US2293965A

US2293965A - Ball and pin carrier

Info

Publication number: US2293965A
Application number: US388232A
Authority: US
Inventors: Maurice O Berg
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1941-04-12
Filing date: 1941-04-12
Publication date: 1942-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 1959-08-25

Description

M. o. BERG 2,293,965

BALL AND PIN CARRIER Aug. '25 194,2,y

2 sheets-.sheet -i ug. 25, 1942. M. o. BERG BALL AND PIN CARRIER Filed April 12,'1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 25, 1942l UNITED STATES vPATENT OFF-ICE 1,293,965 BALL AND yrnv ommen Maurice 0. Berg, Chicago, Ill.

Application April 12, 1941, Serial No. 388,232

9 Claims. (Cl. 273-43) This invention relates in general to bowling alleys and is more particularly' described as a A i will tend fto speed up the game, reducing the bowling ball and bowling pin carrier used in connection with standard bowling alley equipment which is operated from the pit at the rear or a bowling alley.

f As now operated, the balls and pins are lifted manually from the pit at the rear of a bowling alley to deposit the ball upon the ball return rack and the pins upon the carrier oi the pin setting equipment.

The present invention provides a carrier for receiving a bowling ball and from-1 to 10 bowling pins in the pit at the rear end of a bowling alley, and by counter-weighting the carrier, provides means for manually raising the ball and pins to the approximate level oi the ball return track andclosely adjacent the mechanical pin setter with a minimum manual eiort.

By use of this equipment, one pin setter is able to take care of two adjacent alleys in less time and with less manual labor than is now required to set pins on one alley.

This invention consists in the provision of a ball and pin carrier as an addition to or an attachment for bowling alley equipment, using the automatic pin setting device having a raised holder in which the pins knocked down are deposited after each ball is thrown, although the attachment may also be applied to a new equipment of this type.

other objects oi the invention will be described in the speciiication and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a plan view of the pit ends of apair ci adjacent bowling alleys illustrating this invention as applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a perspective of the under side of a ball and pin carrier as shown in Fig.- 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view as taken on the line @-3 of Fig. 1, showing the ball and pin carrier in receiving or lowered position; and

Fig. 4 is a view showing the movable parts of Fig. 3 in a raised or discharging position.

A bowling alley pin setter is required to lift a bowling ball weighing approximately 16 pounds to a height of about 3 feet to the ball return rack each time the ball is played and to collect and deposit the ten bowling pins each weighing approximately 3 pounds to the level of the pin setting equipment. This requires from three to six v manual operations for each time the pins are ocked down and reset. By providing a counter-weighted carrier, these numerous and laboriautomatic operation is substituted so that one attendant can easily set pins on two alleys. This time and labor, making possible a saving in the lailbor costs and increased revenue for the bowling a eys.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings,I the pit end or a regulation vbowling alley i@ is shown having gutters il, side walls l2. a rear wall i3 protected by a bumper pad Il, a ball return track l5 and providing a. pit I6 above a. iioor il at the rear end of the alley for receiving the pins or deadwood knocked down by the ball* and the ball after it has been thrown.

A number of bowling pins 20 are set upon the alley in regular formation to be knocked down by a ball 2| and above the setting position is an automatic pin setting device comprising a movable holder 22 which is raised aboye the alley, the pins are deposited therein and the setting device is lowered, automatically positioning the pins on the surface of the alley in a well known manner.

A The ball and pin carrier of this invention is adapted to nt into the pit at the rear of each bowling alley and comprises a bottom 24 formed of fiber, wood, or light sheet metal and having opposite upright ends 25 with front and

rear sides

26 and 21`secured to the bottom by spring hinges 28. In its pit position, the sides are supported' in partially inclined position by blocks 2S.

One side 26 is supported with its upper edge just v obstruction to the ball or to the pins from the i alley. At the free endof each lever which extends to the rear'of the pit is a hand grip 32, and adjacent the end is a pivotal connection 33 with the adjacent end 25 of the carrier.

Connected to the lever and projecting oppositely from the pivoted end is an arm 34 upon which a counter-weight 35 is slidable and adjustable. Adjustment is provided so that the counter balance may be varied easilyto equalize, over-balance or under-balance the weight of the carrier and contents and thus to accommodate balls and pins oi diierent weight.

The rear side 21 of the carrier may be connected to the lever 30 adjacent the handle by a link 31 pivoted at the ends thereto -so that when ous manual operations are reduced and a semi- 5B Ythe carrier is raised by the handle. ,the side 2l will also be raised. At this time, the front lside 2i will extend under the holder 22 of the pin setting device. When the carrier is raised, the rear side 21 is raised, thus tending to prevent accidentaldislodgment of the pins or balls therefrom, and the close engagement with the movable holder 22 facilitates the transfer of the pins to the holder 22 and the balls from the carrier.

to the track I5.

