Did You Know...
...that a workman who left the soap mixing machine on too long was responsible for making Ivory Soap? He was so embarrassed by his mistake that he threw the mess in a stream. Imagine his dismay when the evidence of his error floated to the surface! Result: Ivory soap, the soap that floats.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7316615 | Method and apparatus for monitoring casinos and gaming A system automatically monitors playing and wagering of a game, including the gaming habits of players and the performance of employees at least partially by tracking the movement of chips bearing identifiers. A chip tray reader images the contents of a chip tray, w... | 01/08/2008 |
| 7222852 | Method, apparatus and article employing multiple machine-readable indicia on playing cards A stacked set of playing cards are supported to expose an information bearing portion bearing a first machine-readable indicia and an information bearing portion bearing a second machine-readable indicia, such that each of the first and second machine-readable indic... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7191933 | Automatic fare paying device for vehicles and method A compact fare paying device has a housing for receiving a monetary member and at least one verifier unit in the housing for determining the authenticity of the monetary member. A storage device such as a safe can receive the monetary member or a return device can r... | 03/20/2007 |
| 7149274 | Addressing type coin-dropping detector circuit The present invention relates to an addressing type coin-dropping detector circuit, in which as any coin dropping and passing through the photo detector, impulses are produced from the detecting points of the external photo detector and then sent to the addressing t... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7104441 | Cash dispensing automated banking machine diagnostic method An automated banking machine (10) includes a lockable first fascia portion (20) which when unlocked enables access to a chest lock input device (104), inputs to which enable opening a chest door (18) of the machine. Opening the first fasc... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7089322 | System and method of aggregating data from a plurality of data generating machines A system and method for collecting and aggregating data from a plurality of data generating machines. The system includes a plurality of data generating machines each having a transceiver for transmitting data pertaining to a monitored sales event of each of the plu... | 08/08/2006 |
| 7070037 | System and method for determining the number and value of coins in a coin dispensing machine A method and system for determining the monetary value of coins included in a plurality of stacks of coins arranged for dispensing from an automatic coin dispensing machine are provided. The method and system employ a sensor arranged to determine the height of the s... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7030773 | System and method for communicating with an appliance through a light emitting diode An apparatus includes a controller for controlling operation of an appliance, an indicator light coupled to the controller to provide a visible indication of an operator selection in response to the controller energizing the indicator light, and a driver coupled to ... | 04/18/2006 |
| 7011309 | Method and apparatus for monitoring casinos and gaming A system automatically monitors playing and wagering of a game, including the gaming habits of players and the performance of employees. A card deck reader automatically reads a symbol from each card in a deck of cards before a first one of the cards is removed. The... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6964612 | Method, apparatus and article for evaluating card games, such as blackjack A system reads an identifier from a hand of cards to identify the cards. For example, the system can read an identifier from a pair of cards forming the initial hand in blackjack, where the one card is face up and the other card is face down. The system determines t... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6919815 | Appliance control communication methods and apparatus An apparatus includes an appliance control panel and a controller. The appliance control panel is disposed on an appliance. The appliance control panel has first and second optical communication devices that are in communication with an external surface of the appli... | 07/19/2005 |
| 6690760 | Unit counting device A counting device with control system includes a housing with a rotating wheel therein. The wheel includes a plurality of seats for each item to be counted. Upon deposit of the items into the housing, each item is seated for discharge through a housing ap... | 02/10/2004 |
| 6504890 | Cash counting apparatus for cashbox A cash counting apparatus for cashbox comprises a case arranged within the cashbox, a sliding block movably arranged at an upper side of the case, a swing arm pivotally arranged in the case, and a circuit board with a plurality of contacts. The swing arm ... | 01/07/2003 |
| 6484863 | Coin counter/sorter and coupon/voucher dispensing machine and method A coin sorting and counting machine and a method for operating it to automatically dispense cash vouchers based on the value of the counted coins, manufacturers' coupons and store coupons. Coins are placed in a hopper tray angled downward from the horizon... | 11/26/2002 |
| 6418180 | Method and apparatus for counting objects having substantially uniform size A method for counting substantially uniformly sized objects includes the steps of obtaining an image of substantially uniformly sized objects; analyzing the image to determine total object area in the image and average object size of the objects; and dete... | 07/09/2002 |
| 6381294 | Disc sorting apparatus and method A disc sorting apparatus and method is provided for sorting discs of different identities. When discs are received they are conveyed to a sorting arrangement for sorting the discs into respective stacks determined by their identities. The speed of conveya... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6370215 | Apparatus for feeding, counting and dispensing discrete objects An object feeding, counting, and dispensing device is provided which includes a feeding funnel having a pathway having an entrance into which discrete objects are provided and an exit, an object sensing system at the exit of the pathway, a dispensing funn... | 04/09/2002 |
| 6320926 | Counter for game machine A counter is used to count tokens in a pusher-type game machine. The counter has a sensor unit (25) arranged in a path (23) through which tokens (19) fall. The sensor unit is a part of a capacitance sensor (51) for detecting a capacitance change in the pa... | 11/20/2001 |
| 5931731 | Enclosed rotary-optic coin counting system Disclosed is an optical coin counting system for use in gaming machines such as video poker machines and slot machines. One disclosed system includes an optical detector including a light source and a light detector, a deflection arm which deflects when a... | 08/03/1999 |
