US2709591A - Bowling pin setting device - Google Patents

Description

y 1955 o. L. PARRY BOWLING PIN SETTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1948 v 5 Sheets-Swat l FIG.

M m R M N W L N I R A. C S 0 ATTORNEYS W 1955 o. L. PARRY BOWLING PIN SETTING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 15, 1948 INVENTOR OSCAR L. PARRY ATTORNEYS Q. L. PARRY BOWLING PIN SETTING DEVICE May M, 1955 5 Sheets-Swat 3 Filed Jan. 15, 1948 MG. i0,

INVENTOR OSCAR L PARRY ATTORNEYS y 119555 0. L. PARRY ZJWfiM BOWLING PIN SETTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR OSCAR L. PARRY ATTORNEYS o 1 tit The present invention relates to a bowling pin setter, and more particularly to a mechanism adapted automatically to set up bowliz 2 pins, return balls, remove down pins left on the alley by a first ball, and to change from one set oi pins to another as required.

Attempts have made in the past to develop mecha nisms for setting up bowling pins, and it is common prac- 'ce at present to use a racit in which the pins are in serted manually by a human pin-setter, and then lowered as a unit onto the alley. Such an arrangement tends to avoid delays, speeds up the game, and most importantly, insures proper spott g of the pins.

However, such sett racks still require the attention of a human operator for their operation. No completely mechanical pin setting in chanisms with which I am familiar have 1' proved practical, since they either were too slow action, failed properly to remove down pins after an initial ball, or in general were not reliable in performing their intended functions.

An object of: the present invention is to make an improved bowling pin setter.

Another object is to make an improved bowling pin setter whereby a miniinun'i amount of delay in setting up the pins is required.

Another object is to remove bowling pins from a bowl ing alley and selectively to distribute them in a setting rack.

Another object is to make a bowling pin setter capable of using more than a single set of pins, with means to prevent more than a selected number of pins in either set to be delivered into a setting rack.

Another object is to make an improved bowling pin setter with improved means for separating down pins and balls from each other within a common area rearwarclly of a bowling alley.

Another object is to make an improved device for changing one set of bowling pins for another set in an automatic bowling pin setting device.

Another object is to make an improved bowling pin setting device with a pin elevator having means for preventing the elevation of more than one pin at a time in an elevator pocket.

Another object is to make a bowling pin setter having improved and simplified means for insuring that the pins will be delivered to a pin setting rack in base-down position.

In order to attain these objects there is provided, in accordance with one feature of the invention, a bowling alley having a pit rearwardly beyond the rear end of the alley to receive bowling balls and pins passing rearwardly beyond the end of the alley. Ball and pin separating means are provided in this pit, the sides of which slope toward a pin elevator which carries the pins one at a time upwardly and discharges them over the top of the elevator onto a sloping pin receiver. 'l'he elevator is provided with kick-oil means which prevents more than one pin at a time occupying a compartment in the ele-. vator. The sloping receiver beyond the top of the elevator has means for causing the pins to roll toward a base.

down position as they pass off the lower end of the receiver, and means are provided to stop the elevator when a complete set of pins has passed thereover'.

A hinged chute is provided for directiiv the pins from the receiver to a distributor and means are associated with the chute to turn. the pins endwise to a base down position if this has not already been accomplished by the eiv it 'ibutor is provided to receive the pins 01 a a time and to position them selectively in the distributor. From the distributor the pins pass through individual chutes into a setting rack which is adapted to lower the pins into spotted position onto the alley and there release them in vertical standing position in properly arranged order. Means also are provided whereby an entirely different set of pins may be stored in a compartment and these pins may be automatically exchanged for a set of pins currently in use. The entire rear end portion of the alloy is arranged for tilting to clear dead wood from the alley, and any pins remaining standing during this clearing movement are firmly clamped in whatever position they may occupy at the beginning of the deadwood clearing operation. A sweep also is provided for entirely clearing all pins from the alley.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed in detail in the following description and the accompanying drawings, comprising five sheets. In the drawings:

l is a fragmentary view in longitudinal vertical section through the rear portion of a bowling alley having a bowling pin setting device embodying the present invention installed therein, some of the parts being illustrated somewhat diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line '.Z2 of Fig. 1 throu h a turning device for insuring that bowling pins will be delivered base down to a setting rack;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view or a rear portion of the bowling alley, showing a pin-spotting portion of the alley tilted upwardly and rearwardly to remove down pins or deadwood after a first ball, pin dislodging spring arms being shown as moved forwardly to dislodge any pins which may lie crossways of rear row pins still standing;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4- l of Fig. l and shows a pin clamping mechanism which secures re maining pins in upright position during the deadwood removing action illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Pig. 4;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View through a ball returnelevator taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View of a pivoted bowling pin distributor mounted over a stationary plate having openings into a plurality of pin distributing chutes whereby the pins are distributed to a pin setting rack, this view being taken substantially along the line 8-8 of Fig. i;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line )9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a View in reduced scale similar to Fig. 8, with the pin distributor in position to drop a set of pins into a pin setting rack;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1]l--Ill of Fig. 8:

Fig 12 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 1, and shows the top portion of a pin elevator and pin receiver, with a pin actuated elevator control switch mounted thereon;

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12;

aroaem Fig. 14 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the front corner portion of a triangular pin setting rack, a side portion of a top member thereof being broken away, and one of three pin supporting members being removed;

Fig. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the broken line 15-15 of Fig. 14, the lower portion of a bowling pin being indicated in position in the rack, a lower rack member being shown in pin-releasing position in dotted lines;

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of a pin elevator taken on the line 1616 of Fig. 1, showing an extra pin kick-off plate in normal position in solid lines, and in actuated position in dotted lines; and

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a pin sweep adapted to clear all pins from the alley prior to setting up the pins for a new frame, a pair of wings on the sweep being shown in extended position in solid lines, and in folded position in dotted lines.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention, a bowling alley may be of usual dimensions and preferably of laminated maple construction customary in bowling alleys. It is provided with the usual gutters 11 and 12, one on each side thereof.

Ball and pin separating pit Rearwardly of the alley, and extending the full width of the gutters 11 and 12, is a sloping floor portion 14 which receives all balls and pins passing rearwardly of the alley. Triangular inwardly sloping side walls 15 intersect the'sloping floor 14 to deflect balls and pins inwardly from the sides thereof. A usual swinging cushion 16 is provided to absorb the impact of balls and pins rolling or being driven rearwardly off the alley. The sloping floor 14 preferably has a rather sharp drop-off at 30 just forwardly of the cushion, and the lower edge of the cushion is spaced upwardly from the upper edge of this drop-off a distance suflicient to permit the pins to pass freely through this space. A tapered bumper 26 is provided on the lower edge of each side of the cushion 16 beyond a central notched ball gate opening 16a in the cushion. The notched ball gate opening 16a is of sufficient size to permit the balls to pass freely therethrough. The bumpers 26 deflect the balls inwardly toward the ball gate.

The area rearwardly beyond the drop-ofi 30 is in the form of a concave pit 13 with its lowermost portion 18 in the form of an elongated curved trough so that the bowling pins will tend to collect in the bottom of this concavity with their longitudinal axes lengthwise in this trough, i. e., with the longitudinal axis of each pin following the curved trough bottom. As best seen in Fig. 5, the trough bottom 18 curves and slopes downwardly toward the pin elevating mechanism to be described. It will be noted from Fig. 5 also that trough 18 is not straight bottomed but curved so that it is not actually a simple trough as might appear from Fig. 1 alone. It starts off from the left parallel to the pit of Fig. 1 and curves until approximately perpendicular thereto. The bottom of this pit is slotted to pass the curved hooks which form pinreceiving pockets on a pin elevator as will be brought out later herein.

