Patents by Inventor Steven L. Forte

Steven L. Forte 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).

  • Patent number: 5676372
    Abstract: A playing card shuffler having an unshuffled stack holder which holds an infeed array of playing cards. One or more ejectors are mounted adjacent the unshuffled stack holder to eject cards from the infeed array at various random positions. Multiple ejectors are preferably mounted on a movable carriage. Extractors are advantageously used to assist in removing playing cards from the infeed array. Removal resistors are used to provide counteracting forces resisting displacement of cards, to thereby provide more selective ejection of cards from the infeed array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1994
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: Casinovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy D. Sines, Steven L. Forte, Leonard A. Hale
  • Patent number: 5586766
    Abstract: A blackjack or other card game system having a plurality of player counters which count the blackjack hands or other player jackpot tally events dealt to players. The system also includes at least one dealer counter which counts the number of bust hands of the dealer or other dealer jackpot tally events. Displays are included for both the dealer and players to indicate the counts. The counters are typically zeroed at the end of each hand if a natural hand or bust have not occurred. Jackpots are awarded when the tally counts exceed predefined thresholds. Other rules can credit dealer counts to players or provide other effects. A tabletop retrofit game system is shown for mounting upon blackjack tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1996
    Assignee: Casinovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Steven L. Forte, Randy D. Sines
  • Patent number: 5584483
    Abstract: Playing card shufflers having unshuffled stack holders which hold infeed arrays of playing cards. Ejectors are mounted adjacent an unshuffled stack holder, which can be stationary or movable. Cards are ejected and discharged from the infeed array at various random positions. The ejectors can be mounted on a movable carriage. Extractors are advantageously used to assist in removing playing cards from the infeed array. Removal resistors are used to provide counteracting forces resisting displacement of cards, to thereby provide more selective ejection of cards from the infeed array. One embodiment mounts over the edge of a card table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 17, 1996
    Assignee: Casinovations, Inc.
    Inventors: Randy D. Sines, Steven L. Forte, Norman G. Kelln, Leonard A. Hale
  • Patent number: 5518249
    Abstract: A playing card deck for playing blackjack or casino twenty-one. The cards preferably have diagonally opposing primary and secondary corners. All cards in the deck have indicia or markings at the primary corners which indicate the nature of the card (suit and card type). The deck has two groupings of cards. The secondary corners of the first group do not indicate the specific nature or count of the card. The secondary corners of the second group, such as aces, have secondary indicia. This allows a dealer to selectively peek at the secondary corner of his face-down card to determine whether a blackjack hand exists. If blackjack does not exist, then the dealer does not know the face-down card and cheating or unintentional disclosure is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 1994
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1996
    Assignee: Sines & Forte
    Inventors: Randy D. Sines, Steven L. Forte
  • Patent number: 5403015
    Abstract: A playing card deck for playing blackjack or casino twenty-one. The cards preferably have diagonally opposing primary and secondary corners. All cards in the deck have indicia or markings at the primary corners which indicate the nature of the card (suit and card type). The deck has two groupings of cards. The secondary corners of the first group do not indicate the specific nature or count of the card. The secondary corners of the second group, such as aces, have secondary indicia. This allows a dealer to selectively peek at the secondary corner of his face-down card to determine whether a blackjack hand exists. If blackjack does not exist, then the dealer does not know the face-down card and cheating or unintentional disclosure is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 1993
    Date of Patent: April 4, 1995
    Inventors: Steven L. Forte, Randy D. Sines
  • Patent number: D366503
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 1994
    Date of Patent: January 23, 1996
    Assignee: Sines & Forte
    Inventors: Randy D. Sines, Steven L. Forte, David A. Krise