US3809400A - Bowling pin sweeping and clearing mechanism - Google Patents

Bowling pin sweeping and clearing mechanism Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US3809400A
US3809400A US00290533A US29053372A US3809400A US 3809400 A US3809400 A US 3809400A US 00290533 A US00290533 A US 00290533A US 29053372 A US29053372 A US 29053372A US 3809400 A US3809400 A US 3809400A
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
sweeper
guide rails
gripper
mechanism according
alley
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00290533A
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
A Schmid
G Goens
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
Original Assignee
Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from CH1387171A external-priority patent/CH562622A5/xx
Application filed by Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG filed Critical Patentverwertungs und Finanzierungsgesellschaft Serania AG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US3809400A publication Critical patent/US3809400A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • 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

  • a sweeper arm, guided in guide rails is linearly reciprocable by a motor driven crank through a linkage consisting of levers and links, and additional drive means are provided to swing the sweeper arm about the horizontal axis, upwardly, so that the sweeper arm will be lifted away from the alley floor and clear the field of vision.
  • the sweeper arm can reciprocate approximately horizontally along guide rails which, at an end position, are open upwardly so that when a motordriven gripper lifts the sweeper arm, rollers engaged in the guide rails can be lifted out of the guide rails for upward swinging movement.
  • the bowling pins that have been knocked down must be cleared from the end of the bowing alley into the pin pit, i.e., they must be removed.
  • the pins that have remained standing are first lifted with the help of a frame and the fallen pins are then swept into the pinpit whence they are conveyed by a travelling belt to an elevator which raises them to a higher level where they are brought into co-directional endwise alignment and delivered to a distributor.
  • the present invention relates
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a mechanical sweeper for clearing the pins, which is simple and can sweep a relatively long horizontal area and then return to its starting position within the shortest possible time and which can move into a position of rest in which it will not obstruct the players view of the pins.
  • a sweeper arm is linearly reciprocable by a motordriven crank through a linkage consisting of levers and links; drive means are provided for swinging the sweeper in one of its end positions about a horizontal axis.
  • the sweeper is rapidly operating, nearly noiseless, provides a rugged automatic clearing mechanism based on simple structural means not liable to cause trouble or breakdowns even if a bowl that has been accidentally prematurely rolled should hit the sweeper before it has been lifted out of the way.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic general view of mechanical bowling pin clearing equipment according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a detail of the pin clearing mechanism showing the sweeper in raised inoperative position
  • FIG. 3 is the sweeper in an intermediate position prior to performing its sweeping traverse
  • FIG. 4 is the position of the sweeper at the instant of disengagement of the hook; and I FIG. 5 is the position of the sweeper after the hook has been disengaged.
  • the installation for automatically setting up bowling pins which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1 functions without making use of cords for re-erecting the pins.
  • the pins are set up on the floor of the bowling alley in their correct positions with the help of an overhead frame 2.
  • This frame 2 whilst being lowered and raised is kept in a horizontal position by a parallelogram linkage 3. (See cross referenced application Ser. No. 290,514).
  • the parallelogram linkage 3 is pivotally attached on the one hand to hinge pins 34 in a fixed frame 4 and on the other hand to hinge pins 33 in the movable frame 2.
  • a horizontal transverse beam 5 in the movable frame carries a superstructure 6 containing two electric motors.
  • crank 7 drives a crank 7 through a V-belt transmission 42.
  • This eccentric or crank 7 rotates about an axis 8 and at its end remote from the axis of rotation 8 carries a crankpin 9.
  • a chain 10 is attached to the crankpin.
  • the other end of the chain 10 is fastened to a shackle pin 13 at the end of a hook 16 which is deflectable about a pivot pin 11 in the frame 2 which can be lowered and raised.
  • the frame 2 actually hangs on two chains 10, one on each side of the superstructure 6.
  • the parallelogram linkage 3 ensures that during its ascent and descent the frame remains in a horizontal position. Hence, if the crank 7 is made slowly to rotate by the motor 32, the frame 2 will move up and down.
  • a tipping basket mounted in the frame 2 in respect of each bowling pin in a set is a tipping basket in which the bowling pin is initially held in a horizontal position. During the descent of the frame 2 these tipping baskets together with the bowling pins which they carry tip from their horizontal into vertical upright positions in which the bowling pins are deposited exactly in their allotted positions near the end of the bowling alley.
  • the pin clearing equipment comprising the sweeper which will be hereunder described in more detail sweeps the bowling pins 12 that have been knocked down by a bowling ball into a pin pit 14 from which they are conveyed. on an elevator, or like handling means, upwards to a mechanical pin distributor which delivers them back into the tipping basket in the frame 2. fora detailed description of the distribution apparatus see Ser. No. 290,547).
  • a sweeper 15 according to the invention is shown in its upper position into which it has been raised by the hook 16.
