US3417992A - Aligning and transport mechanism for cableless bowling pin setting machines - Google Patents

Aligning and transport mechanism for cableless bowling pin setting machines Download PDF

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Publication number
US3417992A
US3417992A US408991A US40899164A US3417992A US 3417992 A US3417992 A US 3417992A US 408991 A US408991 A US 408991A US 40899164 A US40899164 A US 40899164A US 3417992 A US3417992 A US 3417992A
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United States
Prior art keywords
bowling
pin
transport mechanism
aligning
pins
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Expired - Lifetime
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US408991A
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English (en)
Inventor
Schmid August
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Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
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Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
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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

Definitions

  • An aligning and transport mechanism for cableless bowling pin setting machines incorporating bowling pin conveying means formed of a pair of endless spaced conveying means formed of a pair of endless spaced conveyor elements, such as conveyor chains, which are guided through a predetermined path of travel. Extending between the spaced and substantially parallel conveyor chains are a plurality of transverse bars between each two adjacent pair of which there can be supported a bowling pin.
  • a base plate is disposed beneath the conveyor chains at a suitable distance. The base plate successively includes in the direction of travel of the bowling pins a substantially horizontal portion which is in substantial parallelism with the conveyor chains, an upwardly inclined ascending portion and a merging downwardly inclined descending portion.
  • the present invention has reference to an improved aligning and transport mechanism for cableless automatic bowling pin setting machines.
  • the present invention therefore, has as one of its primary objects to provide a relatively simple and operationally reliable apparatus for aligning in a common direction the bowling pins and for further conveying the same after they have been raised by a lifting mechanism.
  • Another important object of the present invention has reference to an improved aligning and transport mechanism for arranging the bowling pins in a predetermined direction in a highly reliable and positive manner, with further conveyance of these pins being prevented until each has assumed its proper position.
  • Still a further important object of this invention is directed to the provision of an improved mechanism for aligning and transporting bowling pins to a handling sta tion, such mechanism incorporating means which continually act upon each bowling pin which is ot properly positioned such that such pin is repeatedly subjected to a tumbling action until it assumes the position required for further conveyance, whereupon such pin is then transported to the next handling station.
  • Yet another significant object of the present invention is directed to an improved aligning and transport mechanism for bowling pins which is relatively simple in construction, highly reliable in operation, economical to manufacture, and which incorporates means ensuring for the proper alignment of the pins before such are transported to a subsequent handling station as well as means for acting upon the pins such that they move into the handling station in a predetermined position.
  • deflecting elements for example deflecting gears or rollers, over which the chains or bands are guided over at least a portion of their length in a direction substantially parallel to a base plate, whereby the bowling pins which arrive in random position come to rest between the spaced transverse bars, and at least a portion of the base plate scends in order ot eject those bowling pins where the longitudinal axis thereof does not extend approximately parallel to the transverse bars.
  • FIGURE 1 schematically illustrates a vertical crosssectional view through the inventive aligning and transport mechanism for bowling pins
  • FIGURE 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view through the point of connection of a transverse bar to a conveyor chain
  • FIGURE 3 is a top-plan view of the aligning and transport mechanism for bowling pins depicted in FIGURE 1;
  • FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing details of the portion of the aligning and transport mechanism of FIGURE 1 which ejects the bowling pins in proper position into the next handling station.
  • the inventive aligning and transport mechanism for bowling pins constitutes a portion of a cableless automatic pin setting machine and essentially serves to align in the same direction the bowling pins which, after their conveyance by a lifting mechanism, appear in random orientation.
  • the details of the lifting mechanism used for raising the knocked-down bowling pins or deadwood swept-off the bowling alley are not important to the understanding of the present invention, yet reference may be had to my co-pending United States application, Ser. No. 408,846, filed Nov. 4, 1964, entitled Lifting Mechanism For Automatic Pin Setting Machines, now abandoned, and in which there is described a lifting mechanism suitable for use in conjunction with the inventive algning and transport mechansm.
  • this aligning and transport mechanism is generally located at the rear end of the bowling alley above the pin spotting section.
  • cableless pin setting machine there is to be understood such an installation in which, after the bowling of the ball, the pins are not raised by means of cables, rather without cables are transported upwardly by means of the aforementioned lifting mechanism or elevator and from above are deposited at their predetermined location.
  • FIGURES l and 3 it will be seen that the bowling pins 1 are raised in lying position by means of a non-illustrated lifting mechanism and continuously arrive via a chute 2 in random orientation at the inventive aligning and transport mechanism, generally designated by reference character T. Since this chute 2 is considerably wider than the transport mecha nism T, as best seen by referring to FIGURE 3, an endless, substantially horizontally arranged conveyor band 3 or the like is located at the region of one end of the chute 2 which feeds the downwardly sliding or rolling bowling pins 1 in a direction towards the aforesaid transport mechanism T.
