US2699945A - Ball discharging device for bowling alleys - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 18, 1955 s. A. FRYE BALL DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed NOV. 13, 1945 'unmrmu, u 1| 1 mm H Qu to 1414 S. A. FRYE Jan. 18, 1955 BALL DI SCHARGING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS 3 SheetS-Shger, 2

Original Filed Nov. 13, 1945 SANDERS A. FRYE s. A. FRYE BALL DISCHARGING osvxcrz FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Jan. 18, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Original Filed Nov. 13, 1945 SANDERS A. FRYE United States Patent C BALL DISCHARGING DEVICE FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Sanders A. Frye, Westerville, Ohio, assignor to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Original application November 13, 1945, Serial No. 628,040. Divided and this application October 4, 1950, Serial No. 188,342

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-49) This invention has reference to automatic pit-discharging apparatus for bowling alleys, an object thereof being to provide improved mechanical means whereby bowllng balls, deposited in the pit of a bowling alley, are removed from the pit and deposited on a runway for their return to the players, the operations being executed without manual aid and in an automatic manner.

While attempts have been made in the prior art to solve the problem of automatically delivering balls to return apparatus for quick return to a player, such attempts have not proven wholly satisfactory for various reasons; chiefly, however, because of the failure of the art to develop reliably operating devices for handling balls so that they can be delivered rapidly to a ball return for return to a player at the players end of a bowling alley.

Accordingly, it is another object of the invention to provide positive and reliable means for delivering balls rapidly to a return runway for return to a player.

It is another object of the invention to provide improved means for elevating bowling balls from the alley pit to a suitable ball return runway for return to a player.

In connection with the foregoing, I have developed a number of novel structural details and part arrangements all of which may be thoroughly understood by reference to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the rear portion of a bowling alley disclosing the improved ball handling mechanism employed in carrying out the present invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane indicated by line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of a preferred embogiment of the ball elevator constituting the invention; an

Figure 4 is a front elevational view thereof.

The automatic bowling alley apparatus disclosed in the accompanying drawings is concerned particularly with mechanism for collecting the pins and balls forced into the pit at the rear end of the bowling alley, separating balls from pins and returning the balls to players. The present application constitutes a division of my copending application, Serial Number 628,040, filed November 13, 1945, for Automatic Apparatus for Discharging Pins and Balls from the Pits of Bowling Alleys, now Patent 2,622,879 granted December 23, 1952.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the nu meral 20 designates the pin receiving area at the rear of a bowling alley 21. At the rear of the alley is a pit 22, which is adapted to receive balls and toppled pins, knocked and otherwise positively removed from the area 20. The pit at each side is provided with upright side walls or kickbacks 23, and between these Walls a swinging backstop 24 is mounted to arrest rearward movement of the balls and pins received in the pit.

The backstop may be of any suitable form, such as shown in Patent 2,622,879, wherein there is provided an outer frame 25, which is generally rectangular in configuration, except that one of the lower corners thereof is recessed as at 26. Adjacent to its upper portion, the frame 25 is formed with tnlnnions 27 which are received in brackets 28 carried by the side walls 23, and by which the backstop is fulcrumed for swinging movement about a substantially horizontal axis. Within the outer frame 25, the backstop includes an inner slidably adjustable 2,699,945 Patented Jan. 18, 1955 frame 29, the latter carrying a back panel 30. Also positioned in the frame 29 is a plurality of cushions (not shown), formed from any suitable yieldable material. Each of these cushions has attached to the forward portion thereof a flexible apron (not shown), and the upper edges of these aprons are fastened to the upper horizontal member of the frame 29, whereby the individual cushions are maintained in their desired vertical positions and are prevented from sinking or compacting downwardly within the limits of the frame 29.

The outer frame 25 carries at the front thereof a heavy covering 33 of leather or the like, which receives the impact of the balls or pins delivered to the pit, the upper and lower edges of the covering 33 being suitably secured to the top and bottom horizontal members of the frame 25. The outer frame also carries brackets 34 having threaded openings for the reception of adjusting screws 35, the inner ends of said screws engaging the back panel 30 whereby to elfect sliding adjustment of the inner frame 29 so that the cushions may be held in desired engagement with the outer covering 33, thus producing an eflicient cushioning means for arresting movement of the balls and pins.

