WO1995007119A1

WO1995007119A1 - Automatic skittle- or pin-resetting machine

Info

Publication number: WO1995007119A1
Application number: PCT/DE1994/000643
Authority: WO
Inventors: Siegmar Hühne
Original assignee: HÜHNE, Margarete
Priority date: 1993-09-11
Filing date: 1994-06-08
Publication date: 1995-03-16
Also published as: CN1072023C; EP0717653B1; EP0717653A1; KR960704603A; DE59404113D1; CN1133016A; AU6841094A

Abstract

Described is an automatic skittle- or pin-resetting machine (1a) for pin-bowling or skittle alleys, the machine having a pin-clearing device, a pin carrier, a pin-positioning device (1) and a control unit (20). The pin-positioning device (1) has a rotating plate (13) which is fixed in height and which has first pin holders (12) plus mechanical devices (23) for gripping and transferring the pins (8). The pin-positioning device (1) also includes a pin-setting device (15), with second pin holders (14) and mechanical gripping and transferring devices (23), which can be displaced relative to the rotating plate (13) to set the pins (8) down on the bowling-lane surface. The pin-setting device (15) takes its pins (8) by travelling upwards against the mechanical gripping and transferring devices (23) on the rotating plate (13) which are thus actuated. To set the pins (8) down, the pin-setting device (15) is lowered on to the bowling-lane surface (7) and pin-release elements in the second pin holders (14) actuated. Located under the pin-setting device is a gripper assembly (16) mounted on guide bars (29) so that is can move relative to the pin-setting device and which is designed to grip, lift and set back in place any pins (8) which are left standing on the bowling lane after a bowl.

Description

Automatic pin or cone setting machine

The invention relates to an automatic pin or cone setting machine for bowling or cone systems according to the preamble of claim 1.

A pin or cone placement machine which grips pins that have stopped after a throw, can lift them off the fairway and, after clearing away the pins that have fallen over after a throw, can put them back into the position after the throw on the fairway is known from the patent US Pat. No. 2,887,318 . The machine described therein includes a clearing device, a vertical conveyor, a pin distributor, and a pin receiving and depositing unit. The mechanics of the installation machine are very complex due to the number of functions to be performed. Due to the failure of one part of the device, a jam can occur in the conveyor system of the system, which due to the complexity of the arrangement can only be remedied with a relatively large amount of repair work and essentially only by experts. Furthermore, due to the great mechanical complexity of the system, the costs for manufacture and assembly increase. Another disadvantage is that with the Setting up machine according to US - 2,887,318 for example is not possible any

Pin layouts on the fairway in a simple manner for the user and to be carried out by the installation machine.

Furthermore, from DE - 2,322,950 a cone erection device is known, which is also designed in a structurally complex manner. For example, the pins get out of an inclined slide into swiveling collecting pockets of a distributor wheel and by swiveling the collecting pockets downwards into a straightening stand. The almost simultaneous swiveling of all collecting bags is mechanically complex if unintentional swiveling of one or more collecting bags is to be avoided with sufficient security. Another disadvantage is that the location of the drilled holes in the straightening stand does not allow pins that have been left off center after a throw after the fallen pins have been cleared off to be placed just as off center on the track.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide an automatic pin or cone erection machine which is produced with the least possible expenditure on equipment and is therefore as advantageous as possible in the procurement and storage of spare parts, as well as in maintenance and repair work. It is also intended to make it possible for pins that have been left off center after a throw to be put back on the track in exactly this off center position after the fallen pins have been cleared away. In addition, it should also be possible with an automatic pin or cone erection machine according to the invention to provide any pin or cone configurations that can be predetermined on the track.

Another advantage of the invention is that a simple structure of the individual elements is achieved, which also makes it possible to largely predefine various functions of the pin or cone positioning machine via a control device. Thus, the effort to introduce new ways of working or procedures should be as low as possible and consist, for example, in programming the control device and in making minor changes to mechanical parts.

