US2682404A - Bowling ball return - Google Patents

Description

June 29, 1954 c p LUND 2,682,404

BOWLING BALL RETURN Filed Sept. 1, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet l .33" ez'ez" 62 5 E fi m! $4 emu/w w A ATT R'MEX June 29, 1954 c LUND 2,682,404

BOWLING BALL RETURN Filed Sept. 1, l948 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J: 5.5 as

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June 29, 1954 c P, LUND 2,682,404:

BOWLING BALL RETURN Filed Sept. 1, 1948 4 sheets-sheets .Er y. 8 1.2- 3

June 29, 19 54 c p, LUND 2,682,404

BOWLING BALL RETURN Filed Sept. 1, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR CELL/ND ig, ATTRNEY Patented June 29, 1954 OFFICE 682,404 BoWLiN'G BALL RETURN earl Paul Lend, osieiana, cent, assigneuo The Brunswick-Balk 9bllehdf company, Chicago, 11L, sorter-mm 6f Delaware Application S'eptemher 1, 15543, Serial No. 47,288

14 Claims The invention relates to a r'necha'hism for re turning a bowling ball fro'ii'i the pit Of a KIOWliI'ig army to the" players" end of the alley.

An object of the invention is to ij'fdi ide a partic'ularIy simfile and effective apparatus for fle liveiing a bowling ball from the pit of a bowlifig alley'to a return rollway a manner require his a minimum amount of attention and efftirt by an attendant of the alley. I V H Another object is to provide a bowling ban eturn mechanism of the character described in which each (iterative cycle thereof au'tchiat ic'ally initiated by a hall delivered to it from the alley pit, and is automatically terminated by action Of the mechanism".

An added object is to fifoyide for a ball return mechanism having the timing arid/01" scopes of ejier'atiori Of its oper'eitit'e parts ifidefiefidefitly adjustable to adapt it t6 various bewlihg' alley iiistal lation's'.

A further object is to previde a ball return mechanism of the character described which ma serve two adjacent bowling alleys. I

The invention possesses other objects arid features of advantage, some of which, with the foreg' oing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of a typical embodiment thereof, and in the accompanying drawings, in which, H

Figure 1 is a side elevation of an installation of the present ball return mechanism at the pit portion of a bowling alley, an elevator cage of the mechanism being shown in ball-receiving position in a sectionally-shown portion of" the alley structure.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional and fragmentary view of a cage-support means of the mechanism; H

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of an elec-tromag'net shown in Figure 1'.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary and partly sectional view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows the installation of Figure 1, but is taken from the opposite side of the mechanism and discloses the cage in raised ball-discharging positiom certain elements being shown in section or broken away;

Figure 6 is an enlarged perspective view ofthe device which ejects the hall from the raised cage.

Figure 7 is a perspective View of the elevator cage.

Figure 8 is anenlarger rear elevation of the mechanism taken on the broken line 8 4 in Figure 1;

2. Figure 9" is an enlarged front view of the mechsmf a Figure 10 is a plan View taken below line IU-l 0 in Figure W Figure 11 is a sectional elevation taken at the line HI Figiile 1. V Figure 12 is a seetieh taken at the line l2"l2 in Figure 8. t