The sides of the alley 21 are provided with the usual parallel gutters 36, and mounted on one or more of the side walls 23 is a runway 37 by which the bowling balls, shown at 38, may be returned from the pit to the forward or players end of the alley. The side walls 23 also carry at their upper edges a pair of guide tracks 39 in the form of channel members, and movable longitudinally along these tracks is a pin setting mechanism indicated generally by the numeral 40.

In the present application, this pin setting mechanism has not been shown in detail, but the same is preferably of the type disclosed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 577,367, now Patent 2,550,919. The surfaces of the side walls or kickbacks 23 facing the alley 21 in the pit 22 may be provided with a wear-resisting or re-enforcing material 41, and above the backstop 24, and between the walls 23 is a suitably mounted horizontally disposed top panel 42, which latter, in connection with the backstop, conceals the pit discharging apparatus, hereinafter more fully described, from the view of the players.

Disposed on the floor or base of the pit 22, and below the horizontal plane of the alley area 20, is a pair of transversely extending, parallel channel members 43, the upper flanges of the latter carrying a horizontally disposed conveyor floor 44. Rotatably supported at the ends of the channel members 43 are rolls 45 around which pass an endless conveyor belt 46 of rubber or rubberized fabric. One of the rolls 45 is provided with a shaft 47 carrying at its end a worm gear 48, the teeth of the latter meshing with a worm 49, which is driven by the sprocket and chain construction 50 from a motor-actuated drive shaft 51, thus imparting movement to the belt 46 so that its upper run advances laterally or transversely of the pit in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Figure l. The balls and pins engaging the backstop are thus positioned on the upper Inn of the belt 46 and are advanced thereby laterally of the pit in order that when discharged from the belt 46, the same will be deposited on the upper run of a longitudinally positioned conveyor belt 52 arranged at one side of the pit 22, as shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2.

The belt 52 is supported by a frame 53 supported on the floor surface of the pit 22. The frame 53 carries at its ends rolls 54 around which the belt 52 passes, one of the rolls being driven by any suitable means (not shown) from the drive shaft 51. The upper run of the belt 52 is disposed in a horizontal plane somewhat below that of the upper run of the belt 46, in order to facilitate transfer of the balls or pins from the transverse belt to the longitudinally movable belt. The roll 54 at the forward end of the pit is longitudinally adjustable in frame bearings, as indicated at 55, so that the belt 52 may be maintained in a taut operating condition. A similar adjustment may be provided for one of the rolls of the belt 46. The longitudinal belt 52 is disposed in registration with and below the recessed portion 26 of the backstop 24, said recess being provided in order that ample clearance will be present to permit of the passage of the ballscarried by the upper run of the belt 52 beneath the backsto nother horizontally disposed and transversely posltioned carrier belt 56 is locatedat the rear of the pit bebind the backstop. Thisbelt, as shown in F1gures l, 3 and 4, is supportedby a channel-member 57. The vertic-aLfl-anges of this channelm-ember carry brackets (not shown) which support a belt-floor 59 over theupper surface of which the upper run of the belt 56 advances in the-directionindicated by the arrow B-of Figure 1-.

At the end ofthe channel member 57 in registration with the belt 52, a longitudinally adjustable belt-t ghtening bearing of conventional design (not shown) is provided for the reception of a roll 61 around which the belt 56 travels. The opposite endof this belt passes over a complemental roll 62 which is driven by the chain and sprocket construction 63- from the drive shaft 51. Adjacentto the rear longitudinal edge of the belt 56, and in registration with the discharge end of the belt 2, the pitis 'providedwith a cushion 64, the latter serving to arrest rearward movement of the pins and balls when the same are discharged from the belt 52 and insure their proper deposit on the upper run of the belt 56.

The discharge 'end of the belt 52 and the sides of the belt 56 may be provided with stationary guide bars 65 for confining the pins and balls to the upper surfaces of said belts for longitudinal movement in unison therewith.

