US3099449A - Wooden bowling pins of spherical belly type and prefabricated segments therefor - Google Patents

Description

y 1963 c. D. DOSKER 3,099,449

WOODEN BOWLING PINS OF SPHERICAL BELLY TYPE. AND PREFABRICATED SEGMENTS THEREFOR Filed May 15, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CORNELIUS D. DOSKER BY MW ATTORN EY July 30, 1963 c. D. DOSKER WOODEN BOWLING PINS 0F SPHERICAL BELLY TYPE AND PREFABRICATED SEGMENTS THEREFOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 15, 1961 h ii!" INVENTOR.

CORNELIUS D. DOSKER ATTOR NEY United tates Patent tucky Filed May 15, 1961, Ser. No. 114,269 17 Claims. (Cl. 273-452) This invention relates generally to wooden bowling pins and, more particularly, to pins of the spherical belly type conventionally having a spherically convex impact zone extending in the horizontal direction circularly around (and in the vertical direction convexly across) the belly of the pin and being more or less centered on an equator which encircles the pin in the horizontal plane of its maximum belly diameter. This application is a continuationin-part of my two earlier filed copending applications, Ser. No. 695,391, filed Nov. 8, "1957, now abandoned, and Ser. No. 733,996, filed May 8, 1958, now abandoned.

A bowling pin of the spherical belly type is universally made from a solid or laminated block of hard maple having a length slightly greater than the height of the pin and a square cross-section large enough to embrace the equator of the pin. The block presents four rectangular verticallyelongate faces, each of which is characterized by longitudinal grain or long grain, which may be fiat grain or edge grain or rift grain. Long grain extends vertically in the block as it did in the tree. In an oversimplified way, long grain wood may be viewed as being composed of a longitudinally elongate succession of relatively short fibers interconnected with each other to form an elongate chain-like network which is characterized by elongate tubular channels or ducts.

The turning of the block to the shape of a bowling pin involves cutting the impact zone-forming portion of each face in a spherically convex manner. Where fiat grain is being cut, the edges of the outermost surface layer of wood will show up as a small circle (or oval) centered on the equator of the pin while the edges of successive underlying layers will show up as progressively larger and more or less concentric circles (or ovals). Where edge grain is being cut, the edges of successive vertically extending side-by-side layers of wood will show up as parallel lines centered on and extending vertically across the equator.

In each case, vertically-extending wood fiber chains, contained in the flat grain circles or in the edge grain lines of each layer of wood which is cut, are transversely severed above and below the equator so that the impact zone surface of the pin is characterized not only by relatively short chains of fibers extending vertically across the equator of the pin but also by a multitude of end grain openings located both above and below the equator. These end grain openings are formed in the surface of the pin by the severed ends of the tubular ducts in the cut chains of surface layers and of underlying layers.

During use, bowling pins repeatedly encounter violent impacts. As a result, they become so damaged, particularly in the central area which embraces the ball-line and the equator, as to require frequent replacement. In my opinion, this rapid development of damage is due, among other things, (a) to the presence of vertically short chains of network fibers along the equator and of end grain openings above and below the equator in both fiat grain and edge grain pins and (b) to the presence of small circular slab-like layers along the equator of fiat grain pins.

For example, a violent impact in the central area pinpoints a relatively high stress on a relatively short chain of network fibers. This network is operative to distribute and dissipate this high stress only over the relatively ice small area which it embraces. It is my belief that repeated high stresses within small areas soon become effective to break the affected fibers loose sufficiently to produce surface cracks and fissures which weaken the pin and render it more susceptible to further damage.

The end grain openings above and below the equator enable the ducts underlying the central area to absorb and lose moisture with changes in the humidity of the ambient atmosphere. This causes the wood in the central area of the pin to expand and contract and thus subjects it to stresses which tend to weaken undamaged wood and increase the damage of damaged wood.