Figures 13 and 14 are diagrammatic showings of the control mechafiism and its electric circuit. F61 purposes of illils'trltidfi, I have 'ShdWii ifiV''ntiOh as applied td a ball or m tuau adjacent bowling alleys 15 comprising alley beds' I5 b'ol'ilided by" alley troughs l5" for receiving balls fi'll lihg fiO'fI'i the beds Before they ifalh the zones Of the bowlifig' Dins', Said alleys having a 06th-- men an-return railway is between them and iri'elting at usuaiauey pit depressions l'l navm fiore-csr-mss horizontal floors H, A dividing wan OI" fiiikback' l8 separates the pits I! and 65(- trids forwardly therefrom as a support for the elyitd balll-iiv'ir'ig' en'd fibltidfi I6 0f the ban-return railway, it beifig' noted that a descending reverse-curve portion It of the rollw'ay conmeets the sermon [6 with the renw'ay floor-level fno'itidfi (ildt Sheik/11) The railway portions [6' iild 16'' may COI I-ipIlS h'iiltiially shaded rails Which N "atii ely firOV'ide the equivalent Of a trough for guiding and retaining a ban I9 rolling thialdhg, it being uridelsftdod that the IiiOrhnacquired by a ball idllihg dOWl'i the rOHWa-Y edition I6" is arranged to (affect its rolling deliK/fif to the player efid Of the alley. Near its rear end, the wall I 8 has a lower portion [8 over which a pin-setting attendant may step in pass- Iifig hetween the pits of the alleys [5 for serving As" is usual, the thickness of the wall it? slightl'y exceeds the diameter of a bowling ball, and the elevator means of my ball-return mechanism is" installed iii Said Wall obposit'e the forward pit corners thereat. As particularly shown, a ball- C0f1 Ve;yiI'1'g ca e: 21 is" provided fOr receiving a ball I 9- fO'i" its subsequent guided raising in upright g'uideway which in the present in: sta nee' compri es theihore' 22 of a tubular mem ber' The forward side of the bore 22" is sub st'ar'itially coplanar with the forward pit sides, am; the member 22' is provided at opposite sides flier-66f v'v'ithopemngs- 2 2 e'xtefidil'ig' fiol'rf the Di t H601 IVl alid l gistefl" g with Wall 015811- Lilli-S f8 fO'I freely receiving hall's Whiclimay be rolled thereunto from either pit.

It Will'- be noted that the cage 2'1 comprises bottom and top' parts 23' and H which are Of Gil"- cular outline and are connected by relatively narrow side members 25 whereby the generally cylindrical cage has open sides and is arranged for slidably-guided movement in the guide bore 22'. At its upper side, the ball-supporting platform comprising the cage bottom 23 provides a centering seat for a bowling ball l9 in the cage, said seat, in the present case, being provided by the bevelled-off corners of blocks 23' fixed upon its bottom 23. The cage 2| is arranged for constant support by a rod 26 extending from its top 24, said rod being of rectangular section. The cage connection for the rod 26 is presently provided by its extension through a complementary opening 24 provided centrally in the cage top, with a crosspin 26' engaged through the rod beneath the top 24. The present supporting connection of the cage with the rod permits a full return stroke of the rod if a ball falls into the guideway while the cage is raised, the bottom of the cage being padded to avoid damage to the ball.

Since the line of delivery of a ball |9 from a pit floor I1 is perpendicular to the line of the rollway l6, it is necessary that the cage 2| be rotated through a ninety degree angle before the ball may be delivered therefrom along the upper rollway portion l6. As particularly shown, the cage-supporting rod 26 is formed with a quarterturn spiral twist between its ends and is arranged to pass through a complementary bore of a guideblock member 2'! which is fixedly disposed sufficiently above the rollway to permit a balldelivering positioning of the cage with respect to the ball-receiving portion I6. As particularly shown, the guide block 21 is fixed within the bottom end of a fixedly-supported tubular member 28, and the rod extends through a stuffing box 28 provided below the guide-block 21 whereby it is sealed in the guideway opening of the block and the lower tube portion may contain a lubricant for the rod. It will be understood that the present provision for rotating the cage 2| during its lifting is generally required for single alleys as well as for alley pairs.

The support rod is arranged to constantly extend above the guide block 21, and its upper end is connected to a flexible support member 29 by means of a suitable swivel connection 3|, whereby the member 29 need not be twisted as the rod 26 is rotated by reason of its reciprocation through the block 21. Near its upper end, the tubular member 28 mounts a pulley wheel 32 which extends radially from the member through an axial slot 28" at the forward side of the member, and has the flexible member 29 extending over it to a mechanism by which it may be actuated in pulling and return strokes to reciprocate the cage 2| in working cycles thereof. As shown, ears 33 provided on the member 28 at the sides of the slot rotatively support the pulley wheel 32 on a spindle 33' connecting them.

Means are provided whereby a ball I9 is arranged to be automatically and positively ejected from the cage 2| when the latter is raised to its delivery relation with respect to the upper rollway portion l6. As particularly shown, an upstanding arm 34 of a standard 34, which is fixed to the top of the wall I8 rearwardly of the cage guideway, mounts a member 35 in the form of a bellcrank lever having arms 36 and 31 which are angularly related. The arm 31 of the member 35 is arranged for swinging outwardly from a normal position in which it is gravitationally held parallel to the standard 34' for swinging into the cage space, and carries a suitable ballengaging head block 31' at its bottom end.

