US779494A - Automatic bowling-alley. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

T. & P. R. MONAMARA.

AUTOMATIC BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1903. 7

5 SKEETS-SHEET l.

PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

T. & F. R. MONAMARA. AUTOMATIC BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 16,1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' HIE A. x, li: s M Q 0mm .Y Q Q Q m: \Q Qn PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905. T. & F. E. McNAMARA. AUTOMATIC BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1903.

wllll ".EELMB No. 779,494. 'PATENTED JAN. 10, 190.5.

T. 6: P. R. McNAMARA.

AUTOMATIC BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 15,1903.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

7/ 58 3 2, 49 ii 4 9 v /9 69 A, I, j 2 1 1 v 1/ x w Inventors.

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K/qQiJZ/W By aw W No. 779,494. PATENTED JAN. 10, 1905.

T. & F. R. MoNAMARA.

/ M V 1L Fig.1], 00000 0000000--7Z O O O O O O 0 0 0 0 O O Witnesses. 0:. 0 0 0 69 0 o o o a inventors.

THOMAS MONAMARA AND FRANK R. MCNAMARA, OF NElV YORK.

Patented January 10, 1905 PATENT OFFICE.

DUNKIRK,

AUTOMATIC BOWLING-ALLEY.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,494, dated January 10, 1905. Application filed July 15, 1903. Serial No. 165,683.

To all whom, it 771/607] concern:

Be it known that we,THoMAs MONAMARA and FRANK R. MGNAMAEA, citizens of the United States, residing at Dunkirk, in the county of Chautauqua and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Bowling-Alleys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved automatic bowlingalley in which the pins are placed in position and the balls returned without the aid of a boy at the rear of the alley.

The main object of the invention is to dispense with the boy usually required for setting up the pins and returning the balls by arranginga pin-setting and ball-returning apparatus in the rear of the alley which is controlled by a single means from the front of the alley and operated to set up the pins and return the balls practically simultaneously.

The invention also relates to a means controlled from the front of the alley for removing the knocked-down pins which is operated separate and distinct from the pin-setting and ball-returning mechanism and to certain details of construction, all of which will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through an alley on line a a, Fig. 2, equipped with the improved pin-setting and ball-returning apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line I) 6, Fig. 1, looking in'the direction of the arrow V. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 6?), Fig. 1, looking in a direction opposite to the arrow V. Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section through the alley on line c, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow W. Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line 0 c, Fig. 1, looking in a direction opposite to the arrow WV, showing the shafts upon which the sheaves are mounted. Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line. (Z (Z, Fig. 2. Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section on line 0 a, Fig. 2, showing the pin-elevating mechanism in its normal position. Fig. '8 is an enlarged transverse section on line 6 a, Fig.

2, a number of pins being knocked down and showing the mechanism for lifting the knocked-down pins ofii the alley in its lower position in full lines and near its upper position in dotted lines. Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary section on line a 6, Fig. 2, showing a fragmentary section through a pin im paled on the spikes, the spikes being about to be withdrawn from the pin. Fig. 10 is an enlarged vertical section on line ff, Fig. 2, showing a portion of the mechanism for returning the balls. Fig. 11 is an enlarged detached plan view of the plate for releasing the pins.

In referring to the drawings for the details of construction like numerals designate like parts.

In the accompanying illustrations two alleys (designated by the numeral 1) are shown, which are of the well-known type and are provided with the usual side gutters 2 and inclined trough 3, which is placed between the two alleys for returning the balls. The usual cushion 4: is also secured to the rear wall of the room in which the alleys are placed, which acts as a bumper for the pins and balls to strike against.-

