Card shoe for holding playing cards

Abstract

A card shoe that includes a housing forming a receptacle sized to receive a plurality of playing cards, the housing having a sloped front face, an opening formed in the front face sized to allow the withdrawal of playing cards, a card support surface proximate a bottom of the opening. At least one protuberance may extend upward from the card support surface, proximate the opening such that playing cards pass over the protuberance when withdrawn from the receptacle. An anti-backsliding protrusion may extend generally downwardly from at least proximate the top of the housing and positioned within the receptacle proximate the front face. A lever may be positioned to selectively disengage a wedge from a locking mechanism that retains the wedge toward a rear of the housing to facilitate loading.

1 . A card shoe, comprising:
 a housing forming a receptacle sized to receive a plurality of playing cards, the housing having a sloped front face, an opening formed in the front face, the opening sized to allow the withdrawal of playing cards from the receptacle, a card support surface proximate a bottom of the opening, and at least one protuberance extending upward from the card support surface, the protuberance proximate the opening of the front face of the housing such that playing cards pass over the protuberance when the playing cards are withdrawn from the receptacle through the opening.   
   
   
       2 . The card shoe of  claim 1  wherein the housing has a first and a second protuberance, spaced laterally across the opening with a spacing therebetween that is less than or equal to a length of each of the playing cards. 
   
   
       3 . The card shoe of  claim 1  wherein the first and the second protuberances each take the form of a bump. 
   
   
       4 . The card shoe of  claim 3  wherein the first and the second protuberances are each hemispherical in shape. 
   
   
       5 . The card shoe of  claim 1  wherein the housing includes a metal plate proximate the opening and the first and the second protuberances extend from the metal plate. 
   
   
       6 . The card shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a wedge assembly having a wedge block and a roller subassembly, the wedge block includes a bottom surface and a card engagement surface positioned at an angle relative the bottom surface, the wedge block is receivable in the receptacle of the housing of the card shoe, the roller subassembly includes a roller rotationally coupled to the wedge block and rotatable in a first rotational direction and lockable to substantially resist rotation in a direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       7 . The card shoe of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a shaft coupled to the wedge block, wherein the shaft includes a first portion concentrically disposed about a first shaft axis and a second portion eccentrically disposed about a second shaft axis; and   a clutch assembly coupling the roller to the wedge block, wherein the clutch assembly is lockable onto the shaft when the roller is urged in the direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       8 . The card shoe of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 a lever pivotally mounted to selectively bias the wedge away from a back of the housing.   
   
   
       9 . The card shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an anti-backsliding protrusion extending generally downwardly from at least proximate a top of the housing and positioned within the receptacle proximate the front face of the housing, wherein the anti-backsliding protrusion engages a portion of at least one playing card when the playing card is biased toward a back of the housing under force exerted by a dealer removing at least one of the playing cards from the housing.   
   
   
       10 . The card shoe of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a cover that is pivotally connected to the housing to allow the plurality of playing cards in the form of several decks of cards to access the receptacle.   
   
   
       11 . A card shoe, comprising:
 a housing forming a receptacle sized to receive a plurality of playing cards, the housing having a top and a sloped front face, an opening formed in the front face, the opening sized to allow the withdrawal of playing cards from the receptacle, and an anti-backsliding protrusion extending generally downwardly from at least proximate the top and positioned within the receptacle proximate the front face of the housing, wherein the anti-backsliding protrusion engages a portion of at least one playing card when the playing card is biased toward a back of the housing under force exerted by a dealer removing at least one of the playing cards from the housing.   
   
   
       12 . The card shoe of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a card support surface proximate a bottom of the opening, and at least one protuberance extending upward from the card support surface, the protuberance proximate the opening of the front face of the housing such that playing cards pass over the protuberance when the playing cards are withdrawn from the receptacle through the opening.   
   
   
       13 . The card shoe of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a wedge block having a bottom surface and a card engagement surface positioned at an angle relative to the bottom surface, the wedge block received in the receptacle of the housing to bias the playing cards toward the front face of the housing.   
   
   
       14 . The card shoe of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 at least one spring physically coupled to both the housing and the wedge block.   
   
   
       15 . The card shoe of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a lever pivotally mounted to selectively bias the wedge away from a back of the housing.   
   
   
       16 . The card shoe of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a roller assembly having a roller rotationally coupled to the wedge block and rotatable in a first rotational direction and lockable to substantially resist rotation in a direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       17 . The card shoe of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a shaft coupled to the wedge block, wherein the shaft includes a first portion concentrically disposed about a first shaft axis and a second portion eccentrically disposed about a second shaft axis; and   a clutch assembly coupling the roller to the wedge block, wherein the clutch assembly is lockable onto the shaft when the roller is urged in the direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       18 . The card shoe of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a cover that is pivotally connected to the housing to allow the plurality of playing cards in the form of several decks of cards to access the receptacle   
   
   
       19 . A card shoe comprising:
 a housing forming a receptacle sized to receive a plurality of playing cards, the housing having a sloped front face, an opening formed in the front face, the opening sized to allow the withdrawal of playing cards from the receptacle, a wedge block having a bottom surface and a card engagement surface positioned at an angle relative to the bottom surface, the wedge block received in the receptacle of the housing to bias the playing cards toward the front face of the housing, and a lever pivotally mounted and operable to selectively bias the wedge away from a back of the housing.   
   
   
       20 . The card shoe of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a card support surface proximate a bottom of the opening, and at least one protuberance extending upward from the card support surface, the protuberance proximate the opening of the front face of the housing such that playing cards pass over the protuberance when the playing cards are withdrawn from the receptacle through the opening.   
   
   
       21 . The card shoe of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 an anti-backsliding protrusion extending generally downwardly from at least proximate a top of the housing and positioned within the receptacle proximate the front face of the housing, wherein the anti-backsliding protrusion engages a portion of at least one playing card when the playing card is biased toward the back of the housing under force exerted by a dealer removing at least one of the playing cards from the housing.   
   
   
       22 . The card shoe of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 at least one spring physically coupled to both the housing and the wedge block.   
   
   
       23 . The card shoe of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a roller assembly having a roller rotationally coupled to the wedge block and rotatable in a first rotational direction and lockable to substantially resist rotation in a direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       24 . The card shoe of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 a shaft coupled to the wedge block, wherein the shaft includes a first portion concentrically disposed about a first shaft axis and a second portion eccentrically disposed about a second shaft axis; and   a clutch assembly coupling the roller to the wedge block, wherein the clutch assembly is lockable onto the shaft when the roller is urged in the direction opposite the first rotational direction.   
   
   
       25 . The card shoe of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 a cover that is pivotally connected to the housing to allow the plurality of playing cards in the form of several decks of cards to access the receptacle.