US2632646A

US2632646A - Tenpin spotting device

Info

Publication number: US2632646A
Application number: US104620A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rosenthal Harry
Original assignee: NO NIK CORP
Current assignee: NO NIK CORP; NO-NIK Corp
Priority date: 1949-07-14
Filing date: 1949-07-14
Publication date: 1953-03-24
Anticipated expiration: 1970-03-24

Description

Patented Mar. 24, 1953 TENPIN SPOTTING DEVICE Harry Rosenthal, New York, N. Y., assignor to No-Nik Corporation, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application July 14,1949, Serial No. 104,620

14 Claims. 1

This invention relates to positioning means for tenpins and more particularly to spotting devices or spots for bowling alleys wherein a peg is raised to be received in a bore of the tenpin to position the tenpin.

My invention relates generally to spotting devices of the general type shown in the United States patent to Barry No. 1,608,156 issued November 23, 1926.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved spotting device of this kind which may be easily removed and replaced.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved spot or device of this kind which will maintain its position in the bowling alley bed and which will not mar or scar the balls.

Additional objects of the invention are to effect simplicity and efficiency in such spotting devices and to provide an extremely simple device of this kind which is efficient, durable, and reliable in operation, and economical to manufacture and install.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds; and while herein details of the invention are described in the specification and some of the claims, the invention as described in the broader claims is not limited to these, and many and various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed in the broader claims.

.Briefiy stated, the inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objects are shown herein in connection with two illustrated forms of spotting devices, each shown as disposed in a bore in a bowling alley bed having a shallow countersink. Each device includes a fixed circular member secured in said countersink and provided with a large central opening, and a removable spot comprising a removable disk-shaped part in said countersink having a central opening. Fastening, means are provided for holding the disk-shaped part in the countersink and on said circular member and flush with the top face of the bed. A lower tubular part in said large opening, communicates with said opening of the disk-shaped part, and a peg adapted to be raised and lowered has a lower part in said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part in said opening of and this operation calls for the removal of the screws and spot in order to remove the bent peg.

This is a frequent occurrence and because of the bowling alley bed, as shown in said patent, the metal screws in the peg spots of said patent often break leaving part of the screw in the wood.

The other part of the screw seems to be fast in' place but really jumps up when the ball hits the tenpin and causes screw gashes of various depths in the .ball which may injure the balls enough to require them to be taken out of play.

After some use, by reason of the continuous vibration caused by the impact of the ball against the pins and the falling pins, the metal screws, holding in place the spots heretofore used, become loose and dislodged, with the result that very often the screw heads extend above the bowling surface of the alley. When a played ball comes into contact with the exposed screw head it becomes nicked and is at times thereby rendered useless for further play.

Another disadvantage under the old arrangement arises by reason of the screw holes becoming enlarged, causing the screws to wobble and the pin spot itself to become loose. 'When this occurs, the tenpin cannot be set to be ex.- actly perpendicular as required, and time is lost to remedy this condition. When this condition arises the exposed screw head causes a ball to be deflected and interferes with accurate play.

Another quite serious and expensive result caused by the loosening of the screws in the .ol'd

spotting device is that it is necessary'to reset the screws so often that the wood of the alley bed directly under the pin spots becomes worn out to the extent that it has to be replaced by a new section. Not only is the repair expensive, but it also puts the alley out of use for play.

The principle and construction of my new device eliminate all y of these disadvantages. All screw heads are concealed under the bowling surace. 3

In the accompanying drawing showing, by way of example, two of many possible. embodiments of the invention, Figures 1 and 2 are fragmental axial sectional views partly in elevation showing two forms of my improved spotting device.

My improved pin spot assemblies for positioning or spotting a tenpin on a bowling alley bed, are shown herein in combination with a portion of the alley bed having a vertical cylindrical bore 6 therein having at its upper end a wide shallow cylindrical countersink or counterbore 1 having a flat bottom 8.

The spot assembly is disposed in said bore and countersink and in the form shown in Figure 1 comprises a stationary outer socket 9 snugly fitting in said countersink and against said flat bottom and extending upwardly at Ill flush with the top face ll of the bed. Said socket 9 is provided with a wide circular recess I2 extending to near the periphery and bottom face of said socket and provided with internal peripheral threads [4 and with a wide flat bottom l5 having a large central opening I6 slightly smaller in diameter than said bore 6, and said socket has a plurality of screw holes il' about midway between the periphery and said opening and having wide frusto-conical countersinks 58 receiving screw 19 extending into the bed and spaced from said bore 8 and having wide flat slotted heads lea snugly fitting in the frusto-conical countersinks l8 flush with said fiat bottom it. Said screws hold the socket 9 firmly in place with no looseness.

