The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 14, 2025
Filed:
Aug. 08, 2023
Charles M. Curley, Cortland, NY (US);
Charles M. Curley, Cortland, NY (US);
Abstract
An automatic playing card handling apparatus for use in casino card games possesses a card intake portal and a first card deck discharge portal which are both accessible by a dealer. The shuffling apparatus is controlled by a microcontroller which allows two fully-shuffled, but separated, card decks to be ready for play simultaneously. A first shuffled card deck is independently supported in the first card deck discharge portal by a retractable support structure while a second shuffled card deck remains ready for play while independently supported by an elevator just below the first card deck discharge portal. A third unshuffled card deck may coexist within the card intake portal. An optical recognition sensor cooperates with the microcontroller to interrogate the integrity of each deck during randomization to discover unreadable cards, unexpected cards, damaged cards or missing cards. If the microcontroller determines that a deck is faulty, then that faulty deck is automatically disgorged from the apparatus through a second discharge port into a secured or unsecured container. Three separated decks can be automatically routed through the apparatus in order to assure uninterrupted card play. Also disclosed is a method of randomizing two groups of playing cards.