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OwnerRobert L. Burr, Laird A. Campbell +2inventors
InventorsRobert L. Burr, Laird A. Campbell, Donald H. Keagle, Alfred L. Fulton
Estimating the term…
A system and method for distributing lottery tickets includes a large number of remote, ticket-dispensing units which are connected intermittently, e.g., once each day or week to a central computer. The units record the numbers of tickets sold and transmit the sales data to the central computer, which in turn performs all the necessary accounting functions. Sales reports and invoice data may be sent by the central computer to each unit for printing, which avoids the need to mail the reports/invoices. The tickets are stored in fan-fold form and are burst, rather than cut, apart for dispensing. The tickets are dispensed at one end of the unit which faces the customer. A control panel for the vendor is located at the opposite end. Tickets of different length may be dispensed with an imprint of the vendor's name.
Apparatus for dispensing lottery tickets, comprising:
Apparatus for dispensing lottery tickets, comprising:
Apparatus for dispensing tickets, comprising;
A ticket dispensing machine for dispensing tickets directly to the purchaser thereof, said dispenser comprising the combination of housing means for storing a strip of tickets to be dispensed, said housing means having an outlet opening accessible to the purchaser of tickets from said machine, means operable for ordering a plurality of tickets in a single batch, means for separating each of said tickets from said strip, dispensing means for dispensing tickets through said outlet opening, and control means for causing each ticket in said batch to be separated and dispensed separately from the other tickets in said batch regardless of the number of tickets in said batch.
Apparatus for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets dilineated from one another by lines along which the material of said strip is weakened, said apparatus comprising, in combination, means for moving said strip towards a dispensing position, a separation member, means for holding said strip adjacent one line along which said strip is to be separated, and causing said strip to bend along said one line at said dispensing position to facilitate tearing of said strip by engagement with said separator member along said one line while said strip is bend, and including drive means for creating motion of said separator member and said strip relative to one another in a direction transverse to the strip, with said member in contact with and deflecting said strip to bend said strip along said one line and burst said tickets apart along said one line.
Apparatus for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets dilineated from one another by lines along which the material of said strip is weakened, said apparatus comprising, in combination, means for moving said strip towards a dispensing position, means for holding said strip adjacent one line along which said strip is to be separated, and bending said strip along said line to facilitate tearing of said strip along said one line, including separation means having a separator member and drive means for creating motion of said separator member and said strip relative to one another in a direction transverse to the strip, with said member in contact with and deflecting said strip to bend said strip along said one line and burst said tickets apart along said one line, and including means for causing said separator member to break through said strip in one locale and then traverse the strip along said line.
A dispenser for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets printed in a strip with the individual tickets being delineated from one another by lines of weakness, moving means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance to a position in which one of said lines is near a separation location at which adjacent tickets are separated from one another, said moving means comprising drive means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance, and position detecting means for detecting the distance actually moved by said strip and producing an output signal to control said drive means to drive said strip until said output signal indicates that said strip actually has moved by said pre-determined distance to dispense one of said tickets, and to control means for severing a ticket from said strip.
A dispenser for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets printed in a strip with the individual tickets being delineated from one another by lines of weakness, moving means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance to a position in which one of said lines is near a separation location at which adjacent tickets are separated from one another, said moving means comprising drive means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance, position detecting means for detecting the distance actually moved by said strip and producing an output signal to control said drive means in which said detecting means includes a rotary code member drivably coupled to said strip, means for detecting the incremental movements of said wheel and converting them into electrical signals and including an idler roller driven by the motion of said strip and drivably coupled to a shaft, said code wheel being mounted on said shaft.
A dispenser for dispensing tickets from a strip of tickets printed in a strip with the individual tickets being delineated from one another by lines of weakness, moving means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance to a position in which one of said lines is near a separation location at which adjacent tickets are separated from one another, said moving means comprising drive means for moving said strip by a pre-determined distance, position detecting means for detecting the distance actually moved by said strip and producing an output signal to control said drive means including a front edge detector to detect the front edge of a ticket to be separated, memory means for storing information corresponding to the distance said strip is to be driven after its front edge is detected and before separation, means for comparing the stored information with the output of said position detecting means, and for actuating separating means when a pre-determined comparison condition is reached, including separator means at said separation location, means for causing said dispenser to issue a plurality of tickets, the number of which corresponds to an order for a batch of tickets, and means for operating said separator means to separate each of said tickets from the others in said batch.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.