Where the wood in the central area is in the form of one or more circular slab-like layers, as is the case in fiat grain pins, a violent impact along the ball-line may (and often will) pinpoint a strong obliquely upward force along the lower edge of a slab. A large component of this force extends upwardly in a direction parallel with the plane of separation between adjacent slab-like layers and thus functions as a shearing force which tends to separate one or more of these layers from the pin.

The principal objects of the present invention are: to eliminate or substantially reduce the presence of relatively short chains of network fibers, end grain openings and slab-like layers in the impact zone of the pin; and to effect a substantial reduction in the rate of damage development in the impact zone with a corresponding reduction in the frequency of pin replacement and in the expense occasioned thereby.

Another important object is to provide a bowling pin having an impact zone surface essentially composed of substantial numbers of elongate chains of fiber networks and characterized by the substantial absence of relatively short chains, end grain openings and small slab-like layers.

A further object is to accomplish the foregoing objectives with a simply constructed bowling pin which is easy to manufacture and which can be commercially produced in volume at a commercially attractive and highly competitive price.

The foregoing objects of my invention may be attained by providing a pin with a spherically convex impact zone surface composed wholly of long grain wood veneer with the grain of the veneer preferably extending lengthwise in the direction of the longest dimension of the veneer. Thus, the entire spherically convex impact zone surface may be provided by a segment of fiat, edge of rift grain wood veneer wrapped completely around the equator of the pin or by two (or more) long grain veneer segments wrapped around half (or less) of the equator of the pin, each full or fractional segment extending substantially across the full vertical width of the impact zone. Each full or fractional segment may be composed of one layer or of several superposed layers of veneer, but only the outermost layer will actually function as the impact zone surface. Each segment is molded or bent to the spherically convex shape of the pin (at the impact zone) and then adhesively bonded in place.

It will be evident that a bowling pin of this character has an imp-act surface essentially composed of substantial numbers of long chain fiber networks and characterized by the substantial absence of short chain fiber networks, end grain and/or small slab-like layers. As a consequence, it is less apt to incur severe impact zone damage and, therefore, requires replacement less frequently. Its simple construction renders it easy to make in commercial volume at a price comparable to that of conventional pins while its increased ability to withstand punishment not only lengthens its useful life but reduces its maintenance cost.

Hollow and solid core bowling pins made in accordance with the foregoing aspect of my invention, comprise (a) a solid or hollow bowling pin core having an impact-zone segment receiving area which is undersized by a predetermined amount; and (b) a long grain veneer impact-zone segment to cover that receiving area and bring it up to a desired size. The manufacture of the core involves one series of manufacturing steps or operations While the manufacture of the veneer segment involves a different type and series of manufacturing steps, after which the parts may be assembled and bonded together.

Other important objects of my invention are: to provide an improved hollow or solid core bowling pin having the above obtained advantages not only in the lower portion of the pin but also in part or all of the outer surface area of the upper portion thereof; and to provide an improved hollow core bowling pin which is constructed in a manner used to make all veneer impact-zone segments of desired prefabricated shape.

The first of these latter objects of my invention may be attained by providing a solid or hollow core bowling pin having all or substantially all of the entire outer surface provided by a single sheet or an appropriate number of segments of long grain veneer.

The second of these latter objects of my invention may be attained by providing a hollow core composed of a horizontal succession of vertically divided or vertically separate laminated segments composed of layers of veneer superposed in the direction of its depth. In other words, each segment is composed of a plurality of depthwise superposed layers of veneer providing a wall thickness equal to that of the core of the product pin and each veneer layer extends vertically substantially throughout the height of the product pin and circularly a predetermined horizontal distance not greater than one-half the circumference of the pin.

The outer surface of the core is provided by an outer layer of long grain veneer which may be assembled over the core veneer and simultaneously molded with and bonded to it. In either case, the solid or hollow product pin is faced with long grain veneer and, therefore, has the advantages attending the use of long grain veneer on the face of the pin. In the second case, a hollow bowling pin body is provided. This body can be easily, quickly and cheaply manufactured since the segments are easy to make, trim, assemble in circular succession and then bond to form either the hollow core of the product pin or the product pin itself.

The inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of one embodiment of the novel bowling pin;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section of FIG. 1 taken on line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section of FIG. 1 taken on line 33;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the novel bowling pin of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is :an elevational view of a second embodiment of the novel bowling pin;

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a section taken on line 7"7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a perspective sectional view of la howling pin segment used in forming the bowling pin of FIG. 5 and FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragment of FIG. 6.

Broadly speaking, my invention resides in facing a bowling pin with long grain veneer. In the first embodiment of FIGS. 1-4, only the impact zone is faced with such veneer whereas, in the second embodiment, substantially the entire outer surface of the pin is provided by long grain veneer.

First Embodiment-FIGS. 1-4

In that aspect of my invention, the preferred form of which is exemplified by my first embodiment, the veneer may extend as follows: (a) vertically across the full height of the impact zone of the pin; (12) horizontally, either as a continuous strip extending completely around the circumference of the pin, or as a continuous succession of segments, which may or may not be prefabricated shaped segments, each extending around one-half or less of the circumference of the pin; and (c) depthwise over one or more layers of veneer embracing an outer fractional part of the full wall thickness of the impact zone of the pin.

In the preferred form, the long grain veneer extends: vertically as stated; horizontally as. a continuous succession of segments prefabricated to a desired spherically convex outer surface shape; and depthwise over several additional layers of veneer, which cooperate with the routermost layer to form a prefabricated multi-ply segment of spherical concavo-convex form. Only the preferred embodiment will be described in detail.

The bowling pin 1, as illustrated in FIG. 1, is conventionally shaped, having a base 2, belly 3, neck 4- and head 5, all contained in a wooden pin body 6. This body can be made in the conventional way from either a single block of solid wood or a composite block of laminated wood. It can be conventionally turned in a lathe to the conventional bowling pin shape.

In this embodiment of my invention, a full sized pin is provided with an endless circumferential groove encircling the impact zone of its belly and with a horizontal succession of two or more veneer segments forming an endless band which fills that groove.

The circumferential groove *7 extends lengthwise completely around the circumference of the impact zone of the pin, widthwise completely across the width of the impact zone and depthwise a (normally uniform) distance sufficient to accommodate the overall thickness of the layer or layers of veneer used. It will be understood that so long as the depth of the groove is uniform, the floor of the groove 7 will curve in a spherical manner, i.e., curve convexly both horizontally along its length and vertically across its Width. The circumferentially extending side walls of the groove are preferably cut to extend outwardly from the adjacent portion of the curved floor of the groove at an angle ranging from slightly less to slightly greater than a right angle.

While the veneer band 8 may be composed of two or more segments, three are preferred and therefore illustrated. They are designated by the numerals 9, 9 and 9". Before passing, it may be noted that the term spherical segments is herein broadly used to designate spheroidal segments as well as segments of a true sphere.

Each segment may be composed of a suitable number of veneer plies ranging from say 1 to 8 or more, depending, in part, on the thickness of the veneer. Flat cut or flat grain, edge cut or quarter grain and rift cut or rift grain veneers are readily "available in various thicknesses including /8 A and A segment, composed of 5 veneer plies, may be readily made by stacking five long grain veneer sheets, one upon the other with a suitable adhesive between the sheets ilo form a flat assembly. To increase the resistance of the segment to splitting, the wood grain in any one sheet of this assembly should not extend parallel to the wood grain of the next adjacent sheet. To maintain a high resistance to delarnination, the departure from Wood grain parallelism should be mininn'zed. Accordingly, each of the veneer sheets of the flat assembly is angularly positioned so that its wood grain extends, relative to the wood grain of adjacent sheets, at an angle ranging from about 5 to about 2.0". The flat assembly is then compressed or molded to the desired shape and permanently held in such shape by setting or curing the adhesive used.