It should also be achieved with the invention that components can be modified in the course of the further development of the machine without the principle of the entire machine having to be changed.

Furthermore, improved maintainability and control, and thus the most reliable possible operation of the entire machine is to be achieved.

An embodiment of the present invention for bowling or bowling is described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It shows:

1 side views of the entire system (from the side and from the front) in which the automatic pin placement machine is arranged, 2 shows a schematic side view of the functional units of the pin or cone setting machine, the mechanical devices on the receptacles being shown in one of several embodiments,

3 shows a cross section of one of the first receptacles of the turntable and the second receptacles of the depositing unit with the associated lever mechanism, three successive states of this functional unit being shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,

4 shows a side view of an alternative embodiment of the first and second receptacles from FIG. 3 with the slider closed and open (Büd 1 and 2 respectively),

5 shows a schematic representation of embodiments of a first and second receptacle, the first and second receptacles being based on the same functional principle,

6 is a schematic plan view of the positioning device according to FIGS. 1 and 2, in which the essential planes are drawn transparently,

7 shows two views of the gripper mechanism according to FIG. 6 in different gripping positions,

8 shows an alternative embodiment of the gripper mechanism according to FIG. 7, 9 shows various parts of the gripper mechanism according to FIGS. 7 and 8,

10 is a side view of various functional phases of the deposition unit according to FIGS. 1 and 2 in operation,

11 is a side view of various functional phases of the gripper device when lifting and removing pins,

12 shows an alternative embodiment of the first receptacles with associated holding mechanism,

Fig. 13 is a side view of the first images of Fig. 12, as well

14 shows a top view of the turntable with the alternative embodiment of the first receptacles according to FIGS. 12 and 13.

The entire arrangement of the pin or cone setting machine la according to this embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and includes the positioning device 1 with a support frame 17, a conveyor belt 3 arranged in the clearing pit 2, which with a clearer 6 from the fairway 7 receives cleared pins 8 and carries them on, a vertical conveyor 9, to which the pins 8 are fed forward by the conveyor belt 3, a mounting device 10 with a conveyor chute 11 attached to the vertical conveyor 9 by means of a swiveling device 5 and a control device 20 for commanding the motor elements of the pin or cone installation machine la, as well as for sequence control and control. The support frame 17 of the positioning device 1 is held on the vertical conveyor 9 by means of suitable mechanical connecting elements and can also be supported at other points.

The positioning device 1 comprises a turntable 13 with a basic arrangement of the pins 8 arrangement of first receptacles 12 which are attached to the turntable 13, a settling unit 15 with an arrangement of the first receptacles 12 arrangement of second receptacles 14, a gripper device 16, a support frame 17 and a chain drive device 18. The setting unit 15 is held together with the gripper device 16 in the guide device 28 attached to the support frame 17 and can be moved up and down relative to the support frame 17 and the turntable 13 so that the second receptacles 25 can be moved downwards from the height shown in the left half of FIG. 2 to the height shown in the right half of FIG. 2, at which the undersides of the second receptacles 14 are located just above the raceway 7. In one possible embodiment, the guide device 28 comprises, in the drawings, only schematically shown guide rails and rollers for the vertical guidance of the setting unit 15, ropes, a cable drum with a motor 22 driving this, and a gear device. These elements can expediently be provided several times and can be designed differently in conventional technology. The raising and lowering of the setting unit 15 is preferably commanded by the control device 20, wherein a manually operated switching device of a conventional type can also be provided. The settling unit 15 is connected to the gripper device via guide rails 29, so that the gripper device 16 can be displaced vertically with respect to the settling unit 15 with the second receptacles 14. As can be seen from Fig. 2, it is possible that the second receptacles 14 of the depositing unit can be set down to the fairway.

