US3123357A

US3123357A - M dowd

Info

Publication number: US3123357A
Authority: US
Priority date: 1956-12-03
Publication date: 1964-03-03
Anticipated expiration: 1981-03-03
Also published as: US3070369A; US3123201A; US3041072A; US3063716A

Description

March 3, 1964 M. DOWD ETAL 3,123,357

H. BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 1a Sheet-Sheet 1 HONARD M 00w' 0 ROYAL L. BARROWS BY ATTORNEYfl March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 7 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. lb

IN WWIURS. HOWARD M. DOWD ROYAL L. BARmVB By ATTORNEYS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 3 2 57 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. lC

TORJI HOWARD M. 0W g O YAL L. BARROWS ATTORNEYS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL ,357 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 4 MWTURS. HOWARD M. DOWD ROYAL L. BARROWS 7) 5 ATTO R N EYS March 3, 1964 M. DOWD ETAL 3,123,357 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 5 L\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\V mmm.

HOWARD M. DOWD FgD YAL L. BARROWS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL K HAVING DUAL FU 3,123,357 ESETTING BOWLING MACHINE RAC NCTION SETTING-R CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 6 M10115. HOWARD M. DOWD ROYAL L. BARROWS BY A T RNEY;

3,123,357 ESETTING March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTINGR CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Flled Nov 3 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 7 FIG.6

ATTORN EY,5/

H. M. DOWD ETAL K HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SE March 3, '1964 3,123,357 .RESETTING BOWLING MACHINE RAC TTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 8 FIJG. 7

M. DOWD L. BARRQWS 444/; 41/2/14 ATTQRNEY$ 3,123,357 ESETTING l8 Sheets-Shee t 9- March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-R CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 OWARD M. DOWD SOYAL L. BARROWS ATTORNEYS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 3,123,357

BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 10 HOWARD M. bowo FggYAL L. BARROWS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 7 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING cups AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet ll- Fl G. l4

INVENIURS. HOWARD M. DOWD FgYAL L. BARROWS ATTORNEY s March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 3,123, 57

BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet l2 HOWARD M. DOWD g gYAL L. BARROWS ATTORNEYS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 3,123,357

BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 13 INVLWTORS HOWARD M. DOWD ROYAL L BARROWS BY ATTORNEY March 3, 1964 DQWD ET BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 3, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 14 7.1 F 7/6 V k- 74a: 1 I L; j I

r 1 l SW6 Lc/ .l' v v v SIM/0 72a L 6E L swy 578 735 5 7,90% F L l .4 768 FIG. I9

"ti: 0 INVENTORY. 676 4:53-90, HOWARD M. oowo L 676 6/2 By ROYAL BARROWS ATTORN EYS March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD F%TAL 3,123,357 RESETTING 18 Sheets-Sheet 15 BOWLING MACHINE! RACK HAVING DUAL NCTION SETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 \UM HUM TAM, Nm% 3 ii 7 mm, m m 2 M h Q A a A mw 96h E A G @m m a A WWW 0.0% V J MWQ 12L IH 1- QWR wmu m mh mum NwN mm mm Numb J QR M \IO/ WW5 o o. NQ L v W WmN A o WWO 0 NQR www h March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL 57 BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-RESETTING CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 16 I Nk @ eooo o kt o o O Q 0 Q 0 0 0 0 Q G 6 0 0 Q 0 8% Q ll QR ATTORNEY 3,123,357 ESETTING l8 Sheets-Sheet 17 March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD' ETAL BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-R I CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 HOWARD M odv v ROYAL L'. B'ARROWS ATTORNEYIZ 3,123,357 ESETTING March 3, 1964 H. M. DOWD ETAL BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNCTION SETTING-R CUPS AND CONTROL THEREFOR Original Filed Nov. 5, 1956 18 Sheets-Sheet 18 IN V EN TORI DOWD HOWARD M.

ARROWS gQYAL L B AT TORN Ey United States Patent BOWLING MACHINE RACK HAVING DUAL FUNC- TEON SETTlNG-RESETTEQG CUPS AND CON- TROL THEREFQR Howard M. D'owtl, Littleton, and Royal L. Barrows,

Middleton, Mass. (both of Newtown Road, Littleton, Mass.)