  • This aligning and transport mechanism T will be seen to embody two spaced, endless conveyor elements, in this case endless chains 4, which are guided about a plurality of deflecting elements, such as deflecting gears 5 to 10. Between these conveyor chains 4 and throughout their entire periphery there are connected thereto a plurality of transverse bars or rods 11 extending in parallelism with one another. The length of such bars 11 is somewhat larger than the length of the pins 1, the mutual spacing between any two neighboring bars 11 being somewhat larger than the greatest thickness or diameter of the aforesaid bowling pins.
  • a base or floor plate member 12, arranged substantially parallel to the upper runs 4a of the chains 4 and somewhat beneath the latter is provided in order that the pins 1 to be transported can tumble or roll therefrom or bear thereagainst, respectively, as will be more fully explained shortly.
  • the inventive aligning and transport mechanism T can be considered to incorporate three sections, namely a section A neighboring the chute 2 where the base plate 12 extends in substantially horizontal direction, a section B where the base plate 12 ascends from the bottom to the top, and finally a section C where the base plate 12 descends from the top to the bottom. Moreover, the spacing of this base plate 12 from the transverse bars 11 approximately corresponds to half the diameter of a bowling pin 1, measured at its largest diameter or thickest location.
  • FIGURE 2 The attachment of the individual transverse bars 11 to the mutually spaced and substantially in parallelism guided conveyor elements e.g. chains 4, is more clearly depicted in FIGURE 2.
  • the chain bolts 15 project laterally past the chain rollers 16 and piercingly extend through a guide plate 17 over which the respective hollow transverse bar 11 is pushed.
  • a suitable chain lock or securing device 18 At both ends of the respective chain bolts 15 there is located a suitable chain lock or securing device 18 in order to safeguard against axial displacement.
  • deflecting gears or rollers 5 to for the chains 4 are rotatably mounted in a frame 13 through the intermediary of bolt means 14, with one of these deflecting gears being operatively connected with a suitable drive motor (not shown) in order to drive the chains 4.
  • a respective plankor board-shaped holder or support member 18 which is rigidly connected with the frame 13 or else with another suitable stationary member, is located above and in the region of the respective ends of the revolving transverse bars 11 at the location of the rearmost deflecting gear 9.
  • each such holder 18 When viewed from the top, and as best illustrated in FIGURE 3, each such holder 18 is advantageously of triangular configuration and extends past the head 1c of the bowling pins 1 passing therebeneath.
  • these holder members 18 are spaced at such a distance from the base plate 12 that the foot or base 1d of the pins 1 cannot move beneath these holder members 18, rather bears against the associated inclined surface 23 thereof, whereby the head In of each such bowling pin 1 is pushed beneath the overlying holder member 18 in the event this head 10 is not already located in this desired position. Consequently, the spacing D between the confronting holder members 18 at the outlet end 18a of the transport mechanism T is smaller than the length of the pins 1.
  • the bowling pins 1 which are continuously raised by the non-illustrated lifting mechanism or elevator, or equivalent expedient, arrive at the chute 2 and from the latter come either directly into the aligning and transport mechanism T, or, however, are conveyed towards such in random orientation by means of the approximately horizontal conveyor band 3. In so doing, the
  • bowling pins 1 come to rest in the openings or compartments 4b formed between the neighboring spaced transverse bars 11 and bear against the base plate 12. Such positioning of the bowling pins 1 is only possible with those pins whose lengthwise axis is essentially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the transverse bars 11. Those randomly incoming pins 1 which lie transversely with regard to the lengthwise axis of the transverse bars 11 cannot initially move into the openings 4b between such bars, thus roll for such time upon the remaining pins 1 and the transverse bars 11 until they likewise assume a position in which they are carried along by these aforesaid transverse bars.
  • This angle is selected in dependence upon the diameter of the pins 1 and the spacing of the transverse bars 11 from the base plate 12, characterized by there is desired that those bowling pins are positively thrown-off which lie in inclined position between or upon the transverse bars 11 or extend laterally past the chains 4.
  • Aligning and transport mechanism for the bowling pins of a cableless automatic pin setting machine comprising, in combination, a pair of substantially parallel, spaced, endless conveyor elements in the form of conveyor chains, a plurality of spacedly arranged transverse bars operatively connected between and with said conveyor chains, a base plate cooperating with said transverse bars, said base plate successively including an upwardly inclined ascending portion and an oppositely inclined descending portion, deflecting means for guiding said conveyor elements over at least a portion of their length approximately parallel to said base plate, said deflecting means incorporating sprocket wheels, each two neighboring spaced transverse bars providing a pin receiving opening therebetween for the receipt of a bowling pin, the bowling pins which are in random orientation each coming to rest in a respective pin receiving opening between two neighboring transverse bars and said base plate, said aligning and transport mechanism successively including a pin receiving section, an intermediate section incorporating said inclined ascending portion of said base plate, and a pin delivery section incorporating said oppositely inclined descending portion of said base plate
  • said base plate includes a substantially horizontal extending portion which is in parallelism with said conveyor chains disposed before said upwardly inclined ascending portion in the direction of conveyor travel, said pin receiving section incorporating said horizontally extending portion of said base plate.
  • Aligning and transport mechanism as defined in claim 1 further including at least one elastic member comprising an element disposed at the region of the start of said ascending inclined portion and above said transverse bars for assisting the throwing-off of non-correctly positioned bowling pins from said transverse bars.

