US1122622A

US1122622A - Tenpin-setter.

Info

Publication number: US1122622A
Application number: US64446411A
Authority: US
Inventors: John C Mcfarland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1911-08-16
Filing date: 1911-08-16
Publication date: 1914-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1931-12-29

Description

J. G. MQFARLAND.

TBNPIN SETTEB. APPLIOATIORHLBD AUG. 1e. 1911.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.v

3 SEEHTB-SHEET 1.

Wl TN E 88E 8:

wwwrun j Armen/Er C. MUFARLAND.

TENPIN SETTEB. APPLmA'JzlolsA HLED AUG. 1s, 1911.

Patented 1m29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/N VEN TOI? Wl T/VE SSE S:

y M M T T Ah J. C. MGFARLAND. TENPIN SETTER. APPLIGATION FILED AUG.16, 1911.

l, l 2296226, Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

.vorm c; Karmann, or sromn, wasnnve'roiv. v

nizacaa To aZZ'fwhom it may concem:

Be it known that I, J om:l C. MGFARLAND, citizen of the United States of America, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of, Washington, have invented 1 certain new and A useful Improvements in Tenpi-Setters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to apparatus .for mechanically setting ten-pins in .a bowling alley, for clearingl oi fallen pins, elearlng the alley of the pins and re-setting the same.

Other objectsand purposes will appear in the drawings land will be hereinafter ex.

plained. 4 I y Most of the .work is" done by mechanical means thrown. in and out of operation with continuously moving machmer at'the will of the operator by means of 'levers or other appliances adapted to be op-k erated with the hands or feet, the remalnder of the work being manual. but operating with mechanical'parts, TheI alley is Acleared yof down pins lay-means oflalrotating arm adjusted to. sweep'across 'the surface'of the alley in such 'a manner as to remove all ofn the pins therefrom, sweeping them to a .val-

ley at the rear of the alley .from whence they are conveyed' I'for re-adjustmentupon the alley floor.` The pins are re-set by being elevated-to. a position above thealley floor and above a system of carriers and conveyers 'surmounted by' a funnellshaped hopper into xwhichhopper'the ten-pins are dropped one ait a time, -and by .means'not claimed herein operating with the law of gravity the pins pass downward through the bottom of the hopper inpan upright position, thence into a system of carriers and conveyers from whence they :are set in' due position upon the alley floor.; A clutching device is provided for gripping .and elevating stand; ing pins when it is desired` that" they should retain their positions' upon the alley loor when the rotatingarm 'may 'again ,be brought into' use to clea'r the down lpins' from the alley, fthen 'the clutching device is lowered 2and the' pins'lieldlb'yi't released in their original positions. Me'ans -are also proyided for `thereturning '0f' llefb'alls. t'o' the front end of the alley.-

I hereb refer to .Letters-Patent Number- 975,445 of' date November 15th,' 1910, i issuedto me fora ten-pin'settei whicli'includes: some ofthe fundamental mechanism that will be used to* carry. toja'coinpletesucel ipecoation of Letters Iatent.

Patented Decs 29, 19M

v -alipligmnmalmuiugm1a nail serial 1ra-644,464..

the objects and but which Ij wil not aimto definitely describe here'in, nor to claim. f In the drawings Figure' 1 is a side 'elevation ofthe carriers, conveyers, hopper and elevator together, with. aportion of the detail parts cbacting therewith anda sectional ViewA of: portions of thealle floor and valley to the rear of .the same. ig. 2 is afront 1 view of the' clutching device for-elevating and loweringstandingl pins together with portions Yoli the connecting mechanism. `ig. 3 isla sideview of the said clutching devicev together. with portions of -tlie.con' necting. mechanism. `Fig. 4 is a-view of a purposes-fof this invention,

sleeve carrying a gear adapted for vconnection. .with continuously moving machinery,

togetherzwith a brokenaway viewota shaft and..means 92E binding and yreleasing thesleeve toa'nd from the shaft respectively. Fig.. 5 is a sectional view taken on; the. line 5-5 of Fig'. 4. Eig. 6 is avdetail view of the hopper togetherwith means of operatf ing a crane connected therewith@ Eig. 7 .is an .enlarige'dl detail view ofmhecranegvof a;

broken-awayvview. ofthe' carriersoperating in conjunction ltherewith` .together with connecting parts, andFigt-Sgis al broken-awayplan view of the'carriers.:

- The valley floor 10 is .of 'usual ctnistruction land connects/with. a downwardly inelined` portionI 11S to the rear oftliesarne.'

