Lottery ticket dispensing unit with a shuttle separator device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12165437-B2
Application number	US-202017070102-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2020
Priority date	Oct 14, 2020
Publication date	Dec 10, 2024
Grant date	Dec 10, 2024

Abstract

A lottery ticket dispensing unit includes at least one ticket compartment and a separation module that has a drive roller and an opposed idler roller, with a motor geared to the drive roller. An automatic separator device is provided, wherein the drive roller conveys a leading lottery ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device. The separator device includes a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle having a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line. A bi-directional drive mechanism moves the shuttle back and forth along the linear path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A lottery ticket dispensing unit for dispensing a continuous strip of lottery tickets, comprising:
at least one ticket compartment;
a separation module in which a leading ticket of the continuous strip of lottery tickets is separated and dispensed, the separation module comprising:
a drive roller and an opposed idler roller with a nip defined between the driver roller and idler roller;
a motor geared to the drive roller;
an automatic separator device, wherein the drive roller conveys the leading ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device;
the separator device further comprising a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle comprising a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line;
a bi-directional drive mechanism configured with the shuttle to move the shuttle back and forth along the linear path; and
wherein the bi-directional drive mechanism comprises a second motor in driving engagement with a drive rod via a gear, the second motor and gear mounted at a fixed non-movable location in the separation module, the drive rod disposed below the drive roller and opposed idler roller and comprising a track defined therein, the shuttle engaged in the track causing the shuttle to move along the linear path as the gear is driven by the second motor at the fixed location to rotate the drive rod, and at an end of travel of the shuttle along the drive rod, the shuttle reverses its direction of travel; and
wherein the second motor and gear remain at the fixed non-movable location in the separation module as the drive rod is rotated and the shuttle travels along the drive rod below the drive roller and opposed idler roller such that the head engages the line between the leading ticket and the adjacent ticket from below as the shuttle moves along the linear path.

2. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 1 , wherein the track comprises a double-helix groove such that at the end of its travel along the drive rod, the shuttle reverses its direction of travel without reversing rotation of the drive rod.

3. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 1 , wherein the track comprises a unit-directional screw thread, the second motor being a reversible motor such that at the end of its travel along the drive rod, the motor reverses direction to cause the shuttle to reverse its direction.

4. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 1 , wherein the second motor is a reversible motor, the shuttle controlled such that after reversing its initial direction of travel the shuttle returns to a rest location past the continuous strip of lottery tickets, wherein for a subsequent separation sequence, rotation of the drive rod is reversed by the second motor to drive the shuttle from the rest position in an opposite direction along the linear path.

5. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 4 , wherein the track comprises a double-helix groove such that at the end of its initial travel along the drive rod, the shuttle reverses its direction of travel to move to the rest location without the second motor reversing rotation of the drive rod.

6. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 5 , comprising side-by-side ticket compartments, the drive rod and the linear path of the shuttle extending across the ticket compartments so that the shuttle is configured to separate the leading lottery ticket from both of the ticket compartments.

7. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 6 , comprising one or more sensors disposed along the linear path of the shuttle to detect location of the shuttle, wherein a signal from the sensor is used to determine when the leading ticket in either one of the ticket compartments has been separated so that the drive roller is then rotated to eject the leading ticket.

8. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 1 , wherein the line between adjacent lottery tickets in the continuous strip of lottery tickets are perforation lines, the head of the shuttle comprising a leading edge inclined at an angle such that a lower portion of the leading edge engages the perforation line from below and lifts the perforation line prior to an upper portion of the leading edge bursting the perforation line as the shuttle moves along the liner path.

9. The lottery ticket dispensing bin as in claim 8 , comprising side-by-side ticket compartments, the drive rod and the linear path of the shuttle extending across the ticket compartments so that the shuttle is configured to separate the leading lottery ticket from both of the ticket compartments, the head comprising oppositely disposed ones of the inclined leading edges.

10. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 1 , further comprising a feed module operatively disposed between the ticket compartment and the separation module, the separation module comprising detachable connection members that engage with associated connection members in the feed module.

11. The lottery ticket dispensing unit as in claim 10 , wherein the feed module comprises a feed roller geared to a feed motor, wherein the feed roller engages and conveys the continuous strip of lottery tickets from the ticket compartment to the separation module.

12. A lottery ticket dispensing array, comprising a plurality of bin housings in a stacked configuration, and a plurality of the lottery ticket dispensing units according to claim 1 inserted into the bin housings.

13. A separation module for use with a lottery ticket dispensing unit for dispensing a continuous strip of lottery tickets interconnected by lines, comprising:
a drive roller and an opposed idler roller with a nip defined between the drive roller and idler roller;
a motor geared to the drive roller;
an automatic separator device, wherein the drive roller conveys the leading ticket to a separation position such that a line between the leading ticket and an adjacent ticket is presented to the separator device;
the separation mechanism further comprising a shuttle that travels in a linear path along the line, the shuttle comprising a head that engages and separates the leading ticket from the adjacent ticket along the line;
a bi-directional drive mechanism configured with the shuttle to move the shuttle back and forth along the linear path; and
wherein the bi-directional drive mechanism comprises a second motor in driving engagement with a drive rod via a gear, the second motor and gear mounted at a fixed non-movable location in the separation module, the drive rod disposed below the drive roller and opposed idler roller and comprising a track defined therein, the shuttle engaged in the track causing the shuttle to move along the linear path as the gear is driven by the second motor at the fixed location to rotate the drive rod, and at an end of travel of the shuttle along the drive rod, the shuttle reverses its direction of travel; and
wherein the second motor and gear remain at the fixed non-movable location in the separation module as the drive rod is rotated and the shuttle travels along the drive rod below the drive roller and opposed idler roller such that the head engages the line between the leading ticket and the adjacent ticket from below as the shuttle moves along the linear path.

14. The separation module as in claim 13 , wherein the bi-directional drive mechanism comprises a second motor in driving engagement with a drive rod, the drive rod comprising a track defined therein, the shuttle engaged in the track causing the shuttle to move along the linear path, a

Assignees

• Scient Games Int Inc
• Scient Games Llc

Inventors

• Mejenborg Sten Hallundbaek
• Behm William F
• Holbrook James Jonathan
• Thompson Mark Andrew
• Scott Ian Robert

Classifications

• B65H35/0086

  using movable cutting elements · CPC title

• B65H35/0093

  Arrangements or adaptations of length measuring devices · CPC title

• B65H2403/7254

  Dynamo electric brakes · CPC title

• G07B7/00

  Holders providing direct manual access to the tickets · CPC title

• B65H2701/1936

  Tickets or coupons · CPC title