Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
INTRODUCTION
This invention relates to a lottery number
selection apparatus and, more particularly, to a lottery
number selection apparatus which utilizes airflow to
select the balls randomly and display them to a user.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
US. Patent 4,508,346 to Salvucci entitled
RANDOM NUMBER SELECTION MENTOR AND APPARATUS utilizes
airflow to select and entrain a desired number of balls in
a transparent tube extending vertically from a mixing
chamber. After the designated number of balls are
selected, a mechanical finger is utilized to entrap the
balls in the vertical tube for a determinate period of
time until the identity of the balls entrapped is
obtained. The finger is then released and the balls fall
back into the mixing chamber where the selection process
can be again commenced and repeated.
While the Salvucci device is useful, various
disadvantages are present in the apparatus. One such
disadvantage is that the apparatus is intended to be
placed at a number of locations where members of the
general public are present. The vertically oriented
transparent tube is susceptible to damage or misalignment
because of its location as well as vandalism because of
its exposed and vulnerable configuration. A further
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problem with the vertical configuration disclosed by
Salvucci relates to the quantity of the airflow required
to properly entrap the required number of balls. The
vertical tube requires a higher rate of airflow and
consequently more energy than may be required with a
different design which makes the machine vulnerable to
poor operation in certain environments.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, there is disclosed
a number selection apparatus comprising a mixing chamber,
a display tube having first and second sections, said
display tube having an inlet and an outlet end, each
end being open in said chamber, a cover for said mixing
chamber surrounding at least par-t of said display tube,
air supply means to provide air to said chamber through
an aperture, said first section of said display tube
including said inlet end located generally above said
aperture and, said second section extending from said
first section in a direction generally adjacent to the
outside profile of said cover.
According to a further aspect of the invention,
there is disclosed a method of selecting a predetermined
number of balls bearing indicia in a display tube
comprising the steps of supplying an air stream to a
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chamber, blowing balls with said air stream into a tube
extending adjacent to the outside profile o-f said chamber,
retaining a number of said balls in said tube for a
predetermined period of time, displaying said indicia
of said balls through said display tube and releasing
said retaining means to allow said balls to return to
said chamber.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
A specific embodiment of the invention will
now be described, by way of example only, with the use
of drawings in which:
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Figure 1 is an isometric view of one embodiment
of the present invention illustrating the display tube
outside the cover;
Figure 2 is a side cutaway view of a second
embodiment of the apparatus of Figure 1 illustrating the
display tube inside the cover;
Figure 3 is a front cutaway view similar to
Figure 2 illustrating a third embodiment of the apparatus
according to the invention; and
Figure 4 is an isometric view of the retaining
device of Figure 1.
DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT
Referring now to the drawings, the lottery
selection apparatus is illustrated generally at 10. It
comprises a generally rectangular mixing chamber 11, an
air supply in the form of fan or blower 12 connected below
the chamber 11, a plurality of balls generally shown at 27
in the chamber 11, each of the balls 27 bearing an indicia
or number, and a display device or tube generally shown at
13 which extends from and returns to the chamber 11.
The fan 12 is connected to an input duct tube 14
which enters the chamber 11 from the fan 12 at the inlet
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aperture 20 of the chamber 11. The inlet aperture I is
covered by a grate 24 to prevent balls entering the inlet
duct tube 14. The tube 13 commences at a position
immediately over the inlet aperture 20 and a first section
17 extends upwardly from the chamber 11 and is connected
to the cover 26 of the chamber 11. The tube 13 has a
second section 25 which extends from the first section 17
in a direction generally parallel and adjacent to the
outside profile of the cover 26. The second section 25 of
the tube 13 has a transparent window 30 which allows the
balls 27 to be seen as they pass through and are retained
in the tube 13. The second section 25 extends to an elbow
23 which leads from the second section 15 into third
section 16. Third section 16 extends generally vertically
downwards through cover 26 and into chamber 11 where it
terminates.
A retaining device 22 is positioned in the third
section 16. The retaining device 22, more clearly seen in
Figure 4, is permanently attached to the third section 16
and has a tongue 28 movable between a first position 15
where the flow of balls through the tube 13 is blocked and
a second position 18 where the flow of balls through the
tube 13 can take place with no interference from the
tongue 28 when the tongue 28 is released from its position
blocking the flow. The retaining device 22 is operated by
a solenoid (not shown).
