US1852870A - Pin setting device for bowling alleys - Google Patents

Description

April5; 1932. R. A. WILLIAMS I PIN SETTING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed April 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 VII/IA I l/l1 Apr-i155, 1932.-

R. A. WILLIAMS 1,852,870 PIN SETTING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed April 13, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 as g by Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE RAYMOND A. WILLIAMS, OIE ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS PIN SETTING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Application filed April 13,

This invention relates to bowling alleys in which the pins are adapted to be automatically set and has for its object the production of a device for receiving the pins in an inclined position from a plurality of pin conduits and subsequently moving them into -vertical position and accurately setting them overhead support 18.

on the surface of the alley.

This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, one preferred form thereof is illustrated in the drawings, this form having been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized, and the invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and org'ani:

zation of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described except as required by tionof said elevating and-lowering mechanism. Y

-Similar characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the draw 7 ings.

In the drawings, 10 is the pit end of a bowling alley having side walls 11.

In the side walls 11 are vertical channels 12 into which extend rollers 13 on the opposite sides of a member 14 adapted to be reciprocated. vertically between the side walls 11,- 11. I

' Secured to this member 14 atthe corners thereof are cables 15 extending over pulleys 16 otatable in brackets 17 secured to some 1929. Serial mi. 354,950.

These cables extend to the head of the alley so that the bowler may raise the member 14 until it comes into contact with a fixed top plate 19 interposed between the two side walls 11, 11.

The cables 15 extend through holes in the fixed top plate 19.

Under normal conditions the member 14 is in the position. indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, its upper face abutting the lower face ofthe fixed plate 19, this member being held in this position by any well known locking means at the head of the alley "coacting with the cables 15.

As this locking means forms no part of the present invention, it is deemed unnecessary to illustrate the same.

weight of the member 14 will move it from the position indicated infull lines in Fig.

4 to its lowest position resting on the alley as indicated by dotted lines in said F ig. 4.

To the upper face of the plate 19 are mounted blocks 20 supporting the lower ends of flexible conduits 21, the upper ends of which communicate with a pin magazine.

For convenience, only one of these pin conduits 21 is shown but it is obvious that in the alley there are ten of these conduits,

each one extending to an opening 22 in the plate 19.

When the pin magazine is opened pins will be delivered therefrom into the conduits 21 and ordinarily several pins will be in each of these conduits as indicated,-in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

At 23 each'conduit has hinged thereto a gate 24 having a downward projection 25 as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

The member 14 has a plurality of holes 26 corresponding to the holes in the top plate 19 As soon as the cables 15 are-unlocked, the

and alined therewith, these openings having their rear walls inclined and in the same plane with the inclined rear walls of the openings 22. p

Beneath the forward ends of the opening 26. are cylindrical holes 27 slightly larger than the diameter of the pin 28 being used upon the alley.

When the member 14 is in its upper position in contact with the under face of the plate 19, the forward end of each gate 24 will rest upon the upper face'of this member 14 so that pins may be discharged from the conduits 21 into the openings 26, 26, as indicated. in Fi 2 of the drawings.

Within t e member 14 is a chamber 29 in which a spider 30 is adapted to reciprocate.

The cross members of this spider 30 are immediately behind the inclined pins 28.

Between the two parallel bars 31 forming part of the spider 30 are fixed blocks 32 serving as a guide for'the spider 30 when it is reciprocated back and forth.

. The plate 19 has an elongated opening 33 therein and beneath this opening and fixed to an upper face of the member 14 is a bracket 34 which extends upwardly through said opening.

The upper end of the bracket 34 has pivoted thereto, at 35, a bell crank lever 36, one end of which is bifurcated as indicated in Fig. 4 and straddles a pin 37 formed upon the rear cross bar 38 of the spider 30.

The other end of the lever 36 is pivotally connected at 39 to an arm 40 having in its upper end an elongated slot 41 through which extends a stud 42 projecting laterally from a downwardly extending bar 43 secured to the overhead support 18.

The length of the slot 41 is less than the length of movement of the member 14.

When the member 14 has a plurality of pins resting in the openings 26, with their lower ends abutting the front wall of the openings 26, said member may be lowered and during the lowering the arm 40 will move downwardly until the upper end of the slot 41 comes into contact with the stud 42.

The continuation of the lowering of this member 14 will then causev the bell crank lever 36 to be moved about its pivot 35 and tilt all the pins 28 into a vertical position so that they may drop through the openings 27 with their ends resting upon the upper face of the alley, all as indicated in dottedlines A in Fig. 4;

It will be noted that by means of this tilting mechanism the pins are not moved into vertical position until the member 14 is near its lowest position.

If the bowler then pulls upon the cables 15, the member 14 will be returned to its normal position as indicated in Fig. 4, leaving the ten pins properly set upright upon the face of the alley.

