US3480279A - Bowling pin setter apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Nov. 25; 1969 c, [NGEBQ 3,480,279

BOWLING PIN SETTER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26. 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. ALVHN G. ENGEBO Nov. 25, 1969 Filed Feb. 26, 1968 A. c. INGEBO 3,480,279

BOWLING PIN SETTIER APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

ALWN C. @NG'EBO Nov. 25, 1969 A. C.INGEBO 3,480,279

BOWLING PIN SETTER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26, 1968 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 z I Z5 INVENTOR.

ALVIN G INGEBO Nov. 25, 1969 A. c. INGEBO 3,480,279

BOWLING PIN SETTER APPARATUS Filed Feb. 26, 1968 v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 r L en INVENTOR. INGEBO United States Patent 3,480,279 BOWLING PIN SETTER APPARATUS Alvin C. Ingebo, 15500 SW. Royalty Parkway, Tigard, Oreg. 97223 Filed Feb. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 708,018 Int. Cl. A63d /08 US. Cl. 273-44 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The apparatus disclosed is for the setting of bowling pins and includes a pin carriage for the setting of pins after the downed pin or pins have been upwardly moved into the carriage by separate counterweights. A tiltable ball return guide is also provided and activated upon ball contact. Powered wheel members are separately coupled to the carriage and ball return guide to operate the same and which wheel members further include switch actuating pins for operating push button type switches to start and stop motors powering the wheels. An electrical scoring circuit is also included in the disclosure.

Background of the invention The present invention relates to bowling machines in which the resetting of pins is accomplished automatically along with the provision of means for return to the participant of the bowling ball.

While present apparatuses known to me accomplish the automatic pin setting and ball return they are of a very complex nature, hence expensive both to manufacture and to maintain making them practical in only large commercial bowling establishments. In contrast, the present invention as presently constructed is embodied in a structure wherein the electrical components are of a standard,

easily obtainable nature permitting low cost manufacture and maintenance. The highly practical nature of the apparatus makes its use in private homes or small clubs entirely feasible.

Summary Drawing description In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of the apparatus with parts of the main frame being sectioned out both to permit a suitable drawing scale to be used and for purposes of parts disclosure,

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view taken along the irregular section line 2-2 in FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIGURE 2 showing details of both the ball return wheel and part of the strike resetting mechanism and associated switches,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional plan view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 3 showing fragments of the strike resetting mechanism,

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary plan view taken along line 55 of FIGURE 1 showing a typical scoring switch installation of actuation by a raised bowling pin,

3,480,279 Patented Nov. 25, 1969 ice Description of preferred embodiment With continuing reference to the drawings and particularly FIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, the reference numeral 1 indicates generally a main frame located at one end of a bowling alley indicated at 2. The main frame 1 includes two upright supports 3 located at the rear of the frame partially supporting an upper framework 4 within which are secured a plurality of internal crossmembers 5. The forward part of the upper framework 4 extends laterally as viewed in FIGURE 1 to permit upright corner placed supports indicated at 6 to be in ground supported engagement outward of the gutters indicated at 2A in the alley. Depending from the upper framework 4 are a pair of members 7 which are tied by a horizontal cross member 8, all at the forward part of the main frame. One of the depending members 7 in cooperation with an upright support 3 at the rear of the main frame support a base indicated at 9 extending from front to rear of the frame and which serves to support a gear reduction unit and additional wheel components all later described.

Mounted upon the upper framework 4 is a first electric motor 12 hereinafter referred to as the ball return motor and a second electric motor 13 hereinafter referred to as the carriage lift motor. The motor 13 being in direct engagement with a gear reduction unit 14.

A bowling pin carriage is indicated at 15 and is of triangular shape with its rearward apices being roller mounted as at 16, the rollers being received in a vertical guideways 3A formed in each of the uprights 3. Accordingly, the carriage 15 may travel vertically to the lowermost position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 1 in a pin setting operation. The carriage 15 has a fiat top surface 17 and a similar bottom surface 18, being apertured to receive parts of the bowling pin indicated in full and broken lines at 19. Pivotally attached to the top of the box-like structure or carriage 18 is a pivotally mounted connecting bar 20 which is loosely coupled at its upper end to an arm 21 which in turn is swingably mounted at its opposite end to the upper framework 4. For raising and lowering the free end of arm 21 a wheel 23 is provided, said wheel hereinafter referred to as the carriage lift wheel and having mounted on its forward side an arm receiving bearing 24 for travel within a slot 21A within the arm. A V-belt 26 transmits power from the gear reduction unit 14 to the wheel for rotation thereof resulting in the vertical swinging movement of arm 21 to raise and lower the pin carriage 18 by means of connecting bar 20. If desired the carriage 15 may be counterweighted to reduce the requirements of the power and drive train.

