US3529824A - Ten pin bowling games - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 22,;1970

Filed Aug. 25, 1968 j 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 i .9 8w (9&9 J

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R. WALCH TEN PIN BOWLING GAMES Sept. 22, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 25, l968 0 5 E. F. O T

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Sept. 22, 1970 R. WALCH 3,529,824

TEN PIN BOWLING GAMES Filed Aug. 23. 1968 1 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG." 3.

Sept. 22, 1970 R. ALCH 3,529,824

TEN PIN BOWLING GAMES 7 Filed Aug. 25, 1968 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 "FIG. 4.

Sept. 22, 1970 Filed Aug. 23. 1968 5 SheutsSheet 4.

FIG.I FIG-2 FIG-3 FIG. 5.

United States Patent 3,529,824 TEN PIN BOWLING GAMES Rolf Walch, 671 Lane St., Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia Filed Aug. 23, 1968, Ser. No. 754,853 Claims priority, application Australia, Aug. 28, 1967, 26,467 67 Int. Cl. A63d 5/00 U.S. Cl. 273-54 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A ten pin bowling alley including a pin setter is equipped with a coin-operated and coin-dispensing arrangement set into motion by tendering of a coin, and including electrical circuits, relays, counters and switches.

The relays are operated in accordance with the number and position of the pins left standing after a ball has been played and the contacts of the relays are so connected that for certain predetermined combinations of pins left standing electric circuits are closed for the counters which are set to make a predetermined number of steps in accordance with each of said combinations and thereby control the dispensing of a corresponding number of coins.

The invention relates to a ten pin bowling alley and more specifically to a coin operated game on such alley in which for certain combinations a bonus is paid out to the player. In this way the interest in the game is increased and an incentive is given to the player to achieve specific results with regard to the pins which are knocked down or left standing respectively.

In the known ten pin bowling game ten pins are set at the far end of the bowling alley, and the bowler rolls a ball at the pins, endeavouring to knock down as many as possible. If all the pins are knocked down, with the first ball, it is called a strike and the ball is returned to the bowler. The ten pins are then set up again for the bowler by a pin setter mechanism.

If all the pins are not knocked down by the first ball, the ball is returned to the bowler and the standing pins are left as they are. The deadwood, or pins which were knocked down, but did not fall in the pit area at the rear of the pin area, are removed so that they will not interfere with the game. As the deadwood is being cleared, the deck of a so-called pin setter rests with foam cushions on the head of the pins left standing, pairs of scissors will close around the neck of these pins and when lifted up, the rake sweeps underneath to clear the deadwood, and the pins held in the scissors are then replaced Where they have been picked up. The bowler then rolls the ball a second time to attempt to knock down the remaining pins which were left standing by the first ball. The additional function of the second ball is to activate the pin setter for resetting all ten pins on the alley irrespective of the number of pins that have been knocked down by the first and second balls or were still left standing. The playing of one or two balls as referred to above is called playing a frame.

For the present invention the second ball does not count and thus the second ball is solely played to complete the playing of one frame and to reset all pins. Instead of the second ball therefore a special button can be pressed which then activates the pin setter again to put down new pins on to the pin area.

It is an object of the present invention to increase the interest in the game by giving the player a monetary premium if he knocks down with his first ball a certain number of pins so that the pins left standing conform to one of the combinations for which a pay-out will be made. In such cases the game is started by the insertion of a coin by the player and this coin allows him to play one frame.

The before stated object is achieved according to the invention by an arrangement having coin-operated means to activate said pin setter, sensing means on said pin setter to sense the position of any pins left standing after a ball has been played, electric circuits including pay-out relays connected with said sensing means, a selected one of said circuits being closed by a corresponding predetermined combination of sensed pins representing a predetermined monetary value to operate a corresponding pay-out relay, counting means set in accordance with said predetermined monetary value, a coin dispensing device connected with said counting means to dispense coins when any one of said pay-out relays is operated, said counting means counting the number of coins dispensed from said dispensing device and stopping the dispensing of coins when the number of dispensed coins corresponds to the monetary value set on said counting means.

