BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to the field of money boxes, safes and related equipment.

Description of the Prior Art

In the gaming industry there is a requirement for security with regards to cash collected at the gaming table. The present state of the art includes a slot in the felt gaming surface, which slot communicates with a strong box under the gaming table. Because of regulations, gaming

officials require that this box be changed at the end of every shift so that independent money counts can be maintained for each shift, both for statistics and also to aid in identifying a cheat or someone skimming money before it is inserted in the box. A result of this requirement is a labor intensive collection and change of boxes three times in a 24 hour period. The present invention overcomes this problem by providing a strong box with a plurality of sectors and a locking mechanism which allows only a single sector to be open at a time, so that the box need only be changed once per day and security personnel need only escort the strong boxes once per day rather than three times per da as was necessary to the prior art.

Objects of the Invention

The first object is to provide a money drop box with multiple sectors.

The second object is to provide a money drop box with single sector access, such that the sector access can be changed at shift change without removing the box entirely.

The third object is to provide a method to reduce the labor intensity of changing money drop boxes three times per day.

Summary of the Invention

Brief Description of the Drawings

Fig. 1 perspective view of the device.

Fig. 2 front view of the device.

Fig. 3 side view of the device.

Fig. 4 top view of the device.

Fig. 5 rear view of the device.

Fig. 6 exploded view of the box insert separated from the box sleeve and the money drop slot separated from the box sleeve.

Fig. 7 rear view of the inner box.

Fig. 8 bottom view of the inner box.

Fig. 9 cutaway view from bottom of inner box in day shift orientation.

Fig. 10 cutaway view from bottom of inner box in swing shift orientation.

Fig. 11 cutaway view from bottom of inner box in graveyard shift orientation.

Fig. 12 cutaway view of removal orientation from bottom of inner box. Description of Preferred Embodiments

The device shown in Fig. 1 is a money collection device for gaming tables. It has a front face 1 with locks 2 for each of the three shifts, day, swing and graveyard. Each lock 2 will have a different key, so that the manager of each can go around and advance the system to the next shift. The box shown has three money slots 3 for depositing bills into the segregated boxes. The device As shown would be attached to a gaming table and the slots 3 would be protruding up through the surface of the table.

Fig. 5 shows a lock slot 4 which engages at tooth 20 of the locking mechanism so that the box cannot be removed until the final shift is over and the third lock turned. The exploded view Fig. 6 shows the inner box with handle 6 and how it orients and engages to the body 5.

Fig. 8 shows the bottom of the box 5 with individual lock doors for each of the compartments 7, so that each compartment can be opened individually in the count room for counting.

Figs. 9-12 show cutaway views from the bottom of the box, showing the mechanism by which the different slots are made accessible to the different partitions of the box 5. Fig. 9 shows the day orientation. Note that the slide stop 9 is engaged by the lock arm 10 in day

orientation and slot template 12 is then advanced by spring 13 as shown in Fig. 10 until the slide stop 9 is engaged by lock arm 14 for the swing shift orientation. At this point slot 15 is opened and slot 11 has advanced past the line of slots 3 and no longer communicates with the outside for the swing shift orientation. The graveyard shift is shown in Fig. 11 lock arm 14 is removed and the slot template 12 advances to the graveyard orientation slide stop 9 engaged by lock arm 16 and slot 17 indicates with the slot bar 3 to the outside of the box. At the end of the shift lock arm 16 is rotated and slide stop 9 continues on advanced by spring 13 until the locking mechanism 18 engages and frees the saw tooth 19 as shown in Fig. 12, to release the box 5 from the sleeve.

Applicant's invention contemplates a multi-shift box system, there of course can be three shifts, two shifts or more shifts. Present gaming regulations require that the money be kept separate between each shifts and applicant's design allows that to occur without occurring incurring additional security costs of collecting boxes from each table for each shift.

In a second embodiment applicant's invention would contemplate two partitions.

A In a third embodiment applicant's invention would contemplate four partitions.

In another embodiment the invention could be used for collection of cash for a multiple array of tickets at a theater or sporting event or off-track betting house or the like.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is therefor to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.