A ball carrying track comprises three rods 19, 20 and 21, which are spaced apart in triangular cross-sectional arrangement with the central rod 20 thereof lower than the two side rods 19 and 21. The rods are spaced apart a distance sufficient to permit any bowling pins which may pass through the ball gate 16a to fall freely between the rods and into the pit 13. The ball-carrying track thus formed is adapted to support a bowling ball 22 thereon, and is curved laterally, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 5, to discharge balls 22 into a ball return elevator 23 through an opening 24.

Ball elevator The ball return elevator 23 comprises a plurality of hook-shaped ball-supporting members 25 connected to an elevator belt 27 at their forward ends, with respect to the direction of belt travel as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 7. The ball elevator is surrounded by a casing 28 which prevents the balls from escaping laterally from their supports on the elevator. A pair of ball return tracks 29 are mounted to receive the balls as they are carried over the upper end of the ball elevator. The upper ends of the return tracks are spaced to clear the hooks 25 of the elevator. The balls then roll by gravity along the ball return tracks 29 in the usual manner and back to the head end of the alley (not illustrated). The ball-supporting hook-shaped conveyor members 25 being connected to the belt 27 only at their forward ends, permits these members to pass over the pulleys at the top and bottom of the elevator without interference with the action of the belt over the pulleys.

Pin elevator As the pins drop downwardly into the pit 13 through the space beneath the cushion, or between the rods of the ball track, they roll by gravity into the deeper rear pit portion 18 which is sloped to direct the pins therein toward a pin elevator 31. The pin elevator comprises a belt 32 (see Figs. 1, 5 and 12) mounted to pass around an upper power driven head roller 33, a laterally offset idler roller 34 (see Fig. 12) and a lower tail roller 35. A plurality of pin elevating pockets 37 are provided on the belt 32.

Each such pin-elevating pocket comprises a plurality of curved, hook-shaped rods 38, secured to the belt at their forward ends with respect to the direction of belt travel, as indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 16. The curves of the hooks are lower in the center of the belt than at its sides, and define a curved cradle higher on its sides and lower in its center. Each pocket is adapted to cradle a bowling pin therein with its small end in either direction transversely of the belt.

The pins tend to center themselves endwise in the pockets by gravity, regardless of whether they are so centered or not when initially picked up by the conveyor. However, in case a pin should not be properly centered in a pocket when starting its upward travel, a pair of sloping centering plates 36 and 66 are mounted (see Fig. 1) one on each side of the conveyor to exert a camming action on the ends of any pins which may project laterally of the conveyor belt beyond their pockets and slide them inwardly to properly centered position.

Extra pin kickofi In order to avoid the possibility of two pins being carried upwardly in a single elevator pocket, a curved kickoff plate 39 is hingedly mounted at its forward end on a plate 40 which is riveted transversely to the conveyor belt 32 forwardly of each elevator pocket. A curved kickoff actuator arm 41 is secured to the rear face of each kickoff plate. This arm extends through an opening 42 in the elevator belt and projects rearwardly beyond the belt during its upward travel.

A kickoff actuator rod 43 is fixedly mounted transversely across the inner or rear face of the pin elevator belt at a point slightly above that at which the pins are picked up by the pockets 37. Engagement of the curved kickoff plate actuator arm 41 by the rod 43 swings the curved kickoff plate 39 outwardly to the dotted line position illustrated in Fig. 16, thereby pushing off any second pin 44 which might inadvertently be carried upwardly in a conveyor pocket.

The curved kickoff plates are mounted a sufficient distance ahead of their associated elevator pockets to clear a single pin in the elevator pocket.

The bowling pins are carried upwardly by the elevator and over the top thereof, as shown in Figs. 1, 12 and 13. The upper end of the conveyor belt has a laterally sloping run 45, Fig. 12, formed therein by the idler roller 34.

arcane. i

Pin receiver A receiver 46, to receive the pins as they are discharged over the top of the elevator, includes a pair of sloping pin receiving and turning rods 47 and 48, Figs. 12 and 13, which are mounted over the sloping run 45 of the conveyor belt, and extend upwardly to a point near the upper end of the run 45. These rods are substantially parallel to, and are spaced upwardly from the sloping run of the elevator belt, so that bowling pins discharged over the top of the elevator will roll downwardly on these two rods. Since the base or body portion of a bowling pin is larger than its head portion, rolling downwardly on these two rods causes the base end of the pin to advance faster than its upper portion, so that usually the pins will roll ofi the lower end of these rods 47 and 4% in a generally base down attitude.

A plurality of shorter rods 49 are mounted to slope upwardly from a support member 5i aligned with the lower end of the sloping run 45 of the belt, as best shown in Figs. 12 and 13. These short rods prevent any of: the pins from dropping down into the space between the support member 5i) and the lower end of the sloping belt run 45. These short rods 49, as well as the two longer rods 47 and 48, are spaced apart and are positioned so as to permit the curved hooks of the elevator pockets to pass freely between them.

Elevator cut-01$ switch An elevator motor control switch iii, illustrated in Figs. 1, l2 and 13, is pivoted as an entirety on a pivot shaft 52 supported on a frame member 53. A counterweight 54 is mounted on an arm 56 extending outwardly beyond the pivot shaft 52. A lever arm 55 is secured to the pivot shaft 52 in laterally spaced relation to the switch assembly, as shown in Figs. 1, 12 and 13. A link 57 is connected from this lever arm 55 to an operating lever associated with a bowling pin distributor, as will be explained later herein.

A switch support arm 58 and a segmental plate 59 are formed unitarily with each other and are secured to the pivot shaft 52. An elevator motor control switch 60 is mounted on the segment 59. This switch is connected by conductors 61 and 62 to control a driving motor (not shown) for the pin elevator.

A switch actuating lever arm 63 is shown in solid lines in Fig. 12 in position to close the motor control switch 69. This switch actuating arm is pivoted on a post 64 on the outer or free end of the segmental plate 5 and has a downwardly projecting striker arm 65 and a curved, laterally projecting resetting arm 67 formed unitarily there with. The downwardly projecting striker arm 65 has a transversely extending striker plate 63 mounted across the lower end thereof. When the switch assembly is tilted in a counterclockwise direction about its main support pivot 52 to the solid line positions illustrated in Figs. 12 and 13, the striker plate 68 is at a height above the receiver as sufficient to permit bowling pins, rolling downwardly on the receiver rods 47 and 48, to pass beneath the striker plate without touching it.

However, when the switch assembly is swung in a clockwise direction downwardly to the dotted line position 51a, the switch actuating arm 63, and the striker plate supporting arm 65, both remain in their switchclosed positions indicated by the dotted lines 63a and 65a of Fig. 12 until the next succeeding bowling pin is discharged over the top of the elevator and rolls downwardly on the receiver in.