In its final shape, each segment has its innermost veneer face concavely shaped in a spherical manner and its outermost veneer face convexly shaped in a spherical manner. In other words, the bonded veneer assembly is of concave-convex shape both vertically and horizontally. The inner face is concavely shaped in both directions to conform to the mating shape of the floor of the groove 7. The outer face is convexly shaped in the same manner to provide a horizontally and vertically convex outer surface throughout the impact zone in the conventional way. If desired, each segment, as a whole, may be cupped a little more concavely on its inner side and convexly on its outer side to facilitate final assembly as will be later explained.

In accordance with a particular feature of my invention, it is desirable to maximize the length of the wood grain employed in the segments. Accordingly, the segments themselves should be made of the largest practical size With their grain lines running generally in the direction of the largest dimension. While this is desirable, it is not essential so long as the wood fiber system is of substantial size. Thus, if a segment were to measure three inches vertically and four inches circumferentially, good results could be obtained with the wood grain running either horizontally or vertically, the best results being obtain able with the wood grain running circumferentially.

Before assembling the segments on the body 6, the edges are trimmed to whatever shape is necessary to secure flush abutment along all perimetric joint lines. By cupping the segrnents slightly more than their final assembled shape requires, it becomes relatively easy to assemble them on the body of the pin and then flatten them into flush face-to-face engagement with the floor of the groove. Once flattened, they are held in assembled relationship until the adhesive, bonding them to the body of the pin, is finally cured or set. During the flattening of the segments, their perimetrical edges will move outwardly and this movement is utilized to insure firm flush tight engagement of such edges with the adjacent edges of adjacent segments and with the adjacent portions of the side walls of the groove.

The multi-ply veneer band 8 thus formed by the segments has two very distinct advantages. In the first place, it is of uniform thickness; hence, its margins are as strong and damage resistant as any other part of the segment and much stronger than they would be if they were tapered down to a fine edge. In the second place, it is characterized by wood fiber systems of substantial area; hence, less subject to damage. This is due to the fact that when a group of fibers receive an impact at their center, for example, they tend to move inwardly at the point of impact and thereby exert a corresponding pull on the interconnected fibers of the rest of the system in a direction proceeding from the perimeter of the system toward the center of the impact. As a consequence, the fibers of the system are tensioned and the stress is distributed and dissipated throughout the entire extent of the system. The dissipation of the stress over a substantial area often avoids the damage which would occur if that same stress were localized, i.e., confined to a relatively small area, as is the case when the impact falls upon a fiber system of small size.

The veneer band segments may be made of natural wood veneer as heretofore indicated or they may be made of long fibered material, excelsior for example, which is compressed and bonded into veneer layers or veneer band segments of desired spherical concave-convex form.

In one of the broader aspects of my invention, each segment of my first embodiment may not only be composed of single or multiple layers of veneer but it may also include what would normally be a segment of the core body or wall. For example, the depth of the groove 7 may be of uniform or non-uniform magnitude s-ufficient to accommodate the veneer plus a segment of other material such as core material. Thus, in FIGS. 2 and 3, the floor of the groove may be in the form of an axially straight cylinder so as to extend along dotted line 10', in which event the core material, which corresponds to a segment and which lies between the innermost veneer face of the segment and dotted line 10, would be separated from the central portion of the core proper and bonded to the innermost veneer face of the segment to form an 6 integral part of the segment. Obviously a multitude of variations of this character will suggest themselves.

Second Embodiment-FIGS. 5-9

In that aspect of my invention, the preferred form of which is exemplified by my second embodiment, the veneer may extend as follows: vertically over substantially the entire belly portion of the pin plus substantially all of the neck portion thereof and, if desired, part or all of the head portion; and horizontally and depthwise as in the first embodiment, except that, depthwise, it additionally embraces wall thicknesses ranging up to and including the full wall thickness of the impact zone of the pm.

In the preferred and illustrated form of my second embodiment, the veneer forms a multi-ply segment prefabricated to a desired shape and extends as follows: vertically across the full height of the pin; horizontally around less than one-half of the circumference of the pin; and depthwise through the full wall thickness of the pin. Only the preferred form of this embodiment will be described in detail.