The belt 56 advances the bowling balls 38 to a ball elevator 66, shown in'detail in Figures 3 and 4. By this elevator, the balls are removed from the belt 56 and separated from the bowling pins, the latter, by the operation of the belt 56, being carried through the elevator 66 Without engaging the same and'beingin turn elevated by a pin elevator 67, see Figure 1. Since pin elevator 67 forms no part of this invention, further description and showing thereof are deemed unnecessary.

The ballelevator 66 comprises a pair of upright metallic frame members 68, suitably supported in spaced parallel relationship from the floor of the pit 22, the frame members being dis'posed on opposite sides of thebelt 56. At their lower ends, the frame members 68 are equipped withbearihgs 69 for the'rotatable support of the shaftv extensions 70 of a pair of driving rolls 71, suitably driven by powerderived from the shaft 51. At their upper ends, the frame members 68 carry vertically adjustable bearings 72 for the rotatable support of the shaft extensions of a pair of adjustable rolls 73. Elevator belts 74 pass around each pair of vertically aligned rolls 7i and 73, said belts having their outer surfaces formed at spaced intervals with projections or ridges 75. The spacing of the upwardly traveling runs ofthe belts 74 is such as to. receive between them (see Figure 3) a bowling ball 38 of standard diameter, the projections or ridges 75 being arranged to engage the ball beneath the horizontal plane intersecting its center to cause positive elevation of the ball or balls, lifting the s-arnefrom the upper surface of the belt 56 and, advancingthem upwardly throughout the full height of the elevator 66.

The frame members 68 areunited at intervals by horizontally disposed tie bolts 76 which have their threaded ends positioned in openings formed in bracket extensions 77' carried by the edges'of the frame members 68, the threaded ends of saidtie bolts being equipped with nuts 78 holding the frame members 68 in fixed relationship with respect to eachother.

'Piv otally mounted on one of the tie bolts is the lower end of a ball supporter 79. As the balls move upwardly of the'elevator, the same engage the supporter 79, pivotally deflecting the latter so that the angularly directed upper end 80 is positioned in a trough 81 leading to one of the ball return runways 37. Also, the adjustable bearings 72 at the upper ends of the frame memberscarry a weightedplate 82 having its lower edge pivotally mounted as at 83, the function of the plate 82 being to apply a laterally directed forceto each ball when the same reaches theupper end of the elevator, causing the ball to be positively ejected and forced into the trough 81. Usually, in the operation of the elevator, and due to the fact that but one ball is thrown down the alley at a time, the elevator in its operation is called upon to elevate at any one time but a single ball. As shown in Figure 4, when the balls reach the tops of the elevator belts, 74, the same clear the. supporter 79, allowing the latter to swing rearwardly, either by gravitation or spring force, so that the angular end at the top of the supporter will be positioned beneath the ball as it reaches its maximurn'p'oint of elevation and immediately prior to the disengagement of the elevator belts from the same, thus providing a positive support for the ball while the plate 82 is functioning to force the ball into the trough 81. Upon being so deposited, the ball gravitates to the return runway 37 and is thence conducted to the forward or players position on the alley.

While I have described what I consider to be certain preferred structural forms of my improvedmechanism, nevertheless it will be understood that the mechanisms illustrated and described are subject to certain modification or variation. without.- departing from the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. Ball handling apparatus for a bowling alley having a pit at the end of said alley, means for delivering a ball in said pit to aball pick up station, a vertically disposed ball elevator located in ball'engaging position at said station, said elevatorIembody-ing a frame, spaced substantially vertically'traveling ball gripping devices carried by said frame and disposed on opposite sides of said ball pick up station, the construction and spacing of said devices being such as to enable the same to receive between them and engage andgrip a ball at said station, whereby to elevate the ballsubstantially vertically and discharge said ball at the upper end of said frame, and ball'return means cooperative withthe upper end of said elevator for receiving balls discharged from said elevator, and means for returning said balls to the head of said alley.