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US408991A 1963-11-11 1964-11-04 Aligning and transport mechanism for cableless bowling pin setting machines Expired - Lifetime US3417992A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH1380263A CH404500A (de) 1963-11-11 1963-11-11 Ausricht- und Transportvorrichtung für seillose automatische Kegelstellanlagen

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3417992A true US3417992A (en) 1968-12-24

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US408991A Expired - Lifetime US3417992A (en) 1963-11-11 1964-11-04 Aligning and transport mechanism for cableless bowling pin setting machines

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US (1) US3417992A (xx)
AT (1) AT263584B (xx)
BE (1) BE655547A (xx)
CH (1) CH404500A (xx)
GB (1) GB1079739A (xx)
NL (1) NL6413019A (xx)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5569092A (en) * 1993-06-18 1996-10-29 Mendes Inc. Automatic pinsetter with baffle at elevator entrance

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5152525A (en) * 1990-04-11 1992-10-06 Brunswick Bowling Bowling pin orienting and directing system

Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1557177A (en) * 1925-03-18 1925-10-13 Lorenz Charles Automatic pin setter
US1692796A (en) * 1925-04-02 1928-11-20 Brunswickbalke Collender Compa Automatic pin-setting machine
US2757001A (en) * 1950-02-17 1956-07-31 Janes Joseph Pin setting devices for bowling alleys
US2786679A (en) * 1950-11-21 1957-03-26 American Mach & Foundry Pin changing mechanism for bowling pin spotting machines
US3004759A (en) * 1960-07-29 1961-10-17 Philips Electronics Ind Ltd Pin and ball elevator release mechanism
US3017184A (en) * 1957-12-06 1962-01-16 American Mach & Foundry Pin elevating mechanism for bowling pin spotting machines
US3272508A (en) * 1963-06-06 1966-09-13 Otis Elevator Co Elevator discharge orienting means operated in response to orientation of pins on the elevator

Patent Citations (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1557177A (en) * 1925-03-18 1925-10-13 Lorenz Charles Automatic pin setter
US1692796A (en) * 1925-04-02 1928-11-20 Brunswickbalke Collender Compa Automatic pin-setting machine
US2757001A (en) * 1950-02-17 1956-07-31 Janes Joseph Pin setting devices for bowling alleys
US2786679A (en) * 1950-11-21 1957-03-26 American Mach & Foundry Pin changing mechanism for bowling pin spotting machines
US3017184A (en) * 1957-12-06 1962-01-16 American Mach & Foundry Pin elevating mechanism for bowling pin spotting machines
US3004759A (en) * 1960-07-29 1961-10-17 Philips Electronics Ind Ltd Pin and ball elevator release mechanism
US3272508A (en) * 1963-06-06 1966-09-13 Otis Elevator Co Elevator discharge orienting means operated in response to orientation of pins on the elevator

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5569092A (en) * 1993-06-18 1996-10-29 Mendes Inc. Automatic pinsetter with baffle at elevator entrance

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NL6413019A (xx) 1965-05-12
CH404500A (de) 1965-12-15
BE655547A (xx) 1965-03-01
AT263584B (de) 1968-07-25
GB1079739A (en) 1967-08-16

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