A chain drive device 18 shown in FIG. 1 moves the scraper 6 in order to clear pins 8 from the fairway 7 onto the conveyor belt 3, as well as a locking plate 19 which is conventionally in the initial phase of the clearing process in towing operation to the scraper and the positioning device 1 the recording and when setting down the pins 8 protects. The scraper 6 and the locking plate 19 are each laterally guided for themselves, so that the guidance of the scraper 6 is not damaged if, for example, a ball hits the locking plate 19.

Fig. 2 shows schematically the path of the pins 8 through the entire pin or cone setting machine la. The pins 8 conveyed by the vertical conveyor 9 enter a conveyor chute 11 which can be pivoted about the vertical axis, and from there into the first receptacles 12, in which they are received by a receiving and depositing unit described below, hereinafter referred to as a mechanical device. The conveyor chute has light sensors 26a which interact with reflective foils 26b attached to the upper edge of the first receptacles 12, the light sensors 26a and Reflective films 26b in connection with the control device 20 determine whether the first receptacle 12, onto which the conveyor chute has been pivoted, is filled with a pin 8. In this case, a locking mechanism ensures that no pin is filled into the first receptacle 12. The turntable 13 is rotatably supported in the support frame 17 and can be rotated by a gear motor 21. A sensor system, which is suitably connected to the control device 20 and detects the position of the turntable and forwards it to the control device 20, is also attached to the turntable 13. By means of this information, the control device 20 is able, for example, with the aid of suitable logic, to keep all first receptacles 12 filled in a functional phase of the machine, or to fill only predetermined first receptacles 12. The turntable 13 is driven by the motor 21 using conventional technology and can be designed, for example, with friction wheels or with pinions and toothed belts. The pins 8 are inserted into the second receptacles by a trigger mechanism described below

14 drained and also recorded there by a lever mechanism 25. In a preferred embodiment, the same trigger mechanism is also used to remove the pins 8 from the depositing unit

15 used on the fairway 7.

The advantages of a friction wheel drive are that no blockages can occur and thus reliable machine operation is guaranteed. This also means that the adjustment effort and maintenance effort are low. On the guide rails 29, a gripper plane 63 is attached, which comprises a gripper device 16 with gripper pairs 50, which will be explained in more detail below, the gripper arms 50 being able to receive the pins 8 which are still on the fairway 7 after a throw from there, if the setting unit 15 is provided with the gripper device 16 has been lowered to the corresponding height (in FIG. 12 - image 3).

The turntable 13 serving as the filling station of the positioning device 1 with the first receptacles 12 mounted thereon is shown in a top view in FIG. 3. A side view is shown in FIG. 4. It has a tubular shape and has openings 24 in a suitable number for reaching through levers 41, 43. The first receptacles 12 in the arrangement of the basic pin arrangement and the associated mechanical device 23 are attached to the turntable 13, with each first receptacle 12 preferably being assigned two mechanical devices 23 in a symmetrically opposite position. The mechanical device 23 of the first receptacles 12 for holding and releasing the pins 8 to the lowering unit 15 below is described in two preferred embodiments below.

