Background of the Invention

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to automatic dispensers for tickets. The invention is particularly suitable for dispensing tickets of the break open type.

2. Description of the Prior Art The break open ticket industry is a relative newcomer in the gaming marketplace.

Such tickets are used by charities and other such institutions for revenue generation. The main problems in this industry lie in employee theft of revenues and the length of time taken to complete sales transactions of the tickets. Such problems have turned some retailers away from what could otherwise be a lucrative source of income. Some attempts have been made to automate point of purchase transactions by means of break open ticket vending machines which incorporate the simplest mechanisms to very elaborate mechanisms. The accounting functions may be handled by anything ranging from rudimentary coin acceptors with mechanical counters to complicated microprocessor controlled devices. However, such prior art machines are not capable of high volume sales. Machines currently available typically have vend rates of up to one ticket per second which is comparable to non-automated rates. Thus, although resolving the issue of employee theft, these machines have yet to overcome the problem of slow dispensing rates.

It has also been found that the prior art machines have other associated problems. One of these problems is a limitation on the number and size of tickets capable of being dispensed. Another problem associated with these machines relates to down time caused by malfunctioning mechanical switches and fouled sensors. Further, the prior art machines use 110/220 VAC power source that limits their placement and poses a shock hazard to personnel handling the machines.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention overcomes the deficiencies in the prior art devices by providing an automatic break open ticket dispenser having a high vend rate and a simple and efficient mechanism that is not prone to the problems associated with known devices.

More specifically, the invention provides, in one aspect, a ticket dispenser comprising: a hopper, having a front wall and a rear wall, for receiving a stack of tickets and for feeding the tickets to a dispensing unit adapted to receive the hopper; the dispensing unit having: a first roller, rotatably supported on the dispensing unit, for contacting the bottom ticket in the stack; a second roller, rotatably supported on the dispensing unit and spaced from the first roller, for receiving tickets from the first roller; a counter supported on the dispensing unit for counting the number of tickets being dispensed; wherein the second roller is adapted to rotate at a speed greater than that of the first roller whereby a gap is created between a trailing edge of the bottom ticket and a leading edge of the next ticket from the stack.

Brief Description of the Drawings

These and other features of the invention will become more apparent in the following detailed description in which reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side cross sectional view of the dispenser in accordance with one embodiment.

Figure 2 is a diagram of the motor drive circuit for the embodiment of Figure 1. Figures 3 to 5 are side cross sectional views of the dispenser of Figure 1 illustrating the various steps in the path of a ticket.

Figure 6 is a side cross sectional view of the dispenser of the invention in accordance with another embodiment.

Figures 7 to 10 are side cross sectional views of the dispenser of Figure 6 illustrating various steps in the path of a ticket. Figure 11 is a front elevation of an embodiment comprising a cabinet containing a plurality of dispensers.

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the cabinet of Figure 11.

Figure 13 is a front elevation of the cabinet of Figure 11 in a closed position.

Description of the Preferred Embodiments In Figure 1 , the dispenser is shown generally at 10. The dispenser 10 has a housing

12, which includes a feed hopper 14 to hold a quantity of tickets 16 between front wall 13 and rear wall 18. The rear wall 18 of the hopper 14 can be adjusted so that the space within the hopper can be increased or reduced to accommodate a variety of ticket lengths. In the preferred embodiment, the rear wall 18 has hooks (not shown) which engage slots (also not shown) on the housing thereby allowing the rear wall 18 to be moveable relative to the front wall 13. The lower portion 20 of rear wall 18 is curved so as to provide support of only the trailing edge 22 of the bottom ticket 24 in the feed hopper 14. The housing 12 is preferably formed of metal. In the preferred case, the front wall 13 includes a longitudinal slot to facilitate the manual stacking of tickets in the hopper. The slot is seen in the view provided in Figure 1 1 and is indicated at 72.

