U.S. patent application number 13/844993 was filed with the patent office on 2013-09-19 for apparatus for dispensing playing cards.
The applicant listed for this patent is Patrick Thomas McGrath. Invention is credited to Patrick Thomas McGrath.
Application Number | 20130241147 13/844993 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 49156920 |
Filed Date | 2013-09-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130241147 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McGrath; Patrick Thomas |
September 19, 2013 |
Apparatus For Dispensing Playing Cards
Abstract
This invention provides a playing card apparatus for holding and
dispensing a plurality of playing cards. The apparatus may be a
card shoe or an automated shuffler. It has a delivery aperture at a
dispensing end for dispensing playing cards individually, the
dispensing end having a platform that extends from the delivery
aperture for supporting cards being manually removed, the platform
being shaped and being of sufficient height to allow a card dealer
to insert their thumb or finger below a corner of the card as the
card is dispensed. This allows the dealer to grip and pull the card
away substantially without flexing the card at all and thereby
avoiding risk of disclosing the front face of the card while
dispensing the card for dealing it. The cards are held and
dispensed in portrait orientation, with a short edge of the card
leading. The apparatus enables the storage and delivery of playing
cards in a highly efficient continuous and secret manner.
Inventors: |
McGrath; Patrick Thomas;
(Luton, GB) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
McGrath; Patrick Thomas |
Luton |
|
GB |
|
|
Family ID: |
49156920 |
Appl. No.: |
13/844993 |
Filed: |
March 17, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61612785 |
Mar 19, 2012 |
|
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|
Current U.S.
Class: |
273/149R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 1/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/149.R |
International
Class: |
A63F 1/14 20060101
A63F001/14 |
Claims
1. A playing card apparatus for holding and dispensing a plurality
of playing cards, the shoe having a delivery aperture at a
dispensing end for dispensing playing cards individually, the
dispensing end having a platform that extends from the delivery
aperture for supporting cards being manually removed, the platform
being shaped and being of sufficient height to allow a card dealer
to insert their thumb or finger below a corner of the card as the
card is dispensed.
2. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a manual card shoe.
3. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a card shuffler.
4. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
any preceding claim wherein the platform is shaped rounded as
viewed in plan from above.
5. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
claim 4, wherein the rounded platform is: substantially
semi-circular; or a flattened semicircle or substantially a partial
ellipse as viewed in plan from above.
6. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
any preceding claim, wherein the platform has at least one
fore-shortened or truncated corner.
7. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
any preceding claim, wherein the platform has a rim/perimeter that
is radiussed/rounded or chamfered in profile.
8. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
any preceding claim housing a plurality of playing cards, the
playing cards being held and dispensed in portrait orientation,
with one of the short edges of the playing card being oriented to
emerge from the delivery aperture first as the card is
dispensed.
9. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
claim 8 wherein the width of the shoe at the delivery aperture
corresponds substantially to the width of the playing cards not
their length.
10. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
any preceding claim in combination with a playing surface onto
which the apparatus dispenses cards, wherein the apparatus is
mounted in use on the top of the playing surface and the height of
the platform is the height of the platform's support surface from
the playing surface.
11. A playing card holding and dispensing apparatus as claimed in
claim 10, wherein the playing surface is the playing surface of a
card gaming table.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to apparatus for holding and
dispensing playing cards for dealing out the playing cards. The
dealing devices may be such as are commonly known as card shoes or
dealer's shoes, or occasionally as card sabots. The apparatus may
also be a playing card shuffler.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
[0002] Card shoes, or dealer's shoes or sabots, are used, primarily
in casino establishments, for the delivery of playing cards in
cards games such as Blackjack and Punto Banco. The conventional
card shoe is normally a container that can hold multiple decks of
cards and which allows the cards to be dispensed one by one through
a delivery aperture (or tongue) at the front end from where the
cards can be pulled for use in casino card games used daily in
casinos across the globe. The design and material used in
construction hardly vary. The standard version is normally black in
colour, made from a Perspex resin which offers a fair degree of
durability and a smooth frictionless surface. The playing cards are
placed within the shoe as a block substantially on edge but in a
landscape orientation. The shoe has a dispensing aperture that
enables each card to be pulled from the shoe by one or more
fingers. An example of a prior art manual card shoe is shown in US
patent application US2010/0013152.