As soon as the member 14 moves downwardly away from the fixed plate 19, each gate 24 by its own weight will move downwardly about its pivot 23 so that the projection 25 will be in front of the exit of the conduit 21 and will thereby prevent any pin within the conduit from passing into the opening 22.

Upon the upward movement of the member 14, the upper face thereof will contact with all of the gates 24 and lift them, removing the projections 25 from the front of the discharge ends of said conduits 21, thus permitting other pins to move downwardly into the openings 22, 26-, preparatory to the setting of another set of. pins.

When the member 14 commences to move upwardly, the weight 44 on the lever 36 will return the spider 30 to its normal position.

The member 14 is made up of four sheets of material as indicated in the drawings, the two upper sheets of material having an outline as indicated in dotted lines 45 in Fig. 1.

It is believed that the operation and many advantages of the'invention will be understood readily without further description.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of openings therein; conduits for delivering pins to said openings in inclined position; amember normally in contact with the under face of said plate and having openings therethrough to receive said pins and temporarily retain them in their inclined position; means-for lowering said member; a spider within said member adapted to be moved to tilt said pins into vertical position; a bracket on said member; a bell crank lever pivoted to said bracket, one end of which is pivotally connected to said spider; a fixed support; a stud thereon; and an arm pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said lever and having an elongated slot in its opposite end through which said stud projects.

2. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of elongated openings therein adapted to contain inclined pins in parallelism; pin conduits for delivering pins to said openings; a gate for each conduit adapted to control the discharge of pins therefrom; and means beneath and normally in contact with said plate adapted to be lowered and in the lowering operation tilt said pins into vertical position and set them upright upon the alley and simultaneously permit the closing of all of said gates, said means i being adapted on its upward movement to I open all of said gates.

3. In a bowling alley, a member having elongated parallel openings adapted to contain inclined pins; means for-lowering said member; a spider within said member adapted to be moved to tilt said pins into vertical position; a bracket on said member; a bell crank lever pivoted to said bracket, one end of which is pivotally connected to said spider; a fixed support; a stud thereon; and an arm pivotally connected at one end to the other end of said lever and having an elongated slot in its opposite end through which said stud projects, said slot having a length less than that of the movement of said member.

4. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of openings therein; a pin' conduit for each opening adapted to deliver a pin thereto in an inclined position; pinreceivin means beneath and normally in contact with said plate adapted to be lowered and in the lowerin operation move said pins into vertical position and set them upright upon the alley; and a vertically movable gate for eachconduit above said plate and normally'retained raised by contact with said receiving means, said gate being adapted to move downwardly and prevent the discharge of pins therefrom during the downward movement of said lowering means and adapt ed to be opened again by contact with said lowering means during the upward movement of said lowering means.

5. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of passages therein; a pin conduit for each passage adapted to deliver.

a pin thereto in an inclined position; a pinreceiving member beneath and normally in contact with said plate having openings therein registering with'said passages, said openings having inclined upper walls and cylindrical lower ends; means for lowering said member; and means carried by said member adapted to be mbved into direct contact with the lower sides of all of said inclined v pins during the lowering operation and move said pins into vertical position upright in said cylindrical lower ends and set them upon tlie alley. p

6. In a bowling alley, a fixed late provided with a plurality of passages t erein; a pin conduit for each passage,adapted"to' deliver a pin thereto in an inclined position; 'apinreceiving member beneath and normally in contact with said plate having openings therein registeringwith said passages, said openings having upper inclined walls to su port said pins in inclined fposition andcylin rica] lower ends means or lowering said member; and a spider carried by said member adapted to be movedv horizontally into contact with the lower sides of all ofsaid inclined pins during the lowering operation and move said pins into vertical posltion in said cylindrical lowernds thereby positioning them vfor disposal upright upon the alley.

7. In a bowlingalley a fixed plate pro vided with a lurality of openings therein; a pin conduit or each opening adapted to deliver a pin thereto in an inclined position; a gate for each conduit adapted to control the discharge of pins therefrom; means beneath and normally in contact with said plate adapted to be lowered and in thelowering operationmove said pins into vertical posiings in inclined position; a member ly in contact with the under face of said with anextension normally resting upon the 1 upper face of said lowering means. I

8. In abowling'alley, a member having a plurality of openings therethrough having upper inclined walls adaptedto support pins in inclined position therein, said openmgs having cylindrical lower ends and said member having an elongated horizontal chamber therein above said cylindrical lower ends;

means for lowering said member {and reciprocating means enclosed within thechamber of said member for simultaneously contacting with and moving all of said pins into vertical position in said cylindrical ends dur-, ing the lowering operation preparatory to settin them upright upon the alley.

