US2785901A - Card holder - Google Patents

Description

March 19, 1957 B. B. McLEMORE 2,785,901

CARD HOLDER Filed Dec. 14, 1953 5. 5. M-Z awe/e5 INVENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent (ZARD HOLDER Bruce B. McLemore, Abilene, Tex. Application December 14, 1953, Serial No. 398,149

1 Claim. (Cl. 273-150) This invention relates to holders for playing cards and more particularly a holder for individual players adapted to accommodate as many cards to the hand as may be required in any game.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a playing card holder which will relieve a player of the discomfort of holding in hand a group of cards for long periods of time, especially where the game requires a hand made up of a considerable number of cards, such as bridge, canasta, or the like and further, in cases where the player is handicapped and unable to hold the cards in hand, the invention provides a medium whereby such a player can enjoy the game without discomfort and yet conceal his hand from his partners.

Another object of the invention is to provide a playing card holder consisting of an elongated rack, preferably molded or fabricated in a single piece and formed with parallel card retaining grooves at progressively higher levels from the base, thus to expose to the player the value of each card which may be overlapped by others in the grooves, the latter each having a perpendicular front wall and an upwardly divergent rear wall to enable the cards to incline slightly to the rear at their upper ends for better visibility.

Other objects will appear as the description proceeds when considered with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a card holder showing one form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view thereof in transverse section, and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention in vertical section.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference is primarily made to Figures 1 and 2 wherein the invention is shown as being made of wood, in the form of a substantially rectangular block 10, shaped to define a flat base portion 11 and a perpendicular back portion 12.

The generally inclined face or frontal portion of the block or body is formed with a series of steps 13 of progressively increasing height from the base portion 11, originating with a coextensive and longitudinally concaved frontal portion 14 adapted to serve as a rack for pencils used in score-keeping. Each step 13 is separated from another by a groove 15, each groove forming a receptacle for a group of playing cards 16, which may be placed in overlapping relationship in cases where a considerable number of cards make up a hand.

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It will be observed that each groove 15 has a front Wall 17 which is perpendicular to the base portion 11 of the card holder while the confronting wall 18 is inclined slightly and follows the curve of the next adjacent step 13, the curves serving to guide the cards into the grooves 15 while the slight inclination of the rear walls 18 of the grooves permit the cards to lie in an inclined plane for better visibility to the player.

In Figure 3 is shown a modified form of the invention. This form of the invention difiiers from that just described only in the fact that it is molded from a plastic material and hence takes on a different appearance although the function remains unchanged. The hollow body 19 of the card holder has a rear Wall 20 and a generally inclined face which is molded to define a series of progressively higher steps 21, originating with a foremost rack 22 having a longitudinal groove 23' for retaining scorekeeping pencils. Each step 21 has rounded corners serving to guide cards into grooves 23 formed between the steps. Each groove 23 has a perpendicular front wall 24 and a slightly inclined rear wall 25 so that cards in the grooves may be slightly inclined for better visibility to the player but will not be exposed to opponents in the game.

The body 19 is closed at each end and is shown in cross-section to reveal a transverse reinforcing rib 26, formed preferably at its midsection, extending under the inclined face from the rear to the front wall of the body 19. The ends and the reinforcing rib depend below the front and rear wall of the body and serve to support the latter.

From the foregoing, it is evident that a card holder is provided which is practical for those finding it difiicult to hold cards in the hand and has ornamental qualities. Moreover, the card holder may, by reversing its position with respect to an individual player, serve as a holder for the cards of the dummy in playing a bridge game.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

A playing card holder comprising an elongate body having a base, a perpendicular back portion and an inclined frontal portion provided with steps on progressively higher planes, curved along their longitudinal axes and defining therebetween longitudinally coextensive spaces open at the ends of said body, the bases of said spaces terminating on progressively higher planes and having a vertical front wall and a slightly inclined rear wall merging with the curve of said steps to guide cards into said spaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 826,783 Healy July 24, 1906 1,076,850 Wedderburn Oct. 28, 1913 2,394,866 McClune Feb. 12, 1946 2,544,900 Saqui Mar. 13, 1951 2,680,621 Crandall et a1. June 8, 1954

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