[0003] The generic features of the conventional manual card shoe
and its use are illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 16 to 19 of the
drawings herein. The manual card shoe 1 comprises an elongate box
with a rear wall 2, elongate sidewalls 3, front wall 5 and a floor
6. The box forms a chamber 7 for holding the cards, often with an
open-top for insertion of the decks of cards. The floor 6 of the
chamber slopes downwardly towards the dispensing delivery aperture
8 at the front. At the front end of the card shoe 1 the floor 6 of
the shoe is extended forwardly to project beyond the side walls 4,
front wall 5 and delivery aperture 8 of the shoe and there forms a
thin flat ledge 9 over which each card being dispensed slides as it
is taken by the dealer. The front wall 5 of the shoe 1 is inclined
downwardly in the forward direction and the gap between the lower
edge of the front wall 5 and the floor 6 of the shoe defines the
delivery aperture 8. An upwards arched cut-out 10 formed in the
front wall 5 contiguous with the delivery aperture 8 provides
access for the dealers fingers to drag the card out though the
delivery aperture 8.
[0004] Commonly a wedge 4 is provided in the chamber 2 to acts as
an adjustable backstop/rest for the rearmost card of the decks in
the shoe and which can be re-positioned forwardly as the stored
decks are dealt and diminish in size. The cards are held in the
shoe resting on one of their long edges L so that they are
dispensed from the shoe in a `landscape` orientation, ie where the
long edge L of each card emerges first and they must be flexed
upwardly at one end/short edge S to be gripped to deal them. The
conventional manual card shoe 1 does not facilitate secure covert
dealing since the cards are necessarily flexed upwardly as they are
dealt.
[0005] The conventional manual card shoes are generally used for
card games in which the cards are dealt face up and visible
immediately to the player/s such as in Blackjack or Punto Banco
(modern casino version of Baccarat) and despite claims made by
applicants in earlier patent applications, casinos do not generally
use manual card shoes for cards games such as Poker or Texas
Hold'em. Poker and its variations such as Texas Hold'em are only
played using a single deck of cards which can be easily handled by
a human hand whereas Blackjack and Punto Banco (the two most
popular casino card games) use multiple decks of cards, in most
cases four decks or more which cannot be practicably held in a
human hand or be distributed from such a configuration to the
player/s in a secure and covert/secret manner.
[0006] The more recent prior art relating to card shoes focuses
predominately on assisting the operator, using the aid of modern
electronics, to read the card/s whilst in the shoe or when a card
exits the shoe or relates to use in devices that automatically
shuffle the playing cards or both. Mostly these are aimed at
translating the information about the card/s to a remote display
screen or for use in automatic card shuffling machines. Like manual
card shoes these automatic card shuffling machines are largely used
in Blackjack or variations of Blackjack to ensure a constant game
without the need to pause the game for the dealer to shuffle the
cards. Automatic shuffling machine's attraction to the casino
industry is the elimination of the pause every time the dealer has
to shuffle the cards. Far more hands of the game can be dealt
without the need to reshuffle every twenty minutes or so.
[0007] Automatic shuffling machines require high maintenance as
dust and fibres from the table cloth interfere with their workings
rendering them inoperable on a regular basis. Casinos that use
automatic shuffling machines retain manual card shoes in the event
of these breakdowns. Automatic shuffling machines primary function
and key selling point concerns their ability to mimic the actions
of a conventional manual card shoe in every way, without the need
to shuffle the cards. Automatic shuffling machines are not
commercially viable when dealing with games that require only one
deck of playing cards, like Poker and its variants, which is why
they are not used on these games; the dealer can easily shuffle one
deck of cards.
[0008] There is a variation of Blackjack offered in casinos known
as "Double Deck Blackjack" that uses two decks of playing cards.
This game is the only variation of Blackjack (21) offered in
casinos where the cards are dealt face down to the player. This
game is aimed at players who prefer a pontoon style variation of
blackjack. In this game no card shoe is used because the
conventional "landscape" playing card shoe is designed for games
that require the cards to be laid face up; and a conventional card
shoe is thus of no use in this variation. This results in the
dealer having to continually hold the deck of cards in their left
hand throughout the game, producing a slower, less secure game,
because the dealer has only one hand free to for chips
manipulation, to make payouts and to collect lost bets.
[0009] It is amongst objects of the present invention to provide a
playing card shoe that overcomes the above-described drawbacks of
the prior art and enables playing cards to be dealt continuously
face down by an operator in a covert (secret) but efficient manner.
The playing card shoe may nevertheless be used for face up dealing
too if desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0010] According to a first aspect of the present invention there
is provided a playing card shoe for holding and dispensing a
plurality of playing cards, the shoe having a delivery aperture at
a dispensing end for dispensing playing cards individually, the
dispensing end having a platform that extends from the delivery
aperture for supporting cards being manually removed, the platform
as viewed in plan from above being rounded and/or with truncated
corners and being of a height sufficient to allow a card dealer to
insert their thumb or finger below a corner of the card as the card
is dispensed. This allows the dealer to grip and pull the card away
substantially without flexing the card at all and thereby avoiding
risk of disclosing the front face of the card while dispensing the
card for dealing it.
