US2159958A - Device for mixing playing cards or the like - Google Patents

Description

May 23, 1939. I E SACHS 2,159,958

DEVICE `FOR MIXING PLAYING CARDS 0R THE LIKE Filed Dec. 16, 1956 s sheets-sneu 1' I Vivi yMay 23, 1939. l l

DEVICE FOR MIXING PL Filed Dec. 16, 195e E. SACHS AYING CARDS 6R THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheecl 2 MJ ffally [May 23,1939. E'. sAHs y 2,159,958 B "THEI LIRE Y DEVICE FDR MIXING PLAYING CARDS O vI5 v,Sheelzs-Sheel', 3

Filed Dec. 16, 1936 Patented May 23, 1939 PATENT OFFICE nEvrcE ron Mumie oa m Erich Sachs, Berlin,

PLAYINGv CARDS LIKE Germany, assignor to Eugene A. Roll and Herman T. Lukow, both of New York, N. Y.

Application December 16, 1936, Serial No. 116,113

In Germany October 18, 1934 8 Claims.

pile, so that the sequence of the mixed cards of the third pile easily may be predetermined.

Cnc of the objects of my invention is to provide a device for mixing playing cards or the like, which takes only one pile of unmixed 'cards and mixes the cards thoroughly, so that the sequence or order of the cards in the pile of mixed cards gg cannot be known in advance. j

Another object of my invention is to provide a mixing device, from which the mixed cards may be taken in a single pile.

A further object of my invention is to provide a mixing device, which may be easily operated and is adapted also to be used by children. Still another object of my invention is to provide a`. mixing device, the mixing operation of which cannot be influenced by the operator.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mixing device, in which the cards are advanced with their sides as leading edges so that the entire device has a squat shape.

I accomplish the purposes of my invention by means of a device consisting of a receiving chamber adapted to receive a single pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the botten.

two sections arranged V'at opposite sides of the re. ceiving chamber, collecting means adapted to receive a pile of mixed cards, removing means disposed at the open bottom of said receiving chamber and adapted to displace alternatively at least Vone card of the pile of unmixed cards from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into either one of said two sections, delivering means to discharge the displayed .cards from said sections into said collecting means, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means. In a preferred embodiment of my invention, the width of the receiving chamber is substantially equal to the length of the large sides of the cards. and the removing means displace the cards in a direction vertical to the width of the chamber, so that the cards are advanced with their large sides as leading edges. Furthermore the height of the space between the lower end of the walls of the receiving chamber and the removing means is substantially equal to the thickness of several superimposed cards, so that the removing means displace several cards at each time and the sequence of the cards in the pile of mixed cards cannot be predetermined.

The above mentioned objects and advantages as well as other objects and advantages will be more fully disclosed in the following specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specication, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a Vertical sectional View of a device for mixing playing cards according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 illustrates a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of a mixing device;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the collecting drawer of the device as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 shows a vertical sectional view of still another embodiment oi' my invention;

Fig. 'I shows a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of my invention whereby the bottoms receiving the piles of mixed cards from the removing rollers are in different levels;

Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate the right hand end of the device according to Fig. '1, indicating two different positions of the collecting means,

Fig. 10 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line l-ili of Fig. 7, and

