US2236560A - Ball check for bowling alleys - Google Patents

Description

April 1, 1941.

J. E. BANCROFT 36,560

BALL CHECK FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Filed Nov. 2; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l A TORNEY A ril 1, 1941. J. E. BANCROFT BALL CHECK FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Nov. 2, 1938 INVENTOR Jaw/5.5 f/fiaA/reafir fizz/4 T O R N E Y w w f 2. w M a 4 I I l t l I P 1L'I if] "E l/l 1 g I; TZrVl /Il l/I/III 11/ I/ nnun\\%\%%%%%i 5 2 B Mil}? 0 i L a 7 w a a a 7 Patented Apr. 1, 1941 James E. Bancroi't,'Jamaica, N.

American Bowling and New York, N. Y.,

Y., assignmto Corporation,

a corporation or New York Application November 2, 1938, Serial No.

8 Claims. (Cl. 273-17) This invention relates to bowling alleys and in I particular to devices for retarding themovement of bowling balls on the returnways.

The principal object of t e invention is to provide a bowling ball retarder which will check the kinetic energy of the ball when returning to the rack ready for use by the player, butwhich at the same time will permit the ball to pass and to assume its correct position adjacent other balls which may have been accumulated in the storage rack.

runners which are at a convenient height for the player. This loop type of return has the disadvantage of permitting the balls to bump, more or less dependent upon the number of balls in the players to develop flat spots in the ball,

usage the ball becomes out of round.

7 Furthermore, the bumping of the balls is dangerplayer which may bepickrack;

ous to the hand of the ing up a ball from the There are other ball checks which operate to retard the ball at some position prior to theplayers rack, but these have the defect of causing a reversal in the direction of rotation of the ball which soon wears a slight groove in the rails supporting the ball.

The applicant desires to bring the ball to as gradual a stop as possible and without shock in order to avoid wear on the ball or the rail. He has therefore designed a mechanism which will engage the ball and move with it and carry it .for a fixed distance, during which time the kinetic energy of the ball is absorbed by the mechanism. The mechanism then releases the ball and permits it to roll freely and easily to its final position in the players rack. In order. to check the ball without causing a reversal in its rotation, which would tend to wear a groove in the rails; the applicant has provided a roller which follows the natural-rotation of the ball throughout the entire checking operation. Furthermore, the checking device is preferably provided with a dashpot damper which 7 mit of a proper time being allowed for the mechanism tovabsorb the kinetic energy of the ball. As a result of this, applicant's device operates very smoothly and causes no wear at any point in either the ball or the rail.

is adjustable so as 'to perp in acting asthe check engages the periphery and r cants device,.a'nd this the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sldeelevation showing a bowling alley return with the ball check mounted therein.

Figure 2 is atop plan view of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a section showing the detailed construction of the dashpot.

Similar reference numerals parts throughout the drawings.

usual form, and when The ball check is adapted to be mounted preferably near the end of the decline of the track atsection I, The ball 5 upon passing onto the decline 3 strikes a roller 6 which is mounted in a yoke 1. The yoke 1 is pivoted prefso mounted that they move with the the direction of the ball at all times.

It will be further noted that the ball 5 when passing alolig the runway 3 is moving with its periphery advancing toward the roller. The roller follows the rotation of the ball without retarding this rotation in any way.

Ina number. of ball checks now in use a fixed device isJ'llSfl instead of the roller 01' the applithe rotation at, the ball instantaneously-, and due to the inertia of the ball, there is a reversed rota- I ball and in fixed stop tends to check tion actually-caused which wee-rs a groove in the track. Applicant's design entirely elimlaates the a comratus.

In order to provide the cushioning eliect in the yoke I and to absorb the kinetic energy oi the ball,anarm,il isrigidiyattachedtoahingepln I. This'arm ll terminatesin a clevis II which is attached toa piston rod it which in turn operates in a cylinder ll. The cylinder ll at its lower extremity is mounted on a fulcrum point I. The piston l3 and arm ii and the yoke I to give desired cushioning action, and to the roller I the return it to ia o! the kinetic enemy steady but positive release,

quirua' shockahsorbena plicant hasusedaeastingiiofsimpledesignwhichis atli-slower 'withaeoneshaped pocket .il whichrests upon the cost]:-

elevation in the cylinder II is filled with oilat a at 2!. In the lower The tank 23 cal seat 20 for a needle valve 29. valve 2! has a shaft II which extends upward through a guide bushing 3i mounted in the top of the tank 23. The shaft ll extending through the guide bushing ii is accessible for adjusting the needle valve toward and from its seat 28. Thisisof courseaczxnnplishedintheusual manner by a screw 32 formed on the needle valve itself and engagi g a correspon i threaded hole in'the casting it at this position.