Original application Nov. 3, 1956, Ser. No. 625,739, now Patent No. 3,063,716, dated Nov. 13, 1962. Divided and this application Dec. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 159,586

8 Claims. (Cl. 273- 33),

This invention relates to bowling pin setting machines and more particularly to novel mechanism for automatically setting duck pins and king pins.

This application is a division of our copending application Ser. No. 625,739, filed November 3, 1956, and now Patent No. 3,063,716, for Automatic Bowling Pin etting Machine.

Many mechanisms have been designed for the purpose of setting bowling pins of the duck pin and ten pin types, but for various reasons they have failed to fully satisfy bowling alley proprietors and the bowling public. The primary purpose of a pin setting machine is to eliminate the need for pin boys; but for pin setting machines to fully supplant pin boys and to be commercially successful as well as acceptable to the bowling public, it is necessary not only that such machines be capable of fully performing the various functions of a pin boy, but also that they (1) be of compact design to lit in existing alleys without need for extensive revamping of the alley structure; (2) operate accurately and rapidly; (3) be under complete control of the bowler; (4) be substantially free of jam ming; and (5) have a cost of installation, use and maintenance that fully justifies the fact of automation. Machines hitherto designed have failed to satisfy all of the aforesaid requirements. Some have not been capable of fully performing all of the normal functions of a pin boy, such as removing dead wood. Others have been so large or heavy as to require enlargement or strengthening of bowling alley establishments. Still others have operated too slowly or inconsistently, or have required constant attention to remove pins that become jammed in the vari ous mechanisms or have piled up in the pit due to failure of the pin conveyor to pick them up. In many cases the designs have been such as to make prohibitive the cost of installation and maintenance. Other specific faults and criticisms may be noted against specific mechanisms.

Accordingly the object of this invention is to provide an automatic bowling pin setting machine that is adapted to set duck pins, but which can be modified by dimensional changes to accommodate the larger ten pins (also called king pins), and which is so designed as to be free of the faults noted above attendant to other pin setting machines hitherto invented.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bowling pin setting machine having means for sweeping pins and balls from the alley and gutters, means for removing pins and balls from the alley pit, means for directing balls ack to the bowler, means for conveying pins from the level of the pit to a distributing mechanism located above the alley, storage means for receiving a complete set of pins from the distributing means, a pin setting rack, means for releasing pins from the storage means to the pin setting rack, means under the bowlers control for lowering the rack to deposit a complete set of pins on the alley floor, means under the bowlers control for causing the rack to pick up standing pins on the alley so as to allow dead wood to be swept from the alley and to redeposit said standing pins on the alley floor after removal of the dead wood, and control means for causing said various means to operate in a predetermined man- 3,123,357 Patented Mar. 3, 1964 2 ner so as to maintain a complete set of pins available for deposit on the alley upon request while at the same time permitting selective operation of the sweeper and pin setting rack to remove dead wood and, if necessary, to pick up standing pins preparatory to removal of dead wood.

Another object is to provide improvements in (1) means for sweeping pins from the alley floor; (2) means for separating balls and pins in the alley pit; (3) means for picking up, conveying and discharging bowling pins; (4) means for picking up, conveying and discharging bowling balls; (5) means for storing and distributing pins; (6) means for setting pins on the alley floor and for picking up pins from the alley floor; and (7) means for starting and limiting operation of the aforementioned means so as to (a) control the traflic of pins throughout the machine, (b) maintain a complete set of pins in ready reserve for setting, (c) prevent operation of certain mechanisms except under the correct conditions, (d) selectively cause certain mechanisms to perform one of several operations, (e) remove control of the machine from the bowler after the machine has been set in operation, and (f) restore control to the bowler only after the machine has completed its particular operation.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c together comprise a plan view of the bowling pin setting machine of this invention, with certain portions broken away and omitted for ease of illustration;

FIGS. 2a, 2b, and 20 together comprise a side elevation of the same machine, with certain portions broken away or shown in section for ease of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation showing details of the pin sweeper carriage mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view in elevation taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 20;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the bowling pin elevator, the section being taken along line 7777 of FIG. la; however, for convenience the several portions of the pin elevator are illustrated as residing in a common plane;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a sectional View taken along line 9-9 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view in elevation of the pin distributor mechanism, the section being taken along line 1019 of FIG. 1b;

FEG. 11 is an enlarged fragmentaiy plan view of the pin distributor mechanism;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the pin distributor showing details of the clutch mechanism for indexing the distributor;

