Abstract: One or more transparent or translucent sheets of cellophane are folded and cuts are made to create symmetric patterns and designs. The cellophane creates diffraction, refraction, interference, and reflection pattern of light that become strikingly visible when viewed under polarized light. The cellophane patterns and designs are placed on top of one another such that the holes in the overlapping sheets cause a variation in the path of light traveling through the layers of the cellophane, creating beautiful and varied optical patterns of light that change with the placement of the layers of cellophane and with variation of the angle of polarized light for a kaleidoscope effect. The cellophane is viewed against the backdrop of a blue sky to provide a source of polarized light. Placing the cellophane on glossy black cardboard brings out the prismatic colors created by light refraction and reflection.

Abstract: Automatic card shufflers include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting shuffled cards from the card shuffler. The card storage device may include a movable rack configured to move vertically within the card shuffler. The movable rack may have a plurality of card storage compartments therein, each of which may be sized and configured to hold two cards therein. The card output mechanism includes a movable ejector configured to simultaneously eject cards out from two or more card storage compartments of the movable rack. Related methods include methods of fabricating such card shufflers, and methods of using such card shufflers.

Abstract: Playing-card-shuffling devices may include a card input, a card output, and a temporary card-storage area. The card input may be located on a same lateral side of the temporary card-storage area as a lateral side of the temporary card-storage area on which the card output is located. A processor may be in communication with a graphic display, with touch screen controls integrated in the graphic display. The graphic display may be configured to automatically display information from the shuffler. The touch screen controls may be configured to receive user-inputted data to send to the processor to affect at least one of performance, activity and mode of operation of the shuffler. The graphic display may be located on a lateral side of the temporary card-storage area opposite the lateral side of the temporary card-storage area on which the card input and the card output are located.

Abstract: A card recognition system comprises an imaging device configured to capture a raw image of at least a portion of a card, and a processor operably coupled with the imaging device. The processor is configured to perform an image processing analysis of the raw image to identify measurements of at least one of a rank area around a rank of the card, and a suit area around a suit of the card, and automatically generate a calibration file based, at least in part, on the image processing analysis. A card handling device comprises a card infeed, a card output, and a card recognition system. A method for tuning a card handling device comprises capturing a plurality of images from a deck of cards, storing the images in memory, analyzing the plurality of images for card identification information, and generating a calibration file including parameters associated with the card identification information.

Abstract: A card shoe apparatus includes a card guide unit that guides cards that are manually drawn out one by one from a card housing unit onto a game table, a code reading unit that, when a card is drawn out from the card housing unit, reads from that card a code that indicates a rank (number, rank) of that card, a authenticity determination unit that determines the authenticity of the card based on the information of the authenticity of the card, a winning/losing determination unit that determines the winning/losing of a card game based on the ranks of the cards sequentially read by the code reading unit, and an output unit that outputs the results of the determination made by the winning/losing determination unit. The card guide unit includes a card entry/exit restriction unit or that restricts the entry/exit of the card to/from the card housing unit.

Abstract: A device used in marketing contests, particularly for the drawing of tickets which are put into a rotating raffle drum (G), and whose main purpose is to provide a dynamic and automated device that, advantageously, allows feeding of tickets even when the rotating drum is moving, enables constant and uniform shuffling of said tickets, thus ensuring randomness of the drawing with greater safety and ease and, at the same time, provides public entertainment. Said raffle device (E) comprises a rotating raffle drum (G), a stand (S), a rotation mechanism (R), a ticket feeding device (D), a compressed air power unit (C) and a power, command and control board (Q), including an electronic control unit (not depicted) such as a PLC. Device (E) may further comprise a ticket swirling mechanism (T) interconnected to a compressed air power unit (C) and a lighting system (not depicted) conveniently associated with the rotating drum (G).

Abstract: The present invention provides shuffled playing cards which eliminate the need for a game host to shuffle cards before games by taking a lot of time as well as eliminate the possibility of cheating. A shuffled playing cards (1) obtained by shuffling a predetermined number of decks of playing cards (12) using a shuffling machine is packaged as an individual pack. The shuffled playing cards (1) is individually packaged and sealed with an adhesive label (13). A bar code (13a) which represents a unique shuffled card ID has been printed on the adhesive label (13). The shuffled card ID is registered in a database by being associated with information which allows identification of a shuffling machine used to shuffle the playing card set.

Abstract: A hooded blanket and stuffed toy combination device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring shuffled playing cards. A shuffled card ID is associated with the one or more shuffled decks of playing cards. Each card delivered by a card feeder from the one or more shuffled decks of playing cards is inspected. It is determined whether there is a defect in the arrangement of the one or more shuffled decks of playing cards. Upon a condition that a shuffled deck of playing cards is determined to be defective, at least one of discarding the defective shuffled deck of playing cards or preventing a recurrence of a defect found within the defective shuffled deck of playing cards.

