure having an interiorly disposed card receiving space between the pockets, a fixed abutment member at the top of one of the pockets, means adjacent said abutment member forming a single card discharging passage leading from the top of the one pocket to the upper portion of the card-collecting space, a rigid presser member mounted beneath the one pocket to slide up and down and provided with spring means whereby it is urged upwards in such manner as to force the half pack in said one pocket upwards against said abutment member, a rotary ejector member positioned over said one pocket and operative when driven in one direction to discharge the cards at the top of the half pack in said one pocket one at a time through the discharging passage into the card-collecting space, a fixed abutment member at the bottom of the other pocket, means adjacent the second mentioned abutment member forming a single card discharging passage leading from the bottom of said other pocket to the upper portion of the card-collecting space, a rigid presser member mounted over the other pocket to slide down and up and provided with spring means whereby it is urged downwards in such manner as to force the half pack in said other pocket downwards against said second mentioned abutment member, a rotary ejector member positioned under said other pocket, operative when driven in the same direction as the first mentioned ejector to discharge the cards at the bottom of the half pack in said other pocket one at a time through the second mentioned card discharging passage into the cardcollecting space and so arranged with respect to the first mentioned ejector member that when it is driven coir jointly with the latter it operates to discharge its cards so that when they enter the card-collecting space they are in interleaved relation with the cards that are discharged by said first mentioned ejector member, and gearing mounted on the supporting structure and adapted conjointly to drive the two ejector members in said one direction.

3. A portable device adapted to be placed on a supporting surface and to shuffie a pack of cards after it has been cut into two half packs and comprising a horizontally elongated housing-like supporting structure embodying a pair of laterally spaced side walls, a top wall between the upper margins of the side Walls and with a hole in its central portion and a pair of end walls extending between the end margins of the side walls and having their upper margins spaced from the end margins of the top wall so as to define therebetween a pair of oppositely disposed inwardly extending open sided pockets adapted to accommodate the half packs respectively and to have said half packs inserted into them by positioning the half packs outwards of the side walls and then shifting them laterally and inwardly through the open sides of the pockets, said supporting structure having an internal open bottom card-collecting space between the pockets, a fixed abutment member at the top of one of the pockets, means adjacent said abutment member forming a single card discharging passage leading from the top of the one pocket to the upper portion of the card-collecting space, a spring biased presser member mounted to slide up and down and arranged and adapted to urge the half pack in said one pocket upwards against said abutment member, a rotary ejector member positioned over said one pocket and operative when driven in one direction to discharge the cards at the top of the half pack in said one pocket one at a time through the card discharging passage into the card-collecting space for gravitation onto the supporting surface, a fixed abutment member at the bottom of the other pocket, means adjacent the second mentioned abutment member forming a single card discharging passage leading from the bottom of said other pocket to the upper portion of the card-collecting space, a spring biased presser member mounted to slide down and up and arranged and adapted to urge the half pack in said other pocket downwards against said second mentioned abutment member, a rotary ejector member positioned under said other pocket, operative when driven in the same direction as the first mentioned ejector to discharge the cards at the bottom of the half pack in said other pocket one at a time through the second mentioned card discharging passage into the card-collecting space for gravitation onto said supporting surface and so arranged with respect to the first mentioned ejector member that when it is driven conjointly with the latter it operates to discharge its cards so that when they enter the card-collecting space they are in interleaved relation with the cards that are discharged by said first mentioned ejector member, gear mechanism mounted on the supporting structure and operative conjointly to drive the two ejector members in said one direction, a handle positioned over the central portion of the top wall of the supporting structure, adapted for use in moving the device from place to place and provided with a depending rod that extends slidably through said hole in the top wall and permits the handle to move up and down to a limited extent, and a centrally fulcrumed lever disposed within the upper portion of the supporting structure, having one end thereof operatively connected to between the lower end of the rod and its other end operatively connected to the second mentioned presser member, and operative automatically to retract upwards said second mentioned pressure member against the force of its spring when the handle is moved downwards relatively to the top wall of said supporting structure, said device being adapted after a card shuffling operation to be raised by way of the handle in order to expose the shufiled cards on the supporting structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 373,953 Tingley et a1. Nov. 29, 1887 636,749 Bowden Nov. 14, 1899 955,044 Berger Apr. 12, 1910 1,955,926 Matthaey Apr. 24, 1934 2,159,958 Sachs May 23, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,656 Great Britain 1907

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