  • This sweeper 15 can be slidably reciprocated in horizontal track rails 19, one on each side, and at the same time it can swing about a horizontal axis.
  • the sweeper 15 consists of two side arms 44 which at their extreme ends carry a transverse sweeper board 43, and which are each rigidly affixed to a triangular plate 33 forming a carriage 20.
  • Each of the two carriages 20 has two rollers 18, 30 which run in the guide rails 19 and up an inclined extension 28 of each rail.
  • the rollers 18, 30 are rotatably mounted on axle pins 51, 52 fitted to the triangular plate 33.
  • a rod 26 (FIG.
  • a rod 22 is pivotably attached to the sweeper 15 by a pin 40.
  • the other end of this rod is articulated to a two-armed lever 23 by a hinge pin 39.
  • This two-armed lever 23 is rotatable about a horizontal pivot 24 which is fixed in the frame 5.
  • the upper end of the lever is hingeably attached by a pin 38 to another lever 25 which is linked to the pin 37 of a crank 36.
  • This crank 36 or eccentric can be driven by a motor to rotate about a shaft 27 in the direction indicated by an arrow D.
  • the motor 32 For removing the fallen bowling pins 12 from the alley 45; into the pit, the motor 32 is first switched on and relatively slowly turns the crank 7 in the direction indicated by an arrow A, thereby causing the frame 2 to descendand the'sweeper 15 to be swung out of its position in FIGS. 1 and 2 downwards into the position illustrated in FIG. 3. In the course of the continued rotation of the crank 7 the hook 16 disengages itself from the end of the rod 26, as shown in FIGS. 4-and 5.
  • Motor 46 which turns the shaft 27 is now likewise switched on with the effect that the lowered sweeper 15 and itscarriages 20 are drawn along the guide rails 19 and push the bowling pins 12 off the floor of the alley 45 into the pin pit 14 at the end of the alley.
  • the linkage 22, 23, 25 then returns the sweeper into its former position, at which instant the motor 46 is stopped again by a switch.
  • the motor 32 which 'drives'the eccentric or crank 7 is now restarted but in the reverse direction of rotation i.e., contrary to. that indicated by the arrow A so that the hook 115 can re-engage the end of the rod 26 and raise the sweeper.
  • the two horizontal rails 19 at one end each have .an extension 28 which obliquely slopes upwards.
  • the upper flange near the end of the extension is cut away at 47 so that the roller 30 of the carriage 20 can rise out of this part of the rail 28 and assume the position shown in FIG. 2.
  • This position applies when the sweeper 15 is in its raised position of rest after having been pulled upwards by the hook 16 engaging the end'of the rod 26 in the carriage 20.
  • the sweeper 15 will now be in a substantially horizontal po-' sition as in FIG. 1 so that it does not interfere with a clear view fromthe bowling end of the alley of the freshly set up bowling pins and the alley is also clear for the next ball to be rolled.
  • Tilt by the sweeper about l00 is usually adequate considering power requirements, and visibility in normally used bowling alleys. Moretilt, that is, lifting to a greater degree may be desired, but preferably not less, so that the sweeper will not interfere with visual aiming of the bowling balls.
  • the motors may be geared motors, and control of the motors can be obtained from control panels and suitable limit switches.
  • stationary guide rails l9) guiding the sweeper in substantially horizontal, reciprocable direction
  • a motor-driven crank (36) and a linkage including levers and links (22, 23, 2S) connecting the crank and the sweeper (15) for linear reciprocation of the sweeper along the guide rails between two end positions;
  • lifting means (7, l0, l6) selectively engageable with the sweeper when the sweeper is in one of its end positions, and movable when engaged with the sweeper 15) to swing the sweeper upwardly about an essentially horizontal axis to swing the sweeper away from the alley and provide clear vision of the alley along its length.
  • Mechanism according to claim 1 wherein a pair of guide elements (18, 30) are provided, connected to the sweeper (l5) and engageable in said guide rails (19) to guide and support the sweeper;
  • the lifting means comprises a pivoted gripper (l6) releasably engageable with said sweeper (15), the gripper (16) engaging the sweeper (15) in said one of its end positions and pulling the sweeper (15) upwardly and swinging the sweeper about said horizontal axis away from the alley.
  • the lifting means comprises an eccentric means (7) and depending connection means (10) the gripper 16) being attached to said depending connection means, the angle of said eccentric means controlling position of the gripper (16) to effect engagement or disengagement with the sweeper (15).
  • the lifting means comprises a reversible motor (32) and eccentric means (7) driven by the motor;
  • Mechanism according to claim 1 including a motor drive (46) independent of said lifting means 7, 10, 16, 32) and connected to said motor-driven crank to effect horizontal displacement of the sweeper I 8.
  • Mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the axis of swing of the sweeper lies in a line defined by said guide rails l9) and the angle of swing of the sweeper about said substantially horizontal axis in between 60 to 100.
  • the sweeper comprises an essentially rectangular frame having four rollers located at the sides facing said guide rails, two of said rollers (30) being movable out of said guide rails at said upwardly open portions, the other rollers 18) being retained between said facing channel sections of the guide rails to form a fulcrum for upward swinging movement of said sweeper frame (15), the shafts of said other rollers defining said essentially horizontal axis;
  • the engagement means (30) on the sweeper engages the channel sections to engage the lower portion thereof, the upwardly open section permitting escape of at least a portion of the engagement means of the sweeper 15) from the respective channel section and permit pivoting of the sweeper about another portion of the engagement means acting at the fulcrum upon engagement of said gripper with the sweeper to swing the sweeper about the horizontal axis.