The second bowling pin embodiment 101 shown in FIG. 5 is of a conventional shape and includes a base 102, belly 103, neck 104 and head 105. It is hollow and is composed of five identical circumferential segments 106 having outwardly diverging side edges 107 which are edge-joined together along joints lying in radial planes extending through the longitudinal axis of the pin 101. Each segment forms 72 degrees of the pins circumference. It is preferable to have an odd number of segments so that no two joints between the segments will be diametrically aligned.

The segments 106 are assembled around an upper cylindrical dowel or core rod 108 extending through the head and neck 104 and a lower dowel or core rod 109 which varies in diameter along its length and extends upwardly from the pin base 102. The oppositely disposed interior surfaces at the upper end of the head 105, of the neck 104 and at the lower end of the base 102 are circularly cut or bored to correspond to the curvature of the core dowel rods 10% and 109, the bored inner surfaces of both the head and neck being indicated by the reference number 110 and the bored inner surface of the base being indicated at 111 in FIG. 8. The lower dowel 109 is provided with an enlarged portion 109' intermediate its ends which conforms to and supports the inner side of the segments 106 adjacent their lower ends. The inner sides of the pin segments are grooved at 112, along the widest diameter or the ball line of the pin belly 10-3, to receive a disc 113, which supports and bridges the hollow pin 101 across its belly 103. The upper end of the lower dowel rod 109 is reduced in diameter and extends upwardly into a central hole in the disc 113. Glue or other suitable adhesive is used to bind the segments 106 to each other, to the dowel rods 108 and 109 and to the disc 113.

The segments 106 are laminated walls composed of a plurality of wooden veneer plies 114 bonded together and pressed into the necessary compound curvature shape of a bowling pin. Preferably, the outer ply 114 and the next adjacent ply, as seen in FIG. 9, are composed of hard maple and are arranged with their fibers running longitudinally and extending for the length of the segment 106. As the wood fibers follow the contour of the segment, instead of being cut, the outer surface of each segment is composed exclusively of long grain wood.

In one specimen of the second embodiment 101, each segment 106 included twelve plies of inch veneer, making the segment walls inch thick. In that specimen, the upper dowel rod 108 was /2 inch in diameter and the lower end of the lower dowel rod 109 was one inch in diameter. In other specimens, seven to nine plies of veneer ranging from A; to of an inch in thickness were used, the average wall thickness ranging from A of an inch to of an inch more or less.

It will be appreciated that a multi-ply veneer segment 1%, prefabricated in accordance with the second embodiment of my invention, provides the full wall thickness of a hollow bowling pin 10:1 vertically over the entire height of the pin and horizontally over a circumferential fraction which may, of course, vary if desired.

A suitable method of making the bowling pin 101 comprises: (1) cutting each flat veneer ply to the required segment shape; (2) applying adhesive to the plies; (3) superposing a plurality of plies to form a stack; (4) compressing the stack between dies to the spherical concavoconvex shape required by the segment and then holding it in such shape until the adhesive cures; (5) trimming the segment to remove excess materials from its ends and to provide it with slanted edges; (6) boring the inner wall of the segment along its base, neck and head to fit the dowel rod which is to be vertically arranged in the long axis of the pin; (7) planing the edges of the segment; (8) grooving the inner wall of the segment horizontally along its equator; (9) bonding the parts in assembled relationship to form a complete unitary pin; and (10) finishing the pin in any suitable way as by sanding it and then applying suitable coating materials.

