U.S. patent number RE34,368 [Application Number 07/791,492] was granted by the patent office on 1993-09-07 for method of producing stacks of ticket stacks.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Arrow International, Inc.. Invention is credited to John J. Frain.
United States Patent |
RE34,368 |
Frain |
September 7, 1993 |
Method of producing stacks of ticket stacks
Abstract
Stacks of sets of number identified Bingo tickets are produced
by first stacking different main sheets containing numbered Bingo
tickets arranged six by six, and (1) cutting the first stack along
a medial vertical cut line, stacking the substacks and cutting the
resulting stack along horizontal lines between successive ticket
rows and stacking the resulting substacks; (2) cutting the first
stack along a medial horizontal line, stacking the substacks and
cutting the resulting stack along vertical lines between successive
ticket rows and stacking the resulting substacks; or (3) cutting
the first stack along a pair of parallel lines between success
pairs of tickets, stacking the substacks, cutting the resulting
stack along a pair of parallel lines perpendicular to the first cut
lines and stacking the resulting two by two ticket substacks. The
identifying numbers are so sequenced and the stacking so effective
that the numbers identifying corresponding tickets in successive
sets may be progressive.
Inventors: |
Frain; John J. (Clearwater,
FL) |
Assignee: |
Arrow International, Inc.
(Brooklyn, OH)
|
Family
ID: |
27009986 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/791,492 |
Filed: |
November 12, 1991 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
382950 |
May 28, 1982 |
04448127 |
May 15, 1984 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
101/483;
270/1.02; 270/58.33 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F
3/065 (20130101); B42D 15/00 (20130101); B41F
13/54 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A63F
3/06 (20060101); B42D 15/00 (20060101); B41F
13/54 (20060101); B41F 013/54 () |
Field of
Search: |
;101/93.01,483,72-79,91
;270/1.1,12-15,18 ;273/269,270 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Eickholt; Eugene H.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Fay, Sharpe, Beall, Fagan, Minnich
& McKee
Claims
I claim: .[.1. The method of producing a stack of ticket sets each
of which contains a plurality of different tickets comprising the
steps of printing and stacking a plurality of rectangular first
sheets containing different tickets arranged in similar patterns of
mutually perpendicular rows and columns each having a factorable
number of tickets to form a first stack, cutting said first stack
along one or a plurality of parallel first cut lines to produce
similar first substacks, stacking said first substacks to form a
second stack, cutting said second stack along one or a plurality of
parallel second cut lines perpendicular to said first cut lines to
produce second substacks of different ticket sets and stacking said
second substacks to produce a third stack of said ticket sets, said
ticket sets being mutually different..]. .[.2. The method of claim
1 wherein each of
said rows and columns contain six of said tickets..]. 3. .[.The
method of claim 2.]. .Iadd.A method of producing a stack of ticket
sets each of which contains a plurality of different tickets
comprising the steps of:
printing and stacking a plurality of rectangular first sheets
containing different tickets arranged in similar patterns of
mutually perpendicular rows and columns each having a factorable
number of tickets to form a first stack, wherein each of said rows
and columns contain six of said tickets, .Iaddend.wherein said
printing step includes the printing on said sheets .Iadd.of a
.Iaddend.different identifying number designating respective
tickets.Iadd.,
cutting said first stack along one or a plurality of parallel first
cut lines to produce similar first substacks,
stacking said first substacks to form a second stack,
cutting said second stack along one or a plurality of parallel
second cut lines perpendicular to said first cut lines to produce
second substacks of different ticket sets, and
stacking said second substacks to produce a third stack of said
ticket sets, wherein each sheet of said third stack includes at
least two tickets, said ticket sets being mutually different,
wherein said identifying numbers are progressively higher on
successively lower sheets
of said third stack.Iaddend.. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein said
identifying numbers are progressively higher in successively lower
sheets
of said first stack. 5. The method of claim 3 or 4 wherein said
tickets
comprise Bingo games. 6. The method of .[.claim 3.].