9. n a bowling alley, a fined plate provided with a lurality. of openings therein; conduits for elivering pins to said OPGIirma plate and having openingsytherethrough' to receive said pins and having inclined walls adapted to temporarily support said pins in 1 their inclined position; means for lowering said member; a slidable spider within an elongated horizontal chamber in said mem ber normally free from contact 'withsaid pins but adapted to bemo'vedinto contact with all of said pinsand tilt theminto vertical position; abracket extending upwardly from said member; a bell c rank lever pivoted to said bracket, one end of which is 'pivotally connected tosaid spider; and means depending from a fii'zed member and'cbnnected to'the opposite end of said lever for moving it about its pivot during thelowering of said member.

10. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of passages therein adapted to receive pins in parallelism; means beneath and normallyain contact with said plate and adapted to be lowered, said means aving openings therein in register with said passages with upper. inclined Walls adapted to su port said pins in inclined position, said openings having cylindrical lower ends; and

,mechanism carried by said lowering means adapted in the lowering operation to be moved into direct contact with the lowersides of all ofsaid pins and tilt them into vertical registering with said. passages and having position upright in said cylindrical lower upper inclined walls adapted to support said ins in inclined positions, said openings havmg cylindrical lower ends; means for lowering said member; and. means carried .by said member adapted during the lowering operationto be moved into direct contact with the lower sides of all of said pins and tilt them into vertical position upright in said cylindrical lower ends upon the alley.

12. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of elongated passages therein adapted to receive inclined pins in parallelism; a. member beneath and normally in contact with said plate having elongat ed openings therein in register with said passages, each of said openings having an inclined upper wallto support ,a pin in inclined position and provided with a cylindrical lower end; means for lowering said member; and a spider carried by and slidable within said member above said cylindrical lower ends adapted during the lowering operation to be moved against the lower sides of said inclined pins and cause them to be tilted into vertical position within said lower ends and set upright upon the alley.

13. In a bowling alley, a member having a plurality of elongated openings therethrough with inclined upper walls adapted to support inclined pins therein in parallelism and having cylindrical lower ends; means for lowering said member; reciprocating means carried by said member normally free from contact with said pins but movable into con tact with the lower s'ides thereof during the lowering of said member thereby simultane-= ously tilting all of said pins into vertical position with said cylindrical lower ends and setting them upright upon the alley; and means for returning said tilting means to its normal position during the upward movement of said member.

14. In a bowling alley, a member having a plurality of elongated openings therethrough adapted to support inclined pins therein in parallelism, each opening having a cylindrical lower end and said. member having an elongated horizontal chamber therein; means for lowering said member; reciprocating means within the chamber of said member for simultaneously contacting with the lower sides of all of said pins and tilting them into vertical position within said cylindrical lower ends during the lowering operation and setting them upright upon the alley; and means for actuating said tilting means only when said member in its downward movement is adjacent the alley.

15. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of passages therein;

a pin conduit for each passage adapted to deliver a pin thereto in an inclined position; pin-receiving means beneath and normally in contact with said .plate adapted to be lowered and in the lowering operation move said pins into vertical position and set them up right upon the alley; and a weighted vertically movable gate for each conduit above said plate and normally supported by said pinreceiving means in raised position and adapted to lower and close said conduit during the downward movement of said lowering means thereby preventing the discharge of other pins from said conduit.

16. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate pro operation and move said pins into vertical position upright upon the alley and a weighted gate hinged to each conduit having a downward projection, said gate normally resting on said member in raised position and adapted to move downwardly with said projection opposite the exit of said conduit when said member is lowered.

17. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of passages therein; a pin conduit for each passage adapted to deliver a pin thereto in an inclined position; means coactin'g with said conduit for preventing the discharge therefrom of more than one pin during eachpin setting operation; a member beneath and normally in contact with said plate having openings therein in register with said passages with inclined upper walls to support said pins in inclined position, said openings being cylindrical at their lower ends; means for lowering said member; and a spider carried by said member adapt-ed to be moved into contact with the lower. sides of all of said inclined pins at a predetermined time during the lowering operation thereby moving said pins into vertical position in said cylindrical lower ends and setting them upright upon the alley.

18. In a bowling alley, a fixed plate provided with a plurality of parallel elongated openings therein adapted to contain pins in inclined position; a laminated member normally in contact with the under face of said plate and having elongated parallel openings in the upper lamination beneath the openings in said plate, said last mentioned openings being cylindrical in the lower lamination; means for lowering said member; a slidable spider within said member adapted to be moved during the lowering of said member into contact with said pins and tilt them into vertical position; and means for returning said spider to its normal position during the upward movement of said member..

Signed by me at 294 lVashington St, Boston, Mass, this 9th day of April, 1929.

RAYMOND A. WILLIAMS.

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