The terms long-grain veneer or long-grain veneer sheet are used in their conventionally accepted sense to designate a veneer sheet of initial uniform thickness, the opposite faces of which are essentially composed of substantial numbers of elongate chains of wood fiber networks and characterized by the absence of substantial numbers of relatively short chains, end grain openings or small slab-like layers. By initial uniform thickness, I mean that it was of conventional uniformity in thickness before being molded to the desire-d shape either in forming 'a prefabricated segment or in applying the veneer to and pressing it against the pin. In the finished product of this invention, whether it be in the form of a prefabricated segment or of a complete bowling pin, the layers of the veneer may not be as uniformly thick as they initially were because the stresses to which the present invention subjects each veneer layer may attenuate, compress or otherwise reduce the thickness of some portion of the veneer. Similarly, the sanding operation may reduce the thickness of the outer layer more at some points than at others.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A circumferential wall-forming structure for use in making a bowling pin product of predetermined size and shape and of the type having superposed upper and lower portions including upper head and neck portions and a lower spherical belly portion embracing a spherically convex impact zone extending in the horizontal direction circularly around and in the vertical direction convexly across the belly portion of the pin and being more or less centered on an equator which encircles the pin in the horizontal plane of its maximum belly diameter, comprising: a unitary impact-zone segment having a spherically convex belly portion extending vertically over a predetermined distance corresponding at least to the vertical extent of the impact zone of said product pin and extending circumferentially over a predetermined distance ranging from a fraction of the circumference of said product pin to the full circumference thereof, the entire outer surface of said belly portion of said unitary segment corresponding in shape to the spherically convex shape of the corresponding portion of said product pin, and being provided by an outermost spherically convex layer of long grain wood veneer of substantially uniform thickness.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein: said outermost layer of long grain wood veneer forms the entire outermost layer of a plurality of superposed long grain wood veneer plies, each of which is substantially uniform in thickness and all of which are bonded together to form a unitary multi-ply segment extending circularly over a predetermined distance not greater than one-half of the circumference of the product pin.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein: the inner surface of the innermost layer of said unitary segment has a spherically concave surface substantially paralleling the spherically convex outer surface of the outer layer of said segment.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein: said unitary segment has upper and lower portions corresponding to the superposed upper and lower portions of said product pin and extending vertically over a predetermined distance corresponding substantially to the vertical extent of corresponding portions of said pin, the outer surface shape of said upper and lower portions of said unitary segment corresponding to that of said product pin, and said long grain wood veneer provides substantially the entire outer surface of the upper portion of said unitary segment as well as the lower portion thereof.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein: said long grain wood veneer forms the outermost layer of a plurality of superposed long grain wood veneer plies, each of which is substantially uniform in thickness and all of which are bonded together separately from said product pin to form a prefabricated unitary multi-ply segment extending circularly over a predetermined distance not greater than one-half of the circumference of the product pin.

6. The prefabricated structure of claim 5 for use in making a product pin of the hollow type having a wall thickness of predetermined order, wherein: said multi-ply segment extends depthwise over a distance substantially equal to the said wall thickness of said product pin.

7. A prefabricated segment for a bowling pin of predetermined size and shape, comprising: a unitary segment of a bowling pin wall having a vertical and horizontal curvature corresponding to a portion of the vertical side wall of a bowling pin product and extending not only vertically over a distance at least equal to that of the ball impact zone or belly of said product pin but also hori- Zontally over a distance equal to a predetermined fraction of the circumference of said product pin but not greater than one-half thereof, said horizontal curvature defining in cross section a circular are not greater than degrees, said segment including a plurality of superposed wood veneer plies bonded together with the outer ply not only being of substantially uniform thickness throughout and providing the entire outer surface of the segment but also being a long grain veneer having its long wood [fibers extending parallel to and conforming with said outer surface.

8. A bowling pin comprising: a bowling pin body of the type having upper and lower portions including upper head and neck portions and a lower spherical belly portion embracing a spherically convex impact zone extending in the horizontal direction circularly around and in the vertical direction convexly across the belly portion of the pin body and being more or less centered on an equator which encircles the pin body in the horizontal plane of its maximum belly diameter, said pin having a spherically convex layer composed wholly of long grain wood veneer which is substantially uniform in thickness and which is bonded to the belly portion of the pin body in position to provide substantially the entire outer surface of the spherically convex impact zone of the pin.