The pivotal movement of the entire switch assembly 51 about its main pivot shaft 52 from the solid line to the dotted line position 51a of Fig. 12 is accomplished when the ninth pin of a set of ten is delivered to a pin distributor in a manner to be brought out later' herein. The tenth pin passing downwardly over the receiver then strikes the striker plate 63 and swings the switch actuating arm 63 from the dotted line position 63a to the dotted have line position 63b, thereby opening the switch 69 and stopping the elevator motor.

When the entire switch assembly 51 is swung to its raised, solid line position of Fig. 12 about the main pivot shaft 52, as the result of a pin setting operation to be described later herein, the curved, rearwardly extending arm 67 connected to the switch actuating arm, is positioned to be engaged by a transversely extending stationary rod r59, which arrests the upward movement of the curved arm prior to the arrival of the segmental plate and switch actuating arm assembly at its upper limit of movement. This causes the switch actuating arm 63 to swing in a counterclockwise direction, to the solid line position of Fig. 12, and again close the switch so to re-energize the pin elevator motor.

Base down pin turner As each bowling pin is discharged in a generally base down position over the receiver 46, it drops onto a troughed, hingedly mounted chute portion 7t) which normally is in the solid line position of Fig. 1. The pins slide down this sloping chute portion onto a pin turning chute portion 71 of inverted rectangular U-shape, as shown in Fig. 2.

This pin turning chute portion is of a length preferably somewhat greater than the length of a bowling pin, and has two inwardly extending side rails 72 and 73 therein which may be of hard, close grained wood, such as maple, waxed and polished to prevent damage to the bowling pins. The internal width. of this chute portion above the rails '72 and '73 is greater than the maximum diameter of a bowling pin, and it is of a height suiilcient to permit a bowling pin to rotate endwise, that is, about a transverse axis, providing it enters the chute with its elongated head portion forward. as illustrated in dotted lines P in Fig. 1. The chute is not high enough, however, to clear the top of a bowling pin if it enters this portion of the chute base down as shown at P2. In this case the top of the pin strikes the top of the chute 7'1 at such an angle that the pin falls back to the position of pin P3 so that it proceeds in proper position.

This chute portion thus insures that any pin which may inadvertently fail to be positioned in the base down position by the action of rolling down the receiver rods would inverted endwise to a base up po sition in passing through this portion of the chute. From the lower end of this portion 7i of the chute, a funnel shaped guide member 74 (see 1) guides the bowling pins downwardly t and directs them base first into a predetern'zined registering opening in a pin distributor i5.

Pin distributor The pin distributor is best illustrated in Figs. 1, 8, 9, 10 and ll. it comprises similar top and bottom plates '77 and "it-l, each having a substantially semicircular portion "ii and a radially extending counterweight supportarm These plates are ournaled to turn freely on a shaft 33, which is secured, as shown best in Figs. 1 and 9, to extend perpendicu' 'lly from the sloping top plate of a tone-hate ass oly 83, whereby the pins are transferred from the d.tributor 75 to selected positions in a pin setting rack 34 to be described later herein.

Both the top and bottom distributor plates "7" and '78 ten ilar and oppositely positioned openings the In. xibstantially identical cylindrical pin compartments are mounted between the plates, one being mounted to align with each pair of such openings. Each of said pin compartments 18 of a size freely to receive a bowling pin therein, as indicated in Fig. 9.

.A counterweight S8 is mounted between the counter: weight supporting arms tip and, since the pivotal axis of the distributor 75 is mounted as illustrated at an angle of approximately 45 from the vertical, the counterweight is of sufiicient weight normally to swing the distributor to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 relatively to the chute assembly 83. The weight of the counterweight is such, however, that when one or more bowling pins are inserted one at a time in successive compartments 87 in the distributor, beginning with the right-hand compartment, as illustrated in Fig. 8, the distributor will tend to move pivotally in a clockwise direction from the position illustrated.

A plurality of bowling pin supporting segmental plates 89 are mounted radially of the segmental portion 79 of the distributor. These segmental plates preferably are of spring steel, and are mounted for radial sliding movement, one beneath each of the compartments, and beneath the lower distributor plate 78. The segmental plates are guided by triangular lugs 76 mounted on the under side of the distributor between adjacent pin holes therein. A segmental support rod 94 is secured to the under side of the lugs 76 to limit the downward movement of each segmental plate 89 under the weight of a bowling pin thereon as shown in solid lines in Fig. 9.

Each segmental plate 89 has a rounded outer end 90, with a hole 91 therein of a size to permit a bowling pin to pass freely therethrough. Each of the plates has a nose portion 92 extending axially beyond the outer end thereof, and radially beyond the distributor 75 when the segmental plates are in empty, pin-supporting position, relatively to the distributor, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

Each radially extending nose portion 92 in turn is adapted to engage a stationary stop lug 93 mounted on the stationary chute assembly 83, when the distributor 75 pivots in a clockwise direction from the position illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, as each successive pin is dropped into its compartment, and the nose of the next segmental plate is brought into engagement with this stop lug. When there are no bowling pins in the compartments 87, the segmental plates 89 are supported with their outer ends closely adjacent the lower end of their associated pin compartments 87 by their own resiliency in the following manner. The inner end of each segmental plate 89 has a radially inwardly directed spring extension 95 thereon. The inner end of each of these extensions has a downwardly projecting portion which is pivoted in one of a series of holes spaced around the margin of a circular actuating plate 97. The actuator plate 97 is pivoted on the distributor shaft 81 to turn freely thereon independently of the distributor. The angular spacing of the holes is similar to the spacing of the pin compartments 87 in the pin distributor.

When the circular actuator plate 97 is turned, relatively to the distributor, so that the marginal holes in the actuator plate are in substantially radial alignment with the pin compartments 87 in the distributor, the segmental plates 89 will be in their fullest outward position as illustrated in Fig. 8, with the holes 91 in the segmental plates out of registry with their associated pin compartments 87. However, when the circular actuator plate is rotated in a counterclockwise direction relatively to the distributor, from this postion of Fig. 8 to the relative positions shown in Fig. 10, the segmental plates are drawn radially inwardly by their inner extensions 95 to a position where the holes in the segmental plates align with the openings in the bottoms of the compartments. The amount of relative counterclockwise movement of the actuator plate 97 relatively to the distributor is limited by a pin 121 mounted on the actuator plate and extending upwardly therefrom a sufficient distance to strike the counterweight arm 80.

A pulley 98 is secured concentrically to the actuator plate 97 to rotate therewith. The pulley 98 has a cable 99 secured thereto, to lie in a marginal groove therein. The cable is wrapped around the pulley, the other end of the cable being connected to an end of a relatively strong tension coil spring 101. The other end of the coil spring is secured to the upper chute assembly plate 82. The tension of the coil spring thus acts through the cable to exert a counterclockwise torque on the actuator plate 97, as viewed in Fig. 8.

The circular actuating plate 97 has a radially projecting stop lug 102 secured thereto. A stop pin 103 is mounted on the chute assembly top plate 82 to engage this stop lug and arrest the counterclockwise rotative movement of the circular actuating plate in position to permit the distributor to swing on in a counterclockwise direction, relatively to the actuator plate, to bring into latching registry a pair of latch members 104 and 105 (see also Fig. 11), when the distributor, after releasing a set of pins, swings back to its initial empty position of Fig. 8 under the action of the counterweight 88. Since the counterclockwise rotation of the actuator plate relatively to the distributor is arrested by the engagement of the stop pin 121 with a side of the counterweight arm 80 after dropping a set of bowling pins, the distributor and the actuator plate will thereafter swing together on the counterclockwise return of the distributor from the position of Fig. 10 toward the position of Fig. 8. During most of this return swing the spring 101 will assist the counterweight 88 in producing such counterclockwise rotation.

