Exhibit 1005
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`Exhibit 1005
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`United States Patent [191
`Greenwood
`
`[11] Patent Number:
`[45] Date of Patent:
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`4,813,675
`Mar. 21, 1989
`
`[54] RECONFIGURABLE CASINO TABLE GAME
`AND GAMING MACHINE TABLE
`
`919,708 4/1909 Faulkner ........................... .. 273/309
`1,886,806 11/1932 Hanley
`273/309 X
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`[75] Inventor: Nick E. Greenwood, Reno, Nev-
`[73] Assignee! Bally Manufacturing Corporation,
`Chlcago, I11-
`[21] Appl. No.: 164,608
`[22] Filed:
`Mar- 7’ 1988
`[51] Int. (:1.4 .............................................. .. A63F 9/22
`[52] US. Cl. ................................ .. 273/138 A; 108/11;
`273/309
`[58] Field of Search ............ .. 273/138 A, 85 CP, 309;
`108/11, 13
`
`[56]
`
`References Cited
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`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
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`3,001,843 9/1961 Davis . . . . . . . . . .
`
`. . . . . . .. 273/309 X
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`4,614,342 9/1986 Takashima ............... .. 273/138 A x
`Primary Examiner-Anton O. Oechsle
`Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Jenner & Block
`[57]
`ABSTRACT
`To increase casino floor space utilization, an enclosure
`containing a number of video gaming machines is con
`Structed Such that it can readily be converted to a casino
`table game. This is accomplished by con?guring the top
`of the enclosure to receive a standard table game board.
`The enclosure also includes a game display module that
`can easily be replaced by a dealer chip tray when the
`enclosure is converted to a table game.
`
`D. 223,265 4/ 1972 Wolf ............................. .. 273/309 X
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`25 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets
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`

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`US. Patent Mar. 21, 1989
`US. Patent Mar. 21, 1989
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`Sheet 1 of3
`Sheet 1 of3
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`4,813,675
`4,813,675
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`US. Patent Mar. 21, 1989
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`Sheet 2 of3
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`4,813,675
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`42
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`FIG. 3
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`US. Patent Mar. 21, 1989
`FIG. 5
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`Sheet 3 of3
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`5/0
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`,\
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`FIG. 6
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`1
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`4,813,675
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`2
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`RECONFIGURABLE CASINO TABLE GAME AND
`GAMING MACHINE TABLE
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`TECHNICAL FIELD
`The invention relates to the ?eld of casino gaming
`equipment and more particularly to casino gaming ta
`bles.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`In most casinos, floor space is at a premium. It is the
`desire of casino management therefore to make the most
`ef?cient use of the space available in order to maximize
`revenue to the casino.
`This objective is complicated by the fact that the
`demand for certain table games such as the card game
`21 or Blackjack tends to be seasonal in nature. It has
`been a common casino practice to provide suf?cient
`tables for these games to accommodate peak customer
`demand which may only occur two or three times a
`year. The result of this practice has been that a number
`of such tables stand idle much of the time taking up
`valuable floor space.
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`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE
`INVENTION
`Indicated generally at 10 in FIG. 1 is a perspective
`5 view of a recon?gurable gaming table shown in a video
`gaming machine mode. Included within a table housing
`12 are three coin operated video gaming machines 14A,
`14B and 14C. The gaming machines 14A-14C are
`spaced at approximately equal angles within the hous
`ing. In the preferred embodiment of the invention
`shown in FIG. 1, the gaming machines 14A-14C elec
`tronically simulate and permit players to individually
`play the table card game 21 or Blackjack. Each of the
`gaming machines 14A-14C includes a bezel 16A, 16B
`and 16C secured over a top surface 18 of the table 10.
`The gaming machines 16A-16C extend through aper
`tures in the top surface 18 as shown in FIG. 6. As can be
`seen in better detail in FIG. 4, each bezel 16A-16C
`includes a number of game control buttons indicated
`generally at 20 and a display window 22 through which
`the video game display, generated on a display monitor
`24 shown in FIG. 6, can be viewed.
`Also, the top surface 18 includes a bill slot 26, which
`is in communication with a locked cash box (not shown)
`attached to the underside of the top surface 18, that is
`used by a dealer when the table 10 is con?gured in the
`table game mode. A display module 28, that includes
`three groups of video game display indicators 30A, 30B
`and 30C associated with the three video gaming ma
`chines 14A-14C, respectively, is seated on the top sur
`face 10. The display module 28 is electrically connected
`to the gaming machines 14A-14C.