.Iadd.producing a stack of ticket sets each of which contains a
plurality of different tickets comprising the steps of printing and
stacking a plurality of rectangular first sheets containing
different tickets arranged in similar patterns of mutually
perpendicular rows and columns each having a factorable number of
tickets to form a first stack, cutting said first stack along one
or a plurality of parallel first cut lines to produce similar first
substacks, stacking said first substacks to form a second stack,
cutting said second stack along one or a plurality of parallel
second cut lines perpendicular to said first cut lines to produce
second substacks of different ticket sets and stacking said second
substacks to produce a third stack of said ticket sets, said ticket
sets being mutually different wherein each of said rows and columns
contain six of said tickets wherein said printing step includes the
printing on said sheets different identifying number designating
respective tickets .Iaddend.wherein said first cut line is along
the vertical medial axis of said first stack to form two first
substacks of sheets three tickets wide and six tickets long and
said second cut lines are between successive rows of tickets to
produce second substacks of sheets of three side by side
tickets. 7. The method of .[.claim 3.]. .Iadd.producing a stack of
ticket sets each of which contains a plurality of different tickets
comprising the steps of printing and stacking a plurality of
rectangular first sheets containing different tickets arranged in
similar patterns of mutually perpendicular rows and columns each
having a factorable number of tickets to form a first stack,
cutting said first stack along one or a plurality of parallel first
cut lines to produce similar first substacks, stacking said first
substacks to form a second stack, cutting said second stack along
one or a plurality of parallel second cut lines perpendicular to
said first cut lines to produce second substacks of different
ticket sets and stacking said second substacks to produce a third
stack of said ticket sets, said ticket sets being mutually
different wherein each of said rows and columns contain six of said
tickets wherein said printing step includes the printing on said
sheets different identifying number designating respective tickets
.Iaddend.wherein said first cut line is along the horizontal medial
axis of said first stack to form two first substacks of sheets six
tickets wide and three tickets long and said second cut lines are
between successive columns of tickets to produce second substacks
of sheets of three vertically spaced end to end tickets.
. The method of .[.claim 3.]. .Iadd.producing a stack of ticket
sets each of which contains a plurality of different tickets
comprising the steps of printing and stacking a plurality of
rectangular first sheets containing different tickets arranged in
similar patterns of mutually perpendicular rows and columns each
having a factorable number of tickets to form a first stack,
cutting said first stack along one or a plurality of parallel first
cut lines to produce similar first substacks, stacking said first
substacks to form a second stack, cutting said second stack along
one or a plurality of parallel second cut lines perpendicular to
said first cut lines to produce second substacks of different
ticket sets and stacking said second substacks to produce a third
stack of said ticket sets, said ticket sets being mutually
different wherein each of said rows and columns contain six of said
tickets wherein said printing step includes the printing on said
sheets different identifying number designating respective tickets
.Iaddend.wherein said first cut lines are two in number between
respective successive pairs of tickets and said second cut lines
are two in number between respective successive pairs of tickets to
produce second substacks of sheets of four orthogonally arranged
tickets.
. The method of claim 3 wherein the values of said identifying
numbers are in accordance with a square matrix with the increment
between successive numbers along the matrix being equal to the
number of sheets in
said first stack. .Iadd.10. A method of producing a stack of ticket
sets each of which contains a plurality of different tickets
comprising the steps of:
printing and stacking a plurality of rectangular first sheets
containing different tickets arranged in similar patterns of
mutually perpendicular rows and columns each having a factorable
number of tickets to form a first stack wherein each of said rows
and columns contain six of said tickets, wherein said printing step
includes the subsidiary steps of printing on said sheets a first
identifying number designating a group of at least two of said
tickets and printing on said sheets a different identifying number
designating different tickets,
cutting said first stack along one or a plurality of parallel first
cut lines to produce similar first substacks,
stacking said first substacks to form a second stack,
repeating said cutting and stacking steps to produce a final stack,
wherein each sheet of said final stack includes at least two
tickets and wherein said first identifying numbers are
progressively higher on successively lower sheets of said final
stack. .Iaddend. .Iadd.11. The method of claim 10 wherein the
number of tickets in each of said rows and columns on said first
sheet is a number which is factorable by 2, 3, and 6. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.12. The method of claim 10 wherein said final stack includes
sheets which each have three side by side tickets. .Iaddend.