When the lug 102 on the actuator plate strikes the stop pin 103 on the top plate of the pin chute assembly 83, however, the counterclockwise rotative movement of the actuator plate will be arrested thereby. The distributor, however, will continue in its counterclockwise swing. With the actuator plate thus arrested, the further counterclockwise movement of the distributor forces the segmental plates 89 radially outwardly to their positions shown in Fig. 8 until the latch pins 104 and 105 again latch the distributor to the actuator plate. Since the segmental plates will begin to move radially outwardly before the parts reach their positions of Fig.

8, they may be in position to strike the stop lug 93. To avoid the possibility of jamming of the rear face of one of these nose portions 92 against the stop lug 93, the rearward or curved sides of the nose portions 92 of each of the last few segmental plates 89 to thus pass the stop lug may be bent downwardly sufiiciently so as to lie beneath the stop 93 when the segmental plates are in their normal raised positions illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 9. They then will earn their associated segmental plates 89 downwardly in passing the stop member 93 on the return swing of the distributor to its empty position of Fig. 8.

The circular actuating plate 97 is latched in the pinsupporting position illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9 relatively to the pin distributor 75, by the two latch pins 104 and (see Figs. 8 and ll). The latch pin 104 comprises an inverted U-shaped rod slidably mounted in a block 107 mounted on the distributor, and having the lower end of one leg 108 thereof adapted to drop into latching engagement in a hole in the actuating plate 97 when the parts are in the relative positions illustrated in Fig. 8.

The lower end of the other leg 109 of this inverted U-shaped latch member is positioned over the free end of a curved latch operating cam strip 110 (see Figs. 8 and ll). The other end of this cam strip is hingedly mounted on the top plate 82 of the chute assembly. A cam actuating rod 11.1 (see Figs. 1 and 11) has its upper end located beneath the free end of the cam strip 110, while the lower end of the rod is positioned to be engaged, and raised upwardly, by the pin setting rack 84 when the rack moves to its upraised position illustrated in Fig. l. In such position the rack is adapted to receive a set of howling pins from the distributor 75 through the chute assembly 83. If the pin setting rack is not in suchupraised position, the rod 111 will not be lifted to. raise the U-shaped latch member and release the circular actuating plate 97 for relatively rotative pin dropping movement. This Ushaped latch member 104 constitutes a safety measure to prevent a area, not

h set of pins from being dropped from the distributor except when the setting rack 84 is in raised position to receive them.

The primary release latch pin 105 for the circular actuating plate 97 comprises a straight latch pin slidably mounted as in the block 167 on the distributor, and is positioned to drop into latching position in a hole in the circular actuating plate when brought into registry therewith. The upper end of the latch rod M is connected as by a link 113 to one arm of a bell crank lever 114 (see Fig. ll). A coil tension spring 125 is connected between the bell crank lever 114 and the block 107 to urge the bell crank lever in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. ll, to assist in forcing the latch pin 105 down into its hole in the actuator plate 97 when brought into registry therewith. The other arm of the bell crank lever 114 is connected by a link 1E7 to the upper end of a lever 118 which is pivoted at. 119 adjacent the number ten or last compartment 87 of the distributor.

The latch pins are in registry with their associated latching holes in the actuator plate when the distributor 75 is in the empty condition illustrated in Fig. 8, and the circular actuator plate 97 is positioned with its stop lug 102 against the stop pin 103.

A curved lower arm 12%) of the lever Eli; extends beneath the segmental plate beneath the number ten compartment in the distributor so as to be swung downwardly to release t e latch pin 1% when the tenth pin of a set of ten is dropped into this compartment. Providing the pin setting rack is in upraised position when this occurs, to free the inverted U-shaped safety latch the release of the latch pin res frees the circular plate 97 for rotative movement relatively to the distributor 75.

When the circular actuator plate 97' thus is released for turning movement by the withdrawal of both of the latches 104 and 105 from engagement therewith, the coil spring 101 draws the cable 9? toward it. This action turns the pulley b8 around which it is wrapped in a counterclockwise direction, and with it the circular actuator plate 97, to which the pulley is connected, until arrested by the engagement of the stop pin 121 in the upper surface of the actuator plate with the counterweight arm St] of the distributor.

The distributor '75, with all ten of its compartments filled with bowling pins, remains stationary during this relative rotative movement of the circular actuator plate. By means of the extensions 95 which are pivoted in holes in the margin of the actuator plate it draws all of the segmental pin support plates 89 inwardly, to the positions shown in Fig. 10, thereby causing the hole" 91 in the segmental plates to register with their respective compartments in the distributor. This permits the bowling pins, which up to this time have been supported in the compartments by the segmental plates .'to drop downwardly and through the openings in the upper plate of the chute assembly.

Prior to the entering of the first bowling pin of a set into the initial or right-hand compartment 37 of the distributor, the distributor will occupy the position illus trated in Fig. 8 relatively to the top plate of the chute assembly. In this position the nose of the segmental plate beneath the number one compartment is in engagement with the stop lug 93. As the first pin is dropped into the number one compartment, which is in registry with the lower end of the lower or discharge end portion 74 of the pin chute, the pin strikes the segmental support plate 39', the nose of which is against the stop log 93.

The weight and impact of the pin move the segmental plate downwardly, forcing the nose portion 92 oil the stop lug. The weight of the pin in the compartment moves the center of gravity of the distributor to the right, which causes the distributor to swing in a clockit) wise direction until the nose d2 of the next segmental support plate engages the stop lug 93. In this second stop position, the second compartment of the distributor will be aligned with the chute 74.

The dropping of the second bowling pin into the aligned second compartment 37 in the distributor forces the segmental plate beneath the second compartment downwardly to release the nose portion 92 from engagement with the stop lug 93. This frees the distributor for further clockwise rotative movement until the nose of the third segmental plate beneath the third compartment strikes the lug 93 to arrest the movement of the distributor with the third compartment aligned with the lower end of the chute portion 74. This process is repeated until all ten pins of a set have been dropped into their respective compartments in the distributor.

As the ninth pin of the set drops into its compartment and the distributor swings into registry with the tenth compartment aligned with chute 74, a radially projecting lug 122 on the upper plate 77 of the distributor is located to strike an arm 123 of a bell crank lever 124. This swings the lever 12 i in a counterclockwise direction from the position illustrated in Fig. 8 where arm 123 is shown in contact with a similar and opposite lug 122:: which moves it in the opposite direction in return of the distributor to empty position. The lever 124 is connected, by the link 57 (see Fig. l), and the lever arm 55, to the elevator motor control switch assembly 51, (see Fig. 12).

The counterclockwise movement of the lever arm swings the entire switch assembly 51 downwardly into the dotted line position 51a of Fig. 12 so that the next, or tenth, pin discharged over the top of the elevator 31 and sliding down the receiver on the rods 47 and 48 will strike the switch actuating plate 63 and move the switch actuating arm 63 to the dotted line 63b position of Fig. 12. This action opens the switch and stops the pin elevator.

