Patents by Inventor Ernst Blaha
Ernst Blaha has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20110306284Abstract: A casino chip-sorting device may comprise a transport disc, a drive, an ejector, a cam, and a blade. The drive may be operably coupled to the transport disc, for rotating the transport disc, and the transport disc may have multiple recesses for collecting individual chips. The ejector may be extendable into a recess from beneath the transport disc to move a disc that is in the recess and the cam may be selectively rotatable by the drive to push the ejector into the recess. The blade may have an upper surface positioned to receive a casino chip moved by the ejector. Additionally, a processor associated with the casino chip-sorting device may be programmed to recognize a jam.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 23, 2011Publication date: December 15, 2011Applicant: SHUFFLE MASTER GMBH & CO KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Publication number: 20110285082Abstract: Playing card handling devices, such as shufflers, dealing shoes, discard racks and verification systems are rotatably secured to a gaming table to allow for functional and ergonomic adjustment of the card handling device, without removal from the gaming table. One end of the device, preferably a front end of the device from which playing cards may be removed has a structure that extends through an aperture in the gaming table. The device is movable within the aperture. Movement in the X-Y direction, angular movement and rotational movement, parallel to the movement of the plane of the surface of the gaming table is enabled. The movement of the device about the aperture preferably maintains the base of the device relatively parallel to the plane of the surface of the gaming table.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2011Publication date: November 24, 2011Inventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha, Attila Grauzer
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Publication number: 20110254222Abstract: A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system is disclosed. The system includes a card input department with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes towards the front wall at an angle between 12 and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 28, 2011Publication date: October 20, 2011Applicant: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst BLAHA, Peter KRENN
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Patent number: 8006847Abstract: A casino chip sorting device may comprise a transport disc, a drive, an ejector, a cam, and a blade. The drive may be operably coupled to the transport disc, for rotating the transport disc, and the transport disc may have multiple recesses for collecting individual chips. The ejector may be extendable into a recess from beneath the transport disc to move a disc that is in the recess and the cam may be selectively rotatable by the drive to push the ejector into the recess. The blade may have an upper surface positioned to receive a casino chip moved by the ejector. Additionally, a processor associated with the casino chip sorting device may be programmed to recognize a jam.Type: GrantFiled: October 30, 2006Date of Patent: August 30, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Publication number: 20110207390Abstract: Apparatuses for stacking chips include a container for receiving unstacked chips, a carrier comprising a channel for carrying a chip stack, a transport system for transporting chips from the container towards the carrier, and at least one ejector system for ejecting or moving chips from the transport system into the channel of the carrier. Chip stack cutter devices may include an elongated displacement member, which may extend from an actuating lever member movably coupled to a base member configured to slide along a channel of a chip stack carrier. In additional embodiments, the cutter device may include an energy-responsive device configured to selectively move an elongated displacement member for displacing a number of chips in a chip stack carried in a channel of a chip stack carrier.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2011Publication date: August 25, 2011Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7992720Abstract: A sorting device for the sorting of gaming chips comprises a base frame, a collection container, an oblique transport disc adjoining the collection container, the oblique transport disc separating and receiving gaming chips, a gaming chip characteristic identification system positioned adjacent the transport disc, a transfer device distributing the gaming chips in removal units according to characteristics identified in the gaming chip characteristic identification system. The sorting device has a transport for transferring the gaming chips directly from the transport disc to the removal units, and a radially external region of the transport disc contains recesses into which the gaming chips are separated.Type: GrantFiled: December 3, 2004Date of Patent: August 9, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7967294Abstract: A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system is disclosed. The system includes a card input department with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes towards the front wall at an angle between 12 and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2009Date of Patent: June 28, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7946586Abstract: Playing card handling devices, such as shufflers, dealing shoes, discard racks and verification systems are rotatably secured to a gaming table to allow for functional and ergonomic adjustment of the card handling device, without removal from the gaming table. One end of the device, preferably a front end of the device from which playing cards may be removed has a structure that extends through an aperture in the gaming table. The device is movable within the aperture. Movement in the X-Y direction, angular movement and rotational movement, parallel to the movement of the plane of the surface of the gaming table is enabled. The movement of the device about the aperture preferably maintains the base of the device relatively parallel to the plane of the surface of the gaming table.Type: GrantFiled: November 4, 2008Date of Patent: May 24, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha, Attila Grauzer
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Publication number: 20110105002Abstract: Chip sorting devices and methods of ejecting chips from chip wells are disclosed. In some embodiments, chip sorting devices may include at least one chip ejection unit including at least one finger member selectively movable between a first position outside of at least one channel of a chip conveying unit and a second position within the at least one channel. In additional embodiments, a chip sorting device may include a separating wheel comprising a plurality of chip wells, each chip well configured to hold a plurality of chips. In yet additional embodiments, methods of ejecting a chip from a chip well may include urging a selected chip out of the chip well with the at least one finger member and at least one wall segment of a trailing segmented wall of the chip well.