The feed mechanism comprises a drive roller 26 and an accelerator roller 28. The rollers can be made of a variety of materials with the provision that their outer surfaces have a coefficient of friction that is sufficient to grip and move the tickets being dispensed. In the preferred embodiment, the rollers are made of a rubber material such as urethane. The durometer hardness of such rubber materials should preferably be between 70 and 90. This is in order to avoid excessive compression of the rollers and to ensure adequate gripping of the tickets. Further, the rollers preferably have a rough "saw cut" finish on the outer surface to aid in producing the necessary friction to move the tickets 16 through the dispenser. The rollers are mounted on metal cores 30 and 32 and are driven by a single motor (not shown). The rollers are driven by gears and the gear ratio is set to allow the accelerator roller 28 to rotate at slightly less than double the speed of the drive roller 26. The rollers 26 and 28 are mounted on a chassis 34, which is preferably made of a fiberglass material, or resin compounds, although several types of plastic and metals will be equally suitable. The main function of the chassis 34 is to provide accurate alignment of the bushings and bearings in which the drive mechanism's rollers, 26 and 28, motor and gears are mounted. The chassis

34 also prevents tickets from falling below the rollers 26 and 28 and helps to guide tickets from the drive roller 26 to the accelerator roller 28.

A guide 36 restricts the transfer of tickets from the feed hopper 14 to the dispensing rollers 26 and 28. The guide 36 is adjustable and is set above the drive roller 26 and adjusted to allow only the ticket 24 having contact with the drive roller 26 to be driven ahead to the accelerator roller 28. The guide 36 is preferably made of thick metal such as 0.125" stainless steel and may be formed or machined. After the guide 36 is adjusted to the required restriction height, it is locked in place by nuts 38 that secure the guide 36 to the housing 12. An infrared sensor electronically qualifies the presence or absence of a ticket beneath it. The infrared sensor 40 is preferably mounted so that the infrared beam is directed downwards so as to avoid disruption of the beam by dust and other such debris which may settle thereon. Although a reflective infrared device is preferred, it is also possible to use a discreet type as well.

The guide 36 has an extended portion 42, which ensures that tickets will not come into contact with the infrared sensor 40.

An accelerator shoe 44 is mounted above the accelerator roller 28 and consists of a pad 46 and two pins 48 extending from one side of the pad 46 and through retainers 52 in the housing 12. A spring 50 on each pin 48 is biased against the retainers 52 and the pad 46 thereby forcing the pad 46 towards the accelerator roller 28. The distance of the retainers 52 from the accelerator roller 28 sets the degree of tension between the accelerator shoe 44 and the accelerator roller 28. In this manner, as a ticket passes under the accelerator shoe 44, the pad 46 biases the ticket against the accelerator roller 28.

Figure 2 illustrates the motor drive circuit 100 for the dispenser. Diode Dl and capacitor Cl provide a means of supplying the integrated circuit IC1 with clean 12 V DC supply voltage which is derived from a 12 V DC supply line. Cl minimizes the effects of detrimental voltage dips caused by the subsequent on off actions of the motor and associated circuitry components which interface directly to the 12 V DC supply line.

All sections of IC1 (a LM324N quad operational amplifier) are configured to act as both voltage comparators and current buffers. A reference voltage (Vref) of approximately 3.0 V is derived from the resistive ladder Rl and R15. This voltage is applied to the non- inverting inputs of IC1A, IC1B, IC1C and the inverting input of IC1D.

When the voltage input at CONTROL IN is lower in amplitude than the reference voltage, the motor control section is in an idle state. The output of IC1B is high and remains high until the voltage at CONTROL IN exceeds Vref. In the OFF state, transistor Ql is biased OFF and Q2 is biased ON, which effectively places a short circuit condition across the motor leads of M 1. When a voltage greater in amplitude than Vref is applied to the