As this tenth pin drops down into its compartment in the distributor, as previously mentioned, it actuates the latch release lever 113 which withdraws the latch pin res, and frees the circular actuator plate 97 for relative rotative movement to drop the pins from their compartments in the pin distributor into the respectively aligned chutes in the chute assembly 83 beneath the distributor compartments.

Ten-chute assembly When the distributor is in position to receive its tenth pin, all of the compartments in the distributor are in line with their corresponding chute openings in the upper plate 82 of the chute assembly through which the pins pass to their proper relative positions in the pin setting rack 84. From each of the ten openings in the top chute assembly plate 82, a curved tubular chute extends to an opening in a chute assembly lower plate 125 overlying a pin receiving opening in the pin setting rack 84. The openings in the chute assembly lower plate correspond to the required arrangement of the ten pins when set up on the alley, which also is the arrangement of the pins in the setting rack.

Pin setting rack The pin setting rack 84 comprises an upper plate 127 having ten openings 128 therein arranged as above set forth, beneath their respective chutes. Each of these openings is of a size to permit a bowling pin to pass freely therethrough. A lower plate 129 of the setting rack has ten similar and vertically registering openings therethrough. The plates 127 and 129 of the pin setting rack are hingedly connected to each other for relative vertical movement by hinge-like pin supporting assemblies 130. Three of these assemblies are shown as being mounted,

1 1 in equally spaced relation, around each of the pairs of vertically registering holes in the two plates of the setting rack, as shown in Figs. 14 and 15.

Each of these pin supporting hinge assemblies comprises four portions 131, 132, 133 and 134 hingedly connected together. Each upper portion 131 may be in the nature of an ordinary cabinet hinge half, secured as by bolts 135 to the underside of the upper plate 127 of the pin setting rack, and adjacent a pin opening 128 therein.

The curved, downwardly extending second portion 132 is hingedly connected at its upper end to the inner end of the upper portion 131, and at its lower end to the third portion 133. The outer end of the third portion 133 is hingedly connected to the fourth portion 134, which may be similar to the upper portion 131. The fourth portion 134 is bolted to the undersurface of the lower plate 129 of the setting rack adjacent the pin receiving opening therein.

This fourth or lower end portion of the hinged assembly is mounted a sufficient distance outwardly beyond the marginal edge of the opening so that its hinged connection with the third portion 133 will lie radially beyond the marginal edge of the hole. This prevents upward hinged movement of the third portion 133 beyond the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 15.

When the setting rack is suspended by its upper plate 127, bowling pins dropped into their respective openings in the setting rack through the chute assembly from the pin distributor will be supported by the three hingedly connected pin support members 130 within the holes in the setting rack. This support of the pins in the rack is accomplished by the fact that the lower ends of the second curved hinged members 132 are prevented from spreading apart by the third connecting portions 133,

which are held in dead center, or slightly past dead center, position by the weight of the lower rack plate 129. This lower plate is of light weight material, such as aluminum or thin plywood. Its weight, although slight,

is sufficient to hold the parts locked in pin supporting position.

The lower plate 129 has downwardly projecting marginal edge portions 136 (see Fig. which may be located at each corner thereof. Upon lowering the setting rack, these projections engage the floor or alley ahead of the lower ends of the pins which are supported in the setting rack. When the projections thus engage the alley, downward movement of the lower plate 129 is thereby arrested. The upper plate 127 and the pins continue to move downwardly a slight distance however, thus moving the third hinge support members 133 to angularly upwardly offset relation to the lower ends of the curved pin support members 132, and hence out of dead center position with the fourth or end portions 134.

The weight of the bowling pins exerts a lateral carnming action on the curved second members 132 sufiicient to force the lower ends of these second portions outwardly about their hinged upper ends, once the third portion is moved out of dead center position, thereby raising the lower plate 129 to the dotted line position of Fig. 15. This frees the pins from the pin supports so that they drop into properly spotted upright position on the alley. Thereupon the counterweighted setting rack is free to rise, leaving the pins standing in their proper positions on the alley.

The setting rack is adapted to be supported in its raised position, asshown in Fig. 1, by rods 137, which are connected to extend upwardly from the upper plate of the setting rack, and are slidably mounted in guides 138 secured to the frame. Each of the rods 137 has a latch portion '139 at its upper end. This latch portion is adapted to be engaged by a latch engaging lever 140 which may be withdrawn from latch engaging relation with the latch portion 139 by a latch operating cord 141.

12 A spring 142 normally urges the latch engaging lever toward latch engaging position.

A counterweight 143 is connected, as by means of a cable 144 running over pulleys 147 and 148, to the upper ends of the rods 137, the counterweight being of sufficient weight to raise the setting rack when it is empty, but not when it is loaded with pins. An operating cord 141 is connected from the setting latch lever 140 to an arm of a rocker arm or lever 141a which is mounted in position so that one end is struck upwardly by a sweep 184 (to be described in detail later herein) as the sweep returns to normal raised position after an operation there'- of, the other end of lever 141a thereby pulling the cord or cable 141. Thus each time after the alley has been swept clear of pins, the setting rack will be automatically released to set up another set of pins. When the latch lever 1459 is released, the weight of the loaded rack will carry it downwardly and set up the pins as previously set forth. The counterweight 143 then returns the empty rack to its elevated position where it again is engaged by the latch lever 140, ready to receive another set of pins when the distributor again is filled.

Deadwood rem0ver clamping plate In removing down pins, or deadwood, as they are termed by bowlers, after the first ball of a frame by each bowler, it is important that the remaining pins be left standing exactly where they are without being moved before the rolling of the next ball. The pins which remain standing frequently have been knocked off their spots by impact with other pins, or the ball, without being knocked over. To accomplish removal of the deadwood, the pins remaining standing are clamped into the position in which they may be by means of a clamping plate assembly 150, which is here illustrated as being suspended from a chain and cable assembly 151.

The forward end of this chain and cable assembly passes around a sprocket 152 (see Fig. l) which is mounted in position to be operated from the bowlers end of the alley, and the rear end passes around a second sprocket 153. As illustrated, the forward sprocket wheel 152 first is rotated in a clockwise direction to movethe clamping plate assembly into clamping position with the standing pins and to remove the deadwood, and next in a reverse direction to release and remove the clamping plate assembly from such position.

Preferably, the clamping plate assembly is suspended forwardly and above the position of the pins on the alley in its inactive position.

The clamping plate may comprise a generally rectangular piece 155 of plywood (see Figs. 3, 4 and 6) with a cushioning sheet 157 of resilient material, such as rubber or felt, which may be approximately one-half inch thick, secured to the under side of the plate 155. A pair of downwardly extending front legs 158 are mounted to depend from the forward end of the plate 155 over the outer sides of the gutters 11 and 12 on the two sides of the alley. Two similar rear legs 159 are mounted to depend from the rear end of the plate 155, and may overlie the inner sides of the gutters.

Clamping hooks 160 are mounted for slidable movement lengthwise of each leg to extend downwardly below the lower ends of the legs. The lower ends of all of the clamping hooks are formed in the shape of rearwardly directed hooks (best illustrated in Fig. 1). These hookshaped lower ends are curved, and are adapted to slide in the gutters and into rearwardly and downwardly sloping slots 161 (see Fig. 5) in the floors of the gutters adapted to receive them. Each of the slots 161 in the gutter floors has a transversely positioned anchoring rod 162 near the rear end thereof. The hooks are adapted to move slidably rearwardly into hooked engagement with the rods in their respective slots.

A hook actuating link 163 is pivotally connectedto the upper end of each clamping hook 160. The upper ends of these front links 163 are pivotally connected to a rod 16d extending transversely from one link to the other. This rod in turn is connected pivotally to the ends of a pair of short links 165 (see Figs. 3, 4 and 6). The other ends of the short links 165 are connected pivotally to a rod 167 journaled in pillow blocks 168 secured to the top of the clamping plate 155. A similar linked rod arrangement is provided for the rear hook actuating links 163. A horizontal connecting rod 169 has pivotal connection with both the front transverse rod 364 and its rearward counterpart to link these two assemblies together for simultaneous operation. When the transverse rods 16?- of the clamping assemblies, therefore, are swung rearwardly, relatively to the plate 155, short links 165 will be swung in a clockwise direction to the position shown in Fi g. 3, thereby drawing the clamping books 169 relatively upwardly to draw the clamping plate down onto the tops of any pins which are left standing.

A coil tension spring 17h is connected from the front transverse rod 164 to the forward end of the plate 155. The spring tends to draw the rods 164 forwardly, thereby swinging the short links 165 in a counterclockwise direc tion from their positions in 3, thereby lowering the clamping hooks relatively to the legs. Since the lower ends of the clamping hooks are supported at the bottoms of the gutter slots 1.6.1, this hook extending action raises the clamping plate 155 upwardly from clamping engage ment with the standing pins.

One end of the clamping plate actuating chain and cable assembly 151 is connected to the rear end of the horizontal connecting rod 169, while the other end of the chain and cable assembly is connected to the rear transverse rod 164. Thence the chain and cable assembly passes forwardly, beneath a pulley 171 which is mounted on the upper surface of the clamping plate 155, and thence forwardly and upwardly as indicated in Fig. l, where it passes around the front sprocket wheel.

The sprockets 152 and 153 are positioned, and the slack in the chain and pulley assembly is regulated, so that the clamping plate assembly 159 will be in substantially horizontal position when it is swung down on its rearward movement to overlie the standing pins. This is not critical provided that there is sufiicient slack in the chain to permit the clamping hooks 161 to ride on the floors of the gutters prior to entering their respective notches, since the front and rear legs, by laterally engaging the inner and outer sides of the gutters, respectively, will guide themselves into their respective slots when drawn rearwardly along the gutters.

Deadwood remover-alley tilting A rear end portion 172 of the alley, and its associated gutters, is divided from the forward portion of the alley on a sloping plane 173 (see Fig. 1). This rear alley portion 172 is hingedly mounted as at 174 forrearward tilting action, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The center of gravity of this rear portion of the alley is well forwardly of its hinge axis, so that a considerable amount of force is required to swing it upwardly and rearwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 3. This tilting of the alley portion 172 causes the deadwood or down pins thereon to roll or slide rearwardly off its sloping surface, and thence downwardly into the rear pit 13.

This rearward tilting action is accomplished by con tinuing to exert additional rearward force on the connection of the chain and cable assembly to the rear end of the connecting rod 169 after the clamping plate 155 is in clamping engagement with the pins remaining up. In order to dislodge any pins which may lie transversely across the rear row of pins, so as not to roll off when the alley portion 172 is tilted rearwardly, a plurality of curved pin dislodging fingers 175 are mounted'on a lever 177, the curved fingers being aligned with holes in the rearwardly sloping pit floor. The dislodging fingers 175 normally are positioned as illustrated in Fig. 1, so as not id to interfere with the action of pins and balls wardly off the .alley.

A cable 178 is connected from a short lever arm 1.80 of the lever 177, around a pulley 181, and then to an end of a strong extension coil spring 183. The other end of the spring 133 is connected to a forward portion of the tilting rear portion of the alley.

On tilting the rear end of the alley upwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 3, the cable 178 swings the lever 177 counterclockwise, thereby forcing the curved fingers upwardly between any rear row pins which may remain standing.

After the deadwood thus has been removed, the rear portion of the alley is permitted to return by gravity to its normal position by releasing the tension on the rear connection of the chain and cable assembly 151 to the connecting rod 169'. The weight of the rear alley portion 172 and the curved fingers 175 will cause them to swing down into their normal positions illustrated in Fig. 1.

By turning the forward sprocket wheel 152 to exert a forward pull on the forward connection of the chain and cable assembly to the rear rod 164, this tension, assisted by the action of the coil tension spring 170, raises the clamping plate 155 upwardly off the standing pins. Continued turning of the sprocket wheel 152. draws the clamping plate assembly 151) forward and upwardly to its normal inoperative position clear of the alley.

passing rear- Sweep A sweep assembly 184 is provided for clearing the alley of all pins after the completion of each frame by each bowler. A sweep supporting lever arm 185 is mounted pivotally on a frame member 137, and is connected by a counterweight cable 188 passing around a pulley 189 and over a pulley 199 to a counterweight 191 which normally holds the sweep-supporting lever 185 in its upwardly raised position, as illustrated in Fig. 1. An arm 192 is hingedly connected to depend by gravity from the forward end of the support lever 135.

A composite transverse head portion 193 (see Figs. 1 and 17) has a central portion 194 with angularly cut ends. A pair of folding side wings 197 and 193 are hingedly connected to these angularly cut ends. When the sweep is in its raised inoperative condition shown in Fig. 1, the hinged wings 197 and 1921 depend downwardly therefrom, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 17. These side wings are connected to the central portion 194 of the head on diagonal lines, so that as the sweep is lowered to the dotted line position of Fig. 1 and the central portion approaches a vertical position,the two wings will swing outwardly by gravity toward the e tended solid line position shown in Fig. 17.

A coil tension spring 199 is provided between the lever arm 185 and the depending arm 192, and tends to draw the lower end of the depending arm portion rearwardly along the surface of the alley as the angle between the supporting lever 135 and the depending arm 192 increases during the lowering of the sweep. The wing portions 197 and 198 each have gutter sweeping downward extensions 2% which ride in the gutters as the sweep moves rearwardly to push all pins rearwardly off the alley and into the pit.

A sweep operating cable 201 is connected from the sweep supporting lever arm 1S5 around a pulley 202 and thence toward the bowlers end of the alley. The sweep is operated by pulling on the cable 201 to swing the sweep downwardly and rearwardly along the alley until the head of the sweep is even with the rear end of the alley. At this point the lever arm 185 engages a down limit stop 203 to prevent further movement of the sweep.

Pin exchanger It is preferable to use approximately twenty pins at a time in each alley, so that it is not necessary to wait for the last pins knocked down by a bowler in each frame to be carried up by the elevator in order to fill the distributor and drop the pins down into the setting rack. With twenty pins available to the mechanism, even in the event of a strike, a second set of ten pins already will be in position in the setting rack and ready to be lowered into position for the next bowler.

It is customary in bowling alleys to have two grades of pins available. These may comprise a perfect set of relatively new pins for championship and ofiicial league bowling, while used or slightly damaged pins usually may be used without objection for casual bowling and practice.

In order to change from one grade of pins to another, the upper hingedlymounted portion 70 of the chute onto which the pins pass from the receiver 46 is pivotally mounted at its upper end to permit it to be swung from the solid line to the dotted line positions illustrated in Fig. 1. This chute changing movement may be accomplished by a solenoid 264, the core of which is connected to a toggle connection 205. One end of the toggle is connected to a fixed frame member 207, while its other end is connected to the upper end of a lever arm 208 for tilting the chute.

In the unenergized position of the solenoid, a coil spring 209 draws the lever arm 268 to the right, pivotally moving the chute in a clockwise direction about its pivot to the solid line position of Fig. 1. The solenoid is thus de-energized during the normal operation of the pin setting mechanism. When it is desired to exchange one set of pins for another, the solenoid 204 is energized by suitable switch means through a normal solenoid circuit (not illustrated) to draw the center of the toggle connection downwardly, thereby swinging the lever arm 208 and its connected chute 70 in a counterclockwise direction to the dotted line position of Fig. 1. In this position the chute feeds pins sliding downwardly therethrough into a curved chute 210 which discharges the pins into an upper compartment 211 of the pin exchanger having a rotatable three-compartment divider 212 pivoted therein. The divider has disk shaped ends 213, and three radially disposed partitions 214, 215 and 216.

A curved, stationary wall 218 covers a lower right hand compartment 219 formed by the partitions 215 and 216 (see Fig. 1) and the disk shaped ends 213. An alternate set of preferably twenty bowling pins is stored in this compartment 219. As long as the solenoid 204 remains energized, all succeeding pins discharged over the top of the pin elevator will slide down the chute 70 in its lowered dotted line position, thence down the curved chute 210, and into the upper pin compartment 211. As each pin reaches the lower end of the curved chute 210, it strikes a counter actuating plate 220 which is connected to a counting device 221, here illustrated as comprising a ratchet wheel which is adapted to be advanced through a predetermined angle of rotation by each pin striking the plate 220.

The ratchet wheel illustrated has twenty teeth, and, being arranged to be advanced one tooth by each pin, will, after the passing of the twentieth pin, move a switch actuating lug 221 into momentary operating engagement with a switch arm 222. The switch arm 222, on actuation by the lug 221 closes a switch 223, thereby opening the circuit to the chute deflecting solenoid and momentarily closing a circuit to a magnetically actuated compartment release latch 224.

On releasing the latch 224, the pivoted divider 212 will be free to rotate about its axis of pivotal support. The weight of the pins 225' of the replacement set tends to rotate the partition assembly clockwise from the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and as soon as the latch 224 is released, such rotative movement occurs. As the pivotal divider turns toward the right, the weight of the pins in the top compartment 211 also will be shifted to the right,

thereby tending to accelerate the clockwise rotation of the pivoted divider.

The replacement set of pins 225 thus will be dumped down and will fall, by gravity, into the pit. The set of pins which has just been fed into the top compartment, however, will be held in reserve in the same manner as was the previous set of pins, by the curved stationary wall 218 and the partitions 214 and 215 which will then enclose them. The compartment latch 224 again will arrest the rotative movement of the pivoted divider after one third of a complete rotation by engaging the next partition in sequence to the one released.

When changing pins, of course, it will be necessary, in order to insure that all of the set to be replaced will be removed, to wait until the pin elevator has been stopped by the filling of the distributor before moving the chute 76 to its dotted line position of Fig. 1. This avoids the possibility of having some pins remaining in the distributor. When the elevator stops, therefore, and the chute 7% has been moved to its dotted line position of Fig. l, the pin setting rack 84 will be filled with pins, and the distributor will be empty. These pins in the setting rack then should be lowered into set'up position on the alley, and then swept rearwardly by actuating the pin sweep 184.

When all of the pins have been elevated from the pit and have moved down the curved chute 21%, the entire set of twenty previously used pins will be in the upper compartment 211, whereupon the compartment divider will be released for partial rotation, as previously described.

I. claim:

1. In a bowling pin setting device comprising a pit at the rear of a bowling alley to receive balls and pins from the bowling alley, the combination which comprises a pin elevator passing upwardly through a low point of the pit, means on said elevator for carrying pins from said pit and discharging them near the top of the elevator, a pair of rods mounted to slope downwardly and away from the upper end of the elevator on the opposite side thereof from that elevating the pins to receive pins passing over the upper end of the elevator for downward rolling movement along said rods, the individual rods being parallel and spaced apart laterally to support the pins at points of diiterent pin diameters along the length of a pin whereby the pins roll toward a base down position along said rods.

2. In a bowling pin setting device, an elevator conveyor for receiving pins removed from a bowling alley, a plurality of pin conveyor pockets on said elevator, each pocket being adapted to receive one bowling pin therein, a pivoted pin kickoff device mounted on the conveyor forwardly adjacent each pin pocket in the direction of elevator travel, each kickoff device being movable relatively to said elevator conveyor to clear only one pin in its associated pocket, and means positioned to actuate said kickoif devices during the upward run of said elevator conveyor to kick off any extra pins in said pockets other than the one pin to be cleared by said kickofi devices.

3. In a bowling alley operating device having a pin elevator consisting of an upwardly traveling member presenting lateral pin carrying fingers for receiving pins knocked from the alley and carrying them to a position for resetting, a kickoit device for removing from the fingers any surplus pins thereon before said member reaches its delivery point, comprising an arm pivotally carried by said member for swinging movement relative thereto in a path which clears only a single pin supported on said fingers, and actuating means operative in response to movement of said member to swing said arm outwardly.

4. The. structure set forth in claim 2, each kickoff device comprising a plate hingedly connected at its forward end to the elevator conveyor.

5. The structure set forth in claim 2, each kickoff device comprising a plate hingedly connected at its forward end to the elevator conveyor, the hinged plate having an actuating member secured to the inner face thereof and extending through said elevator, said kickoff actuating means comprising a stationary element mounted adjacent the elevator conveyor during its upward travel to engage said actuating member, thereby to swing said plate outwardly to kick oif any extra pin other than the one adapted to be cleared by said plate.

6. In a bowling pin setting device comprising a pit at the rear end of a bowling alley to receive balls and pins from the bowling alley, the combination which comprises an elevator passing upwardly to elevate pins from said end to discharge said pins at a predetermined height above said alley, a chute adapted to receive pins discharged by said conveyor for slidable downward movement in said chute, a bowling pin exchanger having interchangeably positioned pin receiving and pin dumping compartments therein, each of said compartments being adapted to contain an entire complement of bowling pins necessary for operation of the alley, said chute being positioned to discharge pins moving slidably downwardly therein into said pin receiving compartment, pin counting means associated with said chute to be advanced by the passage of each successive pin down said chute into said receiving compartment, compartment actuating means operatively associated with said pin counting means to be actuated on the attainment of a predetermined advanced position of said counting means, said compartment actuating means being assoelated with said pin exchanger to move said pin exchanger to dump the pins from said dumping compartment and simultaneously to move the receiving compartment into the position previously Occupied by the dumping compartment.

7. ln apparatus of the character described, the combination of an elevator adapted to carry bowling pins to an elevated position of discharge with respect to a bowling alley or the like, a chute adapted to carry said pins from said elevated position to a distributing position, a rotatable pin collector comprising a compartmented pin collector rotatably mounted in a fixed position to receive pins from said elevated position and adapted to present a compartment for receiving a full set of pins in each of a plurality of rotated positions, means for retaining selectively at least one set of pins in said collector while another set is selectively discharged therefrom, and means associated with said chute for diverting pins from their travel toward the distributing position and into said collector to accumulate pins in said collector when desired.