A. downwardlyl and rearwardly: I extendingl valle'y12 at the of the alley oorlOf entends jrom.. a. position yunderneathlsthe downwardly inclined portion 11 to theelevat'or .13 at the rear of the same.- vAm upwardly.. and rearwardly inclined. loorl: with Ii'tslo'werend' portion 15, stationed apprcxinately'horizontal with tlie portionll: .and beyond the" gulley '16' is provided with atrough .'17 arranged transversely oi the alleyl floor 10 and inclines downwardly each vw'aylA from the vcenter .thereof and connectswith the' valleys usuf allyconstructedalongthesides of and longitudinallywith 'the alley iioor 10,-reaching tothe rnt thereof The gulley 16 is cal-v dulateditobefof'asize to pass therethrough;

tnpinsz:18,"but to be too small `to pass'the' A `halls' 19, 'which by force of the momentum given-'them by the thrust of the'play'er will becarried along the alley iioorV to the rear thereof, across the gulley 16, up the incline 14and mto the trough 17' 'from l'whence they win he. mma. @my alonggth:

longitudinallv arranged valleys to the front of the alley floor 10.

i The upper end 13 of the elevator sets at an angle and underneath the same is secured a chute 20 opening into a hopper 21; connected with the lower end of the hopper-21 is a tubular crane 22 supported by the shaft 23 around whichthe crane is adapted to rotate with its lower end swinging. directly over the openings into the'tubu- .larcarriers 24 arranged with their top ends in a circle and the lower ends in the shape of .a triangle, or the shape ten-pins are required to set relatively upon an alley floor, there being as many tubes as there are pins in the game. A conveyer' consisting of a frame 25 and asr many tubes 26 as there are pins in the game arranged relatively to connect with the lower ends of the carriers 24 and to correspond with the required positions of the pins upon an alley floor is equipped with .wheels 27 adapted to follow a track 28 arranged on an incline at the sides of the alley `floor 10 and extending backward along the sides of the carriers 24 in such a way that the conveyer tubes 26 may be shifted from a position directly-un-y derneath the carrier tubes24 to the position above the alley Hoor 10 that pins are re.

quired to be set for a game, by a process of running the conveyer car along the track 28 and returning the same to a position unl derneath the carrier tubes 24 by running the same upthe tracks. In Fig. 1 of the drawings the conveyer car (consisting of the frame 25 and tubes 26) is shown in an intermediate position. l

A clutching device consisting of a frame 29 and as many pairs of jaws 30 as it requires pins to play the game and relatively arranged to correspond with the proper positions of the pins upon the alley floor 10 is secured to a horizontal rod 31 slidably adjusted by means of the bearings 32 to lthe upright supports 33.

The horizontal rod 3l is connected by the vertical rods 34 to the arms 35 which in turn are rigidly secured to the shaft 36 carrying the gear 37. The gear 37 'meshes with a gear 38 of twice its size, 'the latter being rigidly secured to the shaft 39 journaled to the uprights 33 and carrying a sleeve 40 loosely adjusted thereto and which sleeve carries two gears, 41' and 42, the former being connected up with continuously moving machinery by means of the chain 43. A brace 44 has pivoted thereto a gravity pawl 45 and attached to the pawl 45 is a pin 46 adapted for engagement with a notch 47 in a plate 48 secured to the end of the frame 49 by a hinge 50 and held in a vertical position by a tension spring 51.

By means of this last described mechanism the pawl 45 is held from engagement with the gear 42, but may be brought into enagement therewith as shown by the dotted ine 45', by' the manual drawing of the cable 52 which reaches to the front end of the alley floor 10. The drawing of the cable 52 releases the pin '46 connected with the pawl 45 from thel notch 47 in the plate 48, the plate being drawn away from the 'pin `which plate is returned to its normal position by the tension spring 51 when the Attached horizontally to the shaft 23A are 'Reaching from the lever 67 are two

arms

69 and 70, theformer engaging the ratchet wheel 62 and the latter a spring pawl 71 on the ratchet wheel 61. The shaft 63 is' journaled in the bearing 72. Pivotally secured to the bottom of the shaft 63 and to I the ring 73 of the cage 64 are normally horizontal arms 74,-one reaching into each of the carriers 24.

Pivotedto one of the uprights 33 as at 75 is a lever 76 with a horizontal arm 77 secured to a rod 7 8, which in turn is secured to a lever 79 connected to the shaft 39. Secured also to one of the uprights 33 as at 80 is a lever 81 having one arm 82 engaging the upwardly extending arm 83 of the lever 76, the other arm 84 being free. The lever .81 has a bearing upon the shaft 33 and is adapted to rock horizontally thereon.