Each of the bowling pins 19 is tethered by means of a rod 27 attached at its lower end to the top of the pin by means of interengaged screw eyes 28 and at its upper end is tied to a flexible line 29 which is in turn entrained over a pulley 30 journalled on a crossmember 5'. The line 29 has suspended from its other end a counterweight 31 sufiicient to raise its respective pin 19. Each of the pins 19 has embedded Within its base a metallic button 32 which cooperates with a magnet 33 as shown in FIG- URE 1 to retain the pin in place against the upward pull of the line 29. From this it will be seen that with the carriage in the raised position impact of the bowling ball displacing one or more of the pins will permit lifting of the pins by the counterweights 31 in the broken line position as typically shown in FIGURE 1 wherein the pin is lifted into engagement with the aforementioned openings provided in the carriage 18. Secured to each of the lines 29 is a ring 34 which cooperates with the strike resetting mechanism to be described.

Located at the left hand side of FIGURE 1 is a ball return means including a tiltable ball return guide mounted by hinge pins 41 at its forward end to allow raising of its rearward end resulting in discharge of the ball to the right as viewed in FIGURE 2 into a communicating return way, not shown. The guide 40 extends rearwardly of the main frame 1 to receive a spent bowling ballfrom a transversely located ball chute 42 having an inclined bottom wall 39 for discharge of the ball into the tiltable ball guide 40. As best shown in FIGURE 10, the rearward end of the tiltable ball guide is provided with a ball actuated starting switch at 43 which is a pressure sensitive three-way type activated by a plunger 44 extending into the ball guide 40. This switch is later described in association with the other electrical components. A toggle 45 carries a coil spring member 45A at its end to depress the switch 43. Attached to the rearward end of ball guide 40 is an upwardly inclined rod 46 which is attached at its opposite end to a ball return arm 47 which is swingably mounted at its forward end to a bracket support 48 depending from the upper framework 4. For articulated movement of the arm 47 in a vertical plane a wheel arrangement is provided similar to that previously described and comprises a ball return Wheel 50 carrying an arm receiving bearing 51, the latter being slidable within a slot 47A in arm 47. Upon powered rotation of the wheel 50 by a V-belt 52 driven by the gear reduction unit 10 and motor 12 the arm 47 will be raised thus raising the ball return guide 40 to cause the ball to be returned toward the contestants location. As best shown in FIGURE 3, the wheel is journalled in a bearing 53 mounted to the underside of the base 9.

Also rotatably supported by the base 9, as best shown in FIGURE 9, is a ratchet wheel plate 55, the teeth 56 of which are located as to be intermittently engaged by a pair of pins 57 diametrically mounted on the ball return wheel 50. Integral with and larger than the ratchet wheel plate is a disk 59 on the circumference of which is mounted another pair of diametrically disposed pins 61 which are intermittently advanced into position to actuate a pressure sensitive, three-way switch 67 as shown in FIGURE 9. With continuing regard to FIGURE 9 and also FIGURE 3, a toggle is indicated at 62 which is actuated by a single pin 63 carried by the ball return Wheel 50. The toggle engaging pin 63 is spaced outwardly on the wheel 50 to avoid the teeth 56 of the ratchet wheel. As shown in FIGURE 3, the opposite end of the toggle 62 carries a coil spring 64 which is adapted for actuating a pressure sensitive, three-way switch 65, which serves to open a circuit to the ball return motor 12 after one rotation of the ball return wheel. The switch indicated at 67 may be called a starting switch and is in circuit with the carriage lift motor 13 and serves to initiate carriage movement upon the passing of a pin 61 thereby, the passage being permitted by a flexible downwardly turned band 68 allowing depression of the pressure sensitive switch 67. Also of the same type and in circuit with switch 67 and carriage lift motor 13 is another three-way switch, best shown in FIGURE 8 at 69. This latter switch may be termed a limit switch and is actuated by a bell crank 70 having one of its arms extending adjacent the carriage lift wheel 23 for contact by a single pin carried by the wheel at 72. The pivoted bell crank 70 carries a coil spring 73 for biasing of the movable button of the switch 69 into circuit opening position. A solenoid 75 in circuit with a source through a push button switch 74 is provided for actuating the switch 69 through the bell crank 70 independently of the pin 72 and is used in special circumstances where the contestants may want a new setting of the pins. Means for remotely actuating switch 43 manually are shown in FIG. 7 and comprise push button switch 103, conductors 104 and 105, and solenoid 49, which urges toggle 45 in the same manner as plunger 44 does to thereby actuate switch 43.