.Iadd.13. The method of claim 10 wherein said final stack includes
sheets which each have three vertically spaced end to end tickets.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The method of claim 10 wherein said final stack
includes sheets which each have four orthogonally arranged tickets.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.15. The method of claim 10 wherein said tickets
comprise Bingo games. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. A method of producing a
stack of ticket sets each of which contain a plurality of different
tickets comprising the steps of:
printing and stacking a plurality of rectangular first sheets
containing different tickets arranged in similar patterns of
mutually perpendicular rows and columns each having a factorable
number of tickets to form a first stack wherein each of said rows
and columns contain six of said tickets, wherein said printing step
includes the subsidiary steps of:
printing on said sheets a first identifying number designating each
respective ticket as different, and
printing on each sheet a plurality of second identifying
numbers,
cutting said first stack along one or a plurality of parallel first
cut lines to produce similar first substacks,
stacking said first substacks to form a second stack,
cutting said second stack along one or a plurality of parallel
second cut lines perpendicular to said first cut lines to product
second substacks of different ticket sets; and,
stacking said second substacks to produce a third stack of ticket
sets, wherein each sheet of said third stack includes at least two
tickets and one of said second identifying numbers and wherein said
second identifying numbers are progressively higher on successively
lower sheets of said third stack. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The method of
claim 16 wherein the number of tickets in each of said rows and
columns on said first sheet is a number which is factorable by 2, 3
and 6. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The method of claim 16 wherein one of
said second identifying numbers is provided for each three side by
side tickets. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The method of claim 16 further
comprising the step of printing on each sheet, before said steps of
cutting and stacking, a plurality of third identifying numbers.
.Iaddend. .Iadd.20. The method of claim 19 wherein one of said
third identifying numbers is provided for each three vertically
spaced end to end tickets. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21. The method of claim
16 further comprising the step of printing on each sheet, before
said steps of cutting and stacking, a plurality of fourth
identifying numbers. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22. The method of claim 21
wherein one of said fourth identifying numbers is provided for each
four orthogonally arranged tickets. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. The method
of claim 16 wherein said tickets comprise Bingo games. .Iaddend.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to improvements in the
printing and collating of tickets and it relates particularly to an
improved method of producing stacks of sets of different number
designated different Bingo game cards.
It is a conventional practice in the playing of Bingo to dispense
or distribute to the players, in addition to the primary Bingo
cards, one or more sets of a predetermined number of special Bingo
cards or of tickets which differ from each other, each of the
special Bingo cards being designated by an associated corresponding
identifying the number so that the numbers constituting the
respective Bingo game can be easily, rapidly and reliably
determined whereby to facilitate the conducting of the game. The
methods commonly employed in the printing and stacking of Bingo
game sets possess numberous drawbacks and disadvantages. In
producing the stacks of Bingo game sets of different arrangements,
for example, vertically, horizontally or quadrilaterally arranged
sets of games, the conventional practices require different large
numbers of printing plates and a separate machine for each
arrangement. This procedure is expensive, highly time and labor
consuming, requires large amounts of equipment, is of little
versibility and adaptability and otherwise leaves much to be
desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an
improved method for the production and collation of printed
material.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved
method for producing stacked sets of printed tickets.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an
improved method of producing stacked sets of different Bingo
tickets in which each of the Bingo tickets is separately
individually designated by a respective identifying number to
facilitate the determination of the contents thereof.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved
method of the above nature characterized by its efficiency, low
labor consumption, minimization of equipment requirements and great
versitility and adaptability.
