Card delivery shoe and methods of fabricating the card delivery shoe

Abstract

A playing card delivery shoe for a casino table card game and method of fabricating such shoe. The shoe has an adjustable limiter and removable protective cover. The position of the card feed limiter sets a gap size of an opening though which cards pass. The card feed limiter may have openings therein through which a card reading sensor can be accessed. The card reading sensor can be accessed without substantial disassembly of the shoe. The removable protective cover provides a protective shield for the card reading sensor.

1 . An apparatus for dispensing playing cards, comprising:
 a container configured to store cards for delivery for a card game;   a barrier plate, said barrier plate providing access to a card-reading sensor without removal of the barrier plate and being adjustable with respect to a base plate; and   a base plate, wherein the base plate and barrier plate define an output slot providing a gap through which cards can be slidably removed from the container, the output slot gap being selectively adjustable to accommodate cards of different thicknesses.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the card-reading sensor is positioned within the base plate for scanning a card as the card is slid through the output slot. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier plate is adjustably secured to the container with at least one fastener. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the card-reading sensor is configured to identify the suit and rank of cards removed from the container. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one fastener secures the barrier plate to the container by engaging the container through a respective slot in the barrier plate and engaging the barrier plate at an area at the slot. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one fastener is a screw. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the barrier plate is adjustable relative to the container to change the size of the gap of the output slot. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the position of the at least one fastener relative to the respective slot of the barrier plate determines the size of the output slot gap. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a protective cover which is detachably secured adjacent to said barrier. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , where in the protective cover is detachably secured to the barrier by one or more magnets. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the protective cover covers the card-reading sensor. 
     
     
         12 . A card shoe, comprising:
 a body, configured to hold a plurality of playing cards; the body having a lower surface for supporting cards and an exit end; at least one sensor in the lower surface proximate an end of the body;   a card feed limiter plate proximate the end of the body, said card feed limiter plate comprising a plurality of elongated slots and being adjustably attached to the body by a plurality of fasteners respectively passing through said slots for adjustably fixing said limiter to said body, the card feed limiter plate further comprising an access opening providing access to the at least one sensor; and   an opening between the body and card feed limiter plate providing a gap through which a card can be slid, said opening having a gap dimension defined by the positioning of the card feed limiter relative to said body.   
     
     
         13 . The card shoe of  claim 12 , wherein the card feed limiter can be moved with respect to the body and held in place by said fasteners to define the size of the gap. 
     
     
         14 . The card shoe of  claim 13 , wherein the card feed limiter can be securely affixed to the body by the fasteners. 
     
     
         15 . The card shoe of  claim 12 , further comprising a protective cover plate detachably secured over the card feed limiter plate. 
     
     
         16 . The card shoe of  claim 15 , wherein the protective cover plate is secured by at least one magnet. 
     
     
         17 . The card shoe of  claim 15 , wherein the protective cover plate is secured by a hook and loop fastener. 
     
     
         18 . The card shoe of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one sensor comprises an optical sensor and the protective cover plate covers the optical sensor when secured to the card feed limiter plate. 
     
     
         19 . The card shoe of  claim 18 , wherein the optical sensor is a contact image sensor. 
     
     
         20 . A method of fabricating an adjustable a card dealing shoe, comprising:
 forming a container comprising a base plate and configured to store cards for delivery for a card game;   providing at least one sensor within the base plate; and   attaching a barrier plate to the container so that said barrier plate provides access to the at least one sensor without removal of the barrier plate, wherein the base plate and barrier plate define an output slot providing a gap proximate the at least one sensor and through which cards can be slidably removed from the container, the output slot gap being selectively adjustable to accommodate cards of different thicknesses.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising attaching the barrier plate to the container by securing fasteners through elongated slots in said barrier plate. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising forming an opening in the barrier plate so as to provide the access to an optical sensor. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising removably attaching a cover plate over the barrier plate, said cover plate shielding the sensor. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the optical sensor is a contact image sensor. 
     
     
         25 . The card shoe of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of the card feed limiter plate and protective cover plate comprises a card shielding device for shielding a back side of a card from observation and through which a card can be contacted and moved through the opening.