CONTROL IN pin, the output of IC1B toggles from OFF (12 V DC) to ON (0 V DC). This action biases Ql to its ON state and turns on Ml . When the CONTROL IN pin returns to a low state (i.e. less than Vref), Q2 is biased ON in turn shutting down the motor and Ql is biased OFF. In this state, the motor acts as a DC generator and is expected to deliver any current produced as a result of its remaining inertia to the short circuit introduced across its armature windings by Q2. The resulting loading effect of the short circuit (a condition known as dynamic braking) causes the motor's armature to come to a very abrupt stop. This action allows very accurate start/stop operations to be executed and is key to the predictable operation of the dispenser. IC1 C handles level sensing and output signal current buffering for the ticket count signal. When the motor is turned on and as the tickets 16 pass from the drive roller 26 to the accelerator roller 28, a gap is created between each ticket due to the speed differential between the rollers 26 and 28 as set by the drive train gearing. The gap is vital to the dispenser's ability to generate accurate ticket counts, which are relayed to the microprocessor circuitry. IRD1 's transmitter (or infrared emitter) projects infrared light onto the ticket surface. The resultant reflection of this infrared light to IRD1 's receiver transistor indicates the presence of a ticket. When no ticket is present, as in the case of a gap, IRD1 's receiver is considered to be in the OFF state and does not conduct. The voltage level at the inverting input of IC1C is in a low state. As a ticket passes under IRD1 the receiver is biased ON by the reflected infrared light and in turn conducts current through its emitter resistor developing voltage across this resistor. This voltage is presented to IClC's non-inverting input and as the voltage increases in amplitude higher than that of its inverting input's voltage (Vref) IClC's output toggles to a high or ON state. The output signal is further conditioned by limiting its amplitude to standard 5V DC TTL logic level with a zener diode D4. The signal produced is the COUNT OUT signal and this signal is presented to the control circuitry for

further processing. 5 V DC at the COUNT OUT terminal indicates the presence of a ticket, OV DC indicates the presence of a gap.

The combination of D3, Q3, ICID and IC1A form the means by which low inventory in the dispenser's feed hopper 14 may be sensed. The components D3 and Ql , a discreet infrared transmitter/receiver pair, are attached to the sides of the feed hopper and infrared light is transmitted from D3 to Q3. When inventory is present, the infrared light is blocked to Q3, which biases the transistor OFF. No current is drawn through its emitter resistor R12 and consequently no voltage is developed across the resistor. The level is below Vref and ICID is in an OFF state as Q3's output is tied to IClD's non-inverting input and referenced to its inverting input's voltage Vref. The output of ICID is further limited to TTL level by diode D5 and passed to the control circuit at LOW STACK OUT for further processing. It is also presented to IC1 A, which acts as a non-inverting buffer and controls current flow through LED1 located at the side of the feed hopper 14. LED1 gives a visual indication of the inventory level by emitting light when the inventory level is satisfactory and extinguishing when the inventory level drops below the physical level as sensed by D3 and Q3.

Table I lists the values of the various components of the circuit illustrated in Figure 2. In the preferred embodiment, the printed circuit assembly is mounted to the side of the dispenser and provides the means of interfacing to a main 12 volt direct current power supply, microprocessor counting circuit, microprocessor low ticket flag line and the microprocessor start/stop line.

The invention will now be described in relation to its function. Referring to Figure 1 , when a signal is sent to the motor drive circuit to start the motor, the motor rotates and transfers this energy through a gear driven train to the drive roller 26 and the accelerator roller 28. Both rollers rotate in the same direction and the gear relationship for the rollers is set so that the speed of rotation of the accelerator roller 28 is greater than that of the drive roller 26. In the preferred embodiment, the speed of the accelerator roller 28 is almost twice that of the drive roller 26. When tickets are to be dispensed, the desired quantity is entered into an operator interface, such as a keypad (not shown), and the motor is started. The leading edge 23 of lowermost ticket 24 in the feed hopper 14, which, when loaded into the hopper 14, is in contact with the facing of the drive roller 26, starts to move in the direction indicated at A.

The restriction posed by the guide 36 prevents the next ticket above ticket 24 from being pulled through by ticket 24.

As shown in Figure 3, as the ticket 24 is drawn over the drive roller 26, its trailing edge 22 is pulled away from the curved portion 20 of the rear wall 18 of feed hopper 14. The weight of the remaining inventory in the feed hopper is transferred to the forward edge 25 of the next ticket 27, which remains stationary over the drive roller 26. In such manner, the edge 25 of the next ticket 27 biases the ticket 24 being fed against the drive roller 26. As the leading edge 23 of ticket 24 approaches the accelerator roller 28, it is prevented from dropping further by the upper surface 29 of the chassis 34. The ticket edge 23 then meets the face of the rotating accelerator roller 28 at a tangent which causes the ticket to be drawn upward and then guided between the accelerator shoe 44 and the accelerator roller 28. Referring now to Figure 4, when the leading edge 23 of the ticket 24 meets the accelerator roller 28 and the pad 46 of the accelerator shoe 44, the downward tension of the accelerator shoe 44 causes the ticket to be drawn through between the accelerator shoe 44 and the accelerator roller 28 at a rate of almost double that of the speed developed across the drive roller 26. The remaining portion of the ticket 24 is then pulled from the drive roller 26 at a speed set by the accelerator roller 28. The accelerator shoe 44 will be forced up as shown by B for the duration of time it takes to move the ticket through and will return to its idle position after the ticket has cleared the accelerator roller 26 and accelerator shoe 44 combination.

