US1570549A - Bowling-alley ball return - Google Patents

Description

hig i9 1926.

r 1 1,570,549 J. w. BISHOP BOWLING ALLEY BALL RETURN Original Filed Jan. 9, 1924 Patented Jan. 19, 1926.

UNITED'STATES 1,570,549 PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH W. BISHOP, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE BRUNSWICK- BALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BOWLING-ALLEY BALL RETURN.

Application filed January 9, 1924, Serial No. 685,112. Renewed September 14, 1925.

To aZZ whom it concern. I

Be it known that I, JOSEPH-IV. BIsHor, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon. in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bowling- Alley Ball Returns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to bowling alleys and more particularly to the ball return.

In commercial practice it has been customary heretofore to provide a straight return for the ball extending from the alley pit to a curved end at or about the back of the approach to the alley whereby the ball is caused to travel upward to and forward on a receiving track elevated abovethe return track. As the ball travels up the curve from the return track to the receiving track it is retarded so that it will come to rest upon the receiving track which provides storage space for a number of balls.

Many players desire to play exclusively,

with a single ball, which may be owned by the player or may be a ball belonging to the alley, which the player prefers to the other balls, and therefore it is highly de= sirable to return this ballto the player as quickly as possible, so that he may, whenever usually remains at or about the foul line necessary, throw his second ball with as litwatching the ball travel down the alleyto the pins, and it is desirable toreturn the ball direct to him while in this posltlon without requiring him to look back for the ball to approach him from the rear of the alley. The players attention 1s prlmarily directed to the pins, and it may happen, while he is looking forward and at the same time picking up a ball from the track, another ball will travel up the curve to the receiving track and hit the ball the player is picking up, or the line of balls, and injure the players fingers. The finger holes in theballs are not always difposed in proper position for the player to engage them. and quite frequently it becomes necessary to turn the ball around until the finger holes are accessible; if another ball travels up the curve and hits the players ball, or the line of balls, while the player is turning his ball, there is always the chance that the playersfingers will be injured. It is my opinion that these chances of injury to the player will be eliminated and the operation of delivering the ball to the player simplified if the usual overhead return travel of the ball is avoided, so that it will not be necessary for the player to direct his attention rearward in the act of picking up a ball. To this end my invention has for its object to provide means for delivering the ball while in a forward direction from the return track, located at or about the level of the alley bed, to the receiving or storage track elevated somewhat above the alley bed in convenient po-sition'for the players, and to retard the upward movement of the ball so that it will be delivered upon the receiving track-at a rate of speed only sufficient for such delivery. a

I am aware that it has been proposed heretoforeto eliminate the return travel of the ball and permit it to travel in a straight line and up an incline to the receiving track, but the ball often travels down the return track at a comparatively high rate of speed which must be checked and retarded to insure delivery upon the receiving track in a desirable manner without liability of injur'- ing the player and without dislodging the balls already on the receiving track; but so far as I know these devices have not proven commercially satisfactory because they lack efiicient means for properly delivering the ball to the receiving track.

My invention, therefore, has for its object also to provide a bowling alley ball return with means whereby the ball is delivered, while traveling forward, upon an elevated receiving track at a proper reduction in speed to insure safe delivery.

With these and other ends in view the invention comprises certain structural elements which are illustrated in What I now consider a preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a side elevation of so much of a bowling alley ball return as is necessary for illustrating my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

' Referring to the drawings, 5 is a ball rely perpendicular direction, and then it is caused to change again to a horizontal direction as it is carried over the point 9. This last change of direction of travel of the ball is effected by guides lat mounted in the frame 12:'1n an are spaced from the point 9. i The ball travels up the curve at a comparatively highrate of speed and it is checkedand retarded by engagement with a tensioned buffer strap 10 While it is guided to change its direction of travel to a horizontal direction, and thus the ball is delivered very slowly and quietly on to the receiving track 7. The frame 12 constitutes a support for the curved end 6 of the return track 5, for the guides 1a and forthebuifer strap-10, and it may be located in any convenient position at the approach to the-alley according to the standardrules, or, if desired, according to any special requirements.

' ldy invention provides a simple means for returning the ball to the player with a forward-travel only and delivering it to the player slowly so that the player may receive the ball as it is delivered upon the receivingtrack and without damage or injury. The delivery of a ball to the player while traveling in a forward direction from the pit is desirable because it does not require a player to divert his attention from the pit end of the alley to which it is mostly directed, and also because it enables the player to receive the ball as it approaches him while standing naturally adjacent the receiving track and without requiring him to twist around and strain to an unnatural position, or to turn his back to the pit end of the alley. The invention also insures delivery of the ball at a rate of speed which can be regulated by tensioning the buffer strap and which is preferablyv reduced to a degree at which theball will be delivered to the player slowly without endangering his lingers, or will be aligned with other balls on the receiving track without crashing against them.

My invention is simple in construction and can be easily applied to old alleys as well as new'alleys. I realize that changes in the details of construction may be required to adapt the invention for different conditions, and I consider myself entitled to make all such changes as fairly fall within the seepeof the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment with the return track, a curved track intermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connecting the adjacent ends thereof, and curved guide tracks disposed opposite to the juncture of the curved track with the receiving track.

2. A- bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment with the return trarh, a curved track intermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connecting the adjacent ends thereof, means adjacent said curved track for changing the direction of travel of the ball when it reaches the top of the curved track and comprising guides, and aretarding buffer disposed opposite the juncture of the curved track with the receiving track.

3. A bowling alley ball return comprising a-return track, an elevated receiving track in alignment with the return track, a curved track intermediate of the return track and the receiving track and connecting the adjacent ends thereof, a frame. adjacent the curved track, and curved guidessupported by the frame above the curved track.

4. A bowling alley ball return comprising a return track, an elevated receiving track in'alignment with the return track, a curved track intermediate of the return track and the receiving trackand connecting the adjacent ends thereof, aframe adjacentthe curved track, guides supported by the frame above the curved track, and a retarding buffer carried by the-frame and located-op posite the juncture of the curved track with the receiving track.

5. A bowling alley ball return comprising JOSEPH W; BISHOP.

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