In one form of the invention an individual relay is provided for each pin and the contacts of these relays are so arranged that on operation of certain selected relays a circuit is closed which activates the coin dispensing means and at the same time counts the number of coins which are dispensed. Special counters are set to the number of coins to be dispensed at each winning combinatron and when the corresponding number of coins have been counted out these counters will stop the further operation of the coin dispenser.

One embodiment of the invention will be described hereinafter in detail in connection with the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a circuit diagram to carry the invention into effect,

FIG. 3A shows the connections with a known pin setter circuit, and

FIGS. 4 and 4A show a coin dispenser for use with the circuit diagram of FIGS. 1 to 3.

FIG. 5 indicates the position of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 to complete the circuit diagram.

In considering the circuit FIGS. 1 to 3 have to be placed adjacent each other. The connections to a known p n setter circuit, for example a so-called Brunswick Prnsetter are indicated by the terminals E1, E7, E8, E11, E12 (FIG. 3), E19, E20, E21 (FIG. 1), E22 and E23 (FIG. 3). FIG. 3A shows that terminal E1 is connected to a pin setter start relay PSR, while terminal E7 is connected to a manager control switch MCS in the pin control box. Terminals E11 and E12 are connected to the other side of relay PSR and switch MCS respectively and also to a common AC. power source in the pin setter control box. Terminal B11 is further connected with one contact of a counter micro switch CMS in the pin setter control, While the other contact of this switch is connected with terminal E8.

Terminal E19 (FIG. 1) is connected with the common power source to which is connected also terminal E12. The terminals E21 and E20 (FIG. 1) are respectively connected to an AC. power source and a pin light FPL in the pin setter to light up the pin area, while the terminals E22 and E23 (FIG. 3) are connected with an AC. power supply in the pin setter.

The coin dispenser, shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A and described in detail later on, and a coin selector of known design (not shown) are mounted in a suitable position, for example, near the ball return track in a display stand, which also shows the various winning combinations of pins left standing on the playing area together with the units (10 cents) which are payable for each combination. These combinations can be altered as will appear later on. The wiring diagram shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is set up for the following combinations and pay-outs whereby the figures give the position of the pins left standing on the deck, and the number of units paid out respectively. In case of a so-called strike, all pins are knocked down. The combinations are:

Pins: Units 1 1 10 3 2 3-6-10 3 (3 7 4 (4) 10 4 (5) 1247 4 (6)5 5 (7) 6-8-10 5 (8) 1361O 6 (9) 46710 6 (10) 7-10 7 (11) 268 12 1 2 4 2+ bonus 13 Strike 1 All redays are either D.C. operated or, if connected to A.C. circuits are fitted with a full wave rectifier as shown in the drawings. The DC. current is derived from a rectifier D (FIG. 3) which is connected with the A.C. power supply (E11, E12) over contacts I and II of relay 4 (FIG. 3). This relay can be energized by operation of the manager control switch MCS (FIG. 3A) whenever the game is to be played without the pay-out circuits. An indicator lamp A4 connected across the A.C. leads lights up to indicate that the A.C. supply is connected to rectifier D, and is extinguished when either relay 4 is energized by operating switch MCS or when the A.C. power supply fails for other reasons.

All contacts are shown in the un-operated position.