As shown in Figure 5, when the trailing edge 22 of the ticket 24 has been pulled from the drive roller 26, the next ticket 27 is in position to be dispensed and the process initiated in Figure 1 begins again. Because of the differential speed of the accelerator and drive rollers, 26 and 28, a gap 56 is created between the tickets. This gap is "seen" by the reflective infrared sensor 40, which sends a count signal to a main processing unit. The main processing unit controls the start/stop functions of the motor and can accurately dispense a required quantity of tickets due to the repeatability of the ticket dispenser. The dispenser is capable of dispensing tickets at rates of 10 tickets per second for 4" long tickets and 18 tickets per second for 2.875" long tickets. Figure 6 illustrates a further preferred embodiment of the invention where like elements are indicated with like reference numerals and the letter "a" is used for clarity. In

this embodiment, the rear wall 18 is adjustable as with the embodiment shown in Figure 1, so that it can be moved relative to the front wall 1 of the housing. In such manner, the rear wall 18 can be moved to accommodate various lengths of tickets 16. However, the lower portion 20a of the rear wall 18 is not curved as in the previous embodiment but is co-linear with the rest of the rear wall. In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the rear wall 18 is positioned so that the distance from such wall to the front wall 13 is less than the length of the tickets 16. Therefore, as illustrated, when the tickets 16 are placed in the hopper 14, they are forced into a more acute angle than in the previous embodiment. Further, the guide 36a is substantially parallel to the rear wall 20a in order to ensure that all the tickets in the hopper 14 assume a consistent angle.

The pad 46a of the accelerator shoe 44 includes an extended portion 47 downstream of the ticket path A which is substantially parallel to the upper surface 29 of the chassis 34.. The extended portion 47 of the pad 46a ensures that the tickets are dispensed parallel to the upper surface 29. Retainer 52a consists of a plate having two holes to accommodate pins 48 on the accelerator shoe 44. The holes in the retainer 52a are of sufficient size to enable the pins 48 to be freely slidable therein. Larger holes are preferred in order to accommodate pins that are not parallel or which would otherwise lead to such pins binding within such holes.

Figures 7 to 10 illustrate the operation of the dispenser shown in Figure 6. As mentioned previously, the tickets are inserted into the hopper 14, the rear wall of which is adjusted so that the distance from such wall to the front wall 13 is less than the length L of the tickets to be dispensed. The tickets are placed in the hopper with the leading edges being lower than the trailing edges. After the desired number of tickets is entered into the key pad (not shown), the motor is started which causes the drive and accelerator rollers, 26 and 28, respectively, to rotate. The leading edge 23 of the first ticket is forced against the drive roller due to the weight of the tickets above and due to the guide 36a.

As illustrated in Figure 8, once the first ticket 24 begins travelling, its trailing edge 22 is rendered free without contact with either the rear wall 18 or the remaining tickets in the hopper. Accordingly, the weight of the tickets in the hopper is applied to the ticket 24 over the drive roller 26 thereby ensuring adequate contact between such roller and the ticket.24. The ticket is advanced where it interrupts the beam generated by the reflective infrared sensor

40. The leading edge 23 of the ticket 24 is then directed to the accelerator roller 28 by means of the pad 46a of the accelerator shoe 44. The ticket lifts the pad 46a in the direction B as it is advanced by the drive roller 26. The springs 50 in turn bias the pad 46a against the ticket 24 thereby ensuring firm contact with the accelerator roller 28. As shown in Figure 10, the accelerator roller 28 conveys the ticket 24 at a faster speed than the drive roller due to the accelerator roller rotating at almost twice the speed as the drive roller. This difference in speed causes a gap 56 to form between the first ticket 24 and the next ticket 27. The gap allows the beam from the infrared sensor 40 to resume its normal course which, in turn, causes the circuitry to register the passage of one ticket. The first ticket 24 is then expelled from the dispenser through an opening in the housing (not shown). The extended portion 47 of the pad 46a ensures that the ticket passes through such opening. Once the desired number of tickets have been dispensed, the motor is shut off. The feed hopper 14 can be of any size depending upon the quantity of tickets that are to be stored. In the preferred embodiment, the feed hopper 14 is dimensioned to have a capacity of 1000 tickets where such tickets have a thickness of 0.024".