Fig. 11 shows a vertical sectional view of a device simllar to the device according to Fig. 7, whereby, however, the left hand bottom receiving the pile of unmixed cards from the removing roller is in a higher level than the right hand bottom.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, a designates the casing of the device, in the upper middle part of which a receiving chamber -b is arranged which is open at the top or may be closed by a suitable cover (not shown). The chamber b has an open bottom, and a cross-bar d is arranged below the open bottom. The receiving chamber may be lled with a pile c of unmixed cards, which may rest partly on said cross-bar d yand partly on either one of y the rollers e or e', which extend into the chamber b through the open bottom thereof, so that the spaces f and f' respectively are formed between said rollers and the lowerends of the walls h, h' of the receiving chamber. The left hand roller e is adapted to be rotated in anticlockwise direction, while the right hand i rollers e, e' as well roller e' is adapted to be rotated in clockwise direction, as indicated by arrows in Fig. l. Contacting layers g and g' respectively of rough 'material, such as rubber, are mounted on each of said rollers c and e respectively and cover about half of the circumference lof each of the said rollers. These rollers are arranged in such a way in the device that the contacting layer of one of the rollers (roller c in Fig. l) is in the lowest position when the contacting layer of the other roller is in the uppermost position. The side lwalls h, h' of the receiving chamber b have only such a length that the height of the spaces f, f between 'the lower edges o-f the side walls h, h and the surface of the contacting layer being in its uppermost position is equal to the thickness of a plurality of superimposed cards, so that'the removing rollers e, e may draw 8-10 cards for example each time out of the receiving chamber b. The width of the chamber b and of the spaces f, f is substantially equal to the length of the large sides of the cards, so that the latter are advanced in the direction of their short axis.

At each side of the receiving chamber and below thereof sections lc, k are arranged, the bottoms Z, l of which are downwardly inclined in the direction to the middle axis of the device and are provided with apertures m, m through which delivering rollers n, n' of rubber extend. The left hand roller n is adapted to be rotated in clockwise direction, while the right hand roller n is adapted to be rotated in anti-clockwise direction, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 1. The side walls o and o of the sections form abutments, against which wthe piles of cards displaced into said sections bear. The space between the surface of the rollers n, n' and the Walls o, o is suicient to permit the passage 'of asingle cardor 2 cards at the same time.

Two partitions p, p' are arranged in the lower part of the casing a and form the collecting chamber q between each other, which is adapted to receive the pile r of mixed cards delivered from the sections k, lc by means of the rollers n, n. As shown by dotted and dashed lines in Fig. 1, said collecting chamber has an opening through which the pile of mixed cards ready for playing may be removed. The collecting chamber also has a recess indicated by dashed and dotted lines in Fig. 2, to facilitate the removing of the pile of mixed cards. v

A shaft s provided with a crank handle t is journaled in the casing a and provided with pulleys u and v keyed thereon.

The pulley u drives the pulley w keyed 'on the axle of the roller e by means of a cord. A gear :1: secured to the other end of the axle of the roller e meshes with a gear zr keyed on the axle of theroller e to rotate the latter in opposite direction to the rotation of the roller e. The pulley v mounted on the free end of the shaft s rotates therollers 11. and n in opposite direction to each other by means of a cord engaged in a suitable manner with the pulleys y and y keyed on the axles of the rollers n and n respectively. Thus a single driving shaft s operates the removing as the delivering rollers n, n' but obviously several driving means may be used instead of the single driving shaft s, if desired. Furthermore, a small electro-motor or a motor operated by a spring may be used to rotate the driving shaft s instead of the handle z.

The operation of the device is as follows:

A pile c of unmixed cards is inserted into the receiving chamber b, whereupon the driving shaft s is rotated by means of the handle t, so that the removing rollers e, e are alternatively brought in contact with the lowest card of pile c. Due to the .adhesion between the cards of a pile, the roller e or .e draws a plurality of cards at each timegout of the receiving chamber b into the section R: or lc respectively, whereby the number of cards displaced at each time depends upon the height of the spaces f and f' respectively and upon the .adhesiveness existing between the individual cards, so that the number of displaced cards varies within wide limits and can- -not be predetermined. The displaced cards form in the section lc and k piles, the lowest cards of which are discharged by the rotating rollers 1L, n into the collecting chamber c, whereby due to the size of the apertures m and m' only a single card or not more than two cards pass at the same time into said chamber q to form there a pile r of mixed cards, which may be removed later on after the mixing operation is nished.