The mechanism for setting thepins is illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and referenoe will be had to these figures in the following description: Two sets of pins 5, numbering ten in each set, are placed in the form of an equilateral triangle near the rear end of each alley 1, and each pin 5 has the lower end of a chain 6 securely fastened to its head in any well-known way. These chains 6 are equal in number to the number of pins 5, and each chain 6 extends vertically upward from the pin to which it is attached and around a pulley 7, journaled in a bracket 8, which is fastened to the ceiling 9 of the room. Each chain 6 is then carried forward and its opposite end secured to and wound around a sheave 10, rigidly fastened to a transverse horizontal shaft 11, which has its ends journaled in brackets 12, depending from the ceiling 9. The brackets 8 and pulleys 7 are equal in number to the number of chains 6 and are placed in substantially the same form as the pins 5. The sheaves are equal in number to the number of chains 6 and are mounted upon the shaft 11 directly above the alleys 1 and in such position that the chains 6 will not interfere with each other. A gear-wheel 13 is mounted upon one end of the shaft 11 and meshes with a pinion 14, rigidly mounted upon a short shaft 15, which is journaled in a depending portion 16 of one of the brackets 12. A sprocket-wheel 17 is secured to the shaft 15, and a chain 18 connects the sprocket-wheel 17 to a sprocketwheel 19, mounted on a shaft 20, which is journaled in a bracket 21, bolted to the ceiling 9 of the room and near the front of the alleys. A hand-wheel 22 is mounted upon one end of the shaft 20, by means of which the shaft may be easily rotated, and by means of the sprocket-wheel 19, chain 18, sprocketwheel 17 and gears 14 and 13 rotates the shaft 11 and winds or unwinds the chains 6 upon the sheaves 10.

The mechanism for returning the balls is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 10 and consists of a movable platform which can be raised or lowered at will to deposit the balls in the trough 3. This platform, which is located at the rear end of the alleys 1 and directly behind the pins 5, consists of a bottom platform or member 23, vertically-extending end frame pieces or members 24, and a horizontal top frame piece or member 25, which is bolted or otherwise rigidly secured to the top of the end frame members 24. Angular brackets 26 are bolted to the upper ends of the end frame members and the outer ends of the horizontal frame men1ber25 to strengthen the structure. The frame is additionally strengthened by diagonally-extending bracerods 27 and 28, which extend from the vertical end members 24 to the bottom platform or member 23 and from the vertical end members 24 to the horizontal top frame member 25. The bottom platform or member 23 is beveled from its ends to the center and from the rear to the front, so thata ball rolling onto the platform or bottom 23 would roll toward the front and center of the platform directly in the rear of the rear end of the trough 3 and as the platform was raised would enter the trough 3 and return to the front of the alleys. The platform or bottom 23 is provided at its front edge with a vertically-extending flange 29, which extends from the ends of the platform 23 inwardly to near the center thereof, the purpose of which is to prevent the balls from rolling off the platform 23 onto the alleys as the platform 23 is raised. The platform or bottom 23 is also provided with a tongue or extension 30,ex tending outwardly from the middle of its front edge and which is adapted to move u pwardly and downwardly in the rear end of the waaea trough 3, thus providing a means for guiding the ball into the trough. The platform for returning the balls is raised and lowered by means of two chains 31, each of which is attached at its lower end to the horizontal top frame 25 and near one end thereof. The chains 31 extend vertically upward and around two pulleys 32, mounted in brackets 33, bolted or otherwise secured to the ceiling 9, and then forward, having their forward ends secured to and wound around drums 34, which are rigidly fastened to the shaft 11 and near each end thereof. The drums 34 are preferably made of smaller diameter than the sheaves '10, as shown, so that when the shaft 11 is roextending guideway 35 is secured to each of the side walls 36 of the room and directly opposite the vertical end frame members 24 of the elevating-platform, and each of the vertical end frame members 24 has two brackets 37 bolted thereto near its upper and lower ends. Each bracket 37 is provided with a short shaft 38, which extends horizontally outward therefrom, and a roller 39 is mounted upon each of the shafts 38, the brackets 37 being placed so that the rollers 39 operate upon opposite sides of the guideways 35 and serve to guide the platform as it is elevated or lowered. (See Figs. 1 and 10.) Two chains 40 are fastened at their lower ends to the horizontal top frame member 25 near each end thereof, and each chain 40 extends upwardly and around a sheave 41, which is located'in an opening in the upper end of a guideway and journaled on a short shaft 42, mounted in the guideway 35. The opposite end of each chain 40 passes through an opening in the wall 36 and over a roller 43, mounted in said wall 36, and is secured to the upper end of a counterweight 44, which operates in a slideway 45, formed in the wall 36, the counterweights 44 being lighter than the elevatingplatform, so that the platform will automatically return to its lower position after the balls have rolled into the trough 3 and the hand-wheel 22 has been reversed.