The arm 36 of the member extends over the cage guideway for contact with the top 24 of the cage as the latter reaches its limiting raised position as controlled by the support rod 26. The arm 36 of the present member 35 mounts a head 36 for contact with the rising cage top 24 for rocking the member to push or kick a ball [9 from the cage as a rising movement of the cage ends; preferably, and as shown, the contact head 36 comprises the head of a T-headed screw threadedly engaged through the arm 36 and held in said adjusted position by means of lock-nuts 36" engaging it and the arm. The arrangement is essentially such that a ball in the cage 2| will be positively forced therefrom onto the rollway portion |6' as the cage reaches its upper limit of travel.

It will now be noted that the mechanism for controlling the position of the cage 2| is carried by and beneath a frame 38 which is arranged for mounting on a fixed overhead support which might comprise a ceiling, or ceiling joists, and is indicated by the numeral 39. As particularly shown, the frame 38 has mutually paralle1 angle bar members, 38' supported upon mutually spaced horizontal hanger bars 39' suitably carried by and beneath the support 39, and vibrationabsorbing blocks 39" are preferably interposed between the bars 38 and 39'. Near one end thereof, the frame 38 mounts a flanged socket 38 in which the upper end of the tube 28 is threadedly engaged for mounting the tube in coaxial relation to the guideway of the cage 2|.

Hanger bars 4| depend rigidly from the support frame 38 in laterally spaced relation to the tube member 28 and are fixedly connected at their bottom by a member 42 comprising an upright base plate portion 42 carrying a horizontal bearing sleeve 42" opposite its forward side in integral relation to it. A shaft 43 is journalled in the bearing sleeve 42", and carries at one extending end thereof a relatively large gear 44, said gear being particularly shown as of the spoked type. An arm is fixed to and along a spoke 44 of the gear 44 at the gear side which is opposite the bearing sleeve 42" for its mounting shaft 43, and carries at its outer end a pulley 46 which is arranged to have-the flexible control member 29 pass around it from the pulley 32 to a suitable terminal anchorage 41.

As is particularly brought out in Figures 1 and 5, the flexible pull member 29 comprises a chain of fixed length, and the anchorage 41 and the pulley 46 and the pulley 32 and the axis of the tubular member 28 are mutually coplanar in the assembly; the relation is essentially such that a rotation of the arm 45 with the shaft 43 is arranged to actuate the chain 29 to effect a lifting and return movement of the cage 2| in a complete cycle of operations thereof for each complete rotation of the gear 44. It is important to note that the pulley 46 is mounted on the arm 45 for adjustment therealong whereby it may be disposed to provide the required lift distance for the cage 2| for installations of the mechanisms at different bowling alleys having the ballreceiving ends of their ball-return rollways at different heights.

7 When a player has rolled a ball along the alley with the idea of striking bowling pins (not shown) which have been set up by an attendant near the pit end of the alley, and the ball has fallen into a pit H, the attendant may apply his foot or a hand to the ball for rolling it over the pit floor 1 to pass through a wall opening [8 into the normally lowered cage 2|, and the added weight of the ball in the cage is arranged to automatically cause a cycle of operations of the cage by reason. of an actuation of the arm 45 by the gear 44. In the present arrangement, the starting of a cycle of operations is arranged to be effected through having the pull chain 29 effect a permitted limited displacement of a member 48 which provides the terminal. anchorage 4'! for the chain by and upon the addition of the weight of a bowling ball to its load.

As is particularly brought out in Figure 4, the member 48 depends as a pendulum from a horizontal pivot pin 45 provided through the free, and forked, end of abracket arm 5| which is adjustably fixed to the tubular member 28 in a suitable manner, as by a U-bolt 5|, to extend forwardly therefrom. At a point of the member 48 below the pin 49, the member 4t! provides a pair of arms 52 which extend forwardly therefrom and rotatively mount a roller 52' on a spindle 52" extending between them, and the terminal portion of the chain 29 is clamped about the roller 52' to provide the anchorage ll for the chain.