FIG. 13 is a sectional view in elevation [taken along line 13'1'3 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional view in elevation of the pin reservoir section and the pin setting board, the view being taken along a line corresponding to line '1414 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the pin storage finger asse-mblyj FIG. 16 is a plan View of the pin-positioning board;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along line 17-'17 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along line 18-48 of FIG. 16;

FIG. 19 is a fragmentary front view in elevation of the mechanism for operating and controlling the storage finger assembly and the pin-positioning board;

FIG. 20 is an enlarged plan view of certain of the elements for opening and closing the cups of the pin-positioning board;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged plan view of the control mechanism of the machine, including some of the mechanism shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a sectional view in elevation taken along line 22-22 of FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is an enlarged side elevation of the mechanism shown in FIG. 21 for raising and lowering the pin-positioning board;

:FIG. 24 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the mechanism of FIGS. 19 and 21;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing certain of the elements of the mechanism illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 21; and,

FIG. 26 is a schematic representation of the electrical circuits of the machine.

Refer-ring more particularly to the drawings there is shown a conventional bowling alley A, having a stationary pit B at the rear end thereof. Disposed at this same end of the alley is a bowling pin setting machine constructed according to this invention. The machine as illustrated is adapted to handle duck pins. However, by appropriately changing the dimensions of the various pintransporting mechanisms, machines can be constructed to handle the larger ten pins instead.

The machine can be divided into seven component mechanisms, namely, an alley pit turntable C, a pin elevator D, a ball elevator E, a pin sweeper F, a pin distributor G, a pin reservoir H, and a pin spotting and respotting rack I. Continuously operating gutter belts l for sweeping balls and pins from the gutters of the alley form part of the alley pit turntable mechanism. In addition the machine includes mechanism for operating the aforesaid component mechanisms and electrical controls for controlling said operating mechanism. In the following specification, the operating mechanisms and the various electrical controls are described concurrently with the description of the mechanisms with which they are associated only to the extent necessary to facilitate proper description of the latter and to establish the location and relationship of the former relative to the latter; otherwise the operating mechanisms and electrical controls are described separately.

Pit Turntable C Positioned in pit B of the alley is a turntable C. The turntable is secured to and supported by a cylindrical member 2 which is rotatably secured to a bearing plate 4 fixed to the floor of the pit B. A large pulley 6 is secured to cylindrical member 2. Also located in the pit at a fixed position is a rotatable vertical shaft 8 provided with an idler pulley 10. A turntable drive motor M1 is located behind the rear wall 14 of the pit. Motor M1 has a drive pulley 16 which acts to drive a belt 18 which passes through a hole 20 in rear Wall '14 and rides about idler pulley 1G and pulley 6 to drive the turntable clockwise ('FIG. 1a). A plurality of rollers 22 which are rotatably secured to standards 24 engage the underside of the turntable adjacent its edge and act to prevent the turntable from wobbling or breaking under the impact of pins and balls delivered thereto from the alley.

Engaging the top surface of pulley is a wheel 19 fixedly mounted on a shaft 21 extending transversely of the pit beneath the turntable. Shaft 21 is journaled in bearings 23 and is provided at its ends with pulleys 25 which drive endless gutter belts I. Two additional pulleys (not shown) are positioned in the gutters further back in the alley and are so positioned as to direct the upper run of the belts over the top surface of the gutter. Pulley 10 drives wheel 19 and shaft 21 in a direction such that the upper run of the belts moves toward the pit, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1a. The gutter belts operate continuously so long as motor M1 is operating.

Pin Elevator D Located at the rear end of the pit is a pin elevator D. This component mechanism comprises three

integrated frame sections

26, 28 and 3d, and a pin conveyor comprising a pair of

endless chains

32 and 34 which cooperate to transport a plurality of pin-conveying elements generally identified by numeral 36. Frame section 26 is disposed behind rear wall 14 of the pit and extends horizontally and laterally of the machine. Frame sec tion 26 has a pair of wall members 38 and 4t} secured together in parallel spaced relation by a vertical end wall 42 and a horizontal floor member 44 located between the upper and lower edges of

wall members

38 and 40. Floor member 44 terminates short of end wall 42 and is offset along its center line to provide a longitudinally extending channel section 46. At the end opposite wall 42, floor 44 curves upwardly as at 47. The curved floor section 47 has a longitudinal channel 46a which is deeper that channel 46 and connects with the latter at 152. Channel 46a is wide enough to receive the V-shaped portion 138 on pin carrier elements 36 and the head but not the body of a bowling pin. Also secured to

wall members

38 and 40 above floor member 44 are two

inclined wall members

48 and 59 which act to deflect and guide pins into the channel 46 of floor member 44. Wall members 4S and So also shield chains 32 and 34- from pins falling into the trough defined by wall members 3% and 40 and floor member 44.