The frame 29 of the clutching device has two sets of

bars

29 and 292 each carrying one of the jaws constituting the pairs 30. The half jaw connected to the bars 292 are pivoted to the bars 29 as at 85. Pivoted to the bars 292 as at 86 and passing through a bearing as at 87 on the bars 29 is a pin 88. Secured to the bars 292 is apawl 89 adapted for engagement with a lug 90 on said bars 292, the said pawl 89 having an l guasta to a rod 96 which in turn is attached tothe frame 25 of the vconveyers 26, Also attached to'the shaft94 is an arm 97 connectp ed bv the rod 98 to the pin 99. The pin 99: carries a pawl 100 and is slidably adjusted and 108 respectively extending across their openings at the bottom, which are secured to rods 109 andv 110 respectively, pivoted to the sides of the tubes 24 and 26 respectively as at 111 and 112 respectively.

.The shaft 92. and .the gears 41 are con` nected up..with continuously moving-machinery. The carrier tubes 24 and conveyer tubes 26 are. constructed of wires 113 and are calculated Ato carry the pins 18. The

' front sides 114a .of the tubes 26 are open in order to permit of the prearranged dropping out of the pins 18 as will be herein- .after described. In the use of the apparatus 'the machinery is set in operation, the pins 18 are dropped through lthe gulley 16 into the rearwardly. extending valley 12 from where they are carried by gravity to the elevator 13where.they are pickedu and. elevated through the ,chute 20 to'an through .the hopper 21 to the crane 22, 'through which they pass/by gravity to the carrier tubes 24, Aone Vof which always connectswith the bottom .of the crane 22. When the pin-'enters the top of the carrier 24, it

- strikes the end of one of the levers 74 andby the force of its momentum tilts thelever to'let the pin .pass into the tube 24. The,

tilting .of the lever 74 throws upward the shaft 63, causing the upright end 66 thereof to force upwardly the horizontal arm ofthe lever 67, which in turn -causes the upright portion of said lever. .to .Y bear inwardly against' the pin 70 forcing the pawl 71 out ofv engagement with the ratchet.. wheel 61 and permitting' the `pressure from the 'same source tobear against the pin 69 engaging the-ratchet wheel 62 and forcing the ratch- .et's 61 and 62 around a distance horizontally carrying the shaft 23 and consequently the crane-22 with'them, the crane traveling in,

a circular manner until it reaches a position over the top of another of the tubes 24. This-process continues as long as itis necessary to lill all of the .tubes 24.- When all of the tubes 24 are filled, the cable `52 con- 'nected to the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 and being attached to the shaft39, is mano' ually drawn, releasing the pin 46 from the notch 47 in the .plate 48 thereby .permitting the pawl 45 to engage the ratchet 42 tying the shaft 94 to the moving-mechanism of the sleeve 40 and the gear 41 by means of the blzwherby Lthe' shaft'isrotated, thel lspectively proper positions.

arm 95 connected to the ccnveyer frame. 25 brlnging the conveyer tubes upwardly to a position directly underneath the carrier tubes 24, the lug 114 at the top of the con-'- yeyer frame 25 -pressing rearward the prujectlon 121 attached Ato the rods 107 taking away the supports for the pins whereb p1ns. 1n the carrier tubes 24 are release, and preclpitated into the conveyer tubes 26. The continued rotation of the arm'95 carries thc conveyer 'tubes 26 forward to a position above the alley floor 10 when the lug 115 strikes against the projection 116 carr rearwardly the cross rods 108`at the bottoms of the tubes 26 taking away the supportsv for the pins and permitting the pins to be dropped upon the alley :door 10 at their re-y l'.lhe above process of course is capable-of constant repetition. While the last above process has been going on the arm 97 attached to the shaft 94 and connected to the pin 99 has ,drawn Athe pin 99 rearward and the pawl 100` attached thereto bearing against.` the shoulder 58 has forced the rod 56 rearward t@ and by means of the lever 55has rotated the upright 54 one fourth way around carrying the arm 53 with 1t, whereby the alley floor is so timed that the alley floor is swept of,

down pins at the proper time. lVhen the top o f the pawl 10D-strikes -the lug 116 the pawl 100 is released from the shoulder 58 on the pin 57 whereby by the yforce of the4 the tot

spring 117 the arm 53 and upright 54 are rotated back to the position shown in Fig. 1. In case it is desired to remove down pins` after a ball has been thrown the cable 52 is manually v-drawn releasing the pawl 45 thereby connecting the shaft 39 with the moving mechanlsm by means of the gears 41 and .42 and the chain 43, whereby through the rotation of the arms 35 connected to the shaft 39 by means of the

gears

37 and 38 andthe shaft 36 the clutching device carrying the jaws 30 is lowered to the tops of the standing pins 18. 'A