At its bottom, the member 48 provides laterally-spaced ears 53 which cooperatively provide a slot 53' for receiving a stem 55 extending from a weight member 54, and a nut 54 is threadedly mounted at the free stem. end for clamping the cars 53 between it and the weight member 5t for fixing the weight in adjusted position on the ears. The arrangement is essentially such that the cage Zl is normally held in ball-receiving position opposite the wall openings It and above a lower position which it might assume if the normal. balance of the movable assembly from the cage 2 l to the member 48 is disturbed by the added weight of a ball in the cage.

A panel 55 depends from the arm 5| between the member 28 and the member 48 in the general plane thereof, and is provided with projections 55' and 55" extending to the member 28 and toward the member 48, the projection 55' backing the panel against the member 28 and projection 55" serving as a stop to limit the swinging of the member 48 toward the member 28 when the cage is in its normal ball-receiving position, as in Figure 1. Preferably, and as shown, the bracket arm 5| threadedly mounts a stop screw 56 having an end operative against the upper end of the member 48 above its pivot at to limit the swinging displacement thereof by a pull on the chain 29 which is caused by the presence of a ball IS in the cage 2 I. It will thus be understood that the stop 55" and the stop screw 56 act to permit an adjusted-angle swinging of the member between limiting positions thereof, and that the described cycle of operations of the cage may be effected in the disclosed manner by reason of the anchored connection of the chain to the member 48.

The panel 55 mounts a switch 51 of the snapaction type having setting buttons 57 and ti respectively extending upwardly and downwardly from its housing, thebutton 51 being displaceable inwardly to close the switch, and the button 51' being alternatively movable inwardly to open the switch. In the present structure, a swinging displacement of the member :18 by reason of the presence of a ballin the cage 2| is arranged to actuate the switch 51 for closing the same; accordingly, an arm 48" extending rearwardly from the member 48 at a point below its hinge pin 4-9 6 is arranged to engage with the button 51 for closing the switch when the member 48 is swung forwardly from its normal position to engage the stop 58 which is operative to prevent damage to the switch. At the end of a ball-delivering cycle of the cage 2 l, the movable core 58' of an electro magnet 58 mounted on the panel is arranged to displace the button 57" for reopening the switch when its solenoid 58 is energized. It will thus be understood that a displacement rocking of the member 48 is operative to close the switch 5?, and that a subsequent energizing of the electromagnet solenoid 58" is arranged to reopen the switch.

It will now be noted that an elongated tiltframe 5! mounts an electric motor 62 on one endthereof, mounts a counterbalance weight 63 at its other end, and is intermediately hinged" to the depending hanger arms 4'! on a horizontal hinge pin 63 for its limited rocking on the pin. The weight (it is adjustable along the frame "for its disposal at a frame point at which the motor is normally disposed at a limiting lowered posi tion therefor. Complementary bracket arms 54 extending horizontally from the hanger bars 4! at points beneath the counterweight end of the frame ti'mount the solenoid 65" of an electromagnet having its core 55" suspended from the overlying end of the frame 6I- on a support 5 link (it which depends from a hinged connection lit with the frame end.

The core is normally disposed above the magnetic field of the solenoid 65", and the energiaing of said solenoid is arranged to pull the core within the solenoid for tilting the frame 61 from its normal position shown in Figure 1 to a limiting tilted position shown in Figure 5. While the core rib" is held magnetically within the solenoid of the electromagnet 65, the motor is arranged to actuate the gear wheel- 44'- for operating the cage 2| in lift-and-return strokesthereoi, and a suitable clutch connection is provided between the motor shaft 62 and the gear wheel at for the purpose; the motor is arranged to be constantly operating while the mechanism is in use.

In the present structure, the motor shaft 6'? mounts a belt pulley t2" carrying a belt 51 which is arranged to effect a rotat'ive driving of the gear M through a pulley 58 carriedon a shaft 69 which is journalled on a sub-frame H carried by and extending rearwardly from the hanger bars ii, an extending and of said shaft mounting a spur gear 72 in constant meshing engagement with the gear at. When the motor 62 is in its lowered position of Figure l, the belt 61 is arranged to be loose with respectto the pulleys 62 and 68 whereby the belt is then inoperative to rotate the gear from the operating motor andthe raising of the motor resulting from an energizing of the electromagnet t5, is arranged to tighten the belt against the pulleys for causing an actuation of the elevator cage 21; the arrangement" is understood to provide a particularly simple and effective clutch connection between the motor shaft 62 and the shaft 59'.