The above and other objects of the present invention will become
apparant from a reading of the following description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate
preferred embodiments thereof.
A method of producing a stack of different ticket stacks according
to the present invention includes the steps of printing and
stacking a plurality of first sheets containing different tickets
arranged in similar patterns of mutually perpendicular rows and
columns each having a factorable number of tickets to form a first
stack, cutting the first stack along one or more parallel first cut
lines to produce similar first substacks, stacking the first
substacks to form a second stack, cutting the second stack along
one or more parallel second cut lines perpendicular to the first
cut lines to produce second substacks of different ticket sets and
stacking the second substacks to produce a third stack of mutually
different ticket sets.
Advantageously each of the first sheets contains six laterally
spaced vertical rows of six tickets, each ticket being a Bingo card
or ticket and being designated by a respective different
identifying number. The stacked sheets may be cut in various
manners to produce the desired ticket stacks. The first stack may
be cut along its medial vertical axis the resulting substacks
stacked and cut along horizontal lines between successive groups of
tickets and the resulting substacks stacked; or the first stack may
be cut along its medial horizontal axis, the resulting substacks
stacked and cut along vertical lines between successive groups of
tickets and the resulting ticket set substacks stacked; or the
first stack may be cut along a first pair of parallel lines between
successive pairs of tickets, the resulting substacks stacked and
cut along a pair of parallel lines perpendicular to the first pair
and between successive pairs of tickets to produce substacks of
square sets of four tickets each of which are then stacked. While
main sheets containing six by six games are described main sheets
containing other numbers of rows and columns, such as
eight-by-eight may be used.
With the method of the present invention stacks of ticket sets of
many different arrangements and numbers of tickets may be produced
with a minimum of equipment, at great efficiency and at low labor
costs and expense and with great versitility and adaptability.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a stack of sheets containing
Bingo tickets in accordance with a step of a preferred embodiment
of the present invention:
FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of one of the sheets;
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the second step of the method;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the second stack consequent to the
step shown in FIG. 3
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the third step of the method;
FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the final stack consequent to the
step shown in FIG. 4;
FIGS. 7 to 10 are views similar to FIGS. 3 to 6 respectively of
another embodiment of the present invention; and
FIGS. 11 to 14 are views similar to FIGS. 3 to 6 respectively of
still another embodiment of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings, particularly FIGS. 1 to 6 thereof
which illustrate the sequential steps in accordance with a
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference
numeral 10 generally designates a main or first stack of printed
first paper sheets 11. Each of the sheets 11 are of square
configuration and contain an array of Bingo cards or tickets 12
which are different from each other and from those of the other
sheets 11. Each ticket 12 is of conventional square shape and is
subdivided into twenty five squares, each of which except for the
center square contains a play number 13 in the usual manner.
Associated with each ticket 12 is a respective different pair of
the same identifying number 14 which is printed in the center
square of each ticket 12 as well as proximate a corner thereof.
Each sheet 11 has printed thereon thirty six tickets 12 arranged in
mutually perpendicular rows and columns of six tickets 12 each. The
tickets in each sheet 11 are different from each other and differ
from these of the other sheets in the stack 10. The identifying
numbers 14 on each sheet are progressively higher by an increment
equal to the numbers of sheets 11 in stack 10, for example by an
increment of fifty in the illustrated embodiment, the progress
being in a matrix sequence from the upper left corner downwardly to
the bottom and then from next successive top tickets downwardly. It
should be noted that the number of tickets 12 in each column and
row is six, a factorable number divisable by two and three as well
as by six and one. The successive sheets 11 are printed and stacked
into stack 10 in any suitable manner and with conventional or known
equipment, for example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,876
issued Jul. 9, 1974.