Referring to the details intheyoke'Litis-importanttonotethata of light weight, are provided on two softrubberrinasll. These are so positioned and spaced as against the ball when it is also posisoitrubber rings to be the sole contact engaged by the check. The rings are tioned apart so as to avoid a posslblecondition wherein both rubber rin s might drop into the linger holes in the same bowling ball at the same cylinder I! operate through the' aaaasso blll Letters Patent is:

the roller i and the yoke 1 over at an angle, tatingtheshsft flandmovintthearm i-i through the clevis it and piston II downward into the the pressure of angles to the track. the has become larg enough to permit the ball to pass through. The bell thereupon continues into the liayers' rack designated as I. The ball, inving heed the yoke I, releases the pressure therefrom andpermlts thespringfl within-thecyllnderil topressthe piston ll upward, whichin turn moves the yoke tlon. In order that this original position may aiwaysbeacquire ,astoporlrumperuismountedinasuitahlepositiontoenssgethesrm l'i.

Ilolerr-initaflmiitisnbviousUnM! to permit the oil to enter from the tank -23 into the cylinder ll when the piston is on the upward or return stroke. In order to accomplish this the outlet :2 is provided, and the oil rushes from the tank 23 into the outlet 2!, pushing the ball valve 24 away from its seat and immediately refl-lls the cylinder IO.

that the position of the pivot shalt the rails or track may be mechanism mounted in any position so long as the same mechanical action is obtained with respect to the handling 01 the ball: and applicant does not limit himself to a pivoted position below the ball track.

It is to be noted that the dashpot tank is tilled with oil .to a level above the cylinder, and that the elements within the dashpot are always submerged in oil and therefore no priming the invention. what is is desired to be secured to required. Having described claimed as new and 1. In a bowling ball retarder, a retarding member comprising a pair 01 rotatably mounted soit rubber rings'spaced from cachother and adapted to engage a ball.

2. A bowling ball retarder comprising a rimway, a movable retarding member, said member carrying a roller provided with twospaced soit at the same time rooi'theplstoniendsto back to its 01811131 901-.

yieldably resisting the movement of said stop by dern h i rubber rings and said member being movable release of the ball therefrom being in a direction from a position in which the rings on said roller that has a main component in the direction of the ball. component. I

3. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway, an 6. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway, a ball arm pivoted below the runway, means for nor retarding stop adapted to engage theupper pormally inclining said arm toward the approaching tions of the ball, said stop being in the form of ball and for yieldingly resisting displacement a roller having points of contact symmetrically and so positioned that as, the arm rises under movement of said ball, amounting for said stop the impact of the ball, said roller will reach a whereby it is movable with the ball in a direction position at which it willpermit the ball to pass substantially coinciding with the direction of underneath it.

4. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway for from the runway and is adapted to release the balls, a stop for retarding the movement of a ball ball when a suflicient divergence is reached and along-said runway, a mounting for said stop means for yieldably resisting the movement of whereby it is normally positioned for engagement said stop by the ball, the direction of movement a position in which the 'space between the stop a component at right angles to said main combetween the stop and the runway, and means for to said main component. yieldably resisting the movement of said stop by 7. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway, and

from the'time of initial contact to the time of ball in the runway approaching said stop, a

never more than slight relatively to said main verging therefrom until the divergenceisso great component.

5. A bowling ball retarder comprising a. runstop and the runway and said runway comprising way, a stop for retarding the movement of a ball an upwardly inclined portion positioned so as to in said runway; a mounting for said stop comretard a ballbefore it reaches said stop. prising a pivot positioned at a point below the 40 8. In a bowling ball retarder, a runway, an

tween the stop and the runway is so small that adapted to engage the uppei'portions or said ball the bail, the direction of movement of said stop JAfiESs BANCROFT- from the time of initial contact to the time of I

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