A releasable brake means is rovided for se curing the mechanism its normal inactive condition in which the cage 21 is disposed for receiving a ball from either alley pit; in the present structure, said brake means comprises a brake shoe l3- disposed beneath and operative against the periphery of the pulley Bil while the mechanism is stopping and is quiescent. As particularly shown, al'ever l4 mou-ntsthe' brake shoe 1-3 and is intermediately pivoted to an arm 15 depending from the sub-frame M adjacent the pulley 68, and the other lever end is engaged by athrust rod 16 of adjustable length constantly engaged between a socket 11 provided on and beneath the motor support frame 6| and an opposed socket 18 provided in the said lever end. The arrangement is essentially such that the brake shoe I3 is operatively applied while and after the motor 62 is lowered for rendering the belt 61 inoperative, it being noted that the thrust rod 16 then functions to limit the gravity loweringof the motor to a degree determined by the adjusted rod length.

Since the drive belt 61 is loose most of the time, means are preferably provided whereby its upper loop is then kept clear of the pulley 62" on the motor shaft 62' whereby the inoperative belt may not be engaged by said pulley for turning it or frictionally damaging it. Accordingly, the beltportions between the pulleys 62 and 68 may extend through fixed guideway members 19 and 80 of rectangular U-shaped cross-section which so closely receive the belt portions thereat that said belt portions are maintained in a generally straight condition when the belt is loose. The guideway members 19 and 80 so control the shape of the free belt that its bottom loop is supported upon the brake shoe 13 beneath the pulley 68 while its top loop is clear of the pulley 62" in coaxial relation to it; see Figure 12. It will be understood that the present arrangement for holding the belt 61 clear of both pulleys while the mechanism is in its normally inactive condition not only protects the belt, but insures a proper operative engagement of the belt with the pulley 68 when the motor is raised to operatively engage the belt.

Recalling that the deposit of a ball in the cage 2i is arranged to automatically cause the movement of the cage to initiate the described liftand-return cycle of the cage, means are provided for automatically stopping the various movements of the mechanism at the end of each cycle when the cage is positioned in ball-receiving position. In the present mechanism, the cycle-terminating means comprises a normally open switch in the circuit of the electromagnet 58 for closing to energize the latter to open the snap switch 51 and thereby break the energizing circuit for the elecr tromagnet 65, thus permitting a gravity lowering of the motor to simultaneously release the belt and operatively engage the brake shoe 13 with the pulley 68.

By reference to the diagrams of Figures 13 and 14, it will be noted that operating power for the present mechanism is derived from a suitable electric current source represented by conductor wires 82 and 83 having the circuits for the motor 62 and for the control mechanism connected in parallel thereto. The motor circuit comprises conductor wires 84 and 85 connecting the motor with the wires 82 and 83 respectively through a switch 86. A wire 88 connects the wire 82 with one terminal of the snap switch 51 through the solenoid 65, and a wire 89 connects the wire 83 with the other terminal of the snap switch 51 whereby a closing of the snap switch is operative through the action of the energized electromagnet 65 to tilt the motor-carrying frame 6| to raise the motor and render the belt 61 operative to actuate the mechanism, the latter being the condition shown in Figures 5 and 14.

A wire 90 in parallel connection with the wire 89 includes the solenoid of the switch-opening electromagnet 58 and also a normally open singlepole switch 9| for closing by the action of a cam 92 for an energizing of the solenoid 58". The cam 92 is mounted on the shaft 43 in rotatively adjusted relation thereto, and is operative against an operating arm 9! of the switch 9| which is shown as mounted on the corresponding end of the plate 42 which provides the bearing sleeve 42". The cam 92 is so disposed on the shaft 43 that it is arranged to momentarily close the switch 9| just as the end of an operative cycle is reached, it being understood that the solenoid 58 of the electromagnet 58 thus energized is operative to displace the core 58 to engage the switch button 51 for opening the switch 51 to stop the elevator-operating mechanism while the motor continues to operate. The rotative adjustment of the cam 92 permits a setting of the cam which provides a stopping of the mechanism with the cage 2| restored to its ballreceiving position.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the present bowling ball return device may be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described a form of my invention which I now consider to comprise a preferred embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the showings are primarily illustrative, and that such changes and developments may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a ball-return rollway of a bowling alley having an elevated ball-receiving portion disposed entirely longitudinally of the alley and above a side of the alley pit, an elevator alternately disposable for the rolling delivery thereonto of a ball laterally from the pit floor and for the rolling delivery of the ball therefrom upon the ball-receiving portion of the rollway when the elevator is in its elevated position behind and in direct longitudinal alignment with the elevated portion of the rollway, a member supporting said elevator in an upright axis of rotation therefor, and means directly cooperative with said support member whereby the elevator is rotated about said axis between its receiving and delivery positions during its raising and lowering.