[0011] The shoe is suitably mounted in use on the top of a playing
surface such as a card table top onto which device dispenses cards
and the height of the platform is the height from the table
top.
[0012] The cards are preferably held and dispensed in portrait
orientation, with one of the short edges of the playing card
emerging from the delivery aperture first as the card is dispensed.
Accordingly the proportions of the shoe's chamber--and most
especially the width of the shoe at the delivery aperture--suitably
correspond substantially to the width of the playing cards not
their length.
[0013] The card shoe of the present invention enables the storage
and delivery of playing cards in a highly efficient continuous and
secret manner. It is ideally suited for card games that require the
playing cards to remain unseen by others except the player for whom
the cards are intended. Nevertheless the card shoe is versatile and
can also be used for card games where the cards are revealed
immediately such as Blackjack and Punto Banco, if desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be
more particularly described, by way of example only, with reference
to the accompanying drawings.
[0015] FIG. 1 is an elevated frontal view of a conventional manual
shoe of the prior art.
[0016] FIG. 2 is an elevated slightly off centre frontal view of a
manual card shoe of a first preferred embodiment of the present
invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a close up front end view of the FIG. 1 prior art
conventional card shoe.
[0018] FIG. 4 is a close up front end view of the card shoe of the
FIG. 1 embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] FIG. 5 is a view of the first preferred embodiment viewed
from the left perspective.
[0020] FIG. 6 is a frontal perspective end view of the first
preferred embodiment viewed from the right.
[0021] FIG. 7 is a near overhead view of the first preferred
embodiment of shoe.
[0022] FIG. 8 is an elevated frontal view of the first preferred
embodiment of shoe.
[0023] FIG. 9 is an elevated perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of shoe viewed from the left side.
[0024] FIG. 10 is an elevated perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of shoe viewed from the right side.
[0025] FIG. 11 is an elevated perspective view of the first
preferred embodiment of shoe viewed from behind.
[0026] FIG. 12 shows the initial drawing of a card from the first
preferred embodiment of shoe.
[0027] FIG. 13 shows the sequence following on from FIG. 12 when
drawing a card from the shoe.
[0028] FIG. 14 shows the next stage in the sequence from FIG.
13.
[0029] FIG. 15 shows the final dealing stage, of placing the card
face down on a playing surface.
[0030] FIG. 16 shows the prior art method of dealing, showing the
initial drawing of a card from the FIG. 1 prior art card shoe.
[0031] FIG. 17 is the second stage (from FIG. 16) where the playing
card face first touches the playing surface as it exits the
shoe.
[0032] FIG. 18 illustrates an operator dragging the card in a
toward and upwards motion in preparation to be transferred to the
dealing hand.
[0033] FIG. 19 illustrates the transfer of the card from the
pulling hand to the dealing hand to be placed face up on the
playing surface.
[0034] FIG. 20 illustrates a second embodiment of the present
invention where the card shoe is a generic style of electronic or
automatic card shuffler adapted for dealing playing cards face up
or face down.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0035] Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 to 15, the first preferred
embodiment of the invention is a manual card shoe 11 that is
substantially the same as the prior art manual card shoe 1 of FIGS.
1, 3 and 16 to 19 but has a unique dispensing end arrangement. The
reference numerals in FIGS. 2 and 4 to 15 that are the same as in
FIGS. 1, 3 and 16 to 19 are used to designate the same or similar
parts throughout the several views.
[0036] The manual card shoe 11 comprises an elongate box with a
rear wall 2, elongate sidewalls 4, front wall 5 and a floor 6. The
box forms a chamber 7 for holding the cards with an open-top for
insertion of the decks of cards. The floor 6 of the chamber 7 is
overall higher than that in the prior art and slopes downwardly
towards the delivery aperture 8 at the front. At the front end of
the card shoe 11 the floor 6 of the shoe is extended forwardly to
project beyond the side walls 4, front wall 5 and delivery aperture
8 of the shoe and there forms a tall platform 12 over which each
card being dispensed slides as it is taken by the dealer.
[0037] As in the conventional shoe 1, in this shoe 11 the front
wall 5 of the shoe 11 is inclined downwardly in the forward
direction and the gap between the lower edge of the front wall 5
and the floor 6 of the shoe defines the delivery aperture 8. An
upwards arched cut-out 10 formed in the front wall 5 contiguous
with the delivery aperture 8 provides access for the dealers
fingers to drag the card out though the delivery aperture 8. A
wedge 4 is provided in the chamber 2 to acts as an adjustable
backstop/rest for the rearmost card of the decks in the shoe and
which can be re-positioned forwardly as the stored decks are dealt
and diminish in size. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the card shoe 11
has a capacity of 250 cards. The manual card shoe 10 is suitably at
least 34 cm in length for that but might be less or more in length
to accommodate less or more cards.