The main stack 10 is cut at a first cut line along the vertical
medial axis 16 of stack 10 to divide stack 10 into a pair of
similar substacks 17 each containing eighteen tickets 12 arranged
in six vertically spaced rows of three side-by-side tickets. The
two resulting substacks are mutually superimposed to produce a
second stack 18 of twice the thickness of stack 10 and the stack 18
is then cut by five vertically spaced horizontal cut lines 19
intermediate successive rows of tickets 12 to produce six substacks
20 of sets of three horizontal side-by-side tickets 12. In the
illustrated embodiment the left hand substack 17 is transferred to
underlie the right-hand substack 17 and the substacks 20 are
transferred so that the lower substacks 20 underlie the next
successive upper substacks 20. Groups of any desired number of
ticket sets may be separably bound, if desired, for example in the
manner described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,876. It should be noted
that the identifying numbers 14 in the final stack 22 may be of any
desired sequence, progressive or otherwise, by the corresponding
arrangement of the identifying numbers in each sheet 10 and by the
manner in which the sheets 11 and substacks 17 and 20 are stacked
or arranged.
In FIGS. 7 to 10 of the drawings there is shown a sequence of steps
in which a stack of sets of tickets is produced in which each set
contains three vertically spaced tickets instead of the
side-by-side tickets in sets 21 of stack 22 described above. A main
stack 30 of sheets 32 is produced as eariler described in which
stack 30 and sheets 32 are similar to stack 10 and sheets 11, the
sheets 32 being each provided with thirty six different tickets and
respective identifying numbers. The stack 30 is cut along a first
cut line 33 along the medial horizontal axis of stack 30 to produce
two similar rectangular substacks 34, each containing three
vertically spaced rows of six tickets 36 each. The upper substack
34 is superimposed on the lower substack 34 to form a second stack
37 which is then cut along vertical second cut lines 35 between
each pair of columns of tickets 36 to produce substacks 38 of final
rectangular sheets 39 each having a vertical column of three
tickets 36. The substacks 38 are successively stacked to form the
final stack 40 of sheets 39, each containing a column of three
tickets 36. Although the substacks 38 are illustrated as being
successively brought into underlying relationship with the
rightmost substack to form stack 40 other sequences may be employed
depending on the arrangements of the ticket identifying numbers and
the desired sequence. Groups of sheets 39 may be separably bound as
eariler described.
The procedure illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 14 of the drawings differs
from the eariler procedures in that each of the sets of tickets in
the final sheets consists of four instead of three tickets and the
tickets are arranged in each sheet in a pair of vertically spaced
rows of two side-by-side tickets.
The sheets 51 forming the first or main stack 52 are similar in
shape and contents to those eariler described and are produced in a
like manner. Stack 52 is cut into first substacks 54 by a pair of
symmetrical vertical cut lines 56 between successive vertical
columns of tickets 57, each substack 54 being two tickets wide by
six tickets long and substacks 54 are stacked into a stack 58 by
stacking the right hand substacks successively upon next successive
left hand substacks.
The resulting stack 58 is then cut by a symmetrical pair of
horizontal or transverse cut lines 59 between successive pairs of
vertically spaced rows of tickets 57 to produce substacks 60 of
square sheets 61 each of which contains four tickets 57 arranged
two by two. The substacks 60 are then stacked to produce the final
stack 65 of sheets 61 by stacking the uppermost substacks 60 over
the next successive lower stacks. As in the eariler described
prodcedures, groups of the sheets 61 may be separably bound and the
ticket identifying numbers so progress and are so positioned and
the sequence of stacking the substacks so relates that the
identifying numbers of tickets in successive sheets for example the
upper left corner tickets, are in progressive sequence.
While there have been described and illustrated preferred
embodiments of the present invention it is apparent that numberous
alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing
from the spirit thereof. Thus, for example, while in the preferred
procedures sets of three tickets, vertical or horzontal or sets of
four tickets are produced, sets of other other numbers of tickets
and other of other arrangements may be produced from the same main
sheets and the main sheets may contain other than six vertically
spaced rows of six tickets. Moreover, the ticket identifying
numbers may located in any suitable or desired positions relative
to the respective tickets or games.
* * * * *