2. In combination with a ball-return rollway of a bowling alley having an elevated ball-receiving portion extending entirely longitudinally of the alley and above a side of the alley pit, an elevator cage alternately disposable for the rolling delivery thereonto of a ball laterally from the pit floor and for the rolling delivery of the ball therefrom upon the ball-receiving portion of the rollway when the cage is in its elevated position behind and in direct longitudinal alignment with the elevated portion of the rollway, a member supporting said cage from its top in an upright axis of rotation therefor, and means cooperative with said support member whereby the cage is rotated about said axis between its receiving and delivery positions during its raising and lowering.

3. In combination with a ball-return rollway of a bowling alley having an elevated ball-receiving portion, an elevator cage arranged to rollingly receive a bowling ball directly from the pit of the alley, a flexible member extending from said cage to a fixed anchorage and supporting the cage for its alternate disposalin ballreceiving and ball-delivering positions with respect to the pit and rollway respectively, and means operative upon the flexible member intermediately thereof to vary the effective length of a portion thereof between values in which the cage'is disposed in its ball-receiving and ball-delivering positions.

4. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a fiexible support member for the elevator extending upwardly therefrom about and over a support pulley'to a fixed anchorage, a pulley engaging said flexible member at a point between the first pulley and the anchorage for the member and means to move said second pulley against the support member to successively increase and decrease the length of the portion of the support member between the first pulley and the anchorage for effecting lift-and-return strokes of the elevator to move the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the elevated portion of the rollway.

5. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a flexible support member for the elevator extending upwardly therefrom to an anchorage member therefor, means mounting said anchorage member for its limited displacement from a normal position by reason of the loading of the elevator, means for utilizing the support member for effecting lifting-and-return movements of the elevator, and means whereby a displacement of the anchor member by reason of the placement of a load on the elevator is automatically operative to actuate the support member for a liftand-return movement of the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the level of the elevated portion of the rollway.

6. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a flexible support member extending upwardly from the elevator, a counter-balanced anchorage member to which the support member is fixed and arranged for its displacement from a normal position thereof when the elevator is loaded, and an elevator-actuating means controlled by the anchorage member, whereby the displacement thereof by reason of the loading of the elevator is operative to actuate the support member for a lift-andreturn movement of the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the level of the elevated portion of the rollway.

7. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of aball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a support member for the elevator normally disposing the same in load-receiving position adjacent the floor of the pit, a rotary means for effecting lift and return movements of the support member to move the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the elevated portion of the rollway, this means including a driven shaft, a rotary electric motor arranged for a constant 10 one-way rotation of its drive shaft, a normally inoperative clutch means for connecting said drive and driven shafts, and a means whereby the loading of the elevator is automatically operative to render the clutch means operative for an actuation of the support member in lift and return movements thereof.

8. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the fioor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a support member for the elevator normally disposing the same in load-receiving position adjacent the floor of the pit, a rotary means for effecting lift and return movements of the support member to move the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the elevated portion of the rollway, this means including a driven shaft carrying a pulley, a rotary electric motor arranged for a constant one-way rotation of its drive shaft, a pulley on said drive shaft, a drive belt freely encircling said drive and driven pulleys, means movably carrying said motor for its displacement to tighten the belt with respect to the pulleys for rendering the motor operative for actuating the driven shaft, and means whereby the loading of the elevator is automatically operative to displace the motor to tighten the belt for an actuation-of the support member in lift and return movements thereof.

9. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit for its delivery upon the elevated rollway portion, a support member for the elevator normally disposing the same in load-receiving position adjacent the floor of the pit, a rotary means for effecting lift and return movements of the support member to move the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the elevated portion of the rollway, this means including a driven shaft carrying a pulley, a rotary electric motor arranged for a constant one-way rotation of its drive shaft, a pulley on said drive shaft disposed above the pulley of the driven shaft, a brake shoe normally operative against and beneath the pulley of the driven shaft, means operative to inoperatively dispose the brake shoe, a drive belt encircling said drive and driven pulleys and normally supported on said brake shoe and free of the pulleys, and means whereby the loading of the elevator is automatically operative to tighten the belt against and between the pulleys and to release the brake shoe for an actuation of the support member in lift and return movements thereof.

10. In combination with a bowling alley pit and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway for use therewith, an elevator arranged to receive a bowling ball from the floor of the pit at a given level for its delivery at a higher level, a support member for the elevator normally disposing the same in load-receiving position adjacent the fioor of the pit, a rotary means for effecting lift and return movements of the support member to move the elevator between the level of the pit floor and the elevated portion of the rollway, this means including a driven shaft carrying a pulley, a rotary electric motor arranged for a constant one-way rotation of its drive shaft, a pulley on said drive shaft, a drive belt freely encircling said drive and driven pulleys, a tilt-frame carrying said motor for its 11 displacement to tighten the belt with respect to the pulleys for rendering the motor operative for actuating the driven shaft, electro-magnetic means automatically operative to rock the tiltframe to tighten the belt against and between the said pulleys for an actuation of the support member in lift and return movements thereof, means automatically operative to unload the elevator while it is lifted, and electro-magnetic means automatically operative to render the first electro-magnetic means inoperative by and upon the return of the unloaded .elevator to its loadreceiving position.

11. A structure in accordance with claim provided with a brake means normally fixing the elevator in load-receiving position, and means automatically releasing the brake means only while the tilt-frame is displaced from its normal position.

12. In combination with the pit of a bowling alley disposed to the rear of an alley bed and an elevated portion of a ball-return rollway disposed entirely laterally and longitudinally of the pit and extending longitudinally of the alley, an elevator cage arranged to receive a bowling ball rolling laterally from the front of the pit adjacent the rear of the alley bed, means automatically operative by reason of the deposit of a ball in the cage to successively elevate the cage to a position behind the pit end of the upper rollway portion and to return the cage to its ball receiving position, means for turning said cage through a 90 angle while it is being elevated, and means to automatically deliver the ball from the cage onto the upper rollway portion upon said cage being elevated to a position behind the pit end of the upper rollway portion.

13. In combination with the pits of a pair of mutually adjacent and parallel bowling alleys positioned to the rear of their alley beds and a common ball-return rollway for the alleys having an elevated portion adjacent and extending entirely longitudinally of the pits, an

elevator cage normally disposed to rollingly receive a bowling ball from the front of either pit adjacent the rear of the alley beds, means automatically operative by reason of a deposit of a ball in the cage to successively elevate the cage to a position behind the elevated portion of the rollway and to return the cage to its ball receiving position, means for turning said cage through a. angle while it is being elevated, and means to automatically deliver the ball from the cage onto the upper rollway portion upon said cage being elevated to a position behind the pit end of the upper rollway portion.

14. In combination with a ball-return rollway of a bowling alley having an elevated ballreceiving portion, an elevator cage arranged to rollingly receive a bowling ball directly from the pit of the alley, a flexible member extending from said cage to a fixed anchorage and supporting the cage for its alternate disposal in ball-receiving and ball-delivering positions with respect to the pit and rollway, respectively, means operative upon the flexible member intermediately thereof to vary the effective length of a portion thereof between values in which the cage is disposed in its ball-receiving and ball-delivering positions, and means responsive to the rolling of a ball onto said cage to initiate operation of said first-mentioned means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 910,131 Keesling Jan. 19, 1909 1,068,131 Holland et al July 22, 1913 1,263,875 Fekete Apr 23, 1918 1,375,835 Fairchild Apr. 26, 1921 1,431,695 Severence Oct. 12, 1922 1,627,414 Schafier May 3, 1927 1,736,011 0lson Nov. 19, 1929 1,770,555 Shepley July 15, 1930 2,019,607 Hedenskoog Nov. 5, 1935 2,388,708 Bates Nov. 13, 1945

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