[0038] The playing cards in this shoe 11 are, unlike those in the
prior art shoe 1, not held in the shoe 11 resting on one of their
long edges L and are not dispensed from the shoe in a `landscape`
orientation. The manual card shoe 11 of the FIG. 2 preferred
embodiment is narrower and taller than the prior art card shoe of
FIG. 1. It is uniquely adapted to hold and dispense the playing
cards in a portrait configuration, ie with one of the two short
edges S of the playing card lowermost and emerging first through
the dispensing aperture 8. Furthermore the tall platform 12 of the
card shoe 11 of the preferred embodiment is of the order of at
least 1 cm in height above the bottom/underside of the shoe 11 and
preferably is 1.5 cm to 2.5 cm in height. It provides a
corresponding height stand-off from the playing surface of the card
gaming table on which the card shoe 11 stands for the card being
dispensed. The tall platform 12 is substantially semi-circular or
more particularly it is a partial ellipse or flattened semi circle
as viewed in plan from above and the rim/perimeter 13 of the
platform 12 is radiused/rounded or chamfered in profile too.
[0039] The shape and height of the platform 12 enables cards to be
removed in a favourable position for a hand to grasp the card
without having to substantially tilt or flex it upwardly, and to be
able to directly lay it face down on the card table. The tall,
curved shape and radiused edged platform 12 enables the dealer to
comfortably insert their thumb or a finger between the table top
and the underside of the card being dispensed at a corner of the
card in order to grip the card without needing to tilt or flex the
card upwardly as will be further described shortly below with
respect to FIGS. 12 to 15.
[0040] The prior art shoe of FIG. 1 and FIGS. 16, 17 18 and 19 is
incapable of emulating this function as demonstrated in FIGS. 16 to
19. The correct way to pull a card from the conventional manual
"landscape" shoe 1 is demonstrated in sequence in FIGS. 16 to 19.
In FIG. 16 the dealer places two or three fingers over the card
where a minimal amount of pressure is exerted to drag the card in a
downward motion out of the delivery aperture 8 and over the thin
flat ledge 9. FIG. 17 illustrates the following action in this
sequence wherein when the card comes into contact with the card
gaming table surface or layout the uppermost part of the card is
warped upwards. With part of the card lifted the dealer's thumb
(not seen) is positioned under the upper right corner. FIG. 18
illustrates the next step in the sequence where the card has left
the shoe 1 with the lower left corner of the card pressed against
the layout with the dealer's fingers supporting the upper right
corner of the card, the lower right corner is raised free of the
layout. FIG. 19 shows the final step of the sequence where the
dealer's right hand grasps the lower right corner of the card ready
to lay the card face up on the layout.
[0041] Turning back to the invention, FIGS. 12 to 15, show the
dispensing sequence for the card shoe 11 of the present invention.
Again the dealer's hand grasps the lead card with two or three
fingers but this time includes the dealer's thumb under the lower
left corner of the card. FIG. 13 illustrates the next step in the
sequence where the card is close to exiting the shoe 11. FIG. 14
illustrates the card clear of the shoe 11 with the dealer's three
fingers resting on the back of the card and the thumb (not seen)
supporting the card from underneath ensuring the card remains
unseen. FIG. 15 shows the transfer from the dealer's left hand to
the right hand ready to be laid face down on the table. The
difference between the two sequences should be readily apparent to
the reader, since at no time in FIG. 12, 13, 14 or 15 is the card
revealed or visible to any party, including the dealer.
Nevertheless, the shoe 11 is versatile and should the card game
require the cards to be visible as in Blackjack etc, the dealer's
left hand in FIG. 14 could simply lift the card upwards towards the
dealer with the right hand grasping the lower right corner enabling
the dealer to mimic FIG. 19 and reveal the card straightaway.
[0042] Turning to FIG. 20, this illustrates a second embodiment of
the present invention where the card holding and dispensing
apparatus is not a manual card shoe but instead a generic style
electronic or automatic card shuffler 14 adapted for dealing
playing cards face up or face down. The dispensing aperture 15 of
the card shuffler 14 has the same round-edged part-ellipsoidal
raised dispensing platform 12 integral to or attached to its card
dispensing aperture 8 so that each card can be taken and dealt
covertly, without risk of showing the front face of the card.
Suitably the dispensing aperture is adapted to dispense the cards
in portrait orientation just as in the first embodiment.
[0043] Although described and illustrated herein with respect to
two preferred embodiments, numerous alternative variants and
embodiments are conceivable within the scope of the present
invention as defined by the claims hereinafter.
* * * * *