US2039580A

US2039580A - Bowling alley and method of repairing same

Info

Publication number: US2039580A
Application number: US9580A
Authority: US
Inventors: Borders Bee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1935-03-06
Filing date: 1935-03-06
Publication date: 1936-05-05
Anticipated expiration: 1953-05-05

Description

My 5, 1936. B, BQRDERS 2,039,580

BOWLING ALLEY AND METHOD OF REPAIRING SAME Filed March 6, 1935 Patented May 5, 1936 PATENT QFFECE BOWLING ALLEY AND METHOD F REPAIRING SAME Bee Borders, Springfield, Vt.

Application March 6, 1935, Serial No. 9,580

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in bowling alleys and more particularly to improvements in the approach portion of bowling alleys, that is, the portion of the alley which is trod upon by persons using the alley, this portion extending up to and terminating at the foul line. In most bowling alleys, the wear and tear on the approach portion is far more rapid than that on the portion of the alley beyond the foul line. When any portion of the alley becomes considerably worn so as to be out of level, it isusually necessary to plane olf the entire surface of the alley or to rebuild the alley if the alley is to be kept in rst class condition. In either event, a considerable expense is incurred and the repairs necessarily occupy a considerable period of time during which the alley cannot be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide means for replacing the rapidly wearing portion of the alley quickly and economically so that the interruption in the use of the alley is negligible. To this end the approach portion of the alley, according to the invention, includes a removable surface portion iiush with the main part of the alley. The removable portion may be in the form of a platform which can be shimmed up from time to time as it becomes necessary to plane off the upper surface thereof. In this way, the platform can be repaired from time to time without disturbing the remainder of the alley.

For a more complete understanding of the invention reference may be had to the following description of an embodiment thereof and tothe drawing of which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a bowling alley embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the approach portion of the alley, showing the several parts separately.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Figure 4, showing the approach platform shimmed up.

Bowling alleys are customarily laid by placing 1" 3 strips of hard wood on edge, side by side, on a rigid level foundation so that the upper side edges of the strips form the surface of the alley which is carefully planed. Figure 1 illustrates an alley I0 of this kind. At the further end of the alley pins ll are customarily set up to be knocked intol a pit l2 by balls I3 which are rolled from behind a foul line l5. This foul line is of a distinctive color and the bowler is not supposed to cross this line.. The approach 2E! of the alley is usually of sufficient length to allow the bowler a few forward steps to the foul line to deliver a ball. It is this portion of the alley that is subject to the hardest wear as the bowler usually slides up to the foul line. According to the invention the entire alley is laid as usual, but the approach is cut away to the depth of an inch or so as shown in Figures 2 and 3, forming a step 2l which is a continuous extension of the main portion of the alley. On the supporting surface 22 of this step is secured a 10 removable platform 25. Assuming that the approach portion of the alley has been cut away so that the surface 22 is just one inch lower than the surface of the alley l0, the platform 25 may be made o-f l" 1 strips which are preferably 15 secured together so that the platform is a unitary structure. In order to make a compact structure with an even, level surface, the strips 2B may be formed with lateral tongues and grooves as at 21, and may be secured together as by nails 28, as indicated in Figure 4. If desired, a friction element 35 may be mounted on the surface 22 so as to be iiush with the alley surface between the edge of the platform 25 and the foul line l5. This friction element may be 25 a strip of any suitable material such asI a. fibre composition having a coefficient of friction considerably greater than that of smooth wood. The object of the friction strip is to check the final portion of the slide of a bowler approaching the 30 foul line so as to prevent the bowler sliding across the foul line. The friction strip, however, is not essential to the present invention.

The platform 25 may be secured on the surface 22 in any convenient or suitable manner. As 35 shown, a number of ordinary wood screws may be employed, these wood screws being preferably countersunk for a distance of about onehalf inch in the platform 25 so that' a wooden plug 36 may be inserted over the head of each 40 screw and planed off flush. If the surface 22 is carefully finished so as to be substantially plane and level, it is evident that the platform 25 can be finished to a correct thickness before installation so that when secured on the surface 22 its 45 upper surface will be ush with the surface of the alley I0. Thus the platform can be quickly installed and can be quickly removed for replacement by another platform.

When a platform 25 becomes worn so as to 50 need resurfacing, it may be removed and replaced by another platform without substantial interruption in the use of the alley. The worn surface of the platform 25 may then be planed down to form a fresh plane surface. As this involves removal of material from the surface of the platform, a shim 40 is installed under the platform when it is replaced on the step 2 I. By making the thickness of the shim 40 and the depth of material planed from the platform equal to each other, the new surface of the platform will be ush with the alley surface when the platform is secured in place upon the shim, as indicated in Figure 5. This process of resurfacing may be continued a number of times until the platform is planed down to the tongues 2l, each resurfacing operation being accompanied by the use of a thicker shim 40 or additional shims to compensate for the material removed from the top of the platform by resurfacing operations.

It is evident that various modifications and changes may be made in the details of construction herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling alley having a foul line and an approach terminating at said foul line, said approach having a foundation layer and a surface layer, said surface layer being in the form of a unitary platform removably secured on the foundation layer flush with the main surface of the alley.

2. A bowling alley having a continuous structure from end to end of wooden strips laid edgewise and extending longitudinally of the alley, said strips being cut away at the approach portion of the alley to form a step having a supporting surface in a plane lower than the plane of the alley surface, and a unitary platform removably secured on said foundation surface flush with the alley surface.

3. A bowling alley having a continuous structure from end to end of wooden strips laid edgewise and 'extending longitudinally of the alley, said strips being cut away at the approach portion of the alley to form a step having a supporting surface in a plane lower than the plane of the alley surface, a shim on said supporting surface and a removable platform on said shim, the upper surface of said platform being flush with and forming a continuation of the alley surface.

4. A method of repairing a bowling alley approach having a removable surface portion, which comprises removing said surface portion as a unit, removing suiicient material from the surface to restore the surface to a substantially true plane, and replacing said portion with a shim thereunder having a thickness equal to the thickness of the material removed.

BEE BORDERS.