When a player inserts a coin (one unit) into the coin selector (not shown), the coin trips in known manner a micro switch G (FIG. 3) which closes a circuit for relay 6 from the c-terminal of rectifier unit D over relay 6, switch G to the d-terminal; at the same time the indicator lamp A3 lights up to indicate that a coin has been tendered. Relay 6 operates and remains locked over its contact II and the closed contacts x and y of a contact set CO, after the microswitch G is opened again. Over contact IV of relay 6 a circuit is closed from terminal a of rectifier D, closed contact IV, closed contacts at of counters 9 and 10 (FIG. 2), relays ZU and relays ZT respectively, terminal 12 of rectifier D. Relays ZU and ZT open their contacts zul and ztl and close their contacts zu2 and zt2. The main purpose of relays ZT and ZU will be described later on. Over contact III of relay 6 an A.C. circuit is now closed over the closed contacts zu2 and zt2 in series for the motor K which rotates a cam L in anti-clockwise direction. Over contact I of relay -6 relay 8 (FIG. 1) is energized, which closes a locking circuit for itself from terminal E19 over its contact I, and over contact 11 and terminals E20 and E21 operates a fluorescent light FPL in the pin setter.

In order to test the proper function of the arrangement without the necessity of tendering coins a push button CE is provided which on operation by-passes the coin-operated contact G and energizes relay 6.

When, as mentioned above, the cam L moves it operates a cam-follower M, which acts on the contact set CO. The contact set CO is a make-before-break contact set with the contacts x, y, z. The cam follower M also operates microswitch F, the arrangement being such that on movement of cam L contacts y and z close first, then the switch F is closed and finally contacts x and y are interrupted; when the cam follower M falls back on further movement of cam L, the micro-switch F opens and contacts x and y close again.

On the start of the movement of the cam follower M contacts y and z close as mentioned above, thus energizing relay 5, which looks over its make contact I and break contact I of the relay 2 and over its contact II energizes the pin setter start relay PSR (FIG. 3A), connected to terminal E1. On further movement of the cam follower M switch F is closed maintaining the circuit for cam motor K and subsequently opening the contacts x and y of contact set CO thus interrupting the locking circuit for relay 6 which now releases.

When on further rotation of cam L the cam follower M falls back again switch F opens thus stopping further movement of motor K and cam L and releasing also contact set CO so that contacts x-y close and contacts y-z open.

When now the first ball has been played the pin setter is triggered by the ball in known manner and will make a detecting cycle for any pins left standing. The pinfinder connected with the movable deck of the pin setter is provided with ten micro switches M1 M10 (FIG. 1) which are mounted between foam cushions and the underside of the moving deck. When the deck moves downward it will come to rest on the standing pins so that the corresponding micro switches are closed, and energize one or more corresponding sensing relays P1 P10 over contact IV of relay 1 (FIG. 3) to A.C. terminal 0 of rectifier D.

A micro switch A (FIG. 1) is mounted on the pin setter and is operated by the scissors cam follower when the movable deck comes to rest on any standing pins, to energize relay 7 (FIG. 3) over contact II of relay 3 and contact II of relay 1. Relay 7 connects over its contact I terminal b of the DC. supply from rectifier D with the contact sets 112 of relays P1 to P10 (FIG. 1).

Corresponding contacts of the relays P1 P10 are connected in series in such a manner that a circuit through these contacts is only completed when the relays corresponding to a winning combination are energized.

In the case in which the standing pins form one of these payable combinations one circuit will be closed through one of the contacts of all sensing relays P1 to P10 between the positions Q1 and Q2 and thus the DC. supply from terminal b of rectifier D will be extended further over the closed contacts to one of the pay-out relays a n (FIG. 2) which are all connected over contact III of relay 1 (FIG. 3) with the DC. terminal a of rectifier D. Thus any one of 12 combinations is indicated by the operation of one of the relays a n.

In the case of a strike, when all pins have been knocked down, relay q (FIG. 2) will be operated by micro switch B which is mounted on the pin setters detector and operated by the strike cam-follower. Relay q in turn operates pay-out relay p which locks itself as described hereinafter.

All relays a to p (FIG. 2) are self-locking over their contacts I and operated contact III of relay 5 (FIG. 3) and contact III of relay 1 (FIG. 3) respectively.