`As can be seen in FIG. 1, the table housing or enclo
`sure 12 is generally semicircular in shape and is com
`posed of a number of planar panels including 32A-32C
`and three door panels 34A-34C. Door panel 34B is
`shown in an open position in FIG. 1 and closed in FIG.
`2.
`The table 10 is shown in FIG. 2 in the table game
`mode. Placed over the top surface 18 is a table game
`board 36 which conforms in shape to the top surface 18.
`The board 36 is retained in place by a resilient roll
`shaped material 37 extending around the periphery of
`the top surface 18 and attached to the top surface 18 and
`the housing 12. This material 37 serves the dual purpose
`of protecting the players from the edge where the top of
`the housing 12 meets top surface 18 and holding the
`game board 36 in position. For purposes of illustration
`the table game board 36 is shown in dashed lines at 36'
`in FIG. 2 above the table 10 to demonstrate how the
`board 36 is dropped down over the top surface 18 and
`the video gaming machines 16A-16C in order to con
`vert the table from the video gaming machine mode to
`the table game mode. Prior to placing the board 36 on
`the top surface 18, the display module 28 is removed
`and replaced by a dealer chip tray 38 after the board is
`in place on the table 10.
`FIG. 3 provides a top view of the table game board
`showing the board 36 with a set of conventional mark
`ings 40 for the card game 21 or Blackjack. Additionally,
`the board includes a bill slot 42 through which the
`dealer can insert bills into the cash box. When the board
`36 is in place on the table 10, the slot 42 will be aligned
`with the slot 26 in the top surface 18. It is conventional
`practice in casinos for dealers to place currency bills in
`a locked cash box while operating a table game.
`In order to facilitate the replacement of the display
`module 28 with the chip tray 38, the top surface 18 as
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`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a
`casino game table that is readily convertible into a struc
`ture containing several video gaming machines.
`It is an additional object of the invention to provide a
`convertible casino gaming structure that includes three
`video gaming machines in a housing with the video
`displays and game controls extending through the top
`surface of the housing. The top surface is then con?g
`ured such that a standard table game board can be
`placed over the video displays and game controls. The
`video gaming machines are arranged internally with a
`coin mechanism located in front of a display monitor
`such that the width of the video gaming machines,
`preferably about 18 inches, is suf?ciently narrow so that
`the structure can accommodate a standard table game
`board.
`It is a further object of the invention to provide a
`casino gaming structure that includes several bar top
`type video gaming machines and a game display module
`for displaying information relating to the video gaming
`machines where a standard table game board can be
`secured over the video gaming machines. Provision is
`also made for replacing the display module with a
`dealer chip tray when the table game board is secured
`over the video gaming machines.
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`30
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`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recon?gurable gam
`ing table in a video gaming machine mode;
`FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the gaming table of
`FIG. 1 in a table game mode;
`FIG. 3 is a top view of the table game board shown in
`FIG. 2;
`FIG. 4 is a partially broken away view of a portion of
`FIG. 1;
`FIG. 5 is a top view of the dealer chip tray shown in
`FIG. 2; and
`FIG. 6 is a sectioned view of FIG. 1 taken along
`section lines 6—6 in FIG 2.
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`shown in FIG. 4 includes a rectangularly shaped aper
`4. The structure of claim 3 wherein said top surface
`includes a receiving aperture for receiving said chip
`ture 44 in which both the display module 28 and the
`tray.
`chip tray 38 can be seated. Also to aid in placement and
`removal, the chip tray 38 is provided with a pair of
`5. The structure of claim 2 additionally including a
`handles 46 and 48 as illustrated in FIG. 5. The tray 38
`game display module removably disposed to said top
`additionally includes a number of grooves indicated
`surface and operatively connected to said gaming ma
`generally at 50 to hold the dealer’s chips or coins. To
`chines.
`facilitate conversion, the display module 28 is electri
`6. The structure of claim 5 wherein said top surface
`cally connected by a set of readily detachable connec
`includes a receiving aperture for receiving said display
`tors (not shown) to the gaming machines 14A~14C.
`module.
`Because the size of table game tables are often regu
`7. The structure of claim 6 wherein said game play
`lated by state or gaming commission regulations, the
`member is con?gured with an aperture that is aligned
`size of the table and hence the size of video gaming
`with said receiving aperture when said game play mem
`machines that can be placed in the type of recon?gura
`ber is disposed to said top surface effective to receive a
`ble arrangement 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are limited.
`chip tray when said game play member is disposed to
`As a practical matter it has been discovered that to
`said top surface.
