TICKET DISPENSING MODULES AND METHOD

摘要

The dispenser (21) dispenses tickets (46) such as instant-winner lottery tickets from a strip in which the individual tickets are delineated by perforation lines (47). The dispenser includes a separator (58) to tear the tickets apart before issuing them from the machine. The separator preferably is rotary and has a dull helical blade (92) which rotates to contact the ticket strip adjacent a perforation line, and presses against the strip to tear the tickets apart along the perforation line at a point which progresses across the strip along the perforation line. A detector (140) is provided to position the front edge of the first ticket in the strip at the proper location before separation is performed. Preferably, a code bar reader is provided for reading information from the tickets to initialize the dispenser control system and in accounting for the sale of tickets, and in the verification of winning tickets being sold.