The contacts I of relays m and n which indicate the highest pay-out combinations also operate the indicator lamps A1 and A2 which are arranged at the display stand to indicate a winning combination beyond the coin dispensers capacity.

All contacts II of the relays a p (FIG. 2) are connected in parallel, and on operation of any one of the relays a p (FIG. 2) the corresponding contact II will close and will thus energize relay 3 (FIG. 3) by connecting the latter with the A.C. supply at terminals c and d of rectifier D (FIG. 3).

Contact II of relay 3 interrupts the circuit for relay 7 and contact I of relay 3 closes a circuit for a synchro motor H which is supplied with A.C. current through terminals E22 and E23. An indicator lamp A5 indicates that the corresponding A.C. voltage is actually present at these terminals. Motor H operates the coin dispenser shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A which will be described in detail later on. At this stage it is sufficient to mention that on rotation of motor H a micro-switch E (FIGS. 3 and 4A) is operated at each dispensing of a coin (1 unit). One side of the micro-switch E is connected with terminal a of rectifier D over contact III of relay 1, and the other side leads to terminal 1 of counter 10 (FIG. 2) while terminal 2 of counter 10 is connected with terminal b of rectifier D, so that this counter is stepped by one step on each pulse received by operation of micro-switch E (FIGS. 3 and 4A). The counter is of known design and at the 10th step will operate momentarily its contact y, thus transferring this pulse to a similar counter 9 which now makes one step. In this way the counters can count up to 99 units. The counters are also provided with a contact x which is open in the O-position but will be pulsed and then stays closed at any other position. Diodes V are provided to prevent wrong current flow through the counters. Each counter has a wiper arm connected to a terminal C and a contact bank of ten contacts 1 to which are connected to contacts III of the relay group a to p in accordance with the pay-out combinations. The connections T can be varied according to the suggested pay-out as referred to above. These variations can, for example, be carried out by interposing between each contact III and the counter bank a 10-position rotary switch as shown in dotted lines by switch T1.

Assuming that the beforementioned pin combination (11) has been left standing. Relays P2, P6 and P8 (FIG. 1) are, therefore, operated closing a circuit for relay m (FIG. 2). Contact III of relay m connects contact of the contact bank of counter with contact 1 of the contact bank of counter 9 and when the two counters together have made steps a circuit is closed from terminal c to rectifier D (FIG. 3) over relay 1, wiper and contact bank of counter 10 (FIG. 2) contact III of relay m, contact bank and wiper of counter 9, to terminal d of rectifier D (FIG. 3). At contact IV of relay 1 the power supply from terminal 0 of rectifier D is interrupted, thus releasing any operated one of the relays P1 to P10 (FIG. 1) and at contact III of relay 1 the DC. supply from terminal a of rectifier D is interrupted to release any of relays a to p (FIG. 2). Relay 1 (FIG. 3) remains energized over its own operated contact I, and contact I of relay 2, when contact III of relay in (FIG. 2) opens again. At contact II of relay m the circuit for relay 3 is interrupted and thus motor H (FIGS. 3 and 4A) of the coin dispenser is now stopped after 15 coins (units) provided for this combination, have been dispensed, as counted by the counters 10 and 9. Operated contact III of relay 1 (FIG. 3) now connects the DC. power supply of rectifier D directly with the contacts x (FIG. 2) of the counters so that the counters continue stepping until they reach their O-position, when contacts x remain open interrupting the stepping circuits. To safeguard against a wrong pay-out in the case in which the counters have not returned to their initial or O-position for any reason, the relays ZU and ZT with their contacts zul, M2 and ztl, zt2 are included in the counter circuits. If, for example, in the absence of relays ZU and ZT the counter 9 remains on contact 2 after the final pulsing and the next count would be 1, then the counters would have to step up to 99, then to zero and subsequently to contact 1 thus overpaying by 100 units.

