Device and method for throwing money

Abstract

A method for accelerating coins and paper currency from a surface to an intended target, comprises the step of providing a handheld, battery-powered rotary tool comprising a wheel, a shaft, a drive mechanism, and a switch for activating the drive mechanism, where the wheel is fixedly attached to the shaft and the shaft is rotationally connected to the drive mechanism, such that the wheel rotates about an axis defined by the shaft when the drive is activated, and where at least the outermost periphery of the wheel is composed of a material capable of frictionally engaging a surface of said currency. The method further comprises the steps of arranging currency in a stack and positioning the stack on a surface that is located a distance away from the target, positioning the wheel so that the outermost periphery of the wheel is above a top surface of the stack and the axis is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the target, and causing the outermost periphery of the wheel to contact a topmost piece of currency in the stack, at a time when the drive mechanism is activated by the switch, so that a portion of the outermost periphery frictionally engages the topmost piece of currency and accelerates the topmost piece of currency in the direction of the target and along an initial path substantially defined by an orientation of the top surface of the stack and by the perpendicular relationship of the axis to the target. A related system for accelerating coins or paper currency from a surface to an intended target is also disclosed.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A method for accelerating coins and paper currency from a surface to an intended target, comprising the steps of:
 providing a handheld, battery-powered rotary tool comprising a wheel, a shaft, a drive mechanism, and a switch for activating the drive mechanism, wherein the wheel is fixedly attached to the shaft and the shaft is rotationally connected to the drive mechanism, such that the wheel rotates about an axis defined by the shaft when the drive is activated, and wherein at least the outermost periphery of the wheel is composed of a material capable of frictionally engaging a surface of said currency;   arranging currency in a stack and positioning the stack on a surface that is located a distance away from the target;   positioning the wheel so that the outermost periphery of the wheel is above a top surface of the stack and the axis is approximately perpendicular to the direction of the target; and   causing the outermost periphery of the wheel to contact a topmost piece of currency in the stack, at a time when the drive mechanism is activated by the switch, such that a portion of the outermost periphery frictionally engages the topmost piece of currency and accelerates the topmost piece of currency in the direction of the target and along an initial path substantially defined by an orientation of the top surface of the stack and by the perpendicular relationship of the axis to the target.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of causing the outermost periphery of the wheel to sequentially contact at least one or more additional topmost pieces of currency in the stack, at a time when the drive mechanism is activated, such that the additional topmost pieces of currency are accelerated in the direction of the target. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drive mechanism is capable of rotating the wheel at multiple speeds and the switch is provided with multiple positions, each position relating to a different speed of the wheel, the method further comprising the step of changing between different positions of the switch to thereby change a speed at which the piece of currency is accelerated. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the drive mechanism is capable of rotating the wheel at multiple speeds and the switch is provided with multiple positions, each position relating to a different speed of the wheel, the method further comprising the step of changing between different positions of the switch to thereby change a rate at which pieces of currency are sequentially accelerated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the drive mechanism is capable of rotating the wheel at multiple speeds and the switch is provided with multiple positions, each position relating to a different speed of the wheel, the method further comprising the step of changing between different positions of the switch to thereby change a rate at which pieces of currency are sequentially accelerated and change a speed at which each piece of currency is accelerated. 
     
     
         6 . A system for accelerating coins or paper currency from a surface to an intended target comprising:
 a substantially flat, movable surface;   a stack of currency resting on top of the surface and having an uppermost piece of currency; and   a handheld, battery-powered rotary tool comprising a wheel, a shaft, a drive mechanism, and a switch for activating the drive mechanism, wherein the wheel is fixedly attached to the shaft and the shaft is rotationally connected to the drive mechanism, such that the wheel rotates about an axis defined by the shaft when the drive is activated, wherein at least the outermost periphery of the wheel is composed of a material capable of frictionally engaging a surface of said currency;   wherein the wheel is alternatively disposed in a first position adjacent to but not in contact with the stack and a second position in which the wheel is placed in contact with the uppermost piece of currency, such that, when the drive mechanism is activated with the switch, the outermost periphery of the wheel causes a topmost piece of currency to accelerate in the direction of the target and along a path substantially defined initially by an orientation of the top surface of the stack and by a perpendicular relationship of the axis to the target.