Landscapes

  • Escalators And Moving Walkways (AREA)
  • Current-Collector Devices For Electrically Propelled Vehicles (AREA)
  • Preliminary Treatment Of Fibers (AREA)
  • Manufacture Of Electron Tubes, Discharge Lamp Vessels, Lead-In Wires, And The Like (AREA)
US00290533A 1971-09-22 1972-09-20 Bowling pin sweeping and clearing mechanism Expired - Lifetime US3809400A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH1387171A CH562622A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1971-09-22 1971-09-22

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3809400A true US3809400A (en) 1974-05-07

Family

ID=4396061

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00290533A Expired - Lifetime US3809400A (en) 1971-09-22 1972-09-20 Bowling pin sweeping and clearing mechanism

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3809400A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS4862539A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CS (1) CS158162B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE2245846A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR2154147A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB1404034A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
HU (1) HU171043B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
SU (1) SU557738A3 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
YU (1) YU34763B (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD282953S (en) 1983-04-18 1986-03-11 Zot Manufacturing Co. Pin setter rake tube assembly
US20190314711A1 (en) * 2018-04-11 2019-10-17 Brunswick Bowling Products, Llc Bowling Ball Stop Assembly

Families Citing this family (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3217472A1 (de) * 1981-05-15 1982-12-09 Patentverwertungs- und Finanzierungsgesellschaft SERANIA AG, 8750 Glarus Vorrichtung zum hochschwenken und absenken des wischers einer kegelstellanlage

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2250503A (en) * 1938-12-29 1941-07-29 American Mach & Foundry Pin removing and guard mechanism for bowling alleys
US2316183A (en) * 1941-08-23 1943-04-13 American Mach & Foundry Pin setter for bowling alleys
US2697605A (en) * 1946-03-26 1954-12-21 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Machine for setting pins on bowling alleys
US2942884A (en) * 1956-12-06 1960-06-28 Mechanical Pin Resetter Co Ltd Bowling alley pin sweeping mechanism
US2949300A (en) * 1955-11-25 1960-08-16 Brunswick Automatic Pinsetter Automatic pinsetters

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2250503A (en) * 1938-12-29 1941-07-29 American Mach & Foundry Pin removing and guard mechanism for bowling alleys
US2316183A (en) * 1941-08-23 1943-04-13 American Mach & Foundry Pin setter for bowling alleys
US2697605A (en) * 1946-03-26 1954-12-21 Brunswick Balke Collender Co Machine for setting pins on bowling alleys
US2949300A (en) * 1955-11-25 1960-08-16 Brunswick Automatic Pinsetter Automatic pinsetters
US2942884A (en) * 1956-12-06 1960-06-28 Mechanical Pin Resetter Co Ltd Bowling alley pin sweeping mechanism

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
USD282953S (en) 1983-04-18 1986-03-11 Zot Manufacturing Co. Pin setter rake tube assembly
US20190314711A1 (en) * 2018-04-11 2019-10-17 Brunswick Bowling Products, Llc Bowling Ball Stop Assembly

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
AU4654972A (en) 1974-03-21
SU557738A3 (ru) 1977-05-05
JPS4862539A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-08-31
CS158162B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1974-10-15
GB1404034A (en) 1975-08-28
HU171043B (hu) 1977-10-28
YU34763B (en) 1980-03-15
YU229472A (en) 1979-09-10
FR2154147A5 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1973-05-04
DE2245846A1 (de) 1973-03-29

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US2310218A (en) Pin setting apparatus
US2841397A (en) Bowling pinsetting apparatus
US2729449A (en) Pin setting apparatus for bowling alleys
US2518457A (en) Pin setting machine
US3809400A (en) Bowling pin sweeping and clearing mechanism
US2628098A (en) Automatic pin-setting machine
US2019607A (en) Automatic ball return for bowling alleys
US2591265A (en) Bowling alley sweeper mechanism
US2699945A (en) Ball discharging device for bowling alleys
US5039095A (en) Ten pin bowling apparatus
US2633932A (en) Elevator door operator mechanism
US2641471A (en) Bowling pin setting machine
MXPA05013792A (es) Colocador de pinos para bolera.
US2615716A (en) Bowling ball and pin handling apparatus
US2620187A (en) Elevating mechanism for bowling alley pits
US3480279A (en) Bowling pin setter apparatus
US2735681A (en) sherman
GB2046116A (en) Bar screen cleaner
US3132863A (en) Bowling pin spotting machine having movable pin deck and stationary spotting, respotting table
US2942884A (en) Bowling alley pin sweeping mechanism
US2361233A (en) Deadwood sweep for automatic bowling alleys
US2688486A (en) Semiautomatic bowling pin setter
US2793858A (en) Bowling alley sweep
US2573930A (en) Farm silo personnel elevator
US3090619A (en) Mechanical pin setter