| 5774518 | Discrete tablet counting machine A machine for counting discrete articles, such as tablets, pills, or capsules, comprising a feeder including a hopper for receiving and dispersing a plurality of tablets to be counted into separate streams, a plurality of detectors associated with each st... | 06/30/1998 |
| 5768327 | Method and apparatus for optically counting discrete objects An object counter includes a feeding funnel having a frustroconical section, the narrow end of which is coupled to a substantially vertical feeding channel having a substantially rectangular cross section. A pair of linear optical sensor arrays are arrang... | 06/16/1998 |
| 5757876 | Object counter and identification system A system for counting the number of objects of known thickness in a stack and identifying the objects by their color in which an ultrasonic sensor is mounted at a known distance from a reference point that defines the beginning of the stack. The ultrasoni... | 05/26/1998 |
| 5742656 | Gaming token tray employing ultrasonic token counting A chip (12) counter (10) employs an ultrasonic distance measuring system (40) to determine the number of chips in a stack (54, 56) in a chip tray (16) channel (14). A computer (32) initially stores an average chip thickness (T) and receives distance data ... | 04/21/1998 |
| 5671262 | Method for counting and dispensing tablets, capsules, and pills There is provided a method for counting and dispensing pills, tablets, and capsules which depends on a simple vibrating, sloped, concave-shaped (e.g., V-shaped) trough, having a number of descending steps. The vibration of the trough is controlled and adj... | 09/23/1997 |
| 5638417 | System for pill and capsule counting and dispensing There is provided a method for counting and dispensing pills, tablets, and capsules which depends on a simple vibrating, sloped, concave-shaped (e.g., V-shaped) trough, having a number of descending steps. The vibration of the trough is controlled and adj... | 06/10/1997 |
| 5530730 | Medal counter for counting medals used in game machine A medal counting apparatus installed in a game parlor for counting medals which a game player has won, is disclosed. The medal counting apparatus comprises a counter for counting the medals, a medal supplying mechanism for receiving the medals to be dumpe... | 06/25/1996 |
| 5441447 | Coin dispenser and coin pay-out method A slot machine incorporates a coin dispenser, which has a discharge section that discharges a coin toward a discharge slot. A sensor is arranged at the discharge slot, and generates a detection signal upon detecting a coin. A counter counts the detection ... | 08/15/1995 |
| 5070518 | Coin counting control apparatus for a vending machine A coin counting apparatus for a vending machine includes a down counter which is loaded with an initial count representing the number of coins to be deposited in order to initiate a vend cycle which initial count is decremented in response to each sequent... | 12/03/1991 |
| 4907250 | Method and apparatus for counting events in a vending machine and the like A vending machine, coin-operated self-service machine, utility meter etc., is provided with a counting mechanism which is inexpensive and simple in construction and easy to operate. The device comprises a binary counting device capable of storing cumulati... | 03/06/1990 |
| 4903282 | Electronic coin-counting control A device for counting events, such as deposit of coins, providing a control signal after an easily preset number of events has been counted. A binary counter has a parallel output register, with a simple switch and diode connected between each output term... | 02/20/1990 |
| 4753625 | Coin pay-out apparatus A coin pay-out apparatus in which a rotary disc is rotated by a motor to effect a coin pay-out. The motor is controlled by a plurality of binary input signals. Only when a combination of the plurality of input signals is found to be a predetermined combin... | 06/28/1988 |
| 4746319 | Count mechanism for coin dispensing machine A count mechanism for a dispensing machine which delivers coins in a single file along a track has a star wheel in the path of travel of the coins. The star wheel is indexed one point for each coin which passes it. The star wheel can be locked against rot... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4682288 | Electronic control for totaling denominations of several countries An electronic totalizer countrol for a coin sorter allows the user to assign and change fractional and whole-number coin values for denominations sorted at ten coin sorting stations in the sorter. The totalizer has a liquid crystal display (LCD) that inte... | 07/21/1987 |
| 4669731 | Slot machine which pays out upon predetermined number of consecutive lost games A slot machine of the type having a plurality of rotatable reels, each bearing an annular row of various symbols on the outer surface thereof, or a corresponding CRT display, which selects and displays combinations of symbols during each game, and which p... | 06/02/1987 |
| 4532641 | Cash accounting system A cash accounting system comprises a cash register for recording various transactions of money and having a central processing unit, a counting machine electrically connected with the cash register and operable to count money including bills used during e... | 07/30/1985 |
| 4429407 | Counting circuit for coin counting device An electrical circuit arrangement for use in a coin counting device is provided. The arrangement is provided with an abnormality detection circuit for generating an alarm signal when any of the optical sensing member of the coin counting device is hindere... | 01/31/1984 |
| 4376479 | Total sales indication device for a vending machine A vending machine is generally equipped with a money amount indicator which indicates an amount of deposited coins or a balance thereof. This total sales indication device utilizes the money amount indicator to indicate a total sales of the vending machin... | 03/15/1983 |
| 4369442 | Code controlled microcontroller readout from coin operated machine A system for monitoring, testing, auditing and controlling vending machines is disclosed. The system includes a counter attached to the vending machine, and a microprocessor controlled, portable, keyboard operated, collection unit adapted to serve a numbe... | 01/18/1983 |
| 4359062 | Electronic coin dispenser An electronic coin dispenser provides a calculator and a printer besides dispensing coins and displaying the amount of change on an 8-digit LED display. The electromechanical coin dispensing elements and the thermal print head are controlled by a microcom... | 11/16/1982 |
| 4350238 | Data acquisition unit A data acquisition unit accepts serial bit streams from a control device for a vending machine, and it records the data represented by those serial bit streams. The data in one of those serial bit streams will include the number of vends of each product c... | 09/21/1982 |
