US2656557A

US2656557A - Bowling ball cleaner

Info

Publication number: US2656557A
Application number: US162866A
Authority: US
Inventors: John J Vargo
Original assignee: GEORGE W SQUIRE; SAMUEL LA MONICA
Current assignee: GEORGE W SQUIRE; SAMUEL LA MONICA
Priority date: 1950-05-19
Filing date: 1950-05-19
Publication date: 1953-10-27
Anticipated expiration: 1970-10-27

Description

Oct. 27, 1953 J. J. VARGO 2,656,557

' BOWLING BALL CLEANER Filed May 19, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

5 Fig. 2

John J. Vargo IIt/VENTOR.

15y MMEM Oct. 27, 1953 J- J. VARGO BOWLING BALL CLEANER Filed May 19, 195

Fig. 3

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 John .1. Vargo INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 27, 1953 BOWLING BALL CLEANER John J. Vargo, Oneonta, N. Y., assignor of onethird to Samuel La Monica, Qneonta, and onethird to George W. Squire, Cooperstown, N. Y.

Application May 19, 1950, Serial No. 162,866

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in cleaning apparatus and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for dry cleaning and dry polishing bowling balls, which eliminates the necessity and inconvenience of using any kind of special cleaner or solvent for the entire operation.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a bowling ball cleaner and polisher involving a plurality of endless driven belts extending through an opening in a ball cage and adapted to spin and rotate a bowling ball in the cage at high speed against a lining in the cage.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bowling ball cleaning and polishing device wherein a bowling ball will be rotated at approximately 3000 R. P. M.s for two minutes to reduce to a minimum the length of time required to effectively and satisfactorily clean and polish a bowling ball.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a bowling ball cleaner and polisher that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, small and compact in structure, inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the present invention with the upper half of the cage swung to an open position;

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the present invention and showing the upper half of the cage swung to its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and,

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numeral 10 represents a supporting frame including a pair of inverted U-shaped side members I2 and I4 having inturned flanges l6 at their lower ends that constitute bearing feet.

Diagonal braces and 22 are terminally secured to the side members l2 and I4 to retain the side members spaced parallel to each other.

A pair of uprights or posts 24 are secured by welding or the like to the member 12 and their lower ends are turned inwardly to form feet 26 that are coplanar with the feet 16, I8 to reinforce and steady the frame. The posts 24 support hori zontal bearings 28 that rotatably support a driven shaft 30 on which there is mounted an outer pair of pulleys 32 and an inner pair of pulleys 34. The pulleys 34 being smaller in diameter than the pulleys 32.

A second pair of uprights or posts 36 are secured by welding or the like to the member I 4 and their lower ends are also turned inwardly to form feet 38 that are coplanar with the feet l6, l8 and 26 to reinforce and steady the frame. The posts 35 support a pair of horizontal bearings 40 that rotatably support a second driven shaft 42 that parallels the shaft 30 and which supports an outer pair of pulleys 44 and an inner pair of pulleys 45.

The pulleys 45 are smaller in diameter than the pulleys 44 and the

pulleys

32 and 34 are substantially equal in diameter to the

pulleys

44 and 46 respectively. A pair of outside, endless V-belts 48 extend between the shafts and are trained about the

outside pulleys

32 and 44, and an inner pair of endless V-belts 49 extend between the shafts and are trained over the

inside pulleys

34 and 46. The upper flights of the outer belts 48 lie in a horizontal plane above and parallel to a horizontal plane through the upper flights of the inside belts.

A cage 50 is mounted on the frame l0 and con sists of upper and lower

hemispherical members

52 and 54 that are hinged together :as at 56. The lower member 54 is provided with a peripheral flange 58 that is removably secured to the web portions of the members l2 and I4 by bolts or the like 60. The inner periphery of each

member

52, 54 is provided with a cleaning and polishing cloth or lining 62 or suitable brushes may be mounted within the

members

52 and 54.

The lower member 54 is formed with an opening 64 through which the upper flights of the

belts

32, 34, 44 and 46 are received. The upper flights of the belts are positioned within the cage sufficient to contact a bowling ball confined in the cage and impart rotation and spin or twist to the bowling ball.

Means is provided. for rotating the belts and this means comprises a motor 65 whose drive shaft supports a pulley 58 that is connected to a pulley 10 on the shaft 30 by an endless drive belt 12.

In practical use of the present invention, the

In view of the foregoing description taken in.

conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those sliilled in this art. A more detailed description is accord ingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is? 1. A bowling ball cleaning machine compris inga frame, a cage mounted on said frame and adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cage being composed of upper and lower hinged-- 1y connected semi-spherical sections each having a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, the lower section of said cage being held stationary on the frame and having an opening therein, a pair of spaced parallel shafts rotatamy supported on said frame, a plurality of pulleys on each of said shafts, endless belts trained about said pulleys and about said shafts and including upper flights extending through the opening in said cage for rotating and twisting a bowling ball in the cage, and means for rotating said shafts.

.2; A bowling ball cleaning machine comprising a frame, a cage mounted on said frame and adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cage having a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, said cage having an opening therein and a plurality of rotating belts received in said opening for imparting twist and rotation to a bowling ball confined in said cage, said belts including an inner pair of parallel belts each having an upper flight entering the opening and an outer pair of parallel belts each having an upper flight entering the opening and disposed in a horizontal plane above a horizontal plane through the upper flights of the inner belts.

3. A bowling ball cleaning machine comprisiiig a'rrame, a cage mounted on said frame and adapted to confine a bowling ball therein, said cage having a soft lining therein for cleaning a bowling ball, said cage having an opening therein, a pair of parallel driven shafts rotatably supported on said frame, a pair of outside pulleys on each of said shafts, a pair of inside pulleys on each of said shafts, said inside pulleys being smaller in diameter than the outside pulleys, a pair of outside belts extending between said shafts and trained over the outside pulleys, and a pair of inside belts extending between said shafts and trained over the inside pulleys, each of said belts having an upper flight including a central portion received in said opening for retating and spinning a bowling ball in said cage, the upper flights of said outside belts lying in a horizontal plane parallel to and above a hori- Zontal plane through the upper flights of the inside belts, said inside arid outside pulleys being disposed completely exterio'rly of said cage.

JOHN J. VARGC).

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Passow e r Dec. 31, 1940 Knipp Jan. 18, 1944 Tholen May 20, 194? Bune May 10, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain June 16, 1908 Great Britain Sept. 18, 1934 Number Number