With attention to the schematic shown in FIGURE 7, a ball after knocking down one or more of the bowling pins will eventually come into contact with the plunger 44 in the ball return guide 40 to actuate switch 43 to close an electrical circuit from a source, through a conductor 79, through the ball return motor 12, the switch 65, conduit or 81 back to the other side of the source via conductor 82. This circuit is broken upon one rotation of the ball return wheel 50 causing pin 63 to come into contact with toggle 62 to actuate or open switch 65. In the one rotation of wheel 50 the ball return guide has been tilted upwardly to discharge the ball down the return guideway to the contestant.

As regards the two pins 57 also carried by wheel 50, during the one rotation of the wheel each of the pins 57 has come into contact one time with one of the teeth 56 on the ratchet wheel plate 55. Accordingly, the single engagement of each of the pins 57 with the teeth 56 advances the ratchet wheel plate 55 ninety degrees for each revolution of the wheel 50. The 180 degree travel of the ratchet wheel plate causes one of the pins 61 to come into switch actuating contact with switch 67 upon every two turns of wheel 50 as shown in FIGURE 9.

With attention being directed to FIGURE 7, it will be seen that closure of switch 67 will close a circuit including a conductor 83 from one side of the source through motor 13, conduits 82 or 84, switch 69, and back to the other side of the source via wire 85. Hence, the carriage lift wheel 23 is put into rotation upon closure of switch 67 at the completion of one revolution of which the pin 72 carried by the wheel 23 actuates switch 69 to open the circuit. In this one rotation the carriage will have been lowered to set the pins in place On magnets 33 and then retracted to its raised position. In summary then, the pin setting movement of the carriage 18 will occur after every second ball is thrown by reason of the 90 degree intermittent rotation of the ratchet wheel plate 55 to bring one of the pins 61 into contact with switch 67 which occurs upon every other revolution of the ball return wheel 50. The electrical system described so far is directed toward providing a normal pin setting operation in a bowling game conventionally played where each contestant throws two balls in each frame of the game played and wherein a strike is not thrown with the first ball. The following described circuits and components are provided for altering this normal operation in the event of a strike being rolled when all of the pins are knocked down with the first ball thrown.

With attention to FIGURE 3 and FIGURE 7 jointly, a solenoid is indicated at 85 having a normally retracted armature 86 located superjacent the switch 65. The solenoid 85 is in circuit with one side of a source of current by means of a wire 87 and to the opposite side of the source by wire 88, the latter having a push button switch 89 located therealong. Closing of the circuit by actuation of switch 89 by movement of spring finger 89A will extend the armature 86 to interpose the same between spring 64 and the switch 65 to thereby isolate switch 65 from actuation by movement of the toggle 62. Switch 65, which normally opens the ball return motor circuit to stop the wheel 50, hence stays closed to permit two full revolutions. of the wheel 50 to intermittently advance one of the pins 61 into contact with switch 67 for the purpose of operating the pin carriage through one cycle even though only one ball has been thrown. This is, of course, for the purpose of resetting all the pins after a strike ball has been rolled.

The structure for closing switch 89 in the event of a strike ball being rolled will now be described. This strike resetting mechanism is shown fragmentarily in FIGURES l, 2 and 3, and comprises four front to rear spaced, parallel slide bars indicated at 91, each supported at one end for limited sliding movement in brackets 92, as typically shown in FIGURE 3. The right hand end of each of the bars 91 as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3 is biased by a spring member 93 to the left. The opposite end of the bars 91 terminate in abutment against a common side member 94. As shown typically in FIGURE 4, retaining each of the side bars 91 against longitudinal movement are locking strips 95, each of said strips being swingably mounted upon a rod 96 of which there is one provided for each of the slide bars 91. Locking strips 95 normally rest within detents 97 formed in each of the bars 91. Passing upwardly through an aperture 95A in the locking strips 95 is one of the tethering lines 29. From this it will be seen that when a strike ball is thrown and all of the pins are lifted into the raised carriage 18, the rings 34 on each of the tethering lines 29 will come into upward contact with its locking strip 95 to simultaneously release each slide bar 91 permitting its spring-biased movement to the left as typically shown in broken lines in FIGURE 3. The side member 94 common to the left end of the slide bars 91 is then brought into actuating contact with a finger 89A of switch 89 to close the circuit to solenoid 85.