A removable spot 20 in said recess l2 and bore 6 comprises a disk-shaped upper part 2! in said recess l2 flush with the top faces Iii and H of the socket and bed and having a central opening 22, a lower fiat face 23, and peripheral threads 24 engaged with the threads 14 of the socket for forcibly pressing said lower fiat face 23 on the flat screw heads We to hold the heads firmly in their associated counter-sinks to hold the screws against turning and against tendency to wobble and to hold the screws vertical to cause the screws to press against the wood with approximately even force throughout and minimize the wearing of the screw holes.

The lower part of the removable spot comprises a tubular part 25 integral with the diskshaped part 2| and fitted in said opening it and disposed in, and slightly spaced from the wall of, said bore 6 and having a bore 26 of substantially constant inner diameter communicating with and slightly larger in diameter than, said opening 22, and extending to near the lower end of the bore and having a very slight flare 2'! at the lower end.

A

spotting peg

28, 29 vertically movable in the spot 20 has an enlarged diameter lower part 28 adapted to engage in said flared part 21 and an upwardly substantially uniformly tapered part 29 adapted to fit in said opening 22 and project above the spot to receive thereon a lower axial bore 30 in a tenpin 3|, for positioning the tenpm.

Said disk-shaped part is provided with spanner receiving holes 32 between the opening 22 and the periphery, whereby when a peg becomes bent or for any reason has to be removed, said spot may be removed from the socket without removing said screws [9, thereby eliminating wear on the screw hole threads in the wood and eliminating the necessity of new screw holes and the eventual replacement of the portion of the bed 5 adjacent to the bore.

The screw heads l9a are well covered and said assembly is at all times free of any projecting sharp pointor edge that might cut or nick the bowling balls.

In, the form of the invention as. shown. in Figure 2, a fixed disk 9a snugly fitting in the lower part of the countersink 1 and against said fiat bottom 8 of the countersink, is provided with a large central opening IBa provided with threads Ma, and screw holes I! having wide countersinks l8. Screws [9 in said holes and bed spaced from said bore have wide heads 19a snugly fitting in the countersinks I8 of the disk 9a as in Fi ure 1.

A removable spot 20a in said bore and countersink of the bed comprises a disk-shaped upper part 2m fitting in the countersink l flush with the top face of the bed and having a peg-receiving central opening 22 and a lower fiat face 23a flat against the disk 9a and screw heads I911. The top face of the spot 20a has spanner receiving holes 3212. Said spot 20a has integral therewith a lower tubular part 25a in said opening l6a of the disk and receiving the lower part of the peg 2B, 29 and having external threads 24a engaged with the threads I la of the central opening Illa, of the disk for forcibly pressing the diskshaped part on the fiat screw heads la.

The operation and advantages of the device of Figure 2 are substantially the same as in the device of Figure 1. The device of Figure 2 is somewhat easier to manufacture, and allows the screws H! to be further from the bore 6, thus strengthening the screw holes in the wood.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide shallow countersink having a fiat bottom; a fixed socket snugly fitting in said countersink and against said fiat bottom and provided with a circular recess extending near the periphery and said bottom and provided with internal peripheral threads and a flat bottom having a central opening, and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed spaced from said bore and having flat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the socket; a spot in said recess and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part in said recess and having a central opening and a lower fiat face and spanner receiving holes in its top face, and peripheral threads engaged with the threads of the socket and forcibly pressing the diskshaped part on the fiat screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part communicating with and slightly larger in inner diameter than said opening of the disk-shaped part; and a peg having an enlarged diameter lower part adapted to engage said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part adapted to fit in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot.

2. In a pin spot assembly for positioning or spotting a tenpin on a bowling alley bed, the combination with the adjacent part of the bed having a vertical cylindrical bore therein having at the upper end a wide shallow cylindrical countersink having a fiat bottom, of a spot in said bore and countersink comprising a fixed socket snugly fitting in said countersink and against said fiat bottom and extending upwardly flush with the top surface of the bed and provided with a wide circular recess extending to near the periphery and bottom face of said socket and provided with internal peripheral threads and with a wide fiat bottom having a central opening slightly smaller in diameter than said bore, and a plurality of screw holes about mid-way between the periphery and said opening and having wide frusto-conical countersinks; screws in said holes and extending into the bed and spaced from said bore and having wide fiat slotted heads snugly fitting in the frusto-conical countersinks flush with said flat bottom; and a removable diskshaped part in said recess having a central opening and peripheral threads engaged with the peripheral threads of the socket to hold the diskshaped part in place and pressed against the fiat screw heads; a lower tubular part integral with said disk-shaped part communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part and a peg having a lower part in said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the diskshaped part to be received in a bore in a tenpin.