Referring now to Figs. 3-5 incl., which illustrate another embodiment of the mixing device, I indicates a bottom plate, upon which acasing 2 of any material such as synthetic resin, sheet iron or the like is arranged, the width of which is sub.- stantially equal to the length of the cards to be mixed. Areceiving chamber 4 is arranged in the upper part of the casing. The outer Walls of saidchamber 4 are provided with recesses 400 to facilitate the insertion of lthe pile 5 of unmixed cards.Partitions 3 and 3 form the inner walls of said receivingchamber 4, and a cross-bar I is provided at the bottom of the chamber, upon Which the pile 5 may rest. 'I'he casing 2 is provided with acover 8 pivoted at 9 to close the receivingchamber 4, if desired. According to the illustrated embodiment thecover 8 carries a counter-weight II, I2, I3, the shaft I2 of which is slidable in a guiding collar I0 arranged on saidcover 8. If thecover 8 is in closed position, as shown in Fig. 3, the part I3 of the counter-weight rests upon the uppermost card of the pile 5 and presses it against the removing roller I4 or I5, which is in operable position.

The removing rollers I4, I5 of rubber or the like are arranged below the receivingchamber 4, one at each side of the middle axis of saidchamber 4, and are mounted on shafts |40, |50 supported by two parallel oscillatable plates I6 and |60 Each of said plates is provided with curved slots IBI and is oscillatably arranged on ashaft 2| mounted in thecasing 2. Pins or stops |63 attached to the casing engage with said slots I6I and serve to limit the oscillations of the cage formed by the members I6, |60 and the rollers I4. I5. The front wall of thecasing 2 is provided with a hole |62 having a diameter larger than the diameter of a driving shaft I7, which is provided with a crank handle I8 and passes through said hole. Said driving shaft I I` is journaled in the plates I6 and |60 of the cage, and a pulley I9 keyed on the shaft rotates the removing rollers I4 and I5 in opposite direction to each other b-y means of acord 20, 20', as shown in Fig. 3. Said opposite direction of movements of the rollers I4 and I5 is obtained by a simple rotation of the shaft I'I and pulley I9 keyed therewith in clockwise direction, as the portions 20' of the cord are in engagement with a second pulley I9' (Fig. 4'), which is loosely arranged on the shaft I1 and may rotate in opposite direction to the pulley I 9.

If the user of the device actuates the crank handle I8 by hand to rotate same, thisactuation 1 will eme en eadiuenex ei'reet besides the rotation ofthe-rollers i4 and I8. Depending on the position loithe crank handle I8, the hand alternatively exerts on the shaft I1 a force directed to the right hand or to the left hand. For example, if the crank handle I8 is inthe position shown in Fig. A3, the force exerted on the handle Il and shaft I 1 to rotate same in a clock-wise directioneis directed into a left-hand directio so that the lower part of the cage I8, |80 is moved in a lefthand upward direction and the cage swings about theshaft 2| in clock-wise direction until the left hand roller I 8 contacts the lowest card of the pile 5. Then, if the crank handle I8 has been rotated for about 180 and is in a position opposite to the position shown in Fig. 3, the force exerted on the handle I8 and shaft I1 to rotate same further in clock-wise direction is directed into a right-hand direction, so that the lower part of the cage I6, |80 is moved in a right-hand upward direction and the cage swings about the shaft- 2| in anti-clock-wise direction, until the right hand roller I4 contacts the lowest card of the pile 5. As the diameter of the hole |62 in the front wall oi' thecasing 2 is larger than the diameter of the shaft I1 passing therethrough, the above mentioned swinging movements of the shaft l1 and the cage I8, |88 can be carried out without any obstruction. Thus, due to the above described oscillatable arrangement of the plates I8, |88, a rotation of the crank handle |8 causes an alternative upwards and downwards movement of the removing rollers I4 and I5 for a short distance, so that the rollers I4 and I5 alternatively contact with the lowest card of the pile 5 during the rotation thereof and draw alternatively the cards into thesection 220 or 230 to form in each section thepiles 39 and, 48. The reciprocating movement of the rollers |4 and I5 also may be produced in another suitable manner, by means of cams or grooved discs for example, and theshaft |1 may be driven by an electro-motor or a motor operated by a spring instead of by means of a handle.