In an embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the mechanical device 23 comprises a lever mechanism 25, which is described in detail in FIG. 3. It comprises at least one upper lever 41 and at least one lower lever 43 which are connected to one another by a connecting lever 44, intermediate members 42 and rotary joints 45, these elements preferably being located on two opposite sides of a receptacle 12, 14 and are attached in pairs. The upper lever 41 is preferably integrally formed with the intermediate member 42, ü ie coupling between the upper lever 41 and the lower lever 43 is carried out such that the lower lever 43 are in the closed position when the upper lever 41 is open, and vice versa . Before the pin 8 has completely fallen into a first receptacle, the lever mechanism 25 is in the position shown in FIG. 3-image 1 (basic position). The position of the lever mechanism 25, in which the pin 8 is held in a first receptacle, is shown in FIG. 3-image 2. When the pin 8 is released as described below, the position of the lever mechanism 25 is shown in FIG. 3 - FIG. 3. The lever mechanism is pretensioned into the basic position by spring elements not shown in FIG. 3. These spring elements are designed in a conventional manner and connect in a suitable manner one of the elements 41, 42, 43, 44, 45 of the lever mechanism 25 to the turntable 13, or alternatively to a fastening to the first receptacle 12 on the housing of the lever mechanism 25, and they cause the lever mechanism 25 to be reset from the position shown in FIG. 3-image 3 to the position shown in FIG. 3-image 1 when the pin 8 has left the first receptacle 14. Furthermore, the lever mechanism 25 comprises at its lower end a slide 48 with two stop devices 46, each with a damper element 47, these elements 47 absorbing the energy of the lower lever 43 opening through the pins 8 falling downwards. In a particular embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the first receptacle 12 together with the associated lever mechanism 25 is axially displaceable relative to the turntable 13, so that by pushing the first receptacle 12 upward from the position shown in FIG. 5 against the bias of the aforementioned Spring elements, the free end of the lower lever 43 is pushed up beyond the damper element 47 and the lower lever 43 can be pressed outwards by the force of gravity of the pin 8. In this way, the pin 8 can be released from the first receptacle 12 and transferred to the second receptacle 14.

This embodiment of the displaceable first receptacle 12 has the advantage that electrical components, e.g. the shifting device 49 with corresponding signal lines can be saved. In addition to the manufacturing costs, the installation effort and the warehousing effort, this variant can also reduce the susceptibility to errors and thereby the maintenance effort of the pin-setting machine 1.

According to an alternative embodiment of the mechanical device 23 shown in FIG. 4, in which the receptacle 12 cannot be displaced, this transfer can be carried out with a displacing device 49 and a slide 48 coupled to it with one of the number of lower levers on one side of the receptacle 12 be provided with a corresponding number of grooves 35a, the displacement device 49 moving the slide 48 back and forth to release or lock the lower levers 43 on the basis of an electrical signal (the signal lines associated with the displacement device 49 are not shown in the drawing). The lower levers are locked and released as shown in Fig. 4 by a corresponding position of the slider 48 when the free ends of the lower lever 43 can move through the grooves 35a with a corresponding slider position. The displacement device 49 is conventional, for example, based on a basic magnetic principle. The damper elements 47 are constructed using conventional technology, for example in a suitable uniform material such as polyurethane, or in the form of shock absorbers.

The lever mechanism 25 and the stop device 46 with the damper element 47 can expediently also be embodied differently, as long as the described principle of fiction is retained.

The mechanical device 23 of the first receptacles 12 described above can also be implemented by a holding mechanism 31 according to FIGS. 12 and 13, the first receptacles 12 also not being displaceable in this embodiment. The holding mechanism 31 is also symmetrical to the central axis of the first receptacles 12 and comprises on each side a gripping jaw 32 for holding and releasing the pins 8, two springs 33, which are each mounted between a holder 34 and a pin 37 attached to the gripping jaw 32 and exert a compressive force on the gripping jaws 32 if, after a pin 8 has fallen out of its extended position (right-hand side in FIG. 4), it is to be moved into its basic position shown on the left-hand side of FIG. 2, and two in the horizontal direction relative to the first Receptacles 12 displaceable slide 35. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the pin 37 extending vertically to this slide 35 is attached to each slide 35 in order to lock and unlock the associated slide 35. This is achieved in that the pins 37 are moved upwards by moving the depositing unit 15 to the turntable 13 by means of the upper levers 41 (FIG. 6) of the second receptacles 14 as soon as the upper levers 41 of the second receptacles 14 contact the pins 37. A top view of the turntable 13 with the first receptacles 12 with the holding mechanism 31 attached to it is shown in FIG. 14.

Instead of the last-described embodiment, a panel of suitable shape can also be provided under the turntable 13, which has openings through which the pins can fall downward if the panel is in a corresponding position.