In the lowering process above mentioned,

the pin 88 strikes againstlthe arm 82 closing the jaws 30. over the 'tops of the pins 18, the pawl 89 drops down behind the shoulder 90 locking the jaws whereby by the continued rotation of the arm 35 vthe frame 2 9 and jaws 30 are. elevated as shown in Fig. 3

lit

carrying the standing pins with them.v

While the pins 18 are elevated the arm 102 by 'its rotation with the shaft 39 by means iso of the rod 103, pins 104 and 57, the awl 106, rod 56 and lever 55 has rotate the upright 54 rotating the arm 53 across the alley loor 10 whereby the down pins are swept therefrom as hereinbefore described. When the arm of the pawl 106 has struck the lug 118 the pawl 106 is releasedfrom the shoulder 59 and the spring 117 rotates back the upright 54; and the arm 53 to the position shown in Fig. 2. The continued rotation of the arm 35 returns the-frame 29 and jaws 30 downward so as to deliventhe standing pins 18 to their proper positions upon the alley floor 10. The rotation of the arm 79 with the shaft 39 causes thelever 77 to throw the arm 84 in the path of the pawl pin 91 whereby the pawl 89 is forced from its connection behind the shoulder 90 and the jaws 30 are forced open by the spring 120. The continued rotation of the arm 35 again carries the frame 29 and jaws 30 upward and the process of removing down pins is complete. 1n the process the frame 29 has to be lowered twice while the arm 53 is swung forward and back but once, consequently the gear 37 on the shaft 36 carr mg the arm 35 must be one half the size o the gear 38 on the shaft 39 carrying the arm 102.

It is apparent that the relative parts must be properly timed to perform the various functions in proper order.

In playing a pins ratchet wheels 61 and' 62 can be substituted with longer and less notches to rotate the crane 22 past the tubes 24 that it is desired should not be filled.

Balls tossed across the alley floor 10l by the force of their momentum will be carried up the incline 14 to the trough 17 from vwhence they will be conveyed by gravity to the valleys at the sides of the alley floor 10 and then to the front of the alley. The gulley 16 is made wide enough for the passage of ten pins 18 but too narrow for the passage of balls 19, therefore the balls will pass over the same.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is

1. In a ten pin setter, two sets of tubes one set permanently adjusted above and near an alley floor, the other set adapted for adjustment by mechanical means from a position directly underneath the former set to a position on the alleyfloor and to change from one position to the other, a tubular crane mounted above theirst named set of tubes connected at its upper end with a hopper land adapted for horizontalA rotation to connect alternately at its lower end with the tops of the individual tubes composing said first set of tubes, means for rotating said crane and means for changing the pogame requiring less than ten sition: of the `second `mentioned. set of tubes from aposition directly underneath the ,i former set of tubes to a position on the alley floor and'vice versa.

2. In a ten pin setter, two sets of tubes one set permanently adjustediabove and near an alley Hoor, the other set adapted for adjustment by mechanical means from a position directly underneath the 'former set to a position, on the alley floor and to change from one position to the other, a tubular crane mounted above the first named set of tubes connected at' its upper end with a hopper and adapted for horizontal rotation to connect alternately at its lower end with the Ms 'of the individual tubes composing said st set of tubes, means for rotating said crane and means for changing the position of the second mentioned set of tubes from a position directly underneath the former set of tubes to a position on the alley Hoor and vice versa, together with a frame carrying as many sets v'of jaws as there are ten pins in the game adjustedA above the alley floor4 and adapted for ad.

-justment downward to engage the -standing ten pins in the jawsy thereof, elevate the same, return the same to the alley floor and release the pins and return to an elevated position, an arm adj-ustedhoizontally above the alley ioor adjacent thereto adapted to l rotate and sweep across the same and means for rotating the same across the floor and backwhile the standing pins are being held in an elevated position. g

3. In a ten pin setter, two sets of tubes one set permanently adjusted above ,an near an alley floor, the other set adapted for adjustment by mechanical means from a position directly underneath the former set to a position on the alley floor and tochange from one position to the other, a tubular crane mounted above the first named set of tubes connected at its upper end with a hopper4 and adapted vfor horizontal rotation to connect alternately at its lower end with the tops of the individual tubes composing said first set of tubes, means for rotating said crane and means for changinghe position of the second mentioned set of tubes vfrom a position directly underneath the former set of tubes to a position on the alley floor Aand viceversa, together with a passage at the rear of the alley Hoor to a downwardly and rearwardly inclined alley reaching to 'an elevator for the conveying of ten pins to the said hopper.

In testimony whereof I affix` my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN C. MGFARLAND. Witnesses:

Gao. E. CANFIELD, WILLIAM H. KAYE.'