Ticket burster
Embodiments of a ticket burster employ a dividing wall that is movable between different positions to facilitate dispensing tickets of different sizes, and a sensor that detects and communicates the position of the dividing wall to a controller. The controller communicates with feed motors to selectively operate feed drive rollers independently or in unison depending upon the detected position of the dividing wall.
1. A device comprising:
a housing;
a shaft secured within the housing;
first and second feed drive rollers spaced apart and rotatably secured about the shaft;
a first feed motor engaged with the first feed drive roller;
a second feed motor engaged with the second feed drive roller;
a dividing wall secured to the housing, wherein the dividing wall is movable from an extended position and a retracted position relative to the first and second feed drive rollers such that the dividing wall in the extended position divides a first ticket pathway within the housing and having a first width from a second ticket pathway within the housing and having a second width, the first ticket pathway configured to receive a first ticket having the first width, the second ticket pathway configured to receive a second ticket having the second width, wherein a third ticket pathway having a third width is defined when the dividing wall is in the retracted position, the third ticket pathway configured to receive a third ticket having the third width, wherein the third width is at least as wide as a sum of the first and second widths, and wherein the dividing wall in the extended position prevents a ticket having the third width from moving along the first and second ticket pathways;
a sensor secured to the housing and detecting whether the dividing wall is in the extended or the retracted position; and
a controller communicatively coupled to the sensor and the first and second feed motors, wherein the controller comprises a processor and a memory storing instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to instruct the first and second feed motors to drive the first and second feed drive rollers, respectively, in unison upon receiving a communication from the sensor that the dividing wall is in the retracted position.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to instruct the first feed motor to drive the first feed drive roller independently of instructing the second feed motor to drive the second feed drive roller upon receiving a communication from the sensor that the dividing wall is in the extended position.
3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a cutter blade rotatably secured within the housing and axially parallel with the shaft, wherein the first feed drive roller comprises a first feed drive roller length, the second feed drive roller comprises a second feed drive roller length, and the cutter blade comprises a cutter blade length that is greater than or equal to the first feed drive roller length combined with the second feed drive roller length.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shaft comprises a first shaft and a second shaft, and wherein the first feed drive roller is secured about the first shaft and the second feed drive roller is secured about the second shaft.
5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the housing further comprises an entry wall, and wherein the dividing wall is secured to the housing between the feed drive rollers and the entry wall.
6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first feed drive roller is positioned in the first ticket pathway, the second feed drive roller is positioned in the second ticket pathway.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second feed drive rollers are together positioned in the first ticket pathway when the dividing wall is in the retracted position.