US3018105A

US3018105A - Bowling alley masking units

Info

Publication number: US3018105A
Application number: US7803A
Authority: US
Inventors: Grogoza William
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Inc
Priority date: 1960-02-10
Filing date: 1960-02-10
Publication date: 1962-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 1979-01-23
Also published as: CH373296A; GB896095A

Description

Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10. 1960 INVENTOR ZUz'ZZz'Qm GT'OHOZG.

Jan. 23, 1962 w GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 23, 1962 w. GROGOZA 3,018,105

BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS Filed Feb. 10, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 6 J Zdz'Z/z'om @7 9; 07a

MIN.

WIMP H. W

Jan. 23, 1962 W- GROGQZA BOWLING ALLEY MASKING UNITS 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 10. 1960 l him? INVENTOR GP? 0762 Z z'ZZr km? ATTORNEY aired rates 3,118,l5 Patented Jan. 23, 1962 Jersey Filed Feb. 10, I960, Ser. No. 7,803 12 Claims. (Cl. 273-54) This invention relates to bowling alley apparatus and more particularly to masking units employed in conjunction with automatic pin spotting machines.

In recent years, automatic pin spotting machines have been widely accepted by the trade and a large proportion of all new bowling alley installations include such machines. The pin spotting machines themselves are relatively large, complicated devices of such nature that it is undesirable to have major portions thereof in the view of the players, since movement of various parts of the machine would tend to distract the player and the overall appearance would not be esthetically attractive. It is accordingly the usual practice to employ a masking unit disposed in front of the pin spotting machine and extending downwardly to a point just above the pins when the latter stand on the alley floor.

It has also become the practice to use, in conjunction with the pin spotting machine, a pin fall indicator which presents to the players a visual indication of the pins still standing after a ball has been rolled. The pin fall indicator, or other indicating means supplementing the same, may be employed to indicate strikes, etc., and also to indicate the occurrence of a foul.

An object of the present invention is to devise an improved masking unit which is effective to serve its functional purpose and which also presents an unusually attractive appearance when viewed from the players end of the alley.

A further object is to devise a novel illuminated masking unit for bowling alley installations.

Another object is to devise a combination masking unit and visual indicator which is both operationally eificient and pleasing in appearance.

A still further object is to provide, in apparatus of the type described, novel and effective means for signalling the occurrence of a foul.

In order that the manner in which these and other objects are attained, in accordance with the invention, can be understood in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein:

'FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the central portion of a combined masking unit and pin fall indicator constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the invention:

FIGURES 2-4 are detail front elevational views of the pin fall indicator employed in the unit of FIGURE 1, the three views illustrating the manner in which different indications are displayed;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary front elevational view illustrating the manner in which a foul is indicated by the unit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 6 is a front elevational view, enlarged in scale and with some parts broken c way for clarity of illustration, of a portion of the unit of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 7-7, FIGURE 1, and enlarged in scale, some parts being shown in elevation;

FIGURE 8 is a vertical section view taken on line 3-8. FIGURE 6, some parts being shown in elevation;

FIGURE 9 is a rear view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 10 is a top plan view of the central portion of the unit indicated at Iii-10, FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 11 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line Il11, FIGURE 10, and enlarged in scale;

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 12i2, FIGURE 6, and enlarged in scale, and

FIGURE 13 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the face plate of the pin fall indicator employed in the unit shown in FIGURE 1.

Turning now to the drawings in detail, and first to FIGURES 1, 7 and 8 thereof, it will be seen that the embodiment of the invention here illustrated comprises a mask, indicated generally at 1, depending from a support 2, the mask carrying a forwardly disposed pin fall indicator 3 and lamp means, indicated generally at 4, situated between the mask and the pin fall indicator and operative to illuminate the front face of the mask.

Mask 1 includes horizontally extending, vertically spaced top and

bottom frame members

5 and 6, respectively, interconnected by upright frame members 7, the latter being parallel to each other and, as seen in FIGURE 7, each defining an obtuse angle opening forwardly, with

frame members

5 and 6 being equally spaced from the apex of the angle. The main surface of the mask comprises two

metal sheets

8 and 9 each extending horizontally to the limits required for the masking unit in the particular bowling alley installation involved and each having a transverse dimension equal to one half of the distance between

frame members

5 and 6 along the front edges of upright frame members 7. As will be clear from FIGURE 7,

sheets

8 and 9 are in edge-to-edge contact at the apex of the angle defined by frame members 7, sheet 8 extending forwardly and upwardly to top frame member 5 and sheet 9 extending forwardly and downwardly to bottom frame member 6. Thus,

sheets

8 and 9 are arranged to define a forwardly open dihedral angle the apex line of which extends horizontally and transversely across the alley with which the device is associated.

Sheets

8 and 9 are secured to frame member 7 in any suitable fashion, as by spot welding or by the use of separate fasteners. Along its top edge, sheet 8 has a forwardly projecting horizontal flange 10 disposed in faceto-face contact with the top surface of a horizontal, rearwardly projecting, bottom flange II on frame member 5, flanges It) and Iii being secured together by welding or in any other suitable manner and such attachment constituting the means for mounting top frame member 5.

Bottom frame member 6 has a flat bottom wall to the upper face of which are attached spaced U-shaped brackets 12 to which the lower ends of the upright frame members 7 are secured, as by means of bolts. Bottom frame member 6 also includes an upright front wall and a horizontally disposed top wall 13 extending rearwardly of the mask into edge-to-edge contact with the lower edge of sheet 9.

The mask 1 is supported from a wall M by means including brackets 15 secured to the mask, a supporting rail in over which the brackets 15 are engaged and a plurality of brackets 17 secured to the wall and arranged to support the rail I6. Each bracket 15 is formed from a metal plate and is attached to the upper end portion of one of the frame members 7. At its end spaced from such frame member, each bracket 15 has a downwardly opening hook portion engaged over rail 16 and closed by a releasable pivoted latch id. From FIG- URES 6 and 7, it will be noted that top frame member 5 includes an upright front wall and a rearwardly extending top wall, the transverse cross-sectional dimensions of frame member 5 being such that brackets 15, rail 16 and brackets 17 are completely hidden by the top frame member.

It will be understood that the mounting means above described is so arranged that the mask is supported thereby with bottom frame member 6 extending horizontally and transversely above the alley floor and being spaced from the alley floor by a distance slightly greater than the height of the bowling pins employed on the alley, the position of wall 14 of course being such that the mask is disposed in front of the pit end of the alley and completely masks the bowling pin spotting machine, whe one is employed in the alley.

From FIGURES l, 6 and 9, it will be observed that the two frame members 7 located nearest the center of mask I are equally spaced from the vertical center line of the mask, being disposed one on each side of such center line and are joined by a lower horizontal brace 19, spaced somewhat above lower frame member 6, and an upper horizontal brace 24 spaced somewhat below upper frame member 5. Portions of

sheets

8 and 9 at the center of the mask are cut away to provide in the mask a centered opening in the form of an inverted isosceles triangle, the apex of the triangle opening being located at the center of brace 19 and the base of the triangle extending along upper brace 29. Bisecting the triangle opening is a vertical frame member 21 extending between braces 19 and 2t and having its ends attached thereto. A horizontally and forwardly extending frame member 22, mounted as hereinafter described, extends through the triangular opening at a point above the apex thereof, frame member 22 having an opening through which frame member 2i) extends.

Lamp means 4 is disposed in the triangular opening in the mask and generally centered with respect to the mask, as will now be described. At a point behind frame member 29, there is mounted on frame member 22 an upwardly projecting, lamp retaining clip 23. A second such retaining clip 24 is secured to the upper end portion of frame member 21 and projects rearwardly therefrom. A conventional circular fluorescent lamp tube 215 is mounted in

clips

23 and 24, the diameter of lamp tube 25 and the positions of

clips

23 and 24 being such that the lamp tube lights within the triangular opening in the mask. The usual ballast and starter unit 26 is mounted on brace 2t? and connected to lamp tube 25, in the usual fashion, by electrical cord 27. As seen in FIGURES 8 and 9, a back plate 28 is secured to the rear edges of the two frame members 7 adjacent the center of the mask and slants upwardly and forwardly from the apex of the angle defined by frame member 7 to a point below brace 26 the remaining upper portion of plate 2-8 there being bent along a horizontal line to project upwardly away from frame member 7 and terminate behind brace 20.

Located in front of the central, triangular opening in mask 1, the pin fall indicator 3 comprises a housing 30 having the form, in front elevation, of an isosceles triangle similar to the triangular opening in mask ll, centered with respect thereto and slightly larger than said opening. As will be clear from FIGURES 7 and 8, housing 30 has the form of a vertically elongated rectangle when considered in side elevation. Thus, the housing is relatively flat and lies in a vertical plane. Housing 30 is defined by three side walls 31, a back plate 32 and a perforated face plate 33, as will be clear from FIG- URES 6, ll and 12. Mounting of the pin fall indicator is accomplished by means of frame member 22 and a pair of horizontally and forwardly projecting frame members 34, the latter being secured to frame members 7 in any'suitable fashion. Each of the

frame members

22, 33 and 34 is provided at its forward end with a vertical flange bolted or otherwise secured to back plate 32. The rear end of lower, centered frame member 22 is bolted, as at 35, to a suitable bracket or other rigidly supported member (not shown).

Back plate 32 of the pin fall indicator is formed with eleven rearwardly extending wells 36 each having an opening in which a lamp socket 37, FIGURE 12, is suitably secured in such fashion that the lamp 38 is disposed within the well and therefore in front of the back plate. Ten of the wells 36 are arranged generally triangularly, to represent the usual disposition of bowling pins on the alley floor at the start of play. The eleventh well, indicated at 36*, FIGURE 11, is disposed adjacent the horizontal top edge of the pin fall indicator and is centered with respect thereto, well 36 and its associated lamp forming part of a strike indicator.

An opaque, flat indicia sheet 39 is secured to the front face of back plate 32, in face-to-face contact therewith. Considering the pin fall indicator in front elevation, indicia sheet 3? has substantially the same size and shape as back plate 32 and it is thus apparent that the indicia sheet extends across the open mouth of each of the wells 36, as will be clear from FIGURES 6 and 1 At each of the wells 36, the indicia sheet 3% is provided with an opening capable of passing light and having the form of the particular visual indication desired at the location of the well in question. Thus, as will be seen in FIGURE 1, indicia sheet 39 is provided with Openings in the form of the figures 7, 8, 9 and 10 at the locations of four of the wells 36 spaced adjacent to the top edge of the pin fall indicator. In the portion thereof extending across the mouth of well 36*, at the center of the upper portion of the pin fall indicator, the indicia sheet is pro vided with an opening forming a cross. The portions of the indicia sheet extending across the mouths of the re maining wells 36 are respectively provided with openings forming the numbers 1 through 6, in the manner shown in FIGURE 1.

Side walls 31 of the housing for the pin fall indicator project forwardly from indicia sheet 39 and are each pro= vided with an inwardly extending transverse flange 4! FIGURE 12. The edge portions of perforated face plate 33 are disposed behind and secured to the flanges All in any suitable fashion. As illustrated in FIGURES l2 and 13, face plate 3-3 is provided with small, closely spaced circular openings 41 distributed over the entire face plate, the openings 41 being such that, when the pin fall indicator is viewed from the players end of the alley with none of the lamps 38 energized, the face plate appears to be substantially plain and unbroken. When, however, one or more of the lamps 38 is energized, the light therefrom passes through the corresponding one of the indicating openings in the indicia sheet, so that the character represented by that opening is visible as confined illumination projected through the openings 4-1 in the face plate 33. When none of the lamps 38 is energized, as is the case before play is started, the pin fall indicator appears as shown in FIGURE 2 when viewed by the players. Assuming that a ball has been rolled and that pins still stand in the 6, 9 and "10 positions, the corresponding three lamps 38 are energized so that the appearance of the pin fall indicator to the players is as shown in FIGURE 3. Upon occurrence of a strike, only the lamp in well 36 is illuminated and the players accordingly see only the strike-indicating cross on the pin fall indicator, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

This embodiment of the invention also comprises a novel and particularly effective foul-signaling device which will now be described with reference to FIGURES 5, 7, l0 and 11. From FIGURES l0 and 11, it will be noted that the upper side wall 31 of the housing of the pin fall indicator extends rearwardly beyond back plate 32 and that there is a substantial space between well 36 and the upper side wall. As seen in FIGURE 10, the central portion of upper side wall 31 is cut away in rectangular fashion and there is mounted below the upper side wall a light projector indicated generally at 42. The light projector includes a dependent housing 43 into which projects a lamp socket 44 so disposed that the lamp 45 mounted therein is located within housing 43. The open top of housing 43 is closed by a light conductive plate 4-6. Advantageously, the upper edges of housing 4 3 are mar.

flanged outwardly and the projector 42 is secured to the upper side wall 31 of the pin indicator housing by means of a clamping frame 47 and bolts 43.

Lamp 45 is connected to any appropriate energizing support responsive to occurrence of a strike. Considering FIGURE 7, it will be apparent that, when lamp 45 is energized, the light therefrom will be directed through plate 46 onto a portion 8 of sheet 8, the portion 8 being disposed between the pin fall indicator and top frame member 5, so that the illuminated area is visible to the player in the manner indicated by the shade lines in FIGURE 5. The signalling of the occurrence of a strike is advantageously accomplished by the use of light, from lamp 45, which is of a distinctly different color than other illuminated areas of the mask and pin fall indicator. Thus, the closure plate 46 can constitute a filter element capable of passing red light, so that the wall portion 8 is illuminated in red, in which case all other portions of the wall are made to appear in a different color than red to the players.

Referring now to FIGURES 7, 8 and 11, it will be seen that the space between mask 1 and pin fall indicator 3 is enclosed by three flat light-conductive sheets 49 arranged to form an isosceles triangle ofthe same shape as the triangles defined by the side walls of the pin fall indicator housing and the opening in the mask. Sheets 49 are of such dimension and shape that all of the light from the circular fluorescent lamp tube 25 must pass outwardly therethrough before reaching those portions of the mask not hidden from the players view by the pin fall indicator. Advantageo-usly, the sheets 49 are fabricated of a synthetic resinous or like material having optical characteristics such as to diffuse the light from lamp tube 25 uniformly over the exposed areas of the mask. Sheets 49 extend rearwardly through the central opening in mask I and are secured to wall

portions

8 and 9 by brackets 49*.

Considering FIGURES 1 and 7, it will be noted that

sheets

8 and 9, while positioned substantially identically insofar as reflection of light from lamp tube 25 is concerned, are made to have specifically different light'reflecting characteristics so that the two sheets will be distinctly different in their appearance to the players. Thus, while sheet 8 is formed with a fiat front face, sheet 9 is formed with a plurality of horizontally extending flutes Sit. Obviously, sheet 9 can be fabricated with other types of irregular light-reflecting or light-dispersing surfaces than the simple horizontally extending flutes illustrated.

The pin fall indicator 3, mounted and arranged in the manner hereinbefore described, serves the additional A purpose of acting as a light barrier between light means 4 and the players end of the alley. While obvious advantages accure from having the pin fall indicator of triangular form, when viewed in front elevation, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other configurations can be employed. The particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention here shown and described is accordingly to be considered as illustrative, rather than limiting, and it will be understood that many modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of masking wall means, support means for supporting said masking wall means above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alley,

illuminated pin fall indicating means mounted on saidmasking wall means and spaced forwardly with respect thereto, and light means carried by said wall means and disposed behind said pin fall indicating means to direct light laterally onto portions of said wall means not hidden by said pin fall indicating means.

2. In a masking unit for use in conjunction with an automatic pin spotting machine in a bowling alley installation, the combination of an upright masking structure defining a dihedral angle, means for supporting said masking structure above a bowling alley floor with the apex line of the dihedral angle extending horizontally and with the dihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, pin fall indicating means mounted on said masking structure and spaced forwardly thereof, and light means mounted on said masking structure and located between said masking structure and said indicating means to direct light from behind and also laterally of said indicating means onto the dihedral surfaces of said masking structure.

3. A masking unit in accordance with claim 2 and wherein the means defining one side of said dihedral angle presents an irregular light-reflecting surface.

4-. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of means forming a masking wall comprising two surfaces defining a dihedral angle, support means for supporting said masking wall above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alley with the apex line of said dihedral angle extending horizontally and with said dihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, a light barrier disposed in front of said masking wall, and a light source mounted behind said light barrier and arranged to project light generally transversely of the alley, when said masking wall is so supported, to illuminate those portions of the dihedral surfaces of said masking wall not hidden by said light barrier.

5. A masking unit in accordance with claim 4 and wherein one forwardly presented face of the dihedral angle of said masking wall is a plane surface and the other such face is an irregular light-reflecting surface.

6. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of means forming a masking wall, support means for supporting said wall in upright position above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alley, a light barrier spaced forwardly of said wall, a light source disposed between said wall and said barrier and operative to illuminate portions of said Wall not hidden by said light barrier, said wall including a portion visible from the players end of the alley and extending forwardly and upwardly above said light barrier, and means for selectively illuminating said portion.

7. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of means forming a masking wall comprising two portions defining a dihedral angle, support means for mounting said wall above the alley floor in front of the pit of the alley with the apex line of said dihedral angle extending horizontally across the alley and with said dihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, a pin fall indicator comprising a generally flat housing structure, means mounting said pin fall indicator in front of said wall with the housing structure thereof extending transversely of the alley, light means mounted between said wall and said pin fall indicator and operative to project light laterally from behind said pin fall indicator to illuminate portions of said wall not hidden by said pin fall indicator, and a foul signal including a light projector mounted on said pin fall indica tor and arranged to project light in an upright path onto a forwardly slanting portion of said wall observable from the players end of the alley.

8. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of masking wall means, support means for mounting said wall means above the alley floor with said wall means extending transversely across the alley in front of the pit of the alley, a pin fall indicator mounted in front of said wall means, light means disposed behind said pin fall indicator and arranged to project light from behind said pin fall indicator to illuminate portions of said wall means not hidden by said pin fall indicator, said wall means including a wall portion disposed above said pin fall indicator and slanting upwardly and forwardly, and a foul signal comprising a light source mounted on said pin fall indicator and arranged to project light upwardly onto said wall portion.

9. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of masking wall means, support means for mounting said wall means above the alley floor with said wall means extending transversely across the alley in front of the pit end thereof, a light barrier mounted in front of said wall means, light means disposed behind said light barrier and arranged to direct light from behind said light barrier onto portions of said wall means not hidden by said light barrier, and means substantially closing the space between said wall means and said light barrier and surrounding said light means and effective to difiuse at least a part of the light passing from said light means.

10. A masking unit in accordance with claim 9 and wherein said wall means includes an exposed portion slanting upwardly and forwardly above said light barrier, said unit further comprising a foul signalling device including a light projector mounted on said barrier and arranged todirect light onto said exposed slanting portion of said wall means.

11. A masking unit in accordance with claim 9 and wherein said Wall means defines a forwardly opening dihedral angle, the vertical dimension of said light barrier being less than the vertical dimension of said wall means, said unit further comprising a signal device including a light projector mounted on said light barrier and arranged to direct light onto an exposed forwardly slanting portion of said wall means.

12. In a masking unit for masking the pit end of a bowling alley installation, the combination of a pair of planar wall members arranged to define a dihedral angle, support means for mounting said wall members above the alley floor with the apex line of said dihedral angle extending horizontally transversely across the alley and with said dihedral angle opening toward the players end of the alley, a pin fall indicator including a vertically extending housing mounted in front of said wall members, light means mounted behind said housing and arranged to direct light onto portions of said wall members not hidden from the players view by said housing, and signal means arranged to project light onto an exposed portion of one of said wall members displaced vertically relative to said housing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,202,674 Seaman et al May 28, 1940 2,243,816 Hammer May 27, 1941 2,330,268 Cloutier Sept. 28, 1943 2,485,347 Anderson et al. Oct. 18, 1949