US2014899A

US2014899A - Bowling alley

Info

Publication number: US2014899A
Application number: US5108A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick E Kroker
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-02-05
Filing date: 1935-02-05
Publication date: 1935-09-17
Anticipated expiration: 1952-09-17

Description

F. E. KROKER Spt., l?, 1935 BOWLING ALLEY Filed Feb. 5, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ouf Sept. 17, r1935. F. E. KROKER ZMQ@ BOWLING ALLEY Filed Feb. 5, 1935 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UITED STATES TENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in bowling alleys, and particularly to bowling alleys oi the portable or reduced range type, one which may be installed in homes and other places, which, due to the lack of proper length, preclude the regulation apparatus from being installed.

An object of the invention is the provision of a reduced range bowling alley having all of the essential characteristics of a regulation alley and requiring the same degree of skill to play as the regulation alley requires.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a lower going alley and an upper return alley, the end of the going alley being arcuate and having a, portion overlapping the return alley to guide the ball onto the return alley.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a pivotally mounted back stop equipped with resilient cushion shock absorbing means, the back stop being so positioned the pins and balls on impact are deected into the pit.

A still further object ofthe invention `is the provision of a slidable protective means at the end of the pit. Y

A still further object of the invention is the provision of the gutters on either side of the receiving alley adjacent the pins and inclined downwardly and into the pit.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a detachable portion of my novel bowling alley.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter more specically claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a detail elevational view of my improved bowling alley, portions of the view being broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of my improved bowling alley.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end elevational View illustrating my novel slidable protective means, the protective means being shown in its normal protective position by full lines, and in the position the protective means assumes when the player sets up the pins on the receiving alley.

Figure 5 is an end elevational View per se of my novel back stop equipped with resilient cushion means.

Figure 6 is a transverse elevational view taken on line I-G of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring to the drawings in detail wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral i represents my improved bowling alley, comprising a going alley 8 and a return alley 5 9. The alleys 3 and 9 on their longitudinal edges are equipped with guard rails I tl and II secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by screws or bolts I2. Interposed between these guard rails It and II are a plurality of Verticalrsup- 10 ports I3 which hold the return alley in spaced relation to the going alley 8. The going alley at the front end has a detachable portion I4 which is provided with a substantially U-shaped cut out portion I5 which engages a corresponding cut 15 out portion I6 of the going alley 8. At the rear end, the going alley 8 is equipped with an arcuate portion Il, and this portion I'I is illustrated in the drawings as vulcanite, however I do not limit myself to this specic material, as the arcu- 20 ate portion may be made of wood, sheet iron or any other suitable material. It is to be noted that the upper end portion of the arcuate portion I1 terminates into a horizontal portion I8 which portion overlaps the end of the return alley 9, 25 and this overlapping portion is in spaced relation to the return alley approximately the, width of a playing ball. The arcuate portion I'I and the horizontal portion I8 serves as a continuation of the going alley 8. The arcuate portion I'I and the 30 horizontal portion IE are reinforced by a portion I9 which may conform to the contour of the portions Il and I8, and these portions I'I, I8 and I9 are housed in a housing 20, the vertical portion ZI of the housing serving as a support for the 35 return alley 9.

The front end of the return alley 9 is provided with a pit 22, the rear end 23 of the pit being secured to the return aley 9, the front end 2li of the pit being secured in a manner to be later 40 described. On each side of the return alley 9 I provide gutters which communicate with the pit 22 in a manner to be later described.

On the going alley 8 and positioned an appreciable distance in from the front end of the going 45 alley are posts 2t. The guard rails I0 and I I have one end Td into the posts 26 which adds to the rigidity of my novel structure, the posts also serving to support the return alley 9, the other end of the guard rails II being Td into the vertical 50 portion 2I of the housing. Interposed between the posts 26 and some of the vertical supports I3 are reinforcing sides 2l which are Td into the supports I3 and post 26. 'Ihe top edges 28 of the reinforcing sides 21 engage the bottom edges 55 29 of the guard rails Il and serves as a further supporting means for the return alley 9. Mounted on top of the guard rails I i are side guards 30 having one edge Td into the posts 26, the bottom edge being dowled or otherwise secured to the top edge or" the guard rail Il. Transversely mounted between the posts and rigidly secured thereto is the front end pit member 24. To the bottom edge of the

members

23 and 24 is secured the iioor member 3| of the pit, the

members

23, 24 and 3|, and the members Il, and 21 comprising the pit structure. The

pit members

23 and 3| are further secured by screws to the reinforcing side members 21.

Pivotally mounted between the side guards 30 is a back stop 32 equipped with a padded portion 33 and resilient shock absorbing means 34, and as illustrated in the drawings the shock absorbing means are of resilient springs, however any suitable resilient means may be employed. The back stop 32 is so mounted that it is spaced from the pit member 24 allowing for swinging movement when struck by either the pins or the balls.

Referring to the drawings Figure 4, it will be seen that a gate 35 equipped with a wire grille 36 is mounted for slidable movement between the posts 26 and the gate is held in slidable position by track strips 31. The gate is normally held in a protective position by weights 38, the gate being so positioned as to height, that the player may lean over the gate to set up the pins on the return alley 9, the gate and Weights then assuming the position illustrated in dotted lines Figure 4. On the return alley I provide spots 39 for the pins in order that the player when leaning over the gate may place the pins in proper position. After the pins have been spotted the player takes his playing position, the gate 35 automatically assuming its protective position.

In Figure 1 of the drawings I have shown a portion broken away which illustrates the incline portion 40 of the gutters adjacent the king pin into the pit 32. This novel arrangement of the gutters eliminates the possibility of dead Wood interfering with the game and also provides a means whereby toppled pins will go into the pit, where they are accessible to the player.

In playing a game of pins on my improved alley, the player delivers the ball on the going alley 8 where it travels until the curved portion is met, the ball being then diverted to the receiving alley always be adhered to, the invention is susceptible l to certain changes and modications and I do not wish to limit myself to the exact structure, and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereto appended, but l What I claim is:-

l. In a bowling alley, the combination of a going alley, a curved alley and a return alley, the going alley equipped with a detachable portion,

a pit at the end of the return alley, gutters on each side of the receiving alley, said going alley and return alley equipped with guard rails, the gutters of said return alley adjacent said pit being inclined downwardly into the pit, side guard members secured to some of said guard rails, a

back stop pivotally mounted between said side guard members, shock absorbing means on said back stop, posts on said going alley, the said guard rails and side guards being connected to said posts, and a movable guard means interposed d between said posts.

2. In a bowling alley, the combination of a going alley, a curved alley and a return alley, the going alley equipped With posts and a detachable portion, a pit at the end of the return alley, gutters 3 on each side of the return alley, a portion of said gutters adjacent the pit inclined downwardly into said pit, guard rails on the going alley and the return alley, said alleys held in spaced relation by upright members, posts, side guard members and side reinforcing members, said side guard members and reinforcing members secured to some of said guard rails and said posts, a back stop pivotally mounted between said side guard members,

said back stop equipped with resilient cushion means, a gate slidably mounted between said posts equipped with a protective means and means on said gate attached thereto for normally holding said gate in a protective position to said pit and receiving alley.

FREDERICK E. KROKER.