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 2, 2009Publication date: May 5, 2011Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7934980Abstract: Apparatuses for stacking chips include a container for receiving unstacked chips, a carrier comprising a channel for carrying a chip stack, a transport system for transporting chips from the container towards the carrier, and at least one ejector system for ejecting or moving chips from the transport system into the channel of the carrier. Chip stack cutter devices may include an elongated displacement member, which may extend from an actuating lever member movably coupled to a base member configured to slide along a channel of a chip stack carrier. In additional embodiments, the cutter device may include an energy-responsive device configured to selectively move an elongated displacement member for displacing a number of chips in a chip stack carried in a channel of a chip stack carrier.Type: GrantFiled: October 19, 2006Date of Patent: May 3, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Publication number: 20110005983Abstract: The invention relates to a sorting device for sorting gaming chips and counters. Said device comprises a collection container (1) located on a base frame (36), an adjoining oblique transport disc (3) for receiving and separating the gaming chips and counters (27), a characteristic identification system positioned in the vicinity of the transport disc (3), in addition to a transfer device (11), which distributes the gaming chips and counters (27) that are sorted according to characteristics in removal units (12) with a preferably U-shaped cross-section. The invention is characterised in that the gaming chips and counters (27) are transferred directly from the transport disc (3) to the removal units (12), the radially external region of said transport disc (3) having recesses (8), into which the gaming chips and counters (27) are separated.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 30, 2006Publication date: January 13, 2011Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Publication number: 20110001290Abstract: A sorting device for the sorting of gaming chips comprises a base frame (36), a collection container (1), an oblique transport disc (3) adjoining the collection container (1), the oblique transport disk (3) separating and receiving gaming chips (27), a gaming chip characteristic identification system positioned adjacent the transport disc (3), a transfer device (11) distributing the gaming chips (27) in removal units (12) according to characteristics identified in the gaming chip characteristic identification system. The sorting device has a transport for transferring the gaming chips directly from the transport disc (3) to the removal units (12), and a radially external region of the transport disc (3) contains recesses (8) into which the gaming chips are separated.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 3, 2004Publication date: January 6, 2011Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7861868Abstract: Chip sorting devices include a rotatable disc having a plurality of wells for receiving chips therein, a plurality of channels for holding stacks of chips, at least one ejector for ejecting chips from the wells of the disc into the channels, and at least one removal lever associated with at least one of the channels. The removal lever has an arm configured to extend adjacent at least a portion of a stack of chips when the stack of chips is in a channel. Other chip sorting devices include a plurality of wells for receiving chips therein, a plurality of channels for holding stacks of chips, at least one ejector for ejecting chips from the wells of the disc into the channels, and at least one spring member configured to bias the ejector to a position.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2007Date of Patent: January 4, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Publication number: 20100314830Abstract: A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 2, 2010Publication date: December 16, 2010Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn, Paul K. Scheper
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Patent number: 7766332Abstract: A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2006Date of Patent: August 3, 2010Assignee: Shuffle Master, Inc.Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn, Paul K. Scheper
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Patent number: 7677566Abstract: The invention comprises a pre-shuffler that receives a quantity of cards to be shuffled, such as nine decks of cards. One embodiment of the pre-shuffler includes a horizontal moveable box having, for example, nine compartments with vertical walls for separating the cards to be shuffled into groups. Cards are placed into all or some of the compartments in the box, and a shuffling sequence is then commenced. A motor moves the box containing the cards so that the cards in the first compartment are deposited into an input tray of the main card shuffler. The main shuffler then forwards the cards in the input tray one by one, via rollers, to selected card receptacles in the main shuffler. The process is then continued for each group of cards in the pre-shuffler until all cards are in the main shuffler. The main shuffler then shuffles the cards in a normal fashion. The cards output from the main shuffler are in a more random order than had the cards not been pre-shuffled by the pre-shuffler.Type: GrantFiled: August 19, 2003Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co. KGInventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha
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Publication number: 20090267297Abstract: A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system is disclosed. The system includes a card input department with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes towards the front wall at an angle between 12 and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 6, 2009Publication date: October 29, 2009Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
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Patent number: 7584963Abstract: The invention comprises a pre-shuffler that receives a quantity of cards to be shuffled, such as nine decks of cards. One embodiment of the pre-shuffler includes a horizontal moveable box having, for example, nine compartments with vertical walls for separating the cards to be shuffled into groups. Cards are placed into all or some of the compartments in the box, and a shuffling sequence is then commenced. A motor moves the box containing the cards so that the cards in the first compartment are deposited into an input tray of the main card shuffler. The main shuffler then forwards the cards in the input tray one by one, via rollers, to selected card receptacles in the main shuffler. The process is then continued for each group of cards in the pre-shuffler until all cards are in the main shuffler. The main shuffler then shuffles the cards in a normal fashion. The cards output from the main shuffler are in a more random order than had the cards not been pre-shuffled by the pre-shuffler.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2006Date of Patent: September 8, 2009Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha
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Publication number: 20090189346Abstract: Playing card handling devices, such as shufflers, dealing shoes, discard racks and verification systems are rotatably secured to a gaming table to allow for functional and ergonomic adjustment of the card handling device, without removal from the gaming table. One end of the device, preferably a front end of the device from which playing cards may be removed has a structure that extends through an aperture in the gaming table. The device is movable within the aperture. Movement in the X-Y direction, angular movement and rotational movement, parallel to the movement of the plane of the surface of the gaming table is enabled. The movement of the device about the aperture preferably maintains the base of the device relatively parallel to the plane of the surface of the gaming table.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2008Publication date: July 30, 2009Inventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha, Attila Grauzer
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Patent number: RE42944Abstract: A card shuffler is disclosed having a card output portion that is easily connectable to either a first output card receiver or a second output card receiver. The first output card receiver enables the dealer to remove cards one at a time from the shuffler. The second output card receiver enables the dealer to remove a group of cards at a time from the shuffler.Type: GrantFiled: March 26, 2001Date of Patent: November 22, 2011Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KGInventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn