US3072405A - Automatic pin-setting machine - Google Patents

Automatic pin-setting machine Download PDF

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Publication number
US3072405A
US3072405A US722332A US72233258A US3072405A US 3072405 A US3072405 A US 3072405A US 722332 A US722332 A US 722332A US 72233258 A US72233258 A US 72233258A US 3072405 A US3072405 A US 3072405A
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Prior art keywords
pins
rack
jaws
pin
alley
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US722332A
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Charles H Bauerschmidt
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C H B AUTOBOWLING CORP
Chb Autobowling Corp
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C H B AUTOBOWLING CORP
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
    • A63D5/00—Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
    • A63D5/08—Arrangements for setting-up or taking away pins
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63D—BOWLING GAMES, e.g. SKITTLES, BOCCE OR BOWLS; INSTALLATIONS THEREFOR; BAGATELLE OR SIMILAR GAMES; BILLIARDS
    • A63D5/00—Accessories for bowling-alleys or table alleys
    • A63D5/02—Apparatus for trapping or lifting the balls; Separate devices for returning the balls

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to apparatus for automatically setting pins on a bowling alley.
  • @ne object of the present invention is to provide an automatic pin setter which can be instalred on the conventional alley, which was built for hand-setting or semi-automatic spotting of pins, without alteration of the alley.
  • Another object ⁇ of the invention is to provide simple, very accurate mechanism for picking pins up that have been knocked oit-spot, and for resetting such pins, after the pins, that have been knocked down, have been swept off the alley, precisely iny the off-spot positions which they previously ,.occupied.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for picking up the ball and the pins that have been swept on the allev. and for separating the ball from these pin's so that the ball maybe returned to the front of the alley for reuse, andthe pins may be fed forward for resetting.
  • a still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin setting apparatus which will require a minimum number of pins for its continuous operation.
  • Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin setter in which the nin feed mechanism is compact and direct, thereby enabling the apparatus itself to be kept to minimum overall dimensions,
  • Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin-setter which will be simpler in construction and operation, and less expensive to build than prior types of such automatic equipment and less expensive to maintain.
  • the pin-setting mechanism here shown is put into operation by the rolling of a ball down the alley.
  • the ball dropsinto a ball elevator or lift in a pit at the rear end 'of the alley iioor.
  • Some or all of the pins, which have been knocked down by the ball, may drop into this lift or elevator also, although most of them will fall into the pin elevator which is disposed in the pit also but which is in front of and under the ball lift.
  • the weight of the ball trips a' switch vwhich starts a motor. If. the ball was the tirst ball of a frame, the motor will send a pin-sensingl and pickup jaws down to sense what pins,V if any, have been left standing by the ball. If the Yball was the second ball of la frame, ten pin-spotting receptacleswill be loaded with a set of ten pins, and will be sent downto spot these pins on the alley.
  • the switch also cldses a circuit to 1a' motor that actuates the ball lift so that as the rack, which carries the jaws and the recptacles, starts down, the ball lift starts up.
  • The, ball lift comprises essentially a pair of parallel bars which extend transversely Aof the alley and which are spaced far enough 'apart to let the pins drop through, back onto the pir'11elevator, as theball lift rises, without dropping the ball through.
  • the ,ball lift has been raised to itstoprnostposition, it is tilted and the ball istherebyrolled off onto a track which extends to one side of the alley to'be returned. to the front of the alley Vready for use againrby the bowler; This track may be like any ordinary ball return track.
  • the rack is below the pin-positioning track.
  • the ten receptacles or baskets, which it carries, are arranged in triangular fashion corresponding to the 4triangular arrangement in which the pins are set up on the alley for bowling.
  • the entering portion of the guide slot or pin-positioning track, into which fallen pins are delivered that are carried up by the elevator, is straight; and this straight portion communicates with an arcuate portion which is almost a complete circle.
  • the pins are carried along this guide slot by their necks, being driven through the straight portion of the slot by an endless belt which extends along one side of this straight portion of the slot.
  • the outside of the curved portion of the guide slot comprises a plurality of pivotable plates which normally cooperate with the inside Wall of the slot to hold the pins in the slot. Stop dogs are pivoted on the inside wall of the slot to space the pins in proper angular relation to one another around the curved portion of the guide slot.
  • the curved portion of the guide slot will hold eleven pins; and the stops are positioned so that ten of these pins will be disposed so as to be readily dropped into the receptacles or baskets.
  • a circle will pass through six pins of the triangle in which pins are set up on a bowling alley; and these six pins can be dropped directly into their baskets or receptacles.
  • Short chutes are provided to direct the other four pins into their respective baskets or pockets.
  • the pockets or baskets are made in two parts that are pivotally mounted on the rack.
  • the two parts of each pocket or basket are normally locked by a second rack, which is below the first rack, so that they are held in pin-receiving and holding position.
  • the second rack will be moved relative to the first rack to release the pocket or basket parts and allow the pins to be spotted on the alley.
  • the jaws which are used for sensing and picking up pins, will be held in their fully open positions during descent of the first rack for pin-spotting, and will not interfere with the pin-spotting operation.
  • a photo-electric cell may be positioned at the head of the alley to detect if the bowler should cross the foul line. This cell will close a circuit to the sweep; and the operation will be the same from there on as occurs on rolling of the second b-all of a frame.
  • FIG. l is a front elevation of a pin-setting machine built according to one embodiment of the invention, pins being shown in dotted lines; and the sweep being shown fragmentarilv and partly i dotted lines also;
  • FIG. 2 is a plan view of this pin-setting mechanism, part of the sweep being broken away;
  • FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the pin-setting machine, the alley, and the sweep being shown only fragmentarily;
  • FIG. 3a is a detail view showing the mechanism for locking the ball-lift against return to its pit position until after the pin elevator has passed the ball-lift in the return movement of the pin elevator to pit position;
  • FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view on a somewhat enlarged scale, showing the feed slot or track through which pins are fed into position above the pin-spotting baskets, ready to be dropped into the baskets;
  • FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the feed slot or track showing the pivoted pin-holding plates rocked to pin-releasing positions, but showing the eleventh pin still held in the slot;
  • FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. S is a fragmentary plan view showing the chutes for guiding the pins, which are dropped from the guide slot or track, into four of the baskets of the pin-spotting rack, these four pins being shown in dotted lines, the positions of the eleven pins in the guide slot or track, prior to release, also being shown in dotted lines;
  • FIG. 9 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the three racks which constitute the sensing and pin-spotting mechanism, parts being broken away for illustrational purposes;
  • FIG. l0 is a section on the line 1li-10 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. ll is a section on the line 11--11 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction ofthe arro'ws;
  • FIG. l2 is a section on the line 12-12 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 13 is a section on the line 12a-13 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
  • FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks in sensing position ready for pick-up off the alley of standing pins, a pair of gripping jaws being shown in full lines in the positions which they assume if there is no pin left standing beneath them to be engaged by them, the gripping jaws being shown also in dash lines in the gripping positions which they assume when there is a pin left standing on-spot beneath them, the pin itself being shown in dotted lines, and the gripping jaws being shown also in dot and dash lines in a typical position assumed for picking up a pin which has been knocked off-spot.
  • FIG. l5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the jaws locked in pin-gripping position, ready for pick-up or for resetting of a pin;
  • FIG. I6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the jaws in released position after setting of a pin;
  • FIG. 17 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the racks returned to their uppermost positions, ready for loading with pins;
  • FIG. 18 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, with the uppermost and intermediate racks so disposed that the pin basket or pocket shown is locked in pinholding position;
  • FIG. 19 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the pin baskets or pockets and of the uppermost rack from which it is suspended;
  • FIG. 20 is an end view of one of the parts of this basket or pocket
  • FIG. 21 is a fragmentary View, similar to FIG. 18, but showing the intermediate rack moved relative to the uppermost rack to open the pin basket, spotting the pin on the alley iioor;
  • FIG. 22 is a fragmentary view showing details of the mechanism for raising and lowering the racks to effect sensing and spotting of pins;
  • FIG. 23 is a side view of the ball elevator
  • FIG. 24 is a view showing the belts to which the pins are delivered from the pin elevator and the spol onto which they are delivered by these belts, and from which they are delivered into the pin guide track;
  • FIG. 25 is a plan View on a slightly reduced scale showing the ball lift and the pin elevator.
  • FIG. 26 is an electrical diagram, showing one way in which the machine may be wired to accomplish its purpose.
  • FIG. l denotes the floor of the bowling alley; and 31 are the gutters at the two sides of the alley.
  • the bowling pins are denoted generally at P.
  • the pin-setting mechanism of this invention is mounted upon a steel framework which comprises a plurality of uprights 35, cross pieces 36, and longitudinally-extending straps 37 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) all bolted or welded together to make a strong, rigid support for the operating parts of the mechanism.
  • a shaft 40 Pivotally mounted on the frame is a shaft 40 (FIG. 3) to which is rigidly secured a pair of arms 41. These arms have telescoping engagement, respectively, with arms 42 that carry at their outer or free ends a plurality of rods 43 (FIG. 2), which are mounted parallel to one another, and which extend transversely across the alley.
  • the rods 43 are of suflcient width to span, the width of the alley 30 and extend over the gutters 31, as clearly shown in FIG. l.
  • the arms 41, 42 and rods 43 together constitute a sweep.
  • the sweep is driven by a motor 44 through a gear box 34, a shaft 46, a crank arm 47, and a linkage 48, 49, the last-named link being connected to the shaft 40.
  • the floor of the pit 45 is below the level of the floor 30 of the alley. Mounted in the pit are a pin elevator 5-0 and a ball elevator 51.
  • the ball elevator 51 comprises a pair of right-angular shaped side plates 52 (FIGS. 3 and 23) and a pair of transverse rods 53 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 25), which are mounted at opposite ends in the side plates and which extend parallel to one another across the width of the alley. These rods are spaced close enough together to support a ball between them, but vthey are spaced far enough apart to permit ⁇ pins to drop through between them.
  • the rods 53 rest in recesses 54 (FIGS. 2 and 25 in the floor of the pin elevator 50, when the ball elevator is in the rollers 55 reach the portions 56' of the trackways the ball lift 51 is turned ninety degrees as shown in doted lines in FIG. 3 to dump the ball B off the lift onto the return rails 69 (FIG. 2) which return the ball to the front of the alley.
  • the ball lift is held in its upper position by two catches 38, one on each rail 72, until the pin elevator has been raised and is descending again. These two catches are pivoted on the rails 72 and engage by gravity against the ball lift as shown in FIG. 3. To each catch there is pivoted a trip member 39 (FIG. 3a) which is normally held by gravity in the position shown in FIG. 3a.
  • a limit switch 71 Mounted in the pit beneath the Iball elevator 51 as shown in FIG. 3, is a limit switch 71 whose purpose is to start the rack motor 250, as will be described further hereinafter.
  • This limit switch is so adjusted that it will not be tripped Iby the weight of the elevators 50 and 51 alone. However, when a bowling ball drops onto the elevator 51, t-he extra weight of the ball is sufficient to depress and close the switch 71.
  • the ball elevator trips a switch 73 (FIG. 3), mounted on one of the rails 56. This deenergizes the clutch solenoid 430 (FIG. 26) as will be described further hereinafter.
  • the pin elevator 50 is adapted -to receive the pins that are knocked into the pit or swept into t-he pit by the sweep.
  • This elevator carries rollers 70 (FIG. 3) at its rear end which are adapted to travel in the trackways 72 (FIGS. 3 and 25) which are disposed at opposite sides of the alley.
  • the elevator 50 ⁇ is adapted to be lifted by a pair of cables 74, each of which is secured at one end to the elevator, and at its .opposite end to a pulley or drum 75 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is secured to a shaft 76. This shaft is journaled at opposite ends on the upper ends of the rails in which the tracks 72 are formed.
  • the shaft 76 is adapted -to be ⁇ driven from the shaft 65 through the pulley 81 (FIG. 1 ⁇ ), the belt 78 (FIG. 3), and the pulley 79 when a conventional clutch (not shown) connects the drive pulley 81 to shaft 65.
  • This clutch is adapted to be operated by a shift rod 77 (FIG. 3)
  • the ball lift is raised by a pair of cables 58, each of which is secured to the ball lift at one end, and each of which is secured at its opposite end to a drum or pulley 60 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is secured to a shaft 61 that is rotatably mounted on the frame of the machine to extend transversely thereof.
  • the shaft 61 is adapted to be driven from a motor 63 (FIGS. 1 and 3) through the armature shaft 64, a gear box 62 which drives the shaft 65, a pulley 66 on the shaft, the belt 67, and a pulley 68 which is secured to the shaft 61.
  • the tracks 56 have upwardly and rearwardly inclined ,”portions for the major portions of their heights, and ter- 'minate in portions (denoted at 56' in FIG. 3) ⁇ which are ⁇ but slightly inclined to the horizontal.Y
  • the motor -63 When the motor -63 is actuated to drive the ⁇ shaft 61 in the direction ⁇ to windv up the cable 58, the ball lift is raised and when reduction 34.
  • This lug rocks a lever 47 (FIG. 1) as the sweep motor 44 rotates.
  • This lever is ⁇ connected by a cable 84 to shift rod 77, as will be described further hereinafter.
  • the pulley 79 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is secured to the shaft 76.
  • the shift rod 77 extendsrearwardly far enough to be engaged by pin elevator 50 at the upper 7 pivotally mounted on the frame is interposed between the two belts 82 and 83, and is rocked up and down by a crank 95 (FIG. 24) and rod 96 to keep the pins from jamming.
  • Crank 95 is secured to the same shaft as that to which gear 109 is fastened.
  • the belt S3 delivers the pins onto a spool 85 (FIGS. 2 and 24) which has heads or discs at opposite ends that are of large diameter to serve as guides for the pins.
  • Spool 95 coopera-tes, as shown in FIG. 24, with a rotary plate 86, which is disposed at one end of a chute 95, to erect the pins P and tip them in vertical position into a trackway 11) (FIGS. 2 and 4) formed in a plate 111.
  • Spool 85 has a horizontal axis and disc 86 has a vertical axis.
  • Spool 85 is driven from shaft 105 through a pulley and belt drive 91-92-93. The drive to disc 86- will be described later.
  • the spool S5 serves two purposes: one to guide the pins onto deector 9i) in generally upright position; and the other to pick the pins off belt 33 faster, so that a pin will not be crowded by a fol ⁇ lowing pin on belt 83.
  • the pins are delivered from deiiector 9i) into the trackway 110 (FIGS. 2 and 4) formed in a plate 111.
  • the plate 111 is so positioned relative to disc 86 that it is the necks of the pins which will enter trackway 116.
  • the trackway 110 is of a width just sufficient to receive the necks of pins and the pins travel in this trackway and are suspended therefrom by their necks as shown in FIG. 3.
  • the trackway 110 has a straight entering portion at 117 (FIG. 4), is reversely curved on itself as denoted at 11S, and terminates in an almost complete circular portion denoted at 119.
  • One side of the straight portion of the. trackway is formed by one side of a slot cut in the plate 111; and the other side of the straight po-rtion of this trackway is formed by a V-belt 112.
  • the pins are rolled along the trackway by action of the moving belt 112.V
  • This belt 112 travels around Vthe pulleys 113 and 114. Its slack is taken up by an idler 115; and rollers 116 serve to hold the pin-driving outside lateral reach of the belt in engagement with the necks of the pins.
  • the belt 112 also forms one side of the reversely curved portion 118 of the guideway, the inside of this reversely curved po-rtion being formed by the belt as it travels about the pulley 114.
  • the outside of this reversely curved portion of the trackway is formed by the outside wall of the slot in pla-te 111.
  • the belt is driven from shaft 102 (FIGS. 2 and 3) through the bevel gearing 155, shaft 158, and a pair of spur gears 122, the driven member of this pair being secured to the shaft 123 (FIG. 4) of pulley 114.
  • Pulley 113 drives disc 85 through spur gearing 128.
  • the plate 111 is provided around the outside of the generally circular portion 119 of the trackway 110 with a plurality of spaced arcuate notches or recesses 124 (FIGS. 5 and 4) which are somewhat larger in diameter than the necks of the pins. These notches are equiangularly spaced from one another except for the two notches denoted at 124a and 124-1; in FIG. 5. which lare spaced further apart than the other notches for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.
  • a plurality of plates or leaves 125 Pivotally mounted on top of the plate 111 around the outside of the generally circular slot 'therein to swing on pins 125 are a plurality of plates or leaves 125. These leaves are adapted to be swung from the positions shown in FIG. 4 to the positions shown in FIG. 5. These leaves h-ave arcuate inside faces 128 which, when the leavesy are in the positions shown in FIG. 4, cover the notches 124 and align. with the :arcuate portions of the outside wall of the slot so that they, in effect, provide, with the outside wall of the slot, an uninterrupted circular outside wall for the trackway which is concentric with axis of shaft, 127.
  • an 8 arcuate yoke member 129 is mounted above the leaves 126 to overlie the same.
  • This yoke member is oscillatable on plate 111 about the axis of shaft 127. It is held on the plate by guide members 131 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) which are secured to the plate by screw-s 132.
  • the yoke member has a cam surface around its inside face comprising angularly spaced arcuate portions 133 and angularly spaced inclined surfaces 134. Each inclined portion 134 is connected with the next succeeding concentric portion 131 of the yoke by a curved port-ion 136. T'he cam portions 133 are concentric with the axis of shaft 127.
  • the leaves 126 carry pins 13) which are adapted to engage and ride on the portions 133 and 134 of the yoke member 125.
  • the inside wall of the approximately circular portion 119 of the track 110 is formed by the nearly circular inside wall of the slot in plate 111, and by dogs 147 which are pivoted by means of pins 148 in the stationary plate 111. Pins 149 are secured in the plate 111 to limit the swinging movement of the dogs 147.
  • the yoke member 129 can be rocked in either direction about the axis of shaft 127 by rocking the arm 141) which is integral therewith, as will be described later.
  • the pins 13G of the leaves 126 are riding on the portions 133 of lthe yoke member and the yoke member is in the position shown in FIG. 4, the inside surfaces 123 of the leaves 126 are concentric with axis of shaft 127.
  • the grooves 124 are uncovered.
  • a plate 161 Mounted on straps 160 (FIGS. l and 3), which depend from plate 111, is a plate 161. This plate supports, through the medium of spacers 162, a ring 163 (FIGS. 1, Zand 8) coaxial with shaft 127 but spaced below plate 111 le-ss than the height of a bowling pin. Secured to the ring 163 to depend therefrom are four chutes 165. Each chute consists of three wire. rods 166 together affording a guide down which bowling pins can slide ino cups of the setting rack now to be described.
  • Vand the ring 163 is made slightly larger in outside diameter than the mean diameter o"f the ytrackway portion 119 so that all the pins tilt slightly-outwardly at their bottoms, asshown in dotted ylines inthe upper part of FIG. 1,'better to drop directly into their cups or .pockets in the seting rack, or into their respective chutes and thence into their respective cups or pockets of the setting rack.
  • FIG. 8 shows in dotted lineshow the eleven pins vare arranged around the circular portion 119 of trackway -110 and around ring 163.
  • the numerals lto 10 applied to the pins denote the respective positions which the pins are to occupy when dropped into the triangular arrangement int-o which they are required to be disposed when set-up for bowling.
  • X denotes the extra, eleventh pin.
  • Pins numbers 1., 7, and 10 slide down the chutes 165 into cups or pockets in the setting rack.
  • Pins numbers 2, 3,4, 6, 8 and 9 drop directly into their .respective cups or pockets in the setting rack.
  • the extra, eleventh ⁇ pin is held in trackway portion 119 because there is no groove in ⁇ the yarcuate portion 149.(FIG.
  • the setting rack is the uppermost of the three racks,
  • each of the socket members 174 is normally locked in the position shown in 18 ⁇ by lugs or wings 176 whichv protrude therefrom at opposite ends thereof and which are adapted to engage against shoulders 177 defining the ends of V-shaped notches 178 in the underface of the rack 171.
  • the cup sockets 174 are held in locked pin-holding position.
  • the shoulders 177 of rack 171 disengage themselves from the lugs 176 of the cup sockets and the pins carried in the cups can be set up on the alley.
  • each cup 173 mounted to swing about pivots 181) (FIG. 14) on the rack are two sets ot bell-crank members 185.
  • One pair of bellcrank members is mounted on 'each side of each rectangular opening 168 (FIG. 9) in the rack 17th, that is, at each side of each cup or ⁇ pocket 173.
  • Each bell-crank is connected by means of a pin 186 (FIG. 14) to an arm 187.
  • each cup or socket 173 There are four arms 187 associated with each cup or socket 173, two at each side of each rectangular opening 168 (FIG. 9) in the rack.
  • the aligned arms 187 at opposite sides of each opening 168 carry rubber cor/ered rollers or jaws 188 that are adapted to grip bowling pins that are left standing after the rolling of the first yball of a frame, to lift these pins off the alley.
  • Each of the jaws 188 projects at opposite ends beyond its rubber covering; and the projecting ends of the jaws are adapted to engage in notches 189 in parallel strap members 19t) (FIGS. 9 and 14) that form part of the bottoni Vrack 172. Swinging movement of the jaws away from one another is limited by pins 194 (FIG. 14) in the arms 185.
  • each set of gripping jaws are rocked about their respective pivots 174 by links 195 which are connected lby means of pins 196 to the members 185, and which are connected by means of pins 197 to cross links 198.
  • Each cross link in tur'n is connectedA by means of a pin 199 to abel1-cra ⁇ r ⁇ 1k ⁇ 20.
  • Each bellcrank 20) is pivoted on the rack 170 by one of the pins 18), which is associated with its set of gripping jaws.
  • Each bell-crank 21N) is connected by means of a pin 281 with a yoke 205.
  • Each of the three-front yokes 205 (FIG. 9) and each of the four rear yokes 205 has a block or cylinder 206 (FIG. l1) secured to it to which there is fastened an angle plate 207.
  • Slidable in each cylinder 206 is a rod i288 which has an enlarged head at its inner end.
  • a spring 209 is secured to the rod by means of an angle plate 210.
  • the free end of the rod 288 is secured by a nut 213 to a lu'g 214 struck up from a plate 215, which is slidable on upperrnost rack 171).
  • a similar structure is used for the three yokes 285 corresponding -to No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 pins (FIG. 9).
  • a cylinder 216 (FIG. 12); and there is a rod 217 secured by means of a nut 218 Vto a lug l219 which projects upwardly from the plate 215.
  • a coil spring 221 is interposed between the projecting end of the cylinder 217 and the yoke 205., The rod 217 passes through the cylinder and has a plate 222 secured to its inner end which engages a limit switch 212.
  • the several limit switches 212 are for determining, after the first ball of a frame has -been rolled, whether a whole new set of pins is to be set up, or whether the gripping .jaws are to descend again for the purpose of resetting such pins as have been picked up by them, as ⁇ will be described further hereinafter.
  • a bell-crank lever 232 ⁇ Pivotally mounted on a lug 231 (FIG. 10), which projects beneath uppermost rack170, is a bell-crank lever 232.
  • This bell-crank lever is pivotally connected at its upper end to a link 233 'which ⁇ in turn is pivotally connected toa lug that is welded on the plate 215.
  • Achain 235 connects the bell-crank lever 232 to the lowermost r-ack 172.
  • a pairof coil springs 240 (FIGS. 9 and l0) constantly urges the plate 215 forwardly of the rack 170.
  • Each coil spring 240 is housed in a cylinder 241 which is welded to the plate 215, and is interposed between the headed inner end of a rod 242 and the projecting end of the cylinder.
  • Each rod 242 is fastened by a screw 243 (FIG. 9) or the like to a plate 244 which, in turn, is secured to the uppermost rack 170.
  • the lowering of the racks is effected by operation of a motor 250 (FIGS. l and 3).
  • the armature shaft of this motor carries a pinion 251 which drives a gear 252 on A a crank shaft 253.
  • the crank shaft is connected through ends to the lower-most rack .172, passing through openings in the racks and 171.
  • the rack 262 meshes with the pinion 270 ⁇ on a shaft 272 (FIG. 1) which is axially aligned with shaft 253 and which is forward of and parallel to shaft 265.
  • the shaft 272 carries a pinion 274 which meshes with a rack 276, which are secured to a rod 278 that is fastened like the rods 267 to the lowermost rack 172, passing through the racks 170 and 171.
  • the rods 267 and the rod 278 are connected to the rack 172 at the three corners thereof.
  • the racks 170, 171 and 172 are normally in raised positions; and the rack 170 can be held against movement relative to the rack 171 by a dog 280 (FIG. 14) which engages in a notch in a rod 282 that is secured to the rack 170.
  • the dog 288 is pivoted on a pin 283 in a bracket 284 (FIGS. 3 and 14) that is carried by the rod 278.
  • Three dogs 290 are provided to limit, at the proper phase in the cycle of operation, upward movement of the lowermost rack 172 relative to the middle rack 171. These dogs are pivotally mounted on pins 292 in rack 170 to engage in notches 291 in the rods 267 and 278. Each dog 290 is moved to operating position by a solenoid 296, and is normally pressed out of operating position by a coil spring (not shown) around the armature of the solenoid.
  • Rods 298 (FIG. 14) at the three corners of the racks limit the downward movement of the lowermost rack relative to the upper rack.
  • Each rod 298 is adjustably connected by nuts 298 to the uppermost rack 170, and passes through a hole in the middle rack 171, and is secured at its lower end to the lowermost rack 172.
  • crank arm 254 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 22) through arm 256, roller 257 and slide 260 not only eiects reciprocation of the racks 170, 171 and 172, but also eifects movement of ring 129 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 22) to load ten pins into the pin-setting baskets 173 (FIGS. 18 and 21).
  • a lever 300 (FIG. 22) is pivoted at 297 on a lever 299, that is pivoted at 304 on the frame of the machine.
  • Lever 380 has a notch 301 in it that is adapted to engage the roller 257 when the lever 300 is in the position shown in FIG. 22. This lever is moved to engaged position by the armature 302 of a solenoid 303 which is mounted on the frame of the machine. Armature 302 is connected to lever 300 by a spring 306.
  • a roller 295 that is mounted on an arm 295' which is secured to one of the bars 37 of the frame, engages 'a cam surface 309 on the undersurface of lever 300, and ,serves to lift the lever out of engagement with roller 257,
  • lever 300 is engaged with roller 257 only long enough in a cycle for the crank-driven arm 256 to pull lever ,300, far enough to rock arm 299 to cause yoke 129 to move to the position shown in FIG. 5 to drop a set of pins into the baskets 173 (FIG. 18).
  • a spring 289 which is attached at one end to the lever 299 and at its other end to the frame, serves to restore the yoke 129 to the position of FIG. 4.
  • a spring 317 serves to pull lever arm 300 clear up out of the way of roller 257 when solenoid 303 is deenergized. This spring is connected at one end to lever 300 and at its opposite end to the frame of the machine.
  • Stop 305 is moved to operative position when rack 172 is to be moved to its lowermost position for setting a new set of pins on the alley. Stop 305 is in operative position as the rack 172 descends to the position shown in FIG. 14 for sensing what pins, if any, are left standing after the rolling of the first ball of a frame; and if there are pins left standing, stop 305 is pulled out of operative position by energization of solenoid 307, for picking up those pins.
  • the plate 215 is locked in the position, to which it has been moved, by a lock block 310 (FIGS. 9 and 13).
  • Block 310 is adapted to be lifted into the locking position, as will be described further hereinafter, by a solenoid 311, to the armature of which it is secured.
  • Solenoid 311 is carried by an angle bracket 312 which is fastened to a plate 313 that is welded to rack 170.
  • jaw 188 nearest the off-spot pin will be stopped by the pin as soon as it engages the pin but the other jaw of the pair will continue to be moved by the actuating linkage until it has engaged the pin.
  • the crank 254, which drives the rods 267 and 278, reverses the movement of the rods 267 and 278, the rack 172 will be raised to bring the notches 189 into engagement with the projecting ends 314 (FIG. l5) at opposite ends of the jaws 188 to lock the several sets of jaws in the positions which they have assumed, and which are illustrated in full, short dash, and dot and dash lines in FIG. 14.
  • the stop 290 by engagement with the notch 291 of rod 278, at this stage limits the upward movement of -rack 172 and prevents the pin, or pins, which is, or are, being lifted, from jamming the aligned cup, or cups, 173.
  • ⁇ It also trips out the catch 280 (FIG. 14) so that the rack 17) can travel all the way down to the position shown in FIG. 21 to set the full set of pins.
  • any one ofthe three switches 440 (FIG. 4)., which is not tripped by the pins, will start the pin Afeeding motor 100 (FIGS. l and 2), which will -feed the pins forward into trackway 110 ready for delivery into the cups.
  • FIG. 26 One way in which the machine may be wired to accomplish its purpose is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 26.
  • L1 denotes the main line, the so-called hot Wire.
  • the closing of contact 398 also energizes the coil 430 Uof a solenoid which operates a clutch (not shown) to engage the drive from shaft-65 (FIG. 3) to pulley 66
  • the intermediate rack 171 travels down with the other i two racks 170 and 172 in setting the vfull set of pins but its downward ⁇ movementis limited by nut 318 (FIG. 2l) on rod 3119.
  • nut 318 (FIG. 2l) on rod 3119.
  • ⁇ -This nut is adapted to engage a bracket 318 Aforming part of lthetrame of the machine, while rod 319 itself is secured at its lower end to rack 171.
  • Nut 31S is so adjustedon rod 319 that toward the end of the downl ward movement ofthe racks 170, 171 and 172 the nut 318 will strike bracket 318 and further downward movement of rack 171 will be halted before racks 170 and Vrack 172 ascends, the rollers 320, which are carried by lifting rods 278 and 267, pass through rack 171, and engage under rack 170, ⁇ lifting this rack withrack 172.
  • the circuit to coil 430 is made from ground through the contact 398, the line 407, the coil 436, the normally-closed switch 73 (FIG. 3), and the line 432 to the main line L1. This causes the ball to be raised At the end of the ball-lifting operation, the 'ball lift switch 73 (FIGS. 3 and 26) is opened,
  • the closing of the contacts 331 starts the rack motor 250, a circuit being made from ground .through the line 333, the now-closed contacts 331, and the line 334 to the motor, and the motor being connected by the line 33S with the main line L1.
  • the closing of the contacts 330 maintains a hold-in circuit for the relay coil 326 when contact is broken at the pit switch 71. rIhis hold-in circuit is from ground through the line 340, the normallyclosed switch 341, the line 342, the now-closed contacts 330, the line 343, the line 32S, the coil 326 and the line 327 to the main line L1.
  • Actuation of the rack motor 250 permits the racks 172, 171 and 170 to descend.
  • the rod 293 (FIG. 14), which is connected to rack 172, closes i the switch 315.
  • a cam 404 (FIG. l) closes switch 370.
  • the rack 172 comes down to the half way point of its travel, the sensing point. If a strike ball has been rolled, all of the jaws 188 (FIG. 14) come together.
  • the coil 350 of a conventional relay which for the sake of identification will here be called the strike relay, is therefore energized, a circuit being made from ground through the now-closed rack switch 315 (FIGS. 14 and 26), the line 351 (FIG. 26), a now closed switch 510, Whose function will be described later, the several switches 212, the line 353, the line 354, the coil 350, the lines 357 and 355, and the switch 356 (FIG. 22) to the line L1. This energzes the coil 350, closing the normally-open contacts 360 and 361, and opening the

Description

Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAuERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 18. 1958 INVENTOR. CHARLES l-l. BAUERSGHM/DT A TTGRNEY Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAUERscHMxDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1958 13 Sheets-Sheet 2 g l CHARLES H. AusnscHh/Dr frank/Er Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAuERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed March 18. 195e 12': sheets-sneet 5 .m A l m .4.3. |114 l, `N .WW RW J m nm 5------- ma 11... |||||1|a-4||||.||'||||||||||-|| N e bh EE m vu om -mA n n u n n B n s n A QN v r H fami E r L E u R N wm m m f A Y r u 0 B T l Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAUERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE l5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 18, 1958 l llllilll l I IIL .INVENTOR CHARLES H. vBlIUEIiSGl-IM/D' TTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 Filed March 18, 1958 C. H. BAUERSCHMIDT AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TTORNEY Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAUl-:RscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1958 l5 Sheets-Sheet r6 208 Ili '24 p" P 20a 205 205%; H n 2/5 7 7 `70 D /0 3 'z l 311 I' l 312 /aa l; 174 [n l 173 174 17o gq 16a N F1619 E 88 74 mvsNToR.
27a cHARL E5 H. Musesc//M/or 296 BY. i l
Arrone-r f Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAUERSCHMIDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1958 15 Sheets-Sheet 7 Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAuERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed March 18, 1958 90 INVENTOR.
CHARLES H. BAUERSCHH/DT F/G. l14.
TTURNEY Jan. 8, 1963 C. H. BAUERscl-IMIDT AUTQMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 9 Filed March 18, 1958 alf INVENTOR. CHARLES H. BAUERSCHM/DT lsb Arr'amvsr Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAUERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 13 Sheets-Sheet 10 Filed March 18. 1958 INVENTOR. GHRLES H. BAUERSCHM/DT Jan. 8, 1963 c. H. BAuERscHMlDT 3,072,405
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 11 Filed March 18, 1958 1NVENTOR. CHARLES/'4 BUERSHNDT Arramvfr *t Jan' 8, 1963 C. H. BAUERscHMlDT 3,072,405y
AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE 15 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed March 18, 1958 INVENTOR. GHARLES H. BAUERSOHM/DT' Arromvsr Jan. 8, 1963 Filed March 18. 1958 C. H. BAUERSCHMIDT AUTOMATIC PIN-SETTING MACHINE INVENTOR. CHARLES H. BUE'RSCl-lM/DT Ammer i United States Patent Critico 3,672,405 d Patented Jari. 8,1983
tiranos The present invention relates to apparatus for automatically setting pins on a bowling alley.
Until very recently there were no automatic pin setters in' use; and bowling pins were set either by hand or by so-called semi-automatic pin spotters. There are, therefore, a great number `of bowling alleys throughout the country that were built before any automatic pin Setters were on the market. The automatic pin Setters heretofore available, however, cannot be installed on the conventional bowling alleys that were built for hand-setting or semi-automatic spotting of pins, without altering those alleys. More spaceis required at the back of an alley for the mechanism of the previously known automatic pin `Setters than is required for setting pins by hand or with a semi-automatic pin-spotter. In many cases, to provide this extra space, the back wall has had to be broken out of the building;y and -a newwall built. This adds expense to the installation of the automatic equipment. Moreover, since it has been the practice in the past to build the backs of-thebowling alleys right up to the building lot line, there aremany existing bowling alleys in which ,known automatic pin-setting equipment cannot be installed at all because there is not room .enough for it. j l
Aside from the above-described drawbacks, prior known types of automatic pin-Setters are compicated and expensive. Complex mechanisms are required, for instance, to feed the pins automatically to the pin-.spotters; and the picking-up and resetting of pins, that have been knocked orf spot, has heretofore involved intricate apparatus. Moreover, the controls, which determine whether a full set, or only part of a set of ten pins, is to be spotted on the alley, are in known types o f automatic pin-setting equipment quite complicated. Then, too, in known automaticV pinssetters quite a large number of bowling pins are required to keep any one machine in operation. j j
@ne object of the present invention is to provide an automatic pin setter which can be instalred on the conventional alley, which was built for hand-setting or semi-automatic spotting of pins, without alteration of the alley.
Another object `of the invention is to provide simple, very accurate mechanism for picking pins up that have been knocked oit-spot, and for resetting such pins, after the pins, that have been knocked down, have been swept off the alley, precisely iny the off-spot positions which they previously ,.occupied.
Another object of the invention is to provide improved mechanism for picking up the ball and the pins that have been swept on the allev. and for separating the ball from these pin's so that the ball maybe returned to the front of the alley for reuse, andthe pins may be fed forward for resetting.
A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin setting apparatus which will require a minimum number of pins for its continuous operation.'
Another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin setter in which the nin feed mechanism is compact and direct, thereby enabling the apparatus itself to be kept to minimum overall dimensions,
Still another object of the invention is to provide an automatic pin-setter which will be simpler in construction and operation, and less expensive to build than prior types of such automatic equipment and less expensive to maintain. l .i
Other objects of the invention willbe apparent hereinafter from the specification and f'rom'the recital of the appended claims. j A. One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The pin-setting mechanism here shown is put into operation by the rolling of a ball down the alley. The ball dropsinto a ball elevator or lift in a pit at the rear end 'of the alley iioor. Some or all of the pins, which have been knocked down by the ball, may drop into this lift or elevator also, although most of them will fall into the pin elevator which is disposed in the pit also but which is in front of and under the ball lift.
The weight of the ball trips a' switch vwhich starts a motor. If. the ball was the tirst ball of a frame, the motor will send a pin-sensingl and pickup jaws down to sense what pins,V if any, have been left standing by the ball. If the Yball was the second ball of la frame, ten pin-spotting receptacleswill be loaded with a set of ten pins, and will be sent downto spot these pins on the alley. The switch also cldses a circuit to 1a' motor that actuates the ball lift so that as the rack, which carries the jaws and the recptacles, starts down, the ball lift starts up. The, ball lift comprises essentially a pair of parallel bars which extend transversely Aof the alley and which are spaced far enough 'apart to let the pins drop through, back onto the pir'11elevator, as theball lift rises, without dropping the ball through. When the ,ball lift has been raised to itstoprnostposition, it is tilted and the ball istherebyrolled off onto a track which extends to one side of the alley to'be returned. to the front of the alley Vready for use againrby the bowler; This track may be like any ordinary ball return track.
There are ten pairs of pin-sensing and pick-up' jaws for gripping pins. These pairs of jaws are arrangedin a generally triangular -fashion to conform to the triangular arrangement in which the pins are setl on the alley.
Assuming that the ball, which has been rolled, is the tirst ball ofthe frame, and that it has left pins standing, as the rack descends the jaws are closed on the standing pins. The jaws Aare so m'ounted on the rack that each pair of jaws will accommodate itself to th'e position of the particular pin which it is intended to grip. If that pin is orf-spot, the jaws will automatically move to the otr-spot positionv of the pin and grip the pin in its oit"- spot position without changingV the position of the pin. Locking means are provided which hold the; jaws in the positions to which theyhave` moved in gripping the several standing pins. If there is no pin left standing beneath a particular pair of jaws, l,the pair of jaws will come together; and the jaws will` be locked in that position.
Closings-and locking of the jaws completes" the sensing operation. The rack then ascends, carrying with it the pins which were left standing a'nd which are'now held in the gripping jaws. The sweep motor is then started, causing the sweep to sweep the pins left on the alley into the pin elevator: The sweep is driven by a crank; and as the sweep starts its return to its `starting position, thejmechanism forv raising the pin elevator is tripped, and this elevator. ascends.w l
YAt the top of its ascent,'the ball elevator is tripped so that it dumps the pins onto a conveyor; whencethey` are delivered into a guide slot, or pin-positioning track,which will be described further below. A j
As the sweep approaches the endl of its return Inove- `mer't it trips Va switch which restarts the motor `that operates the rack; and the rack descends again to reset the pins which it previously picked up. Thepiris,l arenow in place ready for rolling .of the second ball of the frame.
The rack is below the pin-positioning track. The ten receptacles or baskets, which it carries, are arranged in triangular fashion corresponding to the 4triangular arrangement in which the pins are set up on the alley for bowling.
The entering portion of the guide slot or pin-positioning track, into which fallen pins are delivered that are carried up by the elevator, is straight; and this straight portion communicates with an arcuate portion which is almost a complete circle. The pins are carried along this guide slot by their necks, being driven through the straight portion of the slot by an endless belt which extends along one side of this straight portion of the slot.
The outside of the curved portion of the guide slot comprises a plurality of pivotable plates which normally cooperate with the inside Wall of the slot to hold the pins in the slot. Stop dogs are pivoted on the inside wall of the slot to space the pins in proper angular relation to one another around the curved portion of the guide slot.
The curved portion of the guide slot will hold eleven pins; and the stops are positioned so that ten of these pins will be disposed so as to be readily dropped into the receptacles or baskets. A circle will pass through six pins of the triangle in which pins are set up on a bowling alley; and these six pins can be dropped directly into their baskets or receptacles. Short chutes are provided to direct the other four pins into their respective baskets or pockets.
When the second ball of the frame is rolled, an electrical circuit will be closed, as Soon as the ball drops into the pit, which will start the sweep motor and the elevator motor, bypassing the pin-sensing operation. The ball-lift, which is driven by the elevator motor, will lift the ball as before; and the sweep will be actuated to sweep all the pins off the alley into the pin elevator. The operation will then be as described above, except that, as the sweep approaches the end of its return movement, it will close a circuit to the rack motor and as the racks start down, a cam on the rack shaft will close a circuit to a solenoid that rocks the pivotable plates to release the pins held in the curved portion of the guide slot of the pin feed track, to drop those pins in the pockets or baskets. The rack is then lowered, to set a whole new set of pins on the alley ready for rolling of a new frame.
The pockets or baskets are made in two parts that are pivotally mounted on the rack. The two parts of each pocket or basket are normally locked by a second rack, which is below the first rack, so that they are held in pin-receiving and holding position. However, upon descent of the first rack to pin-spotting position, the second rack will be moved relative to the first rack to release the pocket or basket parts and allow the pins to be spotted on the alley. The jaws, which are used for sensing and picking up pins, will be held in their fully open positions during descent of the first rack for pin-spotting, and will not interfere with the pin-spotting operation.
When a strke ball is thrown on the first ball of a frame, the racks will descend, as in the case first described, where some pins remain standing after rolling of the first ball; but the sensing jaws will not `sense any pins and a circuit will be closed that will cause the sweep at the end of its return movement to start the rack motor. Then the solenoid, that rocks the pivotable plates, will be actuated to release the pins from the curved portion of the pin-feed track; and the pin-spotting rack will descend to spot a full set of pins on the alley.
A photo-electric cell may be positioned at the head of the alley to detect if the bowler should cross the foul line. This cell will close a circuit to the sweep; and the operation will be the same from there on as occurs on rolling of the second b-all of a frame.
In the drawings:
FIG. l is a front elevation of a pin-setting machine built according to one embodiment of the invention, pins being shown in dotted lines; and the sweep being shown fragmentarilv and partly i dotted lines also;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of this pin-setting mechanism, part of the sweep being broken away;
FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the pin-setting machine, the alley, and the sweep being shown only fragmentarily;
FIG. 3a is a detail view showing the mechanism for locking the ball-lift against return to its pit position until after the pin elevator has passed the ball-lift in the return movement of the pin elevator to pit position;
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary plan view on a somewhat enlarged scale, showing the feed slot or track through which pins are fed into position above the pin-spotting baskets, ready to be dropped into the baskets;
FIG. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the feed slot or track showing the pivoted pin-holding plates rocked to pin-releasing positions, but showing the eleventh pin still held in the slot;
FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 4 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of FIG. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. S is a fragmentary plan view showing the chutes for guiding the pins, which are dropped from the guide slot or track, into four of the baskets of the pin-spotting rack, these four pins being shown in dotted lines, the positions of the eleven pins in the guide slot or track, prior to release, also being shown in dotted lines;
FIG. 9 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the three racks which constitute the sensing and pin-spotting mechanism, parts being broken away for illustrational purposes;
FIG. l0 is a section on the line 1li-10 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. ll is a section on the line 11--11 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction ofthe arro'ws;
FIG. l2 is a section on the line 12-12 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 13 is a section on the line 12a-13 of FIG. 9 looking in the direction of the arrows;
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks in sensing position ready for pick-up off the alley of standing pins, a pair of gripping jaws being shown in full lines in the positions which they assume if there is no pin left standing beneath them to be engaged by them, the gripping jaws being shown also in dash lines in the gripping positions which they assume when there is a pin left standing on-spot beneath them, the pin itself being shown in dotted lines, and the gripping jaws being shown also in dot and dash lines in a typical position assumed for picking up a pin which has been knocked off-spot.
FIG. l5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the jaws locked in pin-gripping position, ready for pick-up or for resetting of a pin;
FIG. I6 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the jaws in released position after setting of a pin;
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, showing the racks returned to their uppermost positions, ready for loading with pins;
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary side elevation of the three racks, with the uppermost and intermediate racks so disposed that the pin basket or pocket shown is locked in pinholding position;
FIG. 19 is a fragmentary plan view of one of the pin baskets or pockets and of the uppermost rack from which it is suspended;
FIG. 20 is an end view of one of the parts of this basket or pocket;
FIG. 21 is a fragmentary View, similar to FIG. 18, but showing the intermediate rack moved relative to the uppermost rack to open the pin basket, spotting the pin on the alley iioor;
FIG. 22 is a fragmentary view showing details of the mechanism for raising and lowering the racks to effect sensing and spotting of pins;
FIG. 23 is a side view of the ball elevator;
FIG. 24 is a view showing the belts to which the pins are delivered from the pin elevator and the spol onto which they are delivered by these belts, and from which they are delivered into the pin guide track;
FIG. 25 is a plan View on a slightly reduced scale showing the ball lift and the pin elevator; and
FIG. 26 is an electrical diagram, showing one way in which the machine may be wired to accomplish its purpose.
Reference will now be made to the drawings by numerals of reference for a more detailed description of the illustrated embodiment of the invention. 30 (FIGS. l and 3) denotes the floor of the bowling alley; and 31 are the gutters at the two sides of the alley. The bowling pins are denoted generally at P.
The pin-setting mechanism of this invention is mounted upon a steel framework which comprises a plurality of uprights 35, cross pieces 36, and longitudinally-extending straps 37 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3) all bolted or welded together to make a strong, rigid support for the operating parts of the mechanism.
Pivotally mounted on the frame is a shaft 40 (FIG. 3) to which is rigidly secured a pair of arms 41. These arms have telescoping engagement, respectively, with arms 42 that carry at their outer or free ends a plurality of rods 43 (FIG. 2), which are mounted parallel to one another, and which extend transversely across the alley. The rods 43 are of suflcient width to span, the width of the alley 30 and extend over the gutters 31, as clearly shown in FIG. l. The arms 41, 42 and rods 43 together constitute a sweep. The sweep is driven by a motor 44 through a gear box 34, a shaft 46, a crank arm 47, and a linkage 48, 49, the last-named link being connected to the shaft 40.
As the sweep swings about the axis of shaft 40 it will sweep oif the alley and out of the gutters and into the pit 45 (FIG. 3), which is just beyond the rear end of the alley floor, any pins left on the alley 30 or in the gutters 31 after a ball is rolled. As the sweep moves from front to rear and vice versa, pins 57 (FIG. 2) which are carried by arms 42, engage and ride on guides 59 (FIG. 3), that are secured between uprights 35 of the frame, to retract the arms suiciently for the sweep to follow the horizontal plane of the alley floor.
The floor of the pit 45 is below the level of the floor 30 of the alley. Mounted in the pit are a pin elevator 5-0 and a ball elevator 51.
The ball elevator 51 comprises a pair of right-angular shaped side plates 52 (FIGS. 3 and 23) and a pair of transverse rods 53 (FIGS. 2, 3, and 25), which are mounted at opposite ends in the side plates and which extend parallel to one another across the width of the alley. These rods are spaced close enough together to support a ball between them, but vthey are spaced far enough apart to permit` pins to drop through between them.
The rods 53 rest in recesses 54 (FIGS. 2 and 25 in the floor of the pin elevator 50, when the ball elevator is in the rollers 55 reach the portions 56' of the trackways the ball lift 51 is turned ninety degrees as shown in doted lines in FIG. 3 to dump the ball B off the lift onto the return rails 69 (FIG. 2) which return the ball to the front of the alley. The ball lift is held in its upper position by two catches 38, one on each rail 72, until the pin elevator has been raised and is descending again. These two catches are pivoted on the rails 72 and engage by gravity against the ball lift as shown in FIG. 3. To each catch there is pivoted a trip member 39 (FIG. 3a) which is normally held by gravity in the position shown in FIG. 3a. When the elevator 50 is moving upwardly it will rock the trip members 39 out of the way; but when it is returning to the pit it will engage these trip members causing them through pin 33 to rock lthe cat-ches up out of the way to release th-e ball lift, which will then return to the pit by gravity on top of the pin elevator.
Mounted in the pit beneath the Iball elevator 51 as shown in FIG. 3, is a limit switch 71 whose purpose is to start the rack motor 250, as will be described further hereinafter. This limit switch is so adjusted that it will not be tripped Iby the weight of the elevators 50 and 51 alone. However, when a bowling ball drops onto the elevator 51, t-he extra weight of the ball is sufficient to depress and close the switch 71. When the ball elevator reaches its upper position, it trips a switch 73 (FIG. 3), mounted on one of the rails 56. This deenergizes the clutch solenoid 430 (FIG. 26) as will be described further hereinafter.
The pin elevator 50 is adapted -to receive the pins that are knocked into the pit or swept into t-he pit by the sweep. This elevator carries rollers 70 (FIG. 3) at its rear end which are adapted to travel in the trackways 72 (FIGS. 3 and 25) which are disposed at opposite sides of the alley. The elevator 50` is adapted to be lifted by a pair of cables 74, each of which is secured at one end to the elevator, and at its .opposite end to a pulley or drum 75 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is secured to a shaft 76. This shaft is journaled at opposite ends on the upper ends of the rails in which the tracks 72 are formed.
The shaft 76 is adapted -to be `driven from the shaft 65 through the pulley 81 (FIG. 1^), the belt 78 (FIG. 3), and the pulley 79 when a conventional clutch (not shown) connects the drive pulley 81 to shaft 65. This clutch is adapted to be operated by a shift rod 77 (FIG. 3)
. through a lug 80 (FIG. 2) on the output shaft of gear travel in opposed grooves or tracks provided in two bars p 56 (FIGS. 3 and 25 mounted in parallelism at opposite sides of the pit.
The ball lift is raised by a pair of cables 58, each of which is secured to the ball lift at one end, and each of which is secured at its opposite end to a drum or pulley 60 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which is secured to a shaft 61 that is rotatably mounted on the frame of the machine to extend transversely thereof. The shaft 61 is adapted to be driven from a motor 63 (FIGS. 1 and 3) through the armature shaft 64, a gear box 62 which drives the shaft 65, a pulley 66 on the shaft, the belt 67, and a pulley 68 which is secured to the shaft 61.
"` The tracks 56 have upwardly and rearwardly inclined ,"portions for the major portions of their heights, and ter- 'minate in portions (denoted at 56' in FIG. 3)` which are `but slightly inclined to the horizontal.Y When the motor -63 is actuated to drive the `shaft 61 in the direction `to windv up the cable 58, the ball lift is raised and when reduction 34. This lug rocks a lever 47 (FIG. 1) as the sweep motor 44 rotates. This lever is` connected by a cable 84 to shift rod 77, as will be described further hereinafter. The pulley 79 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is secured to the shaft 76. As the cables 74 are wound up, upon rotation of the motor 63 after the clutch just mentioned is engaged, the rollers travel in the guideways 72, to the upper position, shown in dotted lines at 50' (FIG. 3). Then due to the curvature of the guideways, the elevator will be tipped so that the pins slide out of the elevator and are discharged therefrom into a chute 88, which delivers them onto an endless belt 82 (FIGS. 2 and 24) whose upper reach runs upwardly from left to right, as viewed in FIG. 2. This endless belt delivers them onto another endless belt 83, the upper reach of which travels transversely of the machine in the opposite direction. The shift rod 77 extendsrearwardly far enough to be engaged by pin elevator 50 at the upper 7 pivotally mounted on the frame is interposed between the two belts 82 and 83, and is rocked up and down by a crank 95 (FIG. 24) and rod 96 to keep the pins from jamming. Crank 95 is secured to the same shaft as that to which gear 109 is fastened.
The belt S3 delivers the pins onto a spool 85 (FIGS. 2 and 24) which has heads or discs at opposite ends that are of large diameter to serve as guides for the pins. Spool 95 coopera-tes, as shown in FIG. 24, with a rotary plate 86, which is disposed at one end of a chute 95, to erect the pins P and tip them in vertical position into a trackway 11) (FIGS. 2 and 4) formed in a plate 111. Spool 85 has a horizontal axis and disc 86 has a vertical axis. Spool 85 is driven from shaft 105 through a pulley and belt drive 91-92-93. The drive to disc 86- will be described later. The spool S5 serves two purposes: one to guide the pins onto deector 9i) in generally upright position; and the other to pick the pins off belt 33 faster, so that a pin will not be crowded by a fol` lowing pin on belt 83.
The pins are delivered from deiiector 9i) into the trackway 110 (FIGS. 2 and 4) formed in a plate 111. The plate 111 is so positioned relative to disc 86 that it is the necks of the pins which will enter trackway 116. The trackway 110 is of a width just sufficient to receive the necks of pins and the pins travel in this trackway and are suspended therefrom by their necks as shown in FIG. 3.
The trackway 110 has a straight entering portion at 117 (FIG. 4), is reversely curved on itself as denoted at 11S, and terminates in an almost complete circular portion denoted at 119. One side of the straight portion of the. trackway is formed by one side of a slot cut in the plate 111; and the other side of the straight po-rtion of this trackway is formed by a V-belt 112. The pins are rolled along the trackway by action of the moving belt 112.V This belt 112 travels around Vthe pulleys 113 and 114. Its slack is taken up by an idler 115; and rollers 116 serve to hold the pin-driving outside lateral reach of the belt in engagement with the necks of the pins.
The belt 112 also forms one side of the reversely curved portion 118 of the guideway, the inside of this reversely curved po-rtion being formed by the belt as it travels about the pulley 114. The outside of this reversely curved portion of the trackway is formed by the outside wall of the slot in pla-te 111. The belt is driven from shaft 102 (FIGS. 2 and 3) through the bevel gearing 155, shaft 158, and a pair of spur gears 122, the driven member of this pair being secured to the shaft 123 (FIG. 4) of pulley 114. Pulley 113 drives disc 85 through spur gearing 128.
The plate 111 is provided around the outside of the generally circular portion 119 of the trackway 110 with a plurality of spaced arcuate notches or recesses 124 (FIGS. 5 and 4) which are somewhat larger in diameter than the necks of the pins. These notches are equiangularly spaced from one another except for the two notches denoted at 124a and 124-1; in FIG. 5. which lare spaced further apart than the other notches for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.
The portions of the outside wall of the slot between the notches 124 are concentric with axis of a shaft 127 Whose function will be described further hereinafter.
Pivotally mounted on top of the plate 111 around the outside of the generally circular slot 'therein to swing on pins 125 are a plurality of plates or leaves 125. These leaves are adapted to be swung from the positions shown in FIG. 4 to the positions shown in FIG. 5. These leaves h-ave arcuate inside faces 128 which, when the leavesy are in the positions shown in FIG. 4, cover the notches 124 and align. with the :arcuate portions of the outside wall of the slot so that they, in effect, provide, with the outside wall of the slot, an uninterrupted circular outside wall for the trackway which is concentric with axis of shaft, 127.
Mounted above the leaves 126 to overlie the same is an 8 arcuate yoke member 129. This yoke member is oscillatable on plate 111 about the axis of shaft 127. It is held on the plate by guide members 131 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6) which are secured to the plate by screw-s 132.
The yoke member has a cam surface around its inside face comprising angularly spaced arcuate portions 133 and angularly spaced inclined surfaces 134. Each inclined portion 134 is connected with the next succeeding concentric portion 131 of the yoke by a curved port-ion 136. T'he cam portions 133 are concentric with the axis of shaft 127. The leaves 126 carry pins 13) which are adapted to engage and ride on the portions 133 and 134 of the yoke member 125.
The inside wall of the approximately circular portion 119 of the track 110 is formed by the nearly circular inside wall of the slot in plate 111, and by dogs 147 which are pivoted by means of pins 148 in the stationary plate 111. Pins 149 are secured in the plate 111 to limit the swinging movement of the dogs 147.
As lthe bowling pins P are fed forward off plate 86 into the track 110 by the belt 11 they drive one another on into the circular portion 114 of this track. They are carried around in this circular portion by the rotating disc 150` (FIGS. 5, 6 and 7) which is disposed beneath dogs 147 and which is secured to shaft 127. This disc is driven from shaft 158 (FIGS. 2 and 4) by a pulley (not shown) on shaft 158, a belt 156, and :a pulley 157 on shaft 127.
As each pin, traveling in portion 119 of `trackway 110, comes in contact with the nose portion 146 of a dog 147, .it rocks the dog about its axis 148, to swing -the Itail portion 151 of the dog outwardly as indicated wit-h reference to the dog 1471 in FIG. 4. As each pin rolls along the dog, it forces the dog inwardly against the stop 149 associated therewith. When one pin P is engagement with the tail of a dog 147, another pin cannot swing that dog outwardly. Therefore the nose portions 146 of the dogs act as spacers between the pins.
As the pins roll along in track porti-on 119, also, they ride `and push on the arms 441 of normally-closed switches 440. There are three of these switches disposed around the ltrack portion 119. They are so positioned that this track portion must be filled with eleven pins P before all three switches are opened. When they are opened pin feed motor 100 is stopped.
The yoke member 129 can be rocked in either direction about the axis of shaft 127 by rocking the arm 141) which is integral therewith, as will be described later. When the pins 13G of the leaves 126 are riding on the portions 133 of lthe yoke member and the yoke member is in the position shown in FIG. 4, the inside surfaces 123 of the leaves 126 are concentric with axis of shaft 127. When the yoke member is rocked to the position shown in FIG. 5, the grooves 124 are uncovered. This makes a space across the trackway port-ion 119, abreast of each groove 124, which is wider than the head of a bowling p-in, so that all of the bowling pins drop out of the circular portion 119 of the trackway, except for that pin, denoted at Xin FIG. 5, which lat the time is engaged with the portion 149 of the trackway that lies between grooves 124a and 124b.
Mounted on straps 160 (FIGS. l and 3), which depend from plate 111, is a plate 161. This plate supports, through the medium of spacers 162, a ring 163 (FIGS. 1, Zand 8) coaxial with shaft 127 but spaced below plate 111 le-ss than the height of a bowling pin. Secured to the ring 163 to depend therefrom are four chutes 165. Each chute consists of three wire. rods 166 together affording a guide down which bowling pins can slide ino cups of the setting rack now to be described.
When the portion 119 (FIG. 4) of the trackway is full of bowling pins, there are eleven pins in this portion of the trackway, one more pin than required in a set of pins. This makes it possible to drop a whole set of ten pins into the setting rack of the machine without requir abra-ros ing'more thanfour chutes 165. The 'other'six pins'of the set, arranged as they are in a circle by trackway portion 11'9, drop readily into their respective pockets inthe setting rack. The eleventh pin properly spaces them; Vand the ring 163 is made slightly larger in outside diameter than the mean diameter o"f the ytrackway portion 119 so that all the pins tilt slightly-outwardly at their bottoms, asshown in dotted ylines inthe upper part of FIG. 1,'better to drop directly into their cups or .pockets in the seting rack, or into their respective chutes and thence into their respective cups or pockets of the setting rack.
FIG. 8 shows in dotted lineshow the eleven pins vare arranged around the circular portion 119 of trackway -110 and around ring 163. The numerals lto 10 applied to the pins denote the respective positions which the pins are to occupy when dropped into the triangular arrangement int-o which they are required to be disposed when set-up for bowling. X denotes the extra, eleventh pin. Pins numbers 1., 7, and 10 slide down the chutes 165 into cups or pockets in the setting rack. Pins numbers 2, 3,4, 6, 8 and 9 drop directly into their .respective cups or pockets in the setting rack. The extra, eleventh `pin is held in trackway portion 119 because there is no groove in `the yarcuate portion 149.(FIG. 5) of the outside wall of the trackway between grooves or recesses 124a-124b. This extra pin X remains in the trackway a'fter the other ten pins drop from it. It is moved on to the end of the trackway when the next set of pins is fed into the trackway. 1', 7', 5', 16 denote the positions of the No. 1, No. 7, No. 5 and No. l0 pins after they have slid down their respective chutes 165 into their respective cups or `pockets in the setting rack.
The setting rack is the uppermost of the three racks,
170, 171 and 172 (FIGS. 1 and 3) used in picking up (FIGS. 18, 19 and 20) that are pivoted by means of pins 175 in the rack 170. Each of the socket members 174 is normally locked in the position shown in 18 `by lugs or wings 176 whichv protrude therefrom at opposite ends thereof and which are adapted to engage against shoulders 177 defining the ends of V-shaped notches 178 in the underface of the rack 171. l
When the intermediate rack 171 is spaced from the rack 170 as shown in FIG. 18, the cup sockets 174 are held in locked pin-holding position. When the -setting rack 170 is moved relatively toward rack 171 to the position shown in FIG. 2l the shoulders 177 of rack 171 disengage themselves from the lugs 176 of the cup sockets and the pins carried in the cups can be set up on the alley.
Mounted on the rack 170 in association with each cup 173 to swing about pivots 181) (FIG. 14) on the rack are two sets ot bell-crank members 185. One pair of bellcrank members is mounted on 'each side of each rectangular opening 168 (FIG. 9) in the rack 17th, that is, at each side of each cup or `pocket 173. Each bell-crank is connected by means of a pin 186 (FIG. 14) to an arm 187. i
There are four arms 187 associated with each cup or socket 173, two at each side of each rectangular opening 168 (FIG. 9) in the rack. The aligned arms 187 at opposite sides of each opening 168 carry rubber cor/ered rollers or jaws 188 that are adapted to grip bowling pins that are left standing after the rolling of the first yball of a frame, to lift these pins off the alley.
Each of the jaws 188 projects at opposite ends beyond its rubber covering; and the projecting ends of the jaws are adapted to engage in notches 189 in parallel strap members 19t) (FIGS. 9 and 14) that form part of the bottoni Vrack 172. Swinging movement of the jaws away from one another is limited by pins 194 (FIG. 14) in the arms 185.
The bell-crank arms 185 of each set of gripping jaws are rocked about their respective pivots 174 by links 195 which are connected lby means of pins 196 to the members 185, and which are connected by means of pins 197 to cross links 198. Each cross link in tur'n is connectedA by means of a pin 199 to abel1-cra`r`1k`20. Each bellcrank 20) is pivoted on the rack 170 by one of the pins 18), which is associated with its set of gripping jaws. Each bell-crank 21N) is connected by means of a pin 281 with a yoke 205.
Each of the three-front yokes 205 (FIG. 9) and each of the four rear yokes 205 has a block or cylinder 206 (FIG. l1) secured to it to which there is fastened an angle plate 207. Slidable in each cylinder 206 isa rod i288 which has an enlarged head at its inner end. Interposed between the head of this rod and the projecting end of the cylinder is a spring 209. Secured to the rod by means of an angle plate 210 is a limit switch 212. The free end of the rod 288 is secured by a nut 213 to a lu'g 214 struck up from a plate 215, which is slidable on upperrnost rack 171). Y
A similar structure is used for the three yokes 285 corresponding -to No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 pins (FIG. 9). Here there is attached to each yoke a cylinder 216 (FIG. 12); and there is a rod 217 secured by means of a nut 218 Vto a lug l219 which projects upwardly from the plate 215. A coil spring 221 is interposed between the projecting end of the cylinder 217 and the yoke 205., The rod 217 passes through the cylinder and has a plate 222 secured to its inner end which engages a limit switch 212. The several limit switches 212 are for determining, after the first ball of a frame has -been rolled, whether a whole new set of pins is to be set up, or whether the gripping .jaws are to descend again for the purpose of resetting such pins as have been picked up by them, as` will be described further hereinafter.
`Pivotally mounted on a lug 231 (FIG. 10), which projects beneath uppermost rack170, is a bell-crank lever 232. This bell-crank lever is pivotally connected at its upper end to a link 233 'which` in turn is pivotally connected toa lug that is welded on the plate 215. Achain 235 connects the bell-crank lever 232 to the lowermost r-ack 172.
A pairof coil springs 240 (FIGS. 9 and l0) constantly urges the plate 215 forwardly of the rack 170. Each coil spring 240 is housed in a cylinder 241 which is welded to the plate 215, and is interposed between the headed inner end of a rod 242 and the projecting end of the cylinder. Each rod 242 is fastened by a screw 243 (FIG. 9) or the like to a plate 244 which, in turn, is secured to the uppermost rack 170. n
After the rst ball of each frame of a game'is rolled down the alley, the three racks 170, 171 and 172 are lowered so that the jaws 188 can determine whether .any pins remain standing or not.V
The lowering of the racks is effected by operation of a motor 250 (FIGS. l and 3). The armature shaft of this motor carries a pinion 251 which drives a gear 252 on A a crank shaft 253. The crank shaft is connected through ends to the lower-most rack .172, passing through openings in the racks and 171. The rack 262 meshes with the pinion 270 `on a shaft 272 (FIG. 1) which is axially aligned with shaft 253 and which is forward of and parallel to shaft 265. The shaft 272 carries a pinion 274 which meshes with a rack 276, which are secured to a rod 278 that is fastened like the rods 267 to the lowermost rack 172, passing through the racks 170 and 171. The rods 267 and the rod 278 are connected to the rack 172 at the three corners thereof.
The racks 170, 171 and 172 are normally in raised positions; and the rack 170 can be held against movement relative to the rack 171 by a dog 280 (FIG. 14) which engages in a notch in a rod 282 that is secured to the rack 170. The dog 288 is pivoted on a pin 283 in a bracket 284 (FIGS. 3 and 14) that is carried by the rod 278. A coil spring 285, which connects the bracket 284 with the dog 280 through a pin 287, constantly urges the dog 288 to locking position. A solenoid 286, when energized, disengages the dog from the rod 282.
Three dogs 290 (FIG. 14) are provided to limit, at the proper phase in the cycle of operation, upward movement of the lowermost rack 172 relative to the middle rack 171. These dogs are pivotally mounted on pins 292 in rack 170 to engage in notches 291 in the rods 267 and 278. Each dog 290 is moved to operating position by a solenoid 296, and is normally pressed out of operating position by a coil spring (not shown) around the armature of the solenoid.
Rods 298 (FIG. 14) at the three corners of the racks limit the downward movement of the lowermost rack relative to the upper rack. Each rod 298 is adjustably connected by nuts 298 to the uppermost rack 170, and passes through a hole in the middle rack 171, and is secured at its lower end to the lowermost rack 172.
There is also a rod 293 (FIGS. 14 and 15) secured in the lower rack 172 and adapted to pass through the other racks 171, 170. This rod 293 carries a trip member 294 which is positioned to trip a limit switch 315 (FIGS. 14, 15 and 26) for a purpose that will hereinafter be described. Limit switch 315 is secured to uppermost rack 170.
The crank arm 254 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 22) through arm 256, roller 257 and slide 260 not only eiects reciprocation of the racks 170, 171 and 172, but also eifects movement of ring 129 (FIGS. 4, 5 and 22) to load ten pins into the pin-setting baskets 173 (FIGS. 18 and 21). For rocking ring 129, to drop a set of pins into the ten baskets 173, a lever 300 (FIG. 22) is pivoted at 297 on a lever 299, that is pivoted at 304 on the frame of the machine. Lever 380 has a notch 301 in it that is adapted to engage the roller 257 when the lever 300 is in the position shown in FIG. 22. This lever is moved to engaged position by the armature 302 of a solenoid 303 which is mounted on the frame of the machine. Armature 302 is connected to lever 300 by a spring 306.
A roller 295, that is mounted on an arm 295' which is secured to one of the bars 37 of the frame, engages 'a cam surface 309 on the undersurface of lever 300, and ,serves to lift the lever out of engagement with roller 257,
when the slide 260 is moved from left to right in FIG. 22. Thus, notch 301 of lever 300 is engaged with roller 257 only long enough in a cycle for the crank-driven arm 256 to pull lever ,300, far enough to rock arm 299 to cause yoke 129 to move to the position shown in FIG. 5 to drop a set of pins into the baskets 173 (FIG. 18). A spring 289, which is attached at one end to the lever 299 and at its other end to the frame, serves to restore the yoke 129 to the position of FIG. 4.
A spring 317 serves to pull lever arm 300 clear up out of the way of roller 257 when solenoid 303 is deenergized. This spring is connected at one end to lever 300 and at its opposite end to the frame of the machine.
When the lever 300 is lifted out of engaged position, the pin 257 of arm 256 is free to travel in the slot 258 in the slide 260 between the limits of a solenoid-operated stop 305 and the front wall 308 of the slot 258, if stop 305 is in operative position. If stop 305 is out of operative position, then roller 207 is free to travel the full length of slot 258. The stop 305 can be lifted out of position by energizing the solenoid 307. The stop is secured to the armature of this solenoid. When stop 305 is in operative position, slide 260 is driven throughout a greater portion of the operating cycle of crank arm 254 than when stop 305 is out of operative position. Stop 305 is moved to operative position when rack 172 is to be moved to its lowermost position for setting a new set of pins on the alley. Stop 305 is in operative position as the rack 172 descends to the position shown in FIG. 14 for sensing what pins, if any, are left standing after the rolling of the first ball of a frame; and if there are pins left standing, stop 305 is pulled out of operative position by energization of solenoid 307, for picking up those pins.
When the apparatus is in its idle position arm 256 is horizontal and is aligned with crank arm 254 which is also horizontal. When the rst ball of the frame is rolled, the rack motor 250 starts, but crank 254 traveling coun-terclockwise as viewed in FIG. 22, does not drive slide 260 at this time. The rods 267 and 278 (FIGS. l, 2, 9 and 14) are moved downward by gravity, against the resistance of the trains of gearing between them and the motor 250. Thus, the rack 172 is lowered to sense and to pick up any pins that may remain standing. The rod 282 (FIG. 14) remains in its uppermost position xed against downward movement by the dog 280. The downward movement of the rack 172 itself is limited by nuts 298 on rod 298 engaging rack 170.
As the rack 172 descends, its weight causes chain 235 (FIG. 10) and bell-crank lever 232 to move the plate 215 toward the plate 244 (FIG. 9) so that yokes 285 (FIG. 14), bell-cranks 208, links 198 and 195, and arms rock the several arms 187 toward one another to cause the jaws 188 to grip any standing pins.
The plate 215 is locked in the position, to which it has been moved, by a lock block 310 (FIGS. 9 and 13). Block 310 is adapted to be lifted into the locking position, as will be described further hereinafter, by a solenoid 311, to the armature of which it is secured. Solenoid 311 is carried by an angle bracket 312 which is fastened to a plate 313 that is welded to rack 170. When the block 310 is lifted from the full line position shown in FIG. 13 to the dotted line position shown in that figure, it gets between plate 215 and bracket 312, and prevents return of plate 215 to its normal position until solenoid 311 is deenergized.
There are, as previously stated, ten sets of gripping jaws 188, one for each bowling pin position. These sets of jaws are disposed in triangular arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of the pins on the alley.
If there is no pin left standing below a particular set of jaws, the two jaws of that set vwill come completely together as shown in full lines in FIG. 14. If there is a pin left standing below a particular set of jaws and that pin is on spot that is, it has remained in the correct position to which it was originally set, the jaws of the set will move toward one another to engage and grip the pin as shown in short dash lines at 188 in this figure. If there is a pin left standing below the particular set of jaws and that pin is off-spot, however, the jaws will, in effect, follow the pin to its off-spot position, and grip it there, as indicated in dash and dot lines at 188" in FIG. 14; jaw 188 nearest the off-spot pin will be stopped by the pin as soon as it engages the pin but the other jaw of the pair will continue to be moved by the actuating linkage until it has engaged the pin. When the crank 254, which drives the rods 267 and 278, reverses the movement of the rods 267 and 278, the rack 172 will be raised to bring the notches 189 into engagement with the projecting ends 314 (FIG. l5) at opposite ends of the jaws 188 to lock the several sets of jaws in the positions which they have assumed, and which are illustrated in full, short dash, and dot and dash lines in FIG. 14.
The stop 290, by engagement with the notch 291 of rod 278, at this stage limits the upward movement of -rack 172 and prevents the pin, or pins, which is, or are, being lifted, from jamming the aligned cup, or cups, 173.
'The .stop1290wis rocked by solenoid 296 into engagement ,normal position under actuation of springs 2,41 (FIG. 9).
rIhis causes vthe rods 208 and 216 (FIG. 9) to move yokes 285, bell-cranks 200, links 198 and 195,bellcranks 185, arms 187 and jaws 188 to the positions shown in FIG. 16. This releases any pins previously lifted by the pairs Vof jaws, resetting these pins on the alley in exactly the position either on-spot or H-spot, which they occupied after the .first ball of the .frame had been rolled. The rack'172 is then again raised to uppermost position andthe jaws and other `parts assume `the positions shown in FIG. 17.
On the second ball of a frame, the sweep is actuated first. As the sweeppis sweeping all the pins .oil the alley, solenoid 303 (FIG. 22) is energized to pull arm 360 down to the position shown in FIG. 22. As crank arm 254 revolves then, it pulls arm 300 to the right in FIG. 22,
,rocking arm 299 about its pivot 364. This kswings yoke 129 from the position shown in FIG. 4 to that of `FIG 5 to release a full set of ten pins and drop ,them in theV cups or pockets 173 (FIG. 118). As the arm 360 moves to the right, lroller 295 lifts it up out of operative position,'stopping further swing of yoke 129. A camV 316 (FIG. 1) on the crankshaft 253 trips a switch which deenergizes solenoid 303 `and allows spring 317 (FIG. 22)
to lift lever 300 and rock lever 299 about its pivot 304.
`It also trips out the catch 280 (FIG. 14) so that the rack 17) can travel all the way down to the position shown in FIG. 21 to set the full set of pins.
14 described above with reference to the settingfof pins after `the second ball of a frame.
When .a set of pins starts down, either after a strike ball or the second ball of a frame, or after Va foul ball, any one ofthe three switches 440 (FIG. 4)., which is not tripped by the pins, will start the pin Afeeding motor 100 (FIGS. l and 2), which will -feed the pins forward into trackway 110 ready for delivery into the cups.
One way in which the machine may be wired to accomplish its purpose is illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 26.
L1 denotes the main line, the so-called hot Wire.
When a ball is thrown down the alley and drops into the pit, itlcloses the normally open Vpit switch 71 (FIGS. 3 and 26). A circuit 4is then made from .groundthrough the switch 71, the line 321 (FIG. 26), the normally .closed contacts 322, the -line 323, the normally-closed contact 324, the line 325, the coil 326 of a conventional relay which controls the rack motor 250 (FIGS. 2, 3 Vand 26), and the line 327 to the main line L1. i
Energization of the `coil 326 .closes the normally open contacts 330, 331 328 -of the relay.