2. Automatic ball handling apparatus for bowling alleys, comprising linearly movable conveyor means for removing bowling balls from the pitof a bowling alley and conducting the same rearwardly in -a confined course of travel to the rear of said'pit, a pair of transversely spaced relatively stationary frame members mounted on the pit floor and between which members said conveyor means passes, a pair of. spaced endless elevator belts carried by said frame members and coextensive with the height thereof, said belts being provided with vertically spaced transversely extending laterally aligned ridges, means supporting said belts in spaced relationship and disposed at opposite sides of said conveyor means to enable said belt and ridges to engage and grip a ball on said conveyor means, whereby to elevate the ball to the top of said frame members, a return chute at the top and at one side of said elevator belts, andmeans'at the top of the elevator belts for engaging bowling balls raised by said endless belts and positively forcing the same into the receiving endof saidchute.

3. Automatic ball handling. apparatus for bowling alleys, comprising linearly movableconveyor means. for removing bowling balls from the pit of a bowling alley and conducting the same rearwardly ina confinedcourse of travel to the rear of'said pit, an elevator comprising a pair of transversely spaced relatively stationary frame members mounted on the pit floor and between which members said conveyor means passes, a pair of spaced endless elevator belts carried by said frame members and coextensive with the height thereof, saidrbelts being provided with vertically spaced transversely extending laterally aligned ridges, and means supporting said belts in spaced relationship and. disposed at opposite sides ofsaid conveyor means to enable saidbelts and ridges to engage and grip a bowling ball positioned-on and traveling with said conveyor means, whereby to elevate'the ball to the tops of said-frame members, a return chute at the top and at one side of the elevator, means at the top of the elevator for engaging bowling balls raised by said endless belts and positively forcing. the same into the. receiving end of said chute, and movable. supporting means carried by one of. said frame members and engageable with the bottom of a bowling ball;tov support the same at the time the ball is being. discharged'fro'mthe upper. end of the elevator into said'chute.

4. Ball handling apparatus. for. a bowling alley having a pit at the. end of said alley, means for delivering a ball in said. pit to a ball pickup. station, a vertic'ally'dispo'sed elevator located in ball engaging position at said station, said elevator including a framehavin'g a pair of transversely spaced vertically traveling ballv gripping devices carried thereby and disposed on opposite sides of said ball. pick up station, said devices being provided'with vertically spaced transversely extending laterally" aligned ridges, the spacing of said devices and the ridges thereon being such as to enable the same to receive between them and engage and grip a ball at said station, and means for driving said traveling ball gripping devices to elevate the ball gripped between them to a point of discharge from said frame.

5. Ball handling apparatus for bowling alleys having a pit at the rear of the alley, said apparatus comprising pit conveyor means arranged to receive balls rolling into said pit, a vertically disposed ball elevator positioned over said conveyor means, said elevator embodying a frame having spaced vertically traveling ball gripping devices carried thereby and disposed on opposite sides of said conveyor means, the construction and spacing of said devices being such as to enable the same to receive between them and engage and grip a ball moving along said conveyor means, whereby to elevate the ball vertically to the upper end of said frame, and means positioned adjacent the upper end of said frame for directing a ball delivered by said devices onto a return runway.

6. Ball handling apparatus for bowling alleys having a pit arranged at the rear of the pin receiving region of the alley, said apparatus embodying conveyor means in said pit, said conveyor means being operative to convey a ball to a ball delivery station, a vertically disposed ball elevator positioned adjacent said delivery station, said elev-ator including a frame having spaced vertically traveling ball gripping devices carried thereby, said devices being arranged at the sides of said delivery station and having opposed surfaces thereof formed With laterally aligned ball supporting ridges, the spacing of said devices and ridges being such as to enable the same to receive between them and engage and grip a ball moving along said conveyor means, whereby to elevate the ball vertically from said station to a point of discharge, a ball return runway, and means located adjacent the upper end of said frame for directing a ball from said devices onto said return runway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 337,643 Whiting Mar. 9, 1886 1,375,835 Fairchild Apr. 26, 1921 1,586,831 Murphy June 1, 1926 1,896,383 White e Feb. 7, 1933 1,901,928 Olson Mar. 21, 1933 2,242,069 Heiniger May 13, 1941 2,319,925 Flanagan May 25, 1943

Images