Abstract: An apparatus for playing a game comprises a three dimensional structure assembled from a plurality of interconnectable and disengageable construction elements. Each construction element is a shaped elongate body piece with two end mating faces or surfaces. Each mating surface has a male or female connector or two female orifices plus a four way male connector to enable each construction element to connect to and disengage other like construction elements. The interconnection between two contacting faces or surfaces is allowable in one orientation only.

Abstract: A system for playing blackjack requires a player or electronic system to: (i) receive a first bet from a player; (ii) deal an initial two-card hand to the player; (iii) deal one or more additional cards to the player; (iv) determine whether a sum total value of the initial two-card hand and the one or more additional cards exceeds twenty-one; (v) if so, offer the player an opportunity to place an additional bet; (vi) receive, from the player, the additional bet; (vii) in response receiving the additional bet, deal a final card to the player (optionally from a shoe that is different from that used for the initial hand); (vii) subtract a value of the final card from the sum total value to yield a new value; and (ix) based on the new value, determine whether the player has a winning hand, a push, or a losing hand.

Abstract: Card shufflers usable in forming and dispensing randomized playing card hands for use in playing card games include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting shuffled cards from the card shuffler. The card storage device may include a wheel configured to rotate within the card shuffler. The rotatable wheel may have a plurality of card storage compartments therein, each of which may be sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein. Related methods involve the use of such card shufflers in playing card games.

Abstract: A single box call having a plurality of replaceable soundboard inserts and a plurality of replaceable lids having different sound characteristics, selectively used in combination together for producing distinctly different sounds that imitate turkey calls. The box call includes a housing having two receiving slots for receiving soundboard inserts, and a sound adjuster engageable with one or both soundboard inserts to vary the sound. There is a connecting means for releasably connecting the lid to the housing.

Abstract: A toy water gun includes a hand-held body having a water reservoir capable of storing a predetermined quantity of water therein, and a guide rail engaged with the water reservoir. The toy water gun further includes a hand-operated pump mechanism is in fluid communication with the water reservoir and dynamically engaged with the guide rail, a discharge nozzle in fluid communication with the water reservoir and having an illuminable water trajectory selectively egressed distally away therefrom, and a light emitting mechanism attached to a dynamic portion of the pump mechanism. Advantageously, the dynamic portion of the pump mechanism and the light emitting source are contemporaneously reciprocated along a bi-directional travel path relative to a position of the discharge nozzle and thereby illuminate the illuminable water trajectory after being egressed from the discharge nozzle.

Abstract: A playing card handling device is disclosed. The device includes a first side and a second opposite side. Components of the device include a card infeed tray, a card output tray and a card handling zone. The card infeed tray and card output tray are on the same first side of the device and an upper surface of the card infeed tray and an upper surface of the card output tray are in the same plane. Card handling devices of the present invention also include a touch screen display, as well as a movable card gate.

Abstract: A counting and scoring device has a housing with its interior divided into right and left chambers by a vertical partition. A wheel is vertically mounted and rotatable within each chamber of the housing using a threaded bolt and hexagonal nut. The wheels have a plurality of flat outer surfaces on which to display indicia in the form of the numerals 0 through 9 viewed through a three-sided window on each side of the top portion of the housing. Ball bearings activated by a compression spring within a tapered opening in the partition are in contact with depressions in the inside walls of the wheels below each flat surface so that as each wheel rotates a numeral is centered in a window. A hexagonal cavity within the hub portion enables the left wheel to act as a wrench to tighten the hexagonal nut when assembling the device.

Abstract: A method of playing a learning game having game pieces with a playing face divided into first and second sections, the first section displaying a first number and the second section displaying the first number, a mathematical operation, and a second number, the method including taking turns to place a game piece on a playing surface adjacent a game piece already on the playing surface in which a numeric value of the first number in the first section of the game piece or the numeric value of the result of the mathematical operation in the second section is equal to a numeric value of a first or second section of the game piece already on the playing surface that is not adjacent another game piece.

Abstract: According to various embodiments, an apparatus may laser project a customized ordering of numbers onto a roulette wheel.

Abstract: A toy set is provided including a reconfigurable toy capable of transitioning between a first configuration and a second configuration. The toy set also includes a launch mechanism having an activation means and a toy receiver. A propulsion mechanism transfers movement of the activation means to the reconfigurable toy to propel the reconfigurable toy in a second configuration from the launch mechanism along a propulsion axis.

Abstract: A stress reduction and/or pain reduction method and system, includes measuring an initial level of user stress, which level is unacceptable, having the user hold a card having multiple single digit math problems therein, the problems being in multiple series of four problems, the math problems comprising at least one of addition, subtraction, and multiplication problems, displaying to and instructing the user to complete a first series of four and only four problems correctly, displaying to and instructing the user to complete a second series of four and only four problems incorrectly, again measuring the user's stress level and repeating the steps of displaying and instructing, and measuring, until the output from the device is acceptable. The same process may be followed using a camera or video camera and analyzing the image(s) for a Duchenne smile, in place of or in addition to measuring the indicator of stress.