The closing of contact 328 closes a circuit from the `main line L1 through .line V383, relay coil 384, .line 389,
line 337, and contacts 328,.and line V333 to ground. This energizes the relay coil 384. The energization of the coil 38,4 closes the contacts 397 and 398. The closing .of contact 398vestablishes a circuit to the elevator motor 63 (FIGS. l, 2 and .26) from main line L1 through the line 405, the line 436, the line 407, and the now-closed Contact 398 to ground. The closing of the Contact 397 maintains a hold-in circuit Vfrom the line L1 through the line 383, the coil 384, Vthe line 389, the line .33.8, the now-closed Contact 397, the line 399, and the normallyclosed switch 408 to ground.
The closing of contact 398 also energizes the coil 430 Uof a solenoid which operates a clutch (not shown) to engage the drive from shaft-65 (FIG. 3) to pulley 66 The intermediate rack 171 travels down with the other i two racks 170 and 172 in setting the vfull set of pins but its downward `movementis limited by nut 318 (FIG. 2l) on rod 3119. `-This nut is adapted to engage a bracket 318 Aforming part of lthetrame of the machine, while rod 319 itself is secured at its lower end to rack 171. Nut 31S is so adjustedon rod 319 that toward the end of the downl ward movement ofthe racks 170, 171 and 172 the nut 318 will strike bracket 318 and further downward movement of rack 171 will be halted before racks 170 and Vrack 172 ascends, the rollers 320, which are carried by lifting rods 278 and 267, pass through rack 171, and engage under rack 170, `lifting this rack withrack 172.
' When a strike ballis rolled, that is, when all ten pins are knocked down `by the rst ball of a `frame', the rack 1'72 also .descends as is the case with the rst ball of any frame, but since there are no pins left standing on the alley, all ten pairs of jaws 188 come together to the positions shown in full lines in FIG. 14. This causes the solenoids 303 (FIG. 22) and 286 (FIG. 14) to be energized, causing the arm 300 to be rocked down so that arm 256 will pull lever 299, rocking yoke 129 (FIGS. 4 and 5) about the aXis of shaft 127, causing a whole new set of pins to be dropped into baskets or cups 173 g (FIG. 18), so that as soon as the fallen pins have been swept oit the alley, the racks 170, 171 and 172 willY descend and set up a whole new set yof pinsA ashas been and dumped out.
that drives the mechanism for raising the ball lift 51 (FIGS. 3 and l23). The circuit to coil 430 is made from ground through the contact 398, the line 407, the coil 436, the normally-closed switch 73 (FIG. 3), and the line 432 to the main line L1. This causes the ball to be raised At the end of the ball-lifting operation, the 'ball lift switch 73 (FIGS. 3 and 26) is opened,
breaking the circuit to the lift clutch solenoid 430.
The closing of the contacts 331 starts the rack motor 250, a circuit being made from ground .through the line 333, the now-closed contacts 331, and the line 334 to the motor, and the motor being connected by the line 33S with the main line L1. The closing of the contacts 330 maintains a hold-in circuit for the relay coil 326 when contact is broken at the pit switch 71. rIhis hold-in circuit is from ground through the line 340, the normallyclosed switch 341, the line 342, the now-closed contacts 330, the line 343, the line 32S, the coil 326 and the line 327 to the main line L1.
Actuation of the rack motor 250 permits the racks 172, 171 and 170 to descend. As the racks descend, the rod 293 (FIG. 14), which is connected to rack 172, closes i the switch 315. Also a cam 404 (FIG. l) closes switch 370. The rack 172 comes down to the half way point of its travel, the sensing point. If a strike ball has been rolled, all of the jaws 188 (FIG. 14) come together.
Since the switches 212 (FIGS. l1, l2 and 26) are nor- Y mally closed, the coil 350 of a conventional relay, which for the sake of identification will here be called the strike relay, is therefore energized, a circuit being made from ground through the now-closed rack switch 315 (FIGS. 14 and 26), the line 351 (FIG. 26), a now closed switch 510, Whose function will be described later, the several switches 212, the line 353, the line 354, the coil 350, the lines 357 and 355, and the switch 356 (FIG. 22) to the line L1. This energzes the coil 350, closing the normally-open contacts 360 and 361, and opening the

Claims (1)

  1. 8. APPARATUS FOR SETTING PINS UPON A BOWLING ALLEY, COMPRISING AN UPPER RACK, A LOWER RACK, A PLURALITY OF GRIPPING JAWS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER RACK, SAID GRIPPING JAWS BEING ARRANGED IN PAIRS, THE NUMBER AND POSITIONS OF SAID PAIRS CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER AND GENERALLY TO THE POSITIONS OF THE PINS WHEN SET UPON THE ALLEY, A PLURALITY OF SOCKETS MOVABLY MOUNTED ON SAID UPPER RACK, SAID SOCKETS BEING ARRANGED IN PAIRS AND EACH PAIR CONSTITUTING A PIN RECEPTACLE, EACH RECEPTACLE BEING DISPOSED WITHIN A PAIR OF JAWS, AND THE NUMBER AND POSITIONS OF SAID RECEPTACLES CORRESPONDING TO THE NUMBER AND GENERALLY TO THE POSITIONS OF THE PINS WHEN SET UPON THE ALLEY, MEANS EFFECTIVE TO LOWER SAID RACKS, MEANS FOR STOPPING DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID UPPER RACK WHEN IT REACHES A PREDETERMINED POSITION AND FOR CONTINUING FURTHER DOWNWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWER RACK A FURTHER PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, MEANS CONNECTING SAID LOWER RACK TO SAID JAWS SO THAT ON MOVEMENT OF SAID LOWER RACK SAID FURTHER PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, SAID PAIRS OF JAWS ARE MOVED TOGETHER TO SENSE WHETHER ANY PIN IS LEFT STANDING BETWEEN THEM, ELECTRICALLY-OPERATEDMEANS CONNECTED TO SAID JAWS TO RECORD THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF A PIN BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF SAID JAWS MEANS FOR RAISING SAID LOWER RACK WHEN THE RECORDING OPERATION IS COMPLETED, MEANS CARRIED BY SAID LOWER RACK FOR ENGAGING SAID JAWS DURING RAISING OF SAID LOWER RACK TO LOCK THE JAWS IN THE POSITIONS WHICH THEY HAVE ASSUMED DURING SENSING, THEREBY TO GRIP ANY PINS DISPOSED BETWEEN THE SEVERAL PAIRS OF JAWS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID LOWER RACK TO SAID UPPER RACK AFTER A PREDETERMINED UPWARD TRAVEL OF SAID UPPER RACK AFTER A PREDETERMINED UPWARD TRAVEL OF SAID LOWER RACK TO RAISE SAID UPPER RACK WITH SAID LOWER RACK, MEANS FOR SWEEPING PINS OFF THE ALLEY, MEANS EFFECTIVE TO LOWER SAID RACKS AGAIN TO RESET ANY PINS GRIPPED BETWEEN SAID JAWS WHEN SAID RECORDING MEANS RECORDS THE PRESENCE OF PINS BETWEEN ANY PAIR OF JAWS, AND MEANS EFFECTIVE, WHEN SAID RECORDING MEANS RECORDS THE ABSENCE OF PINS BETWEEN SAID JAWS, TO SUPPLY A WHOLE NEW SET OF PINS TO SAID RECEPTACLES AND TO LOWER SAID RACKS BEYOND SAID PREDETERMINED POSITION AND SAID PREDETERMINED DISTANCE, RESPECTIVELY, TO SET THE NEW SET OF PINS ON THE ALLEY.
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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3315961A (en) * 1962-05-18 1967-04-25 American Mach & Foundry Respotting mechanism
US20090090684A1 (en) * 2006-03-31 2009-04-09 System Communications, Inc. Article display tray provided with movement guide device, and movement guide device

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1203216A (en) * 1913-10-13 1916-10-31 John C Mcfarland Tenpin-setting device.
US2621961A (en) * 1947-07-08 1952-12-16 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Pin setting apparatus for bowling machines
US2621930A (en) * 1948-05-08 1952-12-16 Theodore E Mead Power-actuated pin-setting apparatus
US2622879A (en) * 1945-11-13 1952-12-23 American Mach & Foundry Pit discharging apparatus for bowling alleys
US2626802A (en) * 1947-02-07 1953-01-27 Kawneer Co Bowling pin conveying and orienting mechanism
US2723123A (en) * 1953-01-29 1955-11-08 Murray Corp Bowling pin resetting machine
US2736554A (en) * 1948-11-12 1956-02-28 American Mach & Foundry Bowling pin spotting and respotting machine
US2781195A (en) * 1950-08-18 1957-02-12 American Mach & Foundry Bowling pin spotting and respotting mechanism
US2788212A (en) * 1954-11-19 1957-04-09 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Pin pickup apparatus
US2853300A (en) * 1946-03-26 1958-09-23 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Bowling pin assembly mechanism
US2943857A (en) * 1956-10-04 1960-07-05 Mechanical Pin Resetter Co Ltd Bowling alley pin resetting machine

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1203216A (en) * 1913-10-13 1916-10-31 John C Mcfarland Tenpin-setting device.
US2622879A (en) * 1945-11-13 1952-12-23 American Mach & Foundry Pit discharging apparatus for bowling alleys
US2853300A (en) * 1946-03-26 1958-09-23 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Bowling pin assembly mechanism
US2626802A (en) * 1947-02-07 1953-01-27 Kawneer Co Bowling pin conveying and orienting mechanism
US2621961A (en) * 1947-07-08 1952-12-16 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Pin setting apparatus for bowling machines
US2621930A (en) * 1948-05-08 1952-12-16 Theodore E Mead Power-actuated pin-setting apparatus
US2736554A (en) * 1948-11-12 1956-02-28 American Mach & Foundry Bowling pin spotting and respotting machine
US2781195A (en) * 1950-08-18 1957-02-12 American Mach & Foundry Bowling pin spotting and respotting mechanism
US2723123A (en) * 1953-01-29 1955-11-08 Murray Corp Bowling pin resetting machine
US2788212A (en) * 1954-11-19 1957-04-09 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Pin pickup apparatus
US2943857A (en) * 1956-10-04 1960-07-05 Mechanical Pin Resetter Co Ltd Bowling alley pin resetting machine

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3315961A (en) * 1962-05-18 1967-04-25 American Mach & Foundry Respotting mechanism
US20090090684A1 (en) * 2006-03-31 2009-04-09 System Communications, Inc. Article display tray provided with movement guide device, and movement guide device
US7823733B2 (en) * 2006-03-31 2010-11-02 System Communications, Inc. Article display tray provided with movement guide device, and movement guide device

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