At the end opposite end wall 42 the two

side walls

38 and 40 are joined to the two vertically extending

side walls

52 and 54 of frame section 28. As shown in FIG. 2a the bottom ends of side walls 52 and 54- are in the same vertical planes as

walls

38 and 40, which planes are parallel to the plane of rear pit wall 14. However,

side walls

52 and 54 are both permanently twisted so that their upper ends lie in vertical planes extending obliquely of the machine. Extending between and secured to

side walls

52 and 54 is an elongated plate or partition 58 having a U-shaped channel 59 which functions as a continuation of channel 46a. Plate 58 is permanently twisted in conformance with the twist of

side walls

52 and 54. The front edges of

side walls

52 and 54 are also provided with flanges 6t} and 62 which are disposed parallel to plate 58 and cooperate with the latter to provide a guideway for

chains

32 and 34.

Frame section 30 comprises two

side wall members

66 and 68 secured to the top ends of

side wall members

52 and 54. Both

members

66 and 68 have inturned

flanges

70 and 72 at their bottom edges, the flanges acting as supporting guideways for

chains

32 and 34. At their forward end

side wall members

66 and 68 have like pin

carrier deflecting members

74 and 7 6 on their inside surfaces. These pin carrier deflecting members are spaced from each other by an amount large enough to accommodate therebetween the neck portion of a bowling pin P but small enough to intercept and support the curved yoke portion of the pin carriers. Defiecting members '74 and 76 extend between the depending extensions 73 and 80 of

side wall members

66 and 68, terminating at 82. Also secured to the

side wall members

66 and 68 is a flat horizontal floor member 86. The rear end of floor member 86 curves downwardly as shown at 88. Attached to depending extensions 78 and 80 by two brackets 90' is a delivery chute 92. The chute is provided with a large arch-like slot 94 on the side beneath extension 78. Slot 94 is wide enough to allow passage therethrough of a bowling pin in upstanding position. Attached to the chute is a normally open switch SW8 having a resiliently mounted switch finger 96 which extends into the bottom end of the chute through a slot 98. Switch finger 96 extends into the chute far enough to be engaged by pins P falling

Claims

1. IN A BOWLING PINSETTING MACHINE OF THE TYPE HAVING PIN STORAGE MEANS MOUNTED ON A FRAME WHICH FRAME IS ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ABOVE A BOWLING ALLEY, A PIN POSITIONING RACK PROVIDED WITH PIN HOLDING CUPS DEPENDINGLY MOUNTED FOR VERTICAL RECIPROCATING TRAVEL ON SAID FRAME, AND ADAPTED IN ONE OPERATING SEQUENCE (THE PINSETTING CYCLE) TO RECEIVE PINS FROM SAID STORAGE MEANS AND TO DELIVER SUCH PINS TO THE FLOOR OF SUCH ALLEY, AND IN A SECOND OPERATING SEQUENCE (THE DEADWOOD CYCLE) TO LIFT STANDING PINS FROM SAID FLOOR AND TO RESPOT SAID PINS ON SAID FLOOR; ROTATABLE MEANS VERTICALLY MOUNTED ON SAID RACK AND EXTENDING THROUGH SAID FRAME FOR OPENING AND CLOSING SAID PIN HOLDING CUPS; DRIVE MEANS INCLUDING A ROTATABLE SHAFT MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME FOR RAISING AND LOWERING SAID RACK DURING A SINGLE ROTATION OF SAID SHAFT; MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID DRIVE MEANS; AND CAM MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID SHAFT FOR CONTROLLING THE LENGTH OF THE STROKE WHICH SAID RACK TRAVELS TOWARD SAID FLOOR AND FOR ACTUATING THE ROTATABLE MEANS OPENING AND CLOSING SAID HOLDING CUPS.