To simultaneously reset each of the slide bars 91 to the right as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 3, a bell crank 99 pivotally mounted to the main frame at 100 includes an outwardly extending arm for upward movement by contact with the rising rearward end of lift arm 47. This bell crank will be raised to the full line position of FIGURE 3 to reset the slide bars 91 and at the same time open switch 89 to its normal position. The momentary extension of the armature 86 has prevented actuation of switch 65 by the first passing of pin 63. Upon the second passage of pin 63 the toggle 62 will again be contacted to this time depress switch 65, the armature 86 having been retracted out of the way. Thus, for two consecutive revolutions of the wheel 50 are allowed to accomplish carriage movement resetting the pins even though only one ball has been thrown.

The schematic wiring diagram showing in FIGURE 6 includes switches 101 as typically shown in FIGURE 5, each being mounted adjacent a pin opening in the carriage 18 for actuation by a raised pin to close individual circuits with a corresponding light 102 mounted on a score board. The switches 101 each include a movable external portion disposed within the pin openings in the carriage 15 whereby upward seating of the pin will actuate the switch. In setting of the pins the magnets 33 along with the movable switch portion will insure separation of the pins from the carriage.

As a convenient addition to the present apparatus additional switch means may be added adjacent the rotatable ratchet wheel plate 55 for actuation thereby for illumination of a visual display indicating first and second balls thrown.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A bowling machine apparatus comprising in com,- bination,

' a main frame including an upper framework,

a carriage vertically positionable along said frame for with a bearing carried by said wheel for vertical articulated movement upon rotation of the latter,

a connecting bar coupling said arm to said carriage,

a first limit switch disposed adjacent said wheel for interrupting a circuit to said motor to stop said carriage,

means on said wheel to acutate said limit switch upon one revolution of said lift wheel,

a tiltable ball return guide located adjacent to the bowling alley surface,

a ball return wheel having switch actuating pin means carried thereby, said ball return wheel being rotatably. supported on a base carried by said main frame and in driven engagement with a ball return motor,

a ball return lift arm swingably mounted at one of its ends on said framework and in sliding engagement .with a bearing carried by said return wheel for vertical articulated movement upon rotation of the latter,

means interconnecting said lift arm to said ball return guide, to raise one end of the latter for discharge of the ball,

start switch means actuated by a thrown ball for closing an electrical circuit to said ball return motor,

a second limit switch disposed adjacent said ball return .wheel actuated by said pin means carried thereby for interrupting the last mentioned circuit to said ball return motor to stop said ball return Wheel,

a carriage motor start switch carried by said main frame,

rotatable means journalled on said base for intermittent engagement with and advancement by said pin means carried by said ball return wheel and including means for contacting said carriage motor start switch only upon alternate intermittent advancements of said rotatable means to thereby close an electrical circuit to said carriage motor upon every other revolution of said ball return wheel to thereby set the bowling pins after every second ball thrown,

means interposable between said second limit switch and said pin means carried by said ball return wheel to prevent actuation of said switch,

sliding means carried by the main frame and releasable upon the entire dislodgement of all bowling pins for actuating said interposable means to allow said ball return wheel to rotate twice consecutively to accomplish closing of said carriage motor start switch causing a resetting of the bowling pins after the throwing of a strike ball.

2. The bowling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein switch means are provided operable remotelyby a game participant and are capable of initiating operation of both said carriage lift and said ball return motors.

3. The bowling apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means interposable comprises the armature of a solenoid, said solenoid being energized through switch means contactable by said sliding means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,263,875 4/ 1918 Fekete 27344 1,494,285 5/ 1924 Regnier 27344 1,911,436 5/1930 Cone 273-43 2,264,432 12/ 1941 Breitenstein 27344 2,584,596 2/l952 La Ferriere 273-44 2,928,676 3/ 1960 Sunday 27344 3,090,619 5/1963 Plant 273-44 FOREIGN PATENTS 282,079 2/ 1915 Germany.

ANTON O. OECHSLE, Primary Examiner M. R. PAGE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 273-49

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