Thesections 228 and 230 are disposed at the sides of and somewhat below the receivingchamber 4 and have swingable .bottoms 22 and 23 respectively, which may swing abouthorizontal axles 24 and 25 respectively attached to the casing walls.Counterweights 26 are mounted on the short free ends of the swingable bottoms and serve to return the bottoms into a substantially horizontal position when the cards are slid off from them. Thebottoms 22 and 23 are provided withsupports 21 and 28 respectively at their other` ends, which bear againstmovable abutments 31 and respectively to bedescribed later on.

The collectingchamber 3|0 formed by thepartitions 32 is arranged in the lower middle part of the device and is provided with adrawer 3| for the reception of the `pile 4| of mixed cards. Fig. i5 shows a top plan view of said drawer, which may consist of a simple U-shaped part of sheet iron, which has no side walls, as thepartitions 32 prevent the cards from falling out of thechamber 3|il, Theupper parts 34 of the partitions embrace the removing means I4, I5, I8, I 80 and are provided with openings 33 through which thepiles 39 and 40 may pass into the collectingchamber e 3|0. Arotatable button 36 is mounted on the front wall 35 'of thedrawer 3| and is connected with alever 31, the end of which forms the abutment for thesupport 21 of the swingable bottom 22. A spring (not shown) tends to hold thelever 31 in the position shown in Fig. 3. Preferably.

thelever 31 also locks thedrawer 3|, which can be removed onlyaiter a rotation of the lever. A lug 38 is arranged at the corner of the drawer diagonally opposite to saidabutment 31 and forms the abutment for thesupport 28 oi the swingable bottom 23.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs. 3-5 is as follows.

Thecover 8 is raised by gripping the weight I2 with the lingers and brought into the position, as shown with dotted lines in Fig. 3. Then the pile 5 of the cards to be mixed is inserted into the open receivingchamber 4, whereupon thecover 8 is closed and the handle |8 is rotated in clockwise direction. This rotation of the handle I8 f causes a rotation of theremoving rollers I4 and I5 in opposite direction to each other and at the same time an alternative upward and downward movement of said removing rollers, whereby cards of the pile 5 are alternatively displaced onto thebottoms 22 and 23 to form at said places thepiles 39 and 48. Due to the inevitable inaccuracy of the conveyance by-means of the roller mechanism and due to the adhesion between the cards of the pile a different number of-cards, i. e. 1-4 cards, is displaced at each time, so that it is impossible to predetermine which one of the cards will be displaced to the left and which one to the right. Furthermore, it is impossible to know, into which one of theswingable bottoms 22 or 23 the lowest card of the pile 5 will be displaced, as it cannot be predetermined which one of the rollers |4 or I5 starts with the displacement.

During the displacement of the cards from the receivingchamber 4 the slidable weight I2, I3 causes a pressure on the pile 5 sufficient to assure a removing o f the cards by means of the removing roller I4 or I5 in operable position.

As soon as all of the cards are displaced onto thebottoms 22 and 23 and thepiles 39 and 40 are formed, the lever andabutment 31 is moved upwardly by a rotation of thebutton 36, so that thelever 31 is disengaged trom thesupport 21 and the bottom is tilted downwardly against the stop |22 by the weight of thepile 39, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. Thereby, thepile 39 slides through the opening 33 into thedrawer 3|. At the moment when the drawer is removed from the collecting chamber 3 I Il, theabutment 30 mounted on the drawer is disengaged from thesupport 28, so that the swingable bottom 23 is tilted against the stop |23 by the weight of thepile 40 and the latter slides through the opening 33 into thedrawer 3|. After a further movement of thedrawer 3| out of the collecting chamber the entire'pile 4| of mixed cards may be re- 1 tomatically into their normal horizontal position.

so that the device may be operated at once after the reinsertion of thedrawer 3|.