The mechanical devices 23 of the second receptacles 14 are designed in one of the embodiments described with reference to the first receptacles 12, the mechanical devices 23 of the first receptacles 12 being able to be designed identically or differently from the mechanical devices 23 of the second receptacles.

6 shows an embodiment of the gripper device 16 in a top view. It comprises, according to the basic arrangement of the pins 8, gripper pairs 50 which are each formed by two gripper arms 51. Furthermore, the turntable 13 with the associated first receptacles 12 is shown schematically in FIG To illustrate recordings 12 and thus to the second recordings 14 located exactly below. 7 and 9 show an embodiment of the gripping pairs 50 according to an embodiment of the invention. A motor-operated Bowden cable device 52 moves a base plate 61 back and forth on the gripper plane to open and close the gripper arms 51. For the Bowden cables 52, an embodiment that is as wear-resistant as possible is provided, which is achieved, for example, by means of a corresponding friction-reducing coating. The base plate 61 has two tracks 79, an opening 70a and a curved track 72. The translational guidance of the base plate 61 is effected by the two tracks 79 in the base plate and by two pins 78 protruding from the gripper plane 63. On the base plate 61 is a control plate 65 with two cam tracks 71, an opening 70 and a pin 66 protruding into the cam track 72 of the base plate 61, the cam track 72 together with the pin 66 causing the control plate 65 to be rotatable on the base plate 61 and is carried along by the base plate 65 in every twisted position during the translatory back and forth movements. On the control plate 65 there are two arm holders 69, each of which has a pin 64 protruding into one of the cam tracks 71 of the control plate 65. The arm holders 69 have a swivel joint 67, by means of which the gripper arms 51 can be opened and closed against one another. A pin 67 passes through the swivel joint 67 and also passes through the openings 70 and 70a and is fastened on the gripper plane 63, so that this causes the arm holders 69 to be rotatable with respect to the gripper plane 63 and thus with respect to the base plate 61 and Control plate 65 are, while the swivel joint 67 assumes a fixed position on the gripper plane 63 even when the base plate 61 and control plate 65 are displaced. The Arm holders 69 each have a pin 64 on their underside, these pins 64 projecting into two axially symmetrical cam tracks 71 in the base plate 61. As can be seen from FIG. 7, the swivel joint 67 and the cooperating combination of pin 64 and cam tracks 71 cause opposite opening and closing movements of the gripper arms 51, symmetrical to the line of symmetry of the gripper pair 50, the axis of symmetry of the gripper arms 51 relative to the base plate as described 61 and can be rotated to the control plate 65. Each gripper arm 51 is connected via a swivel joint 73 to an arm holder 63 by a corresponding adjustment of the swivel joint 73 such that the front end 75 of a gripper arm 51 is at a defined distance from the gripper plane 63 when the gripper arm 51 is unloaded. The front ends 75 of a gripper arm 51 each have a conventional electrical button 76, which detects that the front end 75 rests on the gripper plane 73. This is particularly the case when the gripper arms 51 are loaded by the weight of a pin 8. The control device 20 detects the pin holder by the gripper arm 51.

The base plate 61 can also be actuated by other mechanical devices instead of Bowden cables 52. An alternative embodiment is shown in FIG. 8, in which a push rod 54 is shown, which is arranged transversely to the direction of the fairway 7, and which is coupled to the gripper arms 51 lying in a row parallel to the push rod. All the push rods of the gripper device 16 can be driven by a drive unit via suitable mechanical connecting elements (not shown) are operated so that all gripper arms 51 are then operated simultaneously. The push rod 54 is connected to a pair of grippers 50 via a steering rod 56 and two rotary joints 55 and 58. The handlebar 56 is coupled to a base plate 61 via a vertically extending intermediate member 59 by means of the swivel joint 58. The lower end of the intermediate member 59 is guided in a linear guideway 62 in the gripper plane 63 and has the effect that the base plate 61, which is rotatably connected to the handlebar 56 via the intermediate member 59, is both linearly displaceable in