To adjust the position of the counter-weight on the arm 34, a rod 42 is pivoted at one end to the weight and at the other end to a hand lever 43 which is pivoted at its lower end to the carrier mounting lever 30. A toothed segment 44 is secured to the lever 30 at the base ot-'the hand lever, and a spring pressed latch 45 has a grip near that of the hand lever 43, so that the lever and latch may be manually engaged and the counter-weight easily and quickly adjusted and set in position to balance one or more of the balls or pins in the carrier. v

One weight 35 may have a more or less flxed position along its arm 34 but may be adjustably set in any desired location along the arm by a bolt or set screw 36. By having the weights thus adjustable, the carrier and its contents may be most easily counter-balanced, and the counter-1 balance varied for different loads.

Instead of the counter-weight projecting forwardly from the pivoted end of the lever 30, any other suitable counter-weight mayv be employed such, for example, as a spring at the pivot 3l engaging the lever, or a cable supported weight attached at or near the free end of the lever and extending upwardly therefrom in any well known manner.

When this construction is ,applied to a pair of adjacent bowling alleys, an attendant usually sits upon a rail 4U at the top of the wall 20 between the alleys,liting or throwing his feet from one side to the other to avoid the balls and the iiying pins as they are struck by the balls, and ,so that he may step into the carriers for gathering thepins and balls therein. At the bottom .of the carrier is a pad 4i of fabric of sound deadening material. This attendant may reach down from either side of the wall, adjust the position of the weight, if desired, grasp the handle end of the lever on the other side thereof and thus raise the entire carrier and its contents to the approximate level of the pin holder and ball track.

It is apparent that various other changes in the construction, combination, and arrangementof the parts may be made for carrying out the purpose 'and object of this invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

I claim:

1. The combination with a bowling ailey having a ball and pin receiving pit, a movable normally raised pin setting helder, and a raised ball return track, of a ball and pin carrier to fit in the pit, and means comprising levers pivoted at the inner sides of the alley and pivotally mounting the carrier thereon for movement from the pit approximately to the height of the holder and track.A

`2. A bowling alley attachment comprising a ball and pin carrier to fit loosely in the pit at the end of the alley, and comprising levers each pivoted at one end at each side of an alley and pivoted intermediate its ends to the carrier for for manual horizontal transfer to the ball track and pin setter of the alley.

3. A bowling alleyf attachment comprising a ball and pin carrier to rest in' the pit at the end Aoi! the alley, and means manually movable by an operator in the pit comprising levers mounted at the sides of the alley and pivoted to the carrier for raising the carrier to a predetermined height approximately that of the ball return track and raised pin setter of the alley.

4. In a bowling alley attachment, a ball and pin carrier positioned in the end pit, means comprising a lever at each side pivoted at one end to the side oi an alley and pivotally connected to the carrier for raising and lowering it from and to :the pit to the approximate level of the ball track and raised pin holder of the alley, and a counter-weight' connected to each lever for counter-balancing thecarrier and its contents.

5. A bowling alley accessory comprising a ball and pin carrier for the end pit, mounting means the carrier.

comprising levers manually operable from the inside of the pit pivoted at one end to the side wall of the alley and near the other end to the carrier and adapted to raise the carrier approximately to the level of the ball track and raised pin holder of the alley, and adjustable counterweight means connected to the levers for variably .counter-balancing the carrier.

6..In a bowling alley attachment, a ball and pin carrier for the end pit, hinged front and rear sides for the carrier, manually movable means actuated from the inside of the pit for moving the carrier from and to the pit, and supporting blocks at the front and rear of the pit for holding the said sides of the carrier inclined when it is seated therein.v

'7. In a bowling alley accessory, a ball and pin carrier for the end pit, means manually operable from the inside of the pit for moving the carrier from the pit, the front side of the carrier being hinged thereto, and a block in the front of the pit tovsupport the side in raised position with its top above the bottom of the gutters along the sides of the alley.

8. In a b owling alley attachment, a ball arid pin carrier for the end pit, means manually operable from the inside of the pit and comprising a lever for moving the carrier from and to the pit, the rear side of the carrier being hinged thereto, and a hinged link connecting the rear side and the lever and operative to incline the side partially in the pit position and to raise it more nearly to an erecting position when the carrier is raised.

9. In bowling alley equipment, the combination with an alley having side gutters, an end pit, and a raisable pin setting holder, of a ball and pin pit carrier, means manually operable from within the pit for raising the carrier from and returning it to the pit, the carrier comprising hinged front and rear sides, the front side swinging downwardly and engaging below the rear end of pin holder in its raised position and disposed in the pit in lowered position, and the rear side being connected to and inclined upwardly by the said carrier raising means in the raised position of MAURICE O. BERG.