A mechanism for lifting the pins from the alley that have been knocked down by the first ball. so as to remove them from the path of the next ball, is provided, which is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 11. A plate 46, preferably formed of wood, substantially square in form and approximately equal in width to the width of the alley 1, is horizontally supported vertically above the pins 5 by means of diagonally extending braces 47, which are secured at their upper ends to a downwardly-extending flange 47 a on each of the side edges of the plate 46 and at their lower ends to the floor of the room and the side of the trough 3. This plate 46 is provided with a plurality of circular openings 48, (see Fig. 6,) which are equal in number to the number of pins 5, the said pins 5 being located vertically beneath the openings 48 when in position. (See Fig. 2.) The openings 48 are of a considerably larger diameter than the greatest diameter of the pins 5, so that they may be easily passed through said openings when changed or repaired, and a plate 49, having a circular opening 50 of a slightly larger diameter than the greatest diameter of the upper portion of the pins 5, is secured to the top of the plate 46 by screws or bolts immediately above each of the openings 48 (see Fig. 6) and serves to accurately center the pins 5 before they are lowered into position. In setting up the apparatus the plates 49 are moved above the openings 48 until they are exactly central with the pins. A metal plate 51 of approximately the same width as the plate 46 is supported directly beneath the plate 46 by means of a plurality of rods 52, which are secured to the top surface of the plate 51 and extend vertically upward through openings in the plate 46. A plurality of chains 53, each of which has one end secured to the upper end of each of the rods 52, extend vertically upward and around a series of pulleys 54, rigidly fastened vertically above the rods 52 to two horizontally-extending shafts 55, which are journaled at their ends in brackets 56, bolted to the side walls 36 of the room. (See Fig. 4.) The opposite ends of the chains 53 are secured to and wound around sheaves 57, rigidly fastened upon a horizontally-extending shaft 58, journaled in bearings 59, which are bolted to the side walls 36 of the room. A sprocket-wheel is mounted upon the shaft 58.near one end thereof, and a chain 61 connects the sprocket wheel 60 to a sprocket-wheel 62, mounted upon ashorthorizontally-extending shaft 63, which is journaled in a bearing 64, bolted to the side wall 36 of the room and near the forward end of the alleys. A hand-wheel is mounted upon the shaft'63 and serves to rotate said shaft and by means of the sprocket- wheels 60 and 62 and chain 61 rotates the shaft 58 and winds or unwinds the chain 53 upon the sheaves 57, and thus raises or lowers the plate 51. The plate 51 is provided with a plurality of clownwardly-extending pins or spikes 66, which are sharpened at their lower ends, as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, and a plurality of circular openings 67, which correspond in number and size to the openings 48 in the plate 46 and register therewith. A plate 68, preferably formed of wood and of aslightly greater width than the plate 51, is fastened to said plate 51 by means of a plurality of spiral springs 69, (see Figs. 9 and 11,) the plate 68 being provided with a plurality of openings 70, equal in number and size to the openings 67 in the plate 51 and registering therewith. The plate 68 is also provided with a plurality of small openings 71, through which the spikes 66 are adapted to pass. (See Fig. 9.)

Referring to Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, it will be seen that the metal plate 51, carrying the spikes 66, is narrow enough to pass between the downwardly-extending flanges 47 of the plate 46 and that the plate 68 is sufliciently wider than the plate 51 so as to be prevented from moving farther than the bottom edges of the flanges 47.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: After the pins 5 have been all knocked down and it is desired to replace them in position the hand-wheel 22 is rotated, which rotates the shaft 11, as heretofore described, and winds the chains 6 upon the sheaves 10 until the pins 5 have been lifted high enough off the alley so that they will be accurately centered by openings 50 in the plate 49. The rotation of the shaft 11 also winds the chains 31 upon the drums 34 and elevates the platform, thus permitting the balls to enter the trough 3 and return the balls to the forward end of the alley. WVhen the pins 5 have been centered, as above described, the rotation of the handwheel 22 is reversed, thus unwinding the chains 6 and lowering the pins 5 into position upon the alley and at the same time lowering the platform by unwinding the chains 31 from the drums 34. When a number of pins 5 have been knocked down and it is desired to remove them from the path of the next ball, the hand-wheel 65 is rotated,,which rotates the shaft 58 and unwinds the chains 53 therefrom, thereby lowering the plates 51 and 68 and permitting the sharpened ends of the spikes 66 to embed themselves in the pins 5, when the rotation of the hand-wheel 65 is reversed, which winds up the chains 53 upon the sheaves 57 and elevates the plates 51 and 68, carrying the pins 5 which have been knocked down upward into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. After the remaining pins 5 have been knocked down the handwheel 65 is again rotated to wind up the chains 53, which will move the plates 51 and 68 upward until the plate 68 comes in contact with the lower edges of the flanges 47 a on the plate 46, which holds said plate 68 stationary. The continued winding of the chains 53 upon the sheaves 57 carries the metal plate 51 and spikes 66 upward against the tension of the springs 69 until the pins 5 come in contact with the bottom surface of the plate 68, when the spikes 66 are withdrawn from the pins 5, allowing said pins to drop. Then the pins 5 have been released from the spikes 66, the tension of the springs 69 will draw the metal plate 51 downward into its normal position (see Fig. 6) upon the release of the handwheel 65.