In a further, preferred embodiment, the dispenser includes a sensor for signaling when the stack of tickets contained in the hopper reaches a predetermined minimum height. Such sensor comprises an infrared transmitter and receiver combination located at a set distance from the bottom of the hopper. The beam from the transmitter to the receiver travels through diametrically opposed holes (not shown) in the side walls of the hopper. When the hopper is full, the stack of cards interrupts the transmission of the beam to the receiver. When the height of the ticket stack drops below the location of the sensor, the lack of disruption of the infrared beam causes an LED indicator to turn off thereby signaling the operator that the hopper requires filling. The transmission of the beam to the receiver results in a low voltage at junction R16, D5, ICIA (pin 2) which is the processor flag signal which indicates a low level of the ticket stack.

In another embodiment, a bank of dispensers can be attached together and controlled by a single processor thereby resulting in a dispenser capable of carrying a variety of tickets or a greater number of one type of ticket. In the preferred case, a plurality of dispensers as described above are contained within a cabinet as shown in Figures 12 to 14. Referring to Figure 11, a cabinet 70 contains a

number of dispensers 10. As described above, each dispenser includes a hopper 14 having a front wall 13 and a rear wall 18. The front wall includes a slot 72 which, as mentioned previously, facilitates the loading of the tickets in the hopper. The cabinet includes a door 74, mounted to the cabinet by means of a hinge 75, the door having a series of slots 76 through which the tickets are expelled after exiting the dispenser. The door 74 also, preferably includes a transparent face 78 through which the dispensers can be observed in order to monitor the inventory levels in the dispenser and/or the low level LED indicator. The door 74 is comprised of upper section 80 and lower section 82. A switch 84 is provided to signal to the microcontroller that the door is open. As shown in Figure 12, the lower section 82 of the door 74 is of a larger depth in order to provide a bin for collecting the tickets that are dispensed. Such bin can be divided to separate tickets dispensed by the respective dispensers. Power to the unit is supplied through a power jack 84. A remote control jack 86 connects the operator interface (not shown) to the dispensers whereby the various commands are provided to the control circuit. In a further embodiment, the operator interface may also include a means for directly purchasing tickets wherein the interface accepts cash, debit or credit cards etc.

Figure 13 illustrates the cabinet with the door 74 closed. As shown, the lower section 82 of the door is provided with a transparent cover 88 and a flap 90 that can be opened to remove the dispensed tickets. The dispenser also includes adjustable legs 92 on which the cabinet rests and by which the cabinet can be leveled. The door 74 also includes latches 94 which engage slots 96 on the cabinet for securing the door in a closed position. Key holes 98 are provided on the front face of the door for releasing the latches.

Since the dispenser is driven by a DC motor, a further embodiment comprises a portable dispenser having a battery power source.

Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as outlined in the claims appended hereto.

Table I

Component Model Value

Rl 15K0 .25W

R2 1K5 .25W

R3 10K0 .25W

R4 10K0 .25W

R5 10K0 .25W

R6 4K7 .25W

R7 4K7 .25W

R8 240R .6W

R9 200K0 .25W

RIO 100KO .25W

Rl l 4K7 .25W

R12 240R .6W

R13 100K0 .25W

R14 100K0 .25W

R15 1K5 .25W

R16 4K7 .25W

R17 2K0 .25W

Cl 220u 16WV AXIAL

C2 4u7 35WV AXIAL

Dl 1N4003

D2 1N4003

D3 SEP8506-002

D4 1N751A

D5 1N751A

Ql IRF9530

Q2 MTP36N06V

Q3 SDP8406-003

IC1 LM324N

IRD1 HOA 1180-002

LED1 LTL-307G