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US 2012/0085777 A1Published application
Perforated Ticket Dispensing Machine
AssigneeGTECH Corporation
InventorsPaul Anthony Bucci, Kurt L. Businger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides an independently operable and serviceable ticket burster machine that properly handles perforated tickets of all shapes, sizes and thicknesses. The present invention includes a ticket burster element, an exit sensor with a mechanical flag switch, an inventory flag spanning the entire width of the ticket input slot and having an optical slot switch, a slidable ticket guide, one or more leaf spring arrangements and versatile and durable rollers.
Claims32
A ticket burster machine for controlled delivery of perforated ticket products, comprising:
- a frame having first and second side walls, with the side walls each having an inner and outer surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls together defining a frame interior, and with drive means secured within the frame interior for moving tickets therethrough, wherein the drive means comprises a feed drive roller, a feed idler roller, an exit drive roller and an exit idler roller;
- a bursting element secured within the frame interior;
- an input slot flag arrangement having an inventory flag that extends from the first frame side wall to the second frame side wall;
- an exit flag pivotably secured to the side walls;
- a controller in communication with the inventory flag and exit slot flag;
- at least one leaf spring arrangement mounted to the inside of the frame for applying pressure to the feed and exit idler rollers;
- and
- a ticket guide arrangement including a ticket guide slidably secured to a guide retainer element that is secured to the frame, such that tickets of variable widths can be securely guided with adequate pressure on both sides as they are processed through the machine.
5 more elements
A ticket burster machine, comprising:
- a frame having first and second side walls supporting an input slot arrangement that defines an input slot, with the side walls each having an inner and outer surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls together defining a frame interior, and with drive means secured within the frame interior for moving tickets therethrough;
- a bursting element secured within the frame interior;
- and
- an exit slot flag arrangement comprising:
- an exit flag pivotably secured to the side walls;
- a Hall effect sensor secured to the outer surface of the first side wall;
- a magnetic conductor secured to the first side wall;
- and
- a magnet secured to the exit flag.
6 more elements
A ticket burster machine, comprising:
- a frame having first and second side walls, with the side walls each having an inner and outer surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls together defining a frame interior, and with drive means secured within the frame interior for moving tickets therethrough;
- a bursting element secured within the frame interior;
- and
- an input slot arrangement comprising:
- an input optical sensor pair;
- and
- an inventory flag pivotably secured between the first side wall and the second side wall.
4 more elements
A ticket burster machine, comprising:
- a frame having first and second side walls, with the side walls each having an inner and outer surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls together defining a frame interior, and with drive means secured within the frame interior for moving tickets therethrough, wherein the drive means comprises a feed drive roller, a feed idler roller, an exit drive roller and an exit idler roller, each of said rollers being mounted on a respective cylindrical axle which extends from the first side wall to the second side wall;
- a bursting element secured within the frame interior;
- and
- at least one leaf spring arrangement secured to the inside of the frame for applying pressure to the respective axles for the feed and exit idler rollers, comprising:
- a first leaf spring guide member secured to the inner surface of the first side wall;
- and
- a first leaf spring adapted to engage a portion of the first leaf spring guide member, with the first leaf spring having first and second ends, with the first leaf spring adapted to cooperatively engage the feed idler roller axle at or near the first leaf spring first end and also adapted to cooperatively engage the exit idler roller axle at or near the first leaf spring second end.
4 more elements
A ticket burster machine, comprising:
- a frame having first and second side walls and a back wall, with the side walls and back wall each having an inner and outer surface, the inner surfaces of the side walls and back wall together defining a frame interior, and with drive means secured within the frame interior for moving tickets therethrough;
- a bursting element secured within the frame interior;
- and
- a ticket guide arrangement comprising:
- a guide retainer element secured to the back wall outer surface;
- an inventory flag cover secured between the first and second side walls, with the flag cover having at least one side wall arm and upper and lower horizontal platforms extending therefrom;
- and
- a ticket guide slidably engaging the guide retainer element, with the ticket guide having a left side wall arm.
5 more elements
A ticket dispensing machine, comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of walls defining an interior section of the housing;
- at least one drawer mounted within the interior section of the housing and having a plurality of chambers therein;
- at least two independently operable ticket burster machines, each capable of cooperatively engaging one of the plurality of chambers within the drawer, and each further capable of dispensing tickets through an exit flag arrangement;
- and
- a moving wall apparatus secured to the housing at a position near the exit flag arrangements of the ticket burster machines, such that tickets leaving the ticket bursting machines are influenced downward by the moving wall apparatus.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.