8. in an automatic bowling pin setting device, the combination which comprises a pin setting rack, means for lowering said rack to pin setting position and raising it to pin receiving position, a pin distributor comprising 7 a rotatable structure mounted on a tilted axis adapted to receive pins one by one from a supply point, biasing means tending to rotate said structure to an initial receiving position, conveyor means comprising an elevator and a chute for bringing pins from the rear of a bowling alley to the distributor one at a time, automatic latching means for holding said distributor in successive pin receiving positions and automatic means controlled by deposit of pins in said distributor for releasing said latching means and permitting said distributor to move by gravity to successive pin receiving positions until filled, said rotatable structure being advanced to successive positions against the force of said biasing means by the weight increment of successive pins placed therein at a point above the lowest part thereof, and means for discharging the distributor, when full, into the pin setting rack, the biasing means acting to return the rotatable structure to initial pin receiving position after the distributor has been discharged.

9. Combination according to claim 8 wherein said chute comprises an orienting device for righting pins which may be improperly turned during their sliding movement.

10. Combination according to claim 8, comprising means for counting pins elevated by said elevator and means controlled by said counting means for automatically stopping said elevator when a predetermined number of pins has been elevated.

11. Combination according to claim 8, comprising a manually controllable deflecting means in said chute for diverting pins to a storage receiver when it is desired to change a set of pins.

12. In a bowling pin setting device comprising means at the rear end of a bowling alley to receive balls and pins from said alley, the combination which includes a pin elevator passing upwardly past said means to receive and elevate pins therefrom,- a sloping pin receiver mounted to receive pins elevated by said elevator for downwardly rolling movement over said pin receiver, an elevator controlling switch movably mounted over said receiver, a switch actuating element, an actuating plate operatively connected thereto, a pin distributor positioned to receive pins from said sloping pin receiver, and means controlledby said pin distributor successively to move the actuating plate into and out of the path of movement of pins passing over said receiver at predetermined cycl s of a pin setting operation.

13. In a bowling pin setting device comprising means at the rear end of a bowling alley to receive balls and pins from the bowling alley, the combination which comprises a pin elevator adapted to receive and elevate pins from said means, a pin turning chute adapted to receive pins elevated by said elevator and to ori nt them to a uniform and generally vertical position, the chute having a supporting means therein adapted slidably to support a bowling pin passing thereover by the enlarged body portion of the pin, said supporting means being so arranged that a properly oriented pin in base up position extends to a lesser height above the supporting means than an improperly oriented pin in base down position, and means mounted above said supporting means at a height to clear the bottoms of properly oriented pins sliding in base up position on said supporting means but not to clear the tops of improperly oriented pins sliding in base down position on said supporting, means.

14. The structure set forth in claim 13 wherein the chute is in the form of an inverted U, the base of which forms the pin turning means with the pin supporting means projecting inwardly from the side walls thereof.

15. In a bowling pin setting device including accumulator means at the rear end of a bowling alley where pins are gathered, the combination which comprises an elevator adapted to elevate pins from said accumulator and to discharge them at a point elevated above said accumulator, means adapted to receive pins discharged by the elevator and convey them away from said elevator in base down position during a latter portion of their conveyance, a pivoted pin distributor positioned to receive pins from the last named means, said distributor having a plurality of pin receiving compartments therein arcuately arranged with respect to a concentric axis which is tilted so that the weight of pins in said compartments tends to rotate said distributor by gravity, an escapement mechanism adapted to permit said distribuor to rotate a step by gravity as each compartment is loaded with a pin, thereby to present a new compartment for loading, means for discharging said distributor when fully loaded, and biasing means for returning the distributor to initial position for reloading after dis charge, the biasing means being overcome by gravity, step by step as pins are deposited in said compartments.

16. The structure as set forth in claim 15 wherein a retractable pin supporting element is mounted normally to lie in pin supporting position across a lower end of each compartment.

17. The structure set forth in claim wherein the distributor discharging means comprises a pin support for each compartment on the distributor in the form of a segmental plate with a hole of a size to pass a bowling pin therethrough in the outer end thereof, all of said segmental plates being pivotally connected to a common rotatable actuator mounted for relative rotatable actuating movement concentrically beneath said distributor, thereby to move said segmental plates radially into and out of pin supporting position.

18. The structure set forth in claim 15 wherein said distributor discharging means comprises a segmental support plate for each pin pivotally connected to a common rotatable actuator, latch means releasably connecting said rotatable actuator to said distributor, and a latch release lever mounted in one of said compartments and adapted to be moved to release said latch on the entry of a bowling pin in said compartment.

19. The structure set forth in claim 15 wherein the distributor discharging means comprises a retractable pin supporting element adapted normally to lie in pin supporting position across each compartment, and means for retracting all said elements when the distributor is full and is in discharge position.

20. In a bowling pin setting system of the character described which includes an accumulator pit for bowling pins, the combination which comprises a pin elevator in the form of an endless conveyor having pin carrying elements attached thereto, for lifting pins from said pit to an elevated position above said pit, sloping pin receiving means projecting towards an upper part of said elevator and adapted to receive pins therefrom by gravity and convey them to a distributor by gravity, means for properly orienting said pins base forward in said receiving means, a rotatable distributor mounted on a tilted axis and having a series of pin receiving compartments adapted to be aligned one by one with pins advancing base first from said receiving means, biasing means adapted to hold said distributor, when empty, in an initial pin receiving position, means normally latching said distributor successively in a series of positons correspondng to said compartments and escapement means controlled by the deposition of a. pin in each compartment, for releasing said latching means and permitting the distributor to move by gravity, as each 20 pin is placed'therein, to receiving position for the next pin, until the distributor is filled.

21. A pin setting system according to claim 20 wherein means are provided for unloading the distributor automatically when the last of a complete set of pins is deposited therein by gravity.

22. In a bowling pin setting mechanism, the combination of an arcuate distributor for a set of bowling pins rotatably mounted on an inclined axis, biasing means tending to maintain said distributor in an initial position, said means being so arranged that its biasing force is overcome step by step as pins are added to the distributor by the successive increments of weight of said pins, and automatic escapement means functioning in response to delivery of a pin to said distributor for positioning said distributor in successive pin receiving positions as pins are fed thereto.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 981,962 Wehmiller et a1. Jan. 17, 1911 1,083,083 Gibbons Dec. 30, 1913 1,122,622 McFarland Dec. 29, 1914 1,203,216 McFarland Oct. 31, 1916 1,335,638 Barrett Mar. 30, 1920 1,557,177 Lorenz et a1. Oct. 13, 1925 1,573,643 Proch Feb. 16, 1926 1,626,446 Bishop Apr. 26, 1927 1,692,796 Bishop Nov. 20, 1928 1,712,186 White May 7, 1929 1,896,383 White Feb. 7, 1933 1,911,436 Cone May 30, 1933 2,017,143 Bentz Oct. 15, 1935 2,190,783 Hardy Feb. 20, 1940 2,231,473 Kaufman Feb. 11, 1941 2,293,018 Hagquist Aug. 11, 1942 2,316,183 Patterson Apr. 13, 1943 2,341,475 Parra et a1. Feb. 8, 1944 2,388,708 Bates Nov. 13, 1945 2,389,643 Schmidt Nov. 27, 1945 2,400,246 Mercier May 14, 1946 2,411,348 Turner Nov. 19, 1946 2,450,249 Murphy Sept. 28, 1948 Montooth Nov. 4, 1952

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