The disclosure relates to scraping devices and more particularly pertains to a new scraping device for scraping an obscurant layer off of a ticket.
An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing that is substantially rectangularly box shaped. A first slot is centrally positioned in a top of the housing. The first slot is sized such that an end of a ticket is insertable into the first slot. A second slot is complementary to the first slot and is positioned in a front of the housing. A wall extends from a perimeter of the first slot to a rim of the second slot, defining a channel that extends from the first slot to the second slot. A scraper is coupled to the wall and extends into the channel. The first slot is configured for insertion of the ticket and the scraper is configured to remove an obscurant layer from the ticket as the ticket is directed past the scraper to the second slot.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein:
With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to
As best illustrated in
A first slot 18 is centrally positioned in a top 20 of the housing 12. The first slot 18 is sized such that an end of a ticket is insertable into the first slot 18. The first slot 18 extends from proximate to a first side 22 of the housing 12 to proximate to a second side 24 of the housing 12. A second slot 26, which is complementary to the first slot 18, is positioned in a front 28 of the housing 12. The second slot 26 extends from proximate to the first side 22 of the housing 12 to proximate to the second side 24 of the housing 12.
A wall 30 extends from a perimeter 32 of the first slot 18 to a rim 34 of the second slot 26, defining a channel 36 that extends from the first slot 18 to the second slot 26. The wall 30 and a back 38 of the housing 12 define a chamber 40. The wall 30 comprises a first section 42 and a second section 44. The first section 42 extends perpendicularly from the top 20 of the housing 12, such that the first section 42 and the front 28 of the housing 12 are substantially parallel. The second section 44 extends curvedly from a lower limit 46 of the first section 42 to the front 28 of the housing 12, such that a ticket inserted through the first slot 18 is directed to the second slot 26.
A scraper 48 is coupled to the wall 30 and extends into the channel 36. A third slot 50 is positioned in the wall 30 and connects the channel 36 to the chamber 40. The third slot 50 is complementary to the scraper 48. The third slot 50 extends from proximate to the first side 22 of the housing 12 to proximate to the second side 24 of the housing 12. Preferably, the scraper 48 comprises a blade 52. The blade 52 is coupled to the wall 30 such that a cutting edge 54 of the blade 52 extends through the third slot 50 into the channel 36. The blade 52 extends from proximate to the first side 22 of the housing 12 to proximate to the second side 24 of the housing 12. The blade 52 is transverse to the wall 30, such that a blunt end 56 of the blade 52 is positioned in the chamber 40 below the third slot 50. An obscurant layer removed from a ticket contacting the blade 52 is directed into the chamber 40.
A biaser 58 is positioned in the channel 36 and coupled to the wall 30 substantially opposite the third slot 50. The biaser 58 is positioned on the wall 30 such that a ticket that is positioned through the channel 36 is brought into sliding contact with the scraper 48. The biaser 58 extends from proximate to the first side 22 of the housing 12 to proximate to the second side 24 of the housing 12. Preferably, the biaser 58 comprises a protrusion 60 that is coupled to the wall 30 substantially opposite the third slot 50. Also preferably, the protrusion 60 is rounded.
The housing 12 comprises a lower portion 62 and an upper portion 64. The lower portion 62 is positioned below the second slot 26 and is separable from the upper portion 64. The lower portion 62 is configured to collect debris entering the chamber 40. The lower portion 62 is separable from the upper portion 64 such that the debris may be removed from the housing 12. Preferably, the upper portion 64 has a lower lip 66 that is recessed relative to an exterior 68 of the housing 12. The lower portion 62 has an upper end 70 that is open and complementary to the lip 66. The lip 66 is positioned for insertion into the upper end 70, such that the lower portion 62 is reversibly couplable to the upper portion 64.
In use, the first slot 18 is configured for insertion of a ticket. The biaser 58 is positioned to urge the ticket to contact the scraper 48, which is configured to remove an obscurant layer from the ticket as the ticket is directed past the scraper 48 to the second slot 26. Obscurant layer removed from the ticket is directed to the chamber 40 and collects in the lower portion 62 of the housing 12. The lower portion 62 is separable from the upper portion 64 for removal of debris from the housing 12.
With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.
Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.
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