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A plurality of perforations in the second
section 25 allows the escape of air from the tube 13.
OPERATION
In operation, the fan 12 is energized and air
from the fan 12 travels through the tube 14 extending from
the fan 12 to the chamber 11. The bottom of the chamber
11 is generally sloped so as to allow movement of the
plurality of balls downward to the air inlet aperture 20
where they will be exposed to the air stream from the fan
12. The inlet aperture grate 24 prevents the balls from
falling into tube 14 but allows the air stream to flow
freely from the fan 12 into the mixing chamber 11. The
air flow blows the balls 27 upwardly as they approach the
inlet aperture 20 and some will be entrained singularly
into the inlet of the first section 17 of the tube 13. A
ball so entrained will be conveyed through the first
section 17, the second section 25 and the third section 16
until it reaches the retaining device 22 where it will be
held when the retaining device is positioned to block the
third section 16. While the first ball is so retained,
air flows outwardly from the perforations in the second
section 25. Thereafter, further balls pile up behind the
first ball until the tube is full and a certain number of
indicia are visible to the observer through the
transparent window 30 on the second section 25. The
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identity of the balls held in the display tube 13 are then
taken by the operator from the indicia written on the
balls according to the sequence in which the balls entered
the tube. After the identity of the balls is taken, the
retaining device 22 is disengaged which allows the balls
to return to the chamber 11 through the outlet of the
third section 16.
When the retaining device 22 is disengaged, of
course, the balls 27 entrained in tube 13 will continue
their movement through the tube 13 and back into the
mixing chamber 11 resulting in continuous movement of
balls through the tube 25.
A further embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in Figure 2. In this embodiment, the chamber
11 is not rectangularly shaped as is the chamber 11 of
Figure 1 nor is the second section 25 of tube 13 outside
the chamber 11. Rather, the tube 13 is wholly within the
chamber 11 which has a sloping upper surface 21. The tube
13 again extends substantially parallel and adjacent to
the outside profile of the cover 11 and this embodiment is
attractive when it is desirable to increase security by
removing any external projections of the tube 13 from the
chamber 11.
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Also in this embodiment, the transparent window
of the second section of the tube 13 is complimented by a
transparent panel 31 in the cover 11 adjacent to and
substantially conterminous with the transparent window 30
of the second section of the tube 13. Furthermore, the
embodiment illustrated in Figure 2 has its retaining
device 22 located at the end of the second section 25 and
not in the third second 16 as there is no need to use a
return or third section because of the downwardly sloping
second section 25.
Yet a further embodiment of the invention is
illustrated in Figure 3. This embodiment is similar to the
embodiment of Figure 1 with the exception that the tube 13
is wholly within the mixing chamber 11 to reduce the
possibility for vandalism by removing any external parts
of the tube 13 such as illustrated in Figure 1. In this
embodiment a transparent panel 31 is provided in the
chamber 11 so that the balls 27 displayed in the second
section 25 of the tube 13 are visible through the
transparent window 30 and panel 31 to the user.
Modifications may readily be made to the
apparatus described. For example, while the fan or blower
12 may be turned on only when used as by a switch 32, it
may also be running continuously so that the balls 27 are
continuously moving in the chamber 11 and through the tube
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13. Further, the functions of the retaining device 22 may
be automatic as, for example, when the apparatus is used
to select lottery numbers. In this event, a coin or
ticket (not shown) is inserted in the apparatus and will
automatically activate the retaining device to stop the
-flow of balls 27 through the tube 13 for a period of time
sufficient to allow the balls 27 to be retained and
displayed in the second section 25. Thereafter, the
retaining device 22 can be automatically opened by a
timing device (not shown) which will then release the
balls 27 and allow them to continue flowing through the
tube 13. Alternatively, of course, the retaining device
22 may be manually operable as from a button (not shown
which the operator may press either at will or during a
predetermined time period.
In addition, the transparent panel 31 in the
cover 11 may be replaced with a magnifying panel which may
allow the display tube to run at an angle to the outside
profile of the cover 11. Such a magnifying prism would,
of course, allow the balls to be positioned at different
positions within the display tube 13, so long as the
identity of the balls was readily observable by the user.
Various other modifications besides those
specifically described will readily occur to those skilled
in the art and the specific embodiments described should
be taken as illustrative only and not as limiting the
scope of the invention as construed in accordance with the
accompanying claims.