Fig. 6 shows still another embodiment of the invention. The receivingchamber 43 is again in the upper part of the casing 42 and may be closed by-thecover 44 provided with the slidable counter-weight 45. The driving mechanism and the removing roller mechanism are the same as in the embodiment shown in Fig. 3. At each side of thechamber 43 and below thereto are theVsections 498 and 530. The device has, however, only one swingable bottom 53, which forms `thesection 530 and may be rotated about axle 48. 'Ihe counter-weight 54 secured tothe bottom 53 tends to return same into horizontal position. Thesection 490 has an inclined stationary bottom 49 which leads the cards displaced on it into thedrawer 50, when the pile of mixed cards is formed.

The movable abutment for the support of the swingable bottom 53 is formed by a pin 5|, which is secured to the front wall 52 of thedrawer 50 and extends somewhat into the casing. As soon as all cards are displaced from the receivingchamber 43, thedrawer 59 is drawn out of the collectingchamber 500, whereby the abutment is disengaged from the support 55, so that the swingable bottom 53 is tilted and thepile 56 of cards lying on it falls into thedrawer 50 on top of the pile of cards resulting from the cards led by the inclined bottom 49 into the drawer, before thedrawer 50 is entirely removed from the collecting chamber. 'I'he counterweight 54 returns the bottom without any cards thereon into its horizontal position.

Obviously, a removing mechanism as shown in Fig. 1 may be used in the device shown in Fig. 3 instead of the mechanism I6, |60, I4, |5 illustrated in the latter.

It is also possible to provide a device in which both sections are provided with inclined bottoms leading to a collecting chamber in the middle of the device instead of with swingable bottoms. In other wo-rds, in such a device theswingable bottoms 22--23 according to Fig. 3 are replaced by theinclined bottoms 49 according to Fig. 6. In such a case, at least one of the two inclined bottoms should be provided with a movable stop, to hold the displaced cards and to permit a temporary assemblance of a pile of cards on the said inclined bottom.

Figs. 7-10 illustrate still another embodiment of my mixing-device, which is very simple in its construction. 60 designates the casing, which is provided with the receiving chamber 6|. 'I'he latter is closed by thecover 62 at its upper part and is open at the bottom. A cross-bar; as indicated by d in Fig. 1 for example, is omitted. Thepile 63 of unmixed cards is supported by the removingrollers 64 and 65, which are provided withrubber layers 66 and 61 on about half of their circumference. Therollers 64 and 65 may be rotated in opposite direction to each other, asindicated by arrows 68 and 69, by means of a handle through thegears 1| and 12.

The characterizing feature of the embodiment according to Figs. 7-10 consists in the fact that thebottoms 13 and 14 of thesections 15 and 16 respectively, which receive thepiles 18, 18 of mixed cards from the removingrollers 64 and 65 respectively, are arranged on different levels. Fig. 7 shows the left hand bottom 13 on a level lower than the level of the bottom 14.

The bottom 13 consists of a single plate which is rmly mounted on a pull-rod 11. Said pullrod is slidably arranged in the middle of the casing and extends through anopening 80 of amovable closing plate 8| at the right hand end of the casing. The projecting end of the pull rod is provided with abutton 82. Integral with or rmly attached to theplate 13 is an upright pushingwall 83 the length of which is shorter than the width of the casing. Themovable closing plate 8| is attached to the ends ofbars 84 and 85 slidably arranged inopenings 86 and 81 of the casing wall. Said bars form tracks on which the lefthand bottom plate 13 may slide.

The right hand bottom, which lies on an upper level is formed by twoplates 14 and 14' (Fig. 10)

attached to the walls of the casing and provided with abuttingwalls 88 and 88' respectively. The space between saidplates 14 and 14 is somewhat larger than the length oi' the pushingwall 83, so that the latter may be moved between the edges of said plates.

A locking means 89 (Fig. '7) is arranged at the wall of the casing and may be operated by a stop rod 90 (Fig. 10) mounted on the pushingwall 83. If theplate 13 is moved to the right, by means of the pull-rod 11, thestop rod 90 causes an engagement of the pawl 9| of said locking means 89 with thegear 1| as shown -by dotted lines, so that the removing rollers are locked. If theplate 13 is returned from its-right hand position into its normal left hand position, the locking means 89 is disengaged from thegear 1| by the stop rod 99.