`create this structure 10, the width of the preferred em
`8. The structure of claim 2 wherein said video gaming
`bodiment of the gaming machines 14A-14C should not
`machines include:
`be much larger than 18 inches with the width of the
`a frame;
`bezels 16A-16C limited to about 20 inches.
`a display monitor secured within the rear portion of
`Therefore, in the preferred embodiment of the inven
`said frame; and
`tion, an internal video gaming machine arrangement of
`a coin mechanism secured within, said frame substan
`the type illustrated in simpli?ed form in both FIG. 6 and
`tially in front of said display monitor.
`FIG. 1 is desirable. The internal components of the
`9. The structure of claim 8 wherein said frame is 18
`gaming machines 14A-14C are supported by a frame
`inches in width.
`represented by a pair of support elements 51 and 52.
`10. The structure of claim 9 wherein said frame has a
`The depth of the frame or distance between support
`depth of approximately 16 inches.
`elements 51 and 52 is preferably about 16 inches. Here,
`11. The structure of claim 8 wherein each of said
`as shown in FIG. 6 the display monitor 24 is positioned
`video gaming machines additionally includes a bezel
`behind a coin drive mechanism 54. This arrangement
`member secured to the top of said frame and extending
`differs from most video gaming machines where the
`over a portion of said top surface.
`coin mechanism is located alongside the display moni
`12. The structure of claim 11 wherein said bezel mem
`tor which results in a gaming machine that is too wide.
`ber has a width of approximately 20 inches.
`However, as is conventional in gaming machines of this
`13. The structure of claim 1 additionally including a
`type, a set of electronics 56 is located in a lower portion
`game display module disposed to said top surface and
`57 of the game machine 14B. The coin mechanism 54 is
`releasably operatively connected to said video gaming
`operatively associated with a coin trough 58 in the bezel
`machines.
`16B. In FIG. 6 is shown an aperture 60 in top surface 18
`14. The structure of claim 13 wherein said top surface
`through which the video gaming machine 143 extends.
`includes a receiving aperture for receiving said display
`As illustrated in FIG. 6, a portion of the bezel 16B
`40
`module.
`extends over the top surface 18.
`15. The structure of claim 14 wherein said receiving
`It will thus be appreciated that the table structure 10
`aperture is con?gured to receive a chip tray when said
`shown in FIGS. 1-6 provides casino gaming equipment
`display module is removed from said top surface.
`that can quickly and easily be converted or recon
`16. The structure of claim 1 wherein said video gam
`?gured from one type of gaming operation to another
`ing machines have a width of 18 inches.
`with a concomitant increase in ef?cient ?oor space
`17. The structure of claim 16 wherein said video
`utilization.
`gaming machines include a bezel member secured to the
`What is claimed is‘:
`top of said video gaming machines and extending over
`1. A recon?gurable casino gaming structure compris
`a portion of said top surface.
`ing:
`18. The structure of claim 17 wherein said bezel mem
`a housing including a top surface con?gured with a
`plurality of display apertures;
`ber has a width of 20 inches.
`19. The structure of claim 16 wherein said video
`a plurality of video gaming machines each having a
`gaming machines include a display monitor secured
`display and control elements secured within said
`housing such that said display and control elements
`within a rear portion of said frame and a coin drive
`extend through said display apertures; and
`mechanism wherein said coin drive mechanism is se
`cured within said frame substantially in front of said
`a planar game play member con?gured in substan
`display monitor.
`tially the same shape as said top surface removably
`disposed to said top surface over said display and
`20. The structure of claim 19 wherein said frame has
`a depth of approximately 16 inches.
`control elements.
`2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing is
`21. The structure of claim 1 wherein said housing
`generally semicircular in con?guration and there are
`additionally includes a positioning member secured to
`three of said video gaming machines which are substan¢
`at least a portion of the outer periphery of said top
`tially equally angularly displaced from one another
`surface effective to positionally retain said game play
`within said housing.
`member.
`3. The structure of claim 2 additionally including a
`22. The structure of claim 1 wherein said top surface
`chip tray removably disposed to said game play mem
`is con?gured with a ?rst bill slot and said game play
`ber.
`member is con?gured with a second bill slot such that
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`4,813,675
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`said ?rst and second bill slots are aligned when said
`game play member is disposed to said top surface.
`23. A recon?gurable casino gaming structure com
`prising:
`a housing including a plurality of video gaming ma
`chines; and
`converting means for converting said housing into a
`table-game table.
`24. The structure of claim 23 wherein said housing
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`5
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`6
`includes a detachable display module connected to said
`video gaming machines.
`25. The structure of claim 24 wherein said converting
`means includes a chip tray adapted to replace said dis
`play module when said structure is converted into said
`table game.
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