9. The pin of claim 8 wherein: said veneer is vertically divided into at least two segments, each of which extends horizontally over not more than one-half of the whole circumferenece of the pin body and vertically over substantially the entire height of the upper and lower portions of the pin body to provide the outer surface of the corresponding portions of the pin.

10. The pin of claim 8 wherein: said wood veneer forms the outermost layer of a plurality of superposed long grain wood veneer plies, each of which is substantially uniform in thickness and all of which are bonded together to form a unitary muti-ply segment.

11. The pin of claim 10 wherein: said multi-ply segment extends vertically over substantially the entire height of the upper and lower portions of the pin body to provide the outer surface of the corresponding portions of the 12. The pin of claim 11 wherein: said body is hollow, having a wall thickness of predetermined order; and said multi-ply segment extends depthwise over a distance substantially equal to said wall thickness of said body.

13. A bowling pin of predetermined shape comprising: a body having a base, belly, neck and head and a groove which extends lengthwise completely around the circumference of the ball impact zone of the pin, widthwise completely across the width of the impact zone and depthwise a distance sufficient to accommodate the overall thickness of at least two layers of veneer; and a multi-ply band of wood veneer of substantially uniform thickness filling the groove, being adhesively attached to said body and concavo-convexly curved in both the vertical and horizontal directions, the outer ply of said band extending entirely across the width and entirely around the circumference of said groove to provide the entire outer surface of said ball impract zone and having its wood fibers extending parallel to and conforming with said outer surface.

14. The bowling pin of claim 13 wherein: said band is formed of several concavo-convex segments of multiply veneer arnanged in series with their mutually adjacent edges in abutting relationship.

15. The bowling pin of claim 14 wherein: each segment has oppositely disposed edge portions in abutting relationship to opposed side wall portions of said groove.

16. The bowling pin of claim 15 wherein: the perimetric edge of each segment is composed of as many 10 plies :as the segment as a whole; and the inner face of each segment is adhesivel'y secured in flush face-to-face engagement with the floor of the groove.

17. A bowling pin of predetermined shape having a base, belly, neck and head, comprising: a circumferential series of segments arranged around the longitudinal axis of the pin with adjacent segments bonded together along their abutting edges; the outer surface of each segment having a vertical and horizontal curvature simulating that of a portion of the vertical side wall of a bowling pin, which portion extends vertically over the base, belly, neck and head portions of said bowling pin and horizontally over a predetermined fraction of its circumference but not greater than one-half thereof, said segment including a plurality of superposed wood veneer plies bonded together with the outer ply not only being of substantially uniform thickness throughout and providing the entire outer surface of the segment but also being of long grain veneer having its long wood fibers extending parallel to and conforming with said outer surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,170,339 Romunder Feb. 1, 1916 1,205,278 Skalla Nov. 21, 1916 1,399,071 Nowak Dec. 6, 1921 1,583,824 Bishop May 11, 1926 1,628,886 Jackson et al. May 17, 1927 2,017,060 I-llillerich Oct. 15, 1935 2,379,006 Johnson June 26, 1945 2,494,351 Montero Jan. 10, 1950 2,654,606 Stearns et a1. Oct. 6, 1953 2,876,011 Hunt Mar. 3, 1959

Claims (1)

1. 7. A PREFABRICATED SEGMENT FOR A BOWLING PIN OF PREDETERMINED SIZE AND SHAPE, CONPRISING: A UNITARY SEGMENT OF A BOWLING PIN WALL HAVING A VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CURVATURE CORRESPONDING TO A PORTION OF THE VERTICAL SIDE WALL OF A BOWLING PIN PRODUCT AND EXTENDING NOT ONLY VERTICALLY OVER A DISTANCE AT LEAST EQUAL TO THAT OF THE BALL IMPACT ZONE OR BELLY OF SAID PRODUCT PIN BUT ALSO HORIZONTALLY OVER A DISTANCE EQUAL TO A PREDETERMINED FRACTION OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF SAID PRODUCT PIN BUT NOT

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