The purpose of employing the rods 52 is to provide a guide to prevent the plate 51 from swinging and to insure a vertical up-and-down movement of the plates 51 and 68.

In the foregoing description and accompanying illustrations the main shaft 11 is operated by a chain and sprockets; but an ordinary belt and pulleys may be substituted therefor or a small turbine water-wheel, electric motor, or other suitable power device may be used to rotate the shaft 11 either by being mounted directly upon said shaft or upon the shaft 20, in the latter case being substituted for the hand-wheel 22.

In the accompanying illustrations and the foregoing description the apparatus has been described as operating upon two alleys; but it may be used to operate upon either one alley or more than two alleys. However, as the alleys are usually constructed in pairs the accompanying illustrations show the preferred form of apparatus.

()ne of the advantages of this invention is that the pins are set and the balls returned simultaneously by a single hand-wheel.

We claim as our invention 1. In a bowling-alley, the combination with the alley proper, of mechanism arranged in the rear portion of the alley for alining the pins, including a board arranged above that portion of the alleys upon which the pins are set and having a plurality of holes corresponding in number to the pins employed and each hole being vertically above the setting-point of a pin, a series of plates, each of which is removably secured to the board in proximity to one of the holes therein and has an opening of smaller diameter than said hole adapted to accurately center the pins and a plurality of chains corresponding in number to the pins and each chain being connected to one of said pins and passing through the hole in the board and opening in the plate vertically above, and means for elevating said chains, substantially as set forth.

2. In a bowling-alley, the combination with the alley proper, of mechanism arranged in the rear portion of the alley for alining the pins, including a series of pulleys equal in number to the pins and each supported vertically above one of said pins, a ball returning device, a shaft arranged above an intermediate portion of the alley and having a series of drums and sheaves, a series of chains connected at their lower ends to the pins and extending vertically up over the pulleys and then forward into connection with the sheaves and a second series of chains extending from the ball-returning device to the drums, the sheaves being larger than the drums so that the first series of chains will unwind faster therefrom and provide sufficient slack of chain when the pins are set up, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with a bowling -alley having a ball-return chute, of a movable platform located at the rear of the alley for elevating the balls to said return-chute; said platform being beveled from its ends to the center and from the rear of said center outward to the front.

4. A bowling-alley having means for removing the knocked-down pins from the alley, including a vertically-movable frame having pointed depending projections adapted to stick in the pins.

5. A bowling-alley having means for removing the knocked-down pins from the alley, including a vertically-movable frame having a plurality of boards, one of said boards having a series of holes and another a series of depending projections extending through the liolcs in the first-mentioned board and springs located between said boards.

6. A bowling-alley having means for removing knocked down pins consisting of two boards, one of which has depending projections extending through openings in theother, springs between said boards, means for vertically moving said boards and means for independently depressing the lower board to force the bowlingpins from the depending projections.

THOMAS MONAMARA. FRANK R. MGNAMARA. l Vitnesses to the signature of Thomas Mc- Narnara:

M. H. Soo'r'r, Ron'r. P. NEVIN, Jr. \Vitnesses to the signature of Frank R. McNamara:

\V. J. DnMrsnY, 1. P. OCoNNnn.

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