3. In combination, a wooden bowling alley bed having a bore having a shallow countersink, a socket in said countersink and provided with a central opening and a wide circular recess having peripheral fastening threads and countersunk screw holes between the threads and said opening; flat-headed screws in said holes and the wood of the bed; a removable spot in said recess and bore and comprising a peripherally threaded disk-shaped upper part in said recess flush with the top face of the socket and bed and having a central opening and a lower flat face and peripheral threads engaged with the threads of the socket for forcibly pressing the lower flat face on the fiat screw heads to hold the heads firmly in their associated countersinks, to hold the screws against turning and to hold the screws in vertical position and against tendency to wobble and to hold the screws vertical to cause the screws to press against the wood with approximately even force throughout and minimize the wearing of the screw holes; a lower tubular part integral with said spot communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part; and a peg having a lower part in said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the disk-shaped part.

4. In combination, a wooden bowling alley bed having a bore having a shallow countersink, a socket in said countersink and provided with a wide circular recess having peripheral fastening threads, a central opening and countersunk screw holes between the opening and the threads; fiatheaded screws in said holes and the wood of the bed; a removable disk-shaped part in said recess having a central opening and peripheral threads engaged with the peripheral threads of the socket to hold the disk-shaped part in place and forcibly pressing it against the heads of said screws; a lower tubular part integral with the disk-shaped part and communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part; and a peg having a lower part in said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the disk-shaped part; said diskshaped part being provided with spanner receiving holes between the opening and the periphery whereby when a peg becomes bent and has to be removed, said disk-shaped part may be removed from the socket without removing said screws thereby eliminating wear on the screw hole threads and eliminating the necessity of new screw holes and the eventual replacement of the portion of the bed adjacent to the bore; the assembly being at all times free of any projecting sharp edge that could cut or nick the bowling balls.

5. In combination, a bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide shallow countersink having a flat bottom; a fixed member snugly fitting said fiat bottom and provided with a large central opening and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed spaced from said bore and having flat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the screw holes; a spot in said shallow countersink and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part disposed in said shallow countersink even with the top face of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face fiat against said member and screw heads, the top face of the spot having spanner receiving holes; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of said member and communicating with and slightly larger in inner diameter than said opening of the disk-shaped part; said member and spot having interengaging threads, for efiecting forcible pressing of the diskshaped part upon the flat screw heads; and a peg.

having an enlarged diameter lower part at said tubular part and an upwardly, tapered part adaptand bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part fitting in said countersink of the bed flush with the top face of the bed and having a central opening and a lower flat face fiat against said disk and screw heads, the top face of the spot having spanner receiving holes; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with and slightly larger in inner diameter than said opening of the disk-shaped part, and having external threads engaged with the threads of the central opening of the disk for forcibly pressing the disk-,

shaped part on the flat screw heads; and a peg in said tubular member and said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot,

7. A spotting assembly adapted to be disposed in a bore in a bowling alley bed having a shallow counterbore, said assembly comprising a fixed disk adapted to fit in the lower part of said counterbore and provided with a large central opening and screw holes having countersinks; flat headed screws in said holes and adapted to be received in said bed and having heads in the countersinks; a spot disposable in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk shaped upper structure adapted to fit in said counterbore with its top face flush with the top face of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face on the screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped structure; and means engaging said disk and structure for forcibly pressing said disk-shaped upper structure on the screw heads.

. 8. A spotting assembly adapted to be disposed in a bore in a bowling alley bed having a shallow counterbore, having a flat bottom, said assembly comprising a fixed disk adapted to snugly fit in the lower part of said counterbore and against said fiat bottom and provided with a large central opening and screw holes having countersinks; screws in said holes and adapted to be reinthelower part .of said countersink and against 15 eivedin aid bed and havingheads snugly fitting 7. in the countersinks; a spot disposable in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk shaped upper structure adapted to fit in said counterbore of the bed with its top face fiush with the top face of the bed and having a central opening and a lower flat face on the screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with and larger in inner diameter than said opening of the disk-shaped structure; and threaded means engaging said disk and structure for holding said disk-shaped upper structure over the disk and forcibly pressing said lower face against the screw heads.