The operation of the device illustrated in Figs.

'7-10 is as follows:

If thehandle 10 is rotated,the'removing rollers 64 and 65 draw the cards from the receiving chamber 6| into thesections 15 and 16, as eX- plained above during the description of Fig. 1, so that thepiles 18 and 18 are formed in thebottoms 13 and 14 respectively. After the removal of the entire pile `63 from the receiving chamber, the pull-rod 82 is moved to the right, whereby theplate 13 with thepile 18 are displaced from their left hand position through the intermediate position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 7 into a position, where the pushingwall 83 abuts against theedges 92 of the cards placed upon theplates 14 and 14. During a further movement of theplate 13 to the right the pushingwall 83, which moved between the edges of theplates 14 and 14', pushes the cards of the pile 18' to the right, until their edges 93 abut against themovable closing plate 8| Then, theclosing plate 8| is moved together with theplate 13 and the pushing Wall 33 to the right and forms with said parts a collectingchamber 94. During the movement from the position shown in Fig. 8 into the end position shown in Fig. 9, and determined by the abutment of the pushingwall 83 against the casing wall, thepile 18 is brought on top of thepile 13, so that the finalsingle pile 95 of mixed cards is formed, which may be removed by hand. from the collectingchamber 94 projecting from the casing. During the movement of theplate 13 to the right, the locking means 89 come in engagement with thegear 1|, so that the mixing device cannot be operated during the removal of the mixed cards. If the pull-rod 11 is pushed into the casing, thestop rod 90 releases thegear 1| and the mixing device is ready for a new operation.

The device as shown in Fig. 11 is similar to the device according to Figs. 7-10 with the exception of the arrangement of the bottoms of the sections and 16, which receive the cards fromthe removingrollers 64 and 65. In this embodimentthe left hand bottom 130 is in the upper level and consists of two plates spaced from each other and attached to the casing walls, while theright hand bottom 140 consisting of a single plate is in the lower level and forms with the wall 880 attached to it a collecting means 950 inside of the casing. This embodiment has the advantage that the pushingwall 830 passing through the space between the twoplates of the bottom 130 moves the pile 180 over the entire length of the bottom 130, whereupon the piles 180 and '|88' are combined inside of the casing, i. e. non-visibly to the operator, in the collectingchamber 950. After the combination of said two piles to a single pile of mixed cards, the collecting chamber may be ment oi the pull-rod 110, whereby the' pushingwall 830 bears against the wall 880 of the collecting chamber. If the collecting chamber projects from the casing, the single pile of mixed cards may be removed therefrom. u

I have shown some preferred embodiments oi my 'invention, but it is clear that numerous changes, combinations, and omissions may be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. i.

What I claim is:

1. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the combination oi a casing, a receiving chamber in the upper part of said casing, adapted to receive a pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections arranged at opposite sides of the receiving chamber, two removing means disposed at the bottom of said receiving chamber, one at each side of-` the middle-axis of said receiving chamber, and

adapted to displace at least one card of the pile of unmixed cards from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into one of said sections, means to engage alternatively one of said removing means with the lowest card of the pile of unmixed cards, collecting means in the lower part of the casing, delivering means to discharge the displaced cards from said sections into said collecting means to form therein a single pile of mixed cards, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means.

2. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the combination of a casing, a receiving chamber in the upper part of the casing adapted to receive a pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections arranged at opposite sides of the receiving chamber, an oscillatable member arranged below the open bottom of said receiving chamber, two removing rollers journaled in said oscillatable member, one at each side of the middle axis of said receiving chamber,v said removing rollers being adapted to be rotated in opposite directions and to be engaged with the lowest card of the pile of unmixed cards to displace at least one card of said pile from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into one of said sections, means to oscillate said member to engage alternatively one of said rollers with the lowest card of the pile, collecting means in the lower part of the casing, delivering means to discharge the displaced cards from said sections into said collecting means to form therein a single pile of mixed cards, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means.

3. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the combination -of a casing, a receiving chamber in the upper part of said casing adapted to receive a pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections arranged at opposite sides of the receiving chamber, removing means disposed at the open bottom of said receiving chamber and adapted to displace alternatively at least one card of the pile the pile of mixed cards out of the casing. and

driving means adapted to operate said removing means. I

4. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the` combination of a casing, la receiving.,

chamber in the upper part of said casing adapted to receive a pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections arrange-d at opposite sides of the receiving chamber, removing means disposed at the open bottom of said receiving chamber and adapted to displace alternatively at least one card of the pile of unmixed cards from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into either one of said two sections, a pull-rod slidably arranged in the lower part of said casing, a plate normally disposed in one of said sections and attached to said pullrodr said plate being adapted to receive a pile of cards displaced by said removing means, a pushing member secured to said pull-rod, two plates positioned in the other section at a level above the level of the plate attached to the pull-rod, said two plates being adapted to receive a pile of cards displaced by said removing means into said other section and being spaced from each other to form a passage for the pushing member to push the pile of cards resting on said plates onto the pile of cards resting on the plate attached to the pull rod, the casing having an opening in the side thereof, a movable closing plate arranged on said opening, said plate attached to the pull rod being adapted to be moved against said movable closing plate to form therewith collecting means for a single pile of mixed cards and to be moved t0- gether with said movable closing plate out of the casing, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means.

5. In a device as claimed inclaim 3, locking of said receiving chamber, one at each side of the middle axis of 'said receiving chamber, contacting layers mounted on the 'surface of each of said removing rollers, each of said layers covering about half` of the circumference of the roller, whereby the rollers are arranged in such a way that the contacting layer of one of the rollers is in the lowest position, when the contacting layer of the other roller is in the uppermost position, said rollers being adapted to displace alternatively at least one card of the pile of unmixed cards from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into one of said sections, each of said sections having at least one plate adapted to receive a pile of displaced cards, said plates being arranged at different levels, delivering rneansto push the pile of displaced cards from the plate being at the upper level onto the pile being at the lower level to form therewith a single pile of mixed cards, means to move the pile of mixed cards out of the casing, and driving means adapted to rotate said rollers. 7. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the combination of a casing, a receiving chamber in the upper part of the casing adapted to receive a pile 'of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections 'arranged at opposite sides of the receiving chamber,

an oscillatable member arranged below the open bottom of said receiving chamber, two removing rollers journaled in said osclllatable member, one at each side of the middle axis of said receiving chamber, said removing rollers being adapted to be rotated in opposite directions and to beengaged with the lowest card of the pile of unmixed cards to displace at least one card of said pile from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into one of said sections, means to oscillate said member to engage alternatively one of said rollers with the lowest card of the pile, each of said sections having at least one plate adapted to receive a pile of displaced cards, said plates being arranged at different levels, delivering means to push the pile of displaced cards from the plate being at the upper level onto the pile being at the lower level to form therewith a single pileof mixed cards, means to move the pile of mixed cards out of the casing, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means.

8. In a device for mixing playing cards or the like, the combination of a casing, a receiving chamber in the upper part of the casing adapted to receive a pile of unmixed cards and being substantially open at the bottom, two sections arranged at opposite sides of the receiving chamber, removing means disposed at the open bottom of said receiving chamber and adapted to displace alternatively at least one card of the pile of unmixed cards from the open bottom of said receiving chamber into either one of said two sections, two plates arranged in one of said sections and adapted to receive a pile of displaced cards,said two plates being spaced from each other, a plate slidably arranged in the other section at a level below the level of said two plates and adapted to receive another pile of displaced cards, said plate being provided with walls to form a collecting casing, a pull-rod slidably arranged in the lower part of the casing and provided With a pushing wall passing through the space between said two plates arranged at the higher level, said pushing wall being adapted to push the pile of cards resting on said two plates onto the pile of cards resting on the plate arranged at the lower level and to move said collecting casing out of the device, and driving means adapted to operate said removing means.

ERICH SACHS.

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