This is prevented by the relays ZU and ZT. As men tioned earlier motor K can only operate when the relays ZU and ZT have been energized closing their respective contacts zu2 and zt2. As the relays ZU and ZT are energized over the contacts x of counter 9 and 10 and these contacts are only closed continuously when the counters are in the O-position it is clear that no circuit for motor K can be completed unless both counters have returned to their respective O-position. The ottzero-position of any of the counters is in addition indicated by the indicator lamps A6 and A7 which are energized over the contacts ztl and 2141 respectively and contact II of relay 2 (FIG. 3) when the latter operates as described hereinafter. The counters 9 and 10 can be reset to their O-positions by manually operating the pushbuttons (CA and CB (FIG. 3)) respectively which are provided at the control box. When the respective counter reaches its O-position the corresponding relay ZU or ZT will operate as described above extinguishing the control lamp A7 or A6 as the case may be, and motor K can operate again over the closed contacts zu2 and zt2.

When all pins have been removed either by a strike or after a second ball has been played, the movable deck of the pin setter will go down further to set new pins and in this lower position will close a micro-switch CMS (FIG. 3A) thus energizing relay 2 (FIG. 3) over terminal E8 as long as the deck remains in its lowest position. Relay 2 breaks the holding circuits for relays 1 and 5 at contact I, so that these relays are tie-energized and the circuit for the pin setter start relay PSR (FIG. 3A) connected to terminal E1 is interrupted at contact II of relay 5 (FIG. 3).

The pin setter will stop but relay 8 remains operated, so that the fluorescent light FPL (FIG. 1) still illuminates the pin area and the game can continue by inserting a further coin into the coin dispenser, operating again temporarily the micro-switch G (FIG. 3). The whole cycle of operations then repeats itself as previously described.

At the end of the game a push button N (FIG. 1) is temporarily pressed thus interrupting the circuit for relay 8 which extinguishes the fluoroescent pin light FPL of the pin area.

As mentioned before, the pay out can be altered by changing the connections T (FIG. 2) between the contact banks of the counters 9 and 10 and the contacts III of the relays a to p. Similarly the paying combinations can be changed by altering the connections at the contacts 1 and 12 of relays P1 to P10 (FIG. 1). For this purpose switches U can, for example, be inserted between each contact in each of the twelve contact rows as indicated in contact row 1 (FIG. 1). A change over of one or more of these switches gives a wide variation in paying combinations.

One form of a coin dispenser suitable for use with the above described circuit is shown in FIGS. 4 and 4A.

The dispenser comprises a coin tube 7 which carries the necessary coins 4 to be paid out on winning combinations. The coin dispenser can be so arranged that the coins tendered by a player to the coin selector are collected in the coin tube 7 to replenish the amount held therein.

The tube 7 is mounted above a base plate 13' in a top plate 30 supported by side walls 22 and 23 and 24 and 25 and secured to top plate 30 by a flange 20 and screws 21. The lower end of tube 7 is held in position by a plate 14 secured to a spacer plate 18 by screws 26. A further spacer 16 with a semi-circular cut-out 17 is provided with a gap between the plate 18 and the space plate 13 to allow a disk 2 to be rotated therein.

The disk 2 has a shaft 10 journalled in bores 11 and 12 in the base plate 13 and plate 14 respectively, and spaced therefrom by shim washers 29.

Disk 2 takes the form of a tooth wheel which can be rotated by a cog 1 secured to the synchron motor H (see also FIG. 3) which is also mounted on the base plate by means of bushes 27 and screws 28.

The disk 2 has four symmetrically arranged openings 3 of the size of the coins to be dispensed and each opening is flanked by two pins 5 which when the disk rotates in an anti-clockwise direction pass through corresponding slots 6 in the bottom of coin tube 7 and push the lower most coin through a horizontal slot 8 adjacent the bottom of the tube. When the coin is clear of the bottom of the tube 7 it falls into the nearest opening 3 of the disk 2 and on further movement is dispensed through the semi-circular cut-out 15 in base plate 13. The spacer plate 18 has also a semi-circular cut-out 19 which is tangential to the openings 3 to prevent any coin from overshooting the opening when it is pushed out of the coin tube 7.

The disk has four depressions 9 corresponding to the four openings 3 and these depressions operate a micro 7 switch B (see also FIG. 3), to give a counting pulse for each coin dispensed from the dispenser to operate the counters and 9 (FIG. 2) as described above.

The foregoing detailed description refers only to one embodiment of the invention and it must be understood that changes can be made in the circuit and the coin dispenser to suit individual requirements without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a ten pin bowling alley incuding a pin setter, an arrangement having coin-operated means to activate said pin setter, sensing means on said pin setter to sense the position of any pins left standing after a ball has been played, electric circuits including pay-out relays connected with said sensing means, a selected one of said circuits being closed by a corresponding predetermined combination of sensed pins representing a predetermined monetary value to operate a corresponding pay-out relay, counting mean set in accordance with said predetermined monetary value, a coin dispensing device connected with said counting means to dispense coins when any one of said pay-out relays is operated, said counting means counting the number of coins dispensed from said dispensing device and stopping the dispensing of coins when the number of dispensed coins corresponds to the monetary value set on said counting means.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the sensing means comprise a set of micro switches mounted on the pin setter for operation by standing pins on downward movement of the pin setter, and a corresponding set of sensing relays, each sensing relay being electrically connected with a corresponding micro switch and operated thereby, each relay having a set of electrical change-over contacts whereby the number of contacts corresponds to the number of said predetermined combinations and corresponding contacts of the sensing relays are connected in series in such a manner that an electric circuit is closed for one of said pay-out relays when the sensing relays of a predetermined combination are energized over their corresponding micro switches, the operation of said pay-out relay indicating the presence of a predetermined combination of standing pins.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 and having an additoinal pay-out relay operable by said pin setter when no pins have been left standing after the first ball has been played.

4. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein changeover switches are interposed between said seriesconnected changeover contacts of said relays.

5. An arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the counting means comprise a step-by-step unit counter and a step-by-step ten-unit counter, each counter having the contacts of its contact bank selectively electrically connected with contacts of said pay-out relays corresponding to units of said predetermined monetary values, said counters being stepped by said coin dispensing device in accordance with coins of unit value dispensed thereby.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5 in which rotary switches are interposed between each contact of said contact banks and contacts of said pay-out relays for the selective connection therebetween.

7. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the coin dispensing device comprises a vertical coin tube for receiving coins of unit value stacked therein, said tube being closed at its lower end and having a slot in its side wall adjacent said closed end to permit the lowermost coin to be pushed therethrough, a disc-shaped member underneath the closed end of said tube and rotatably mounted on a vertical axis oif-set from the longitudinal axis of said tube, an electric motor engaging said discshaped member for rotation thereof, said disc-shaped member having a plurality of openings evenly spaced angularly for receiving a coin therein and a pair of pusher pins arranged adjacent each opening, said pins on rotation of said member passing through corresponding slots in the closed end of said tube to engage the lowermost coin therein and to push said coin into one of said openings, a base plate underneath said disc-shaped member having a passage therethrough to allow a coin to be released through said base plate, when the coin in one opening of said member is aligned with said passage, and switching means temporarily operated by said discshaped member at the release of each coin.

8. An arrangement according to claim 1 wherein said coin-operated means include a coin operated contact, a motor-driven cam, said motor being started by the operation of said coin-operated contact, and contact means operable by said cam to activate the pin setter and to stop said motor after the cam has rotated through a predetermined angle.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8 including relay means interrupting the electric circuit of said motor when said counting means are not in their rest position, when the coin-operated contact is operated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,118,303 5/1938 Hehn 27337 FOREIGN PATENTS 626,725 5/1927 France. 266,648 3/1927 Great Britain.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner

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