' 9. In combination, a wooden bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide shallow counterbore having a flat bottom; a fixed circular member snugly fitting in the lower part of said counterbore and against said fiat bottom and provided with a large central opening and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and in the wood of the bed spaced from said bore and having heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the screw holes and holding the member in the counterbore; a spot in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper structure disposed in said counterbore with its top face even with the top face of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face pressing on said screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the circular member and communicating with and larger in inner diameter than said opening of the disk-shaped structure; holding means for detachably holding the diskshaped structure in the counterbore and forcibly pressing said lower face against the screw heads and adapted to allow detaching the spot without removing the screws from the wood; and a peg in said tubular part and said opening of the diskshaped structure and projecting above the spot.

10. A combination as in claim 9 in which said circular member is provided with a wide circular recess, and in which said holding means comprises peripheral fastening threads in said recess and peripheral threads on said disk-shaped structure engaging said threads of the member.

11. In combination, a wooden bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide counterbore; a fixed disk fitting in said counterbore and having a large central opening, and. screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed spaced from said bore and having wide flat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the disk; a spot in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part fitting in said counterbore of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face pressed fiat against said screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part; and a peg fitting in the lower end of said tubular part and said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot for reception in a bore of a tenpin; and means engaging said disk and spot for forcibly holding and pressing said disk-shaped upper part against;the fiat screw heads with sufficient force to hold said heads sufiiciently firmly in contact with their associated countersinks to hold the screws in vertical position, to cause the screws to press against the wood with approximately even force throughout to minimize the wearing of, the screw holes when. the force of a ball on: the .tenpinis transmitted through the peg,

said. disk-shaped upper part and the fixed disk to the screws.

12. In combination, a wooden bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide counterbore;

l. a fixed disk fitting in said counterbore and having a large central opening, and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed spaced from said bore and having wide fiat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the disk; a spot in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part fitting in said counterbore of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face pressed fiat against said screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with said opening of the disk-shapedpart; and a peg fitting in the lower end of said tubular part and said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot for reception in a bore of a tenpin; and interengaging threads carried by the disk and spot for forcibly holding and pressing said diskshaped upper part against the fiat screw heads with sufficient force to hold said heads sufiiciently firmly in contact with their associated countersinks to hold the screws in vertical position to cause the screws to press against the wood with approximately even force throughout to minimize the wearing of the screw holes when the force of a ball on the tenpin is transmitted to the screws.

13. In combination, a wooden bed having a vertical bore having an upper wide counterbore; a fixed disk fitting in said counterbore and having a large central opening, and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed spaced from said bore and having wide fiat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks of the disk; a spot in said counterbore and bore and comprising a disk-shaped upper part fitting in said counterbore of the bed and having a central opening and a lower fiat face pressed fiat against said screw heads; said spot having integral therewith a lower tubular part in said opening of the disk and communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part; and a peg fitting in the lower end of said tubular part and in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot for reception in a bore of a tenpin; and interengaging threads in said central opening of the disk and on said tubular part for forcibly holding and pressing said disk-shaped upper part against the fiat screw heads with sufiicient force to hold said heads sufficiently firmly in contact with their associated countersinks to hold the screws in vertical position to cause the screws to press against the wood with approximately even force throughout to minimize the wearing of the screw holes when the force of a ball on the tenpin is transmitted to the screws.

14. A spot assembly combination for minimizing the pulling and tilting stresses on screws holding the assembly in place; said combination comprising a wooden bed having a vertical bore having a counterbore; a spot assembly in said counterbore and comprising a fixed disk snugly fitting in the lower part of the counterbore and provided with a large central opening, and screw holes having wide countersinks; screws in said holes and bed and spaced from said bore and having fiat heads snugly fitting in the countersinks; a spot in said counterbore comprising a disk-shaped upper part engaging on said heads and having a central opening and a lower flat 7 a facesaid disk-shaped parthaving integral theremam . 9 with a lower tubularpart communicating with said opening of the disk-shaped part; a peg having an enlarged diameter lower part adapted to engage in said tubular part and an upwardly tapered part adapted to snugly, fit in said opening of the disk-shaped part and projecting above the spot; and threaded means engaging the disk and disk-shaped part for forcibly pressing said disk-shaped part against the flat screw heads with sufficient force to hold said heads sufliciently firmly in contact with their associated countersinks to hold the screws in' vertical position against the wood to minimize the wearing and lateral enlargement of the screw holes.

HARRY ROSENTHAL.

10 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 732,024 Gunn June 23, 1903 882,851 Vearing Mar. 24,1908 1,608,156 Barry Nov. 23, 1926 1,879,306 Kennedy Sept. 27, 1932 2,117,204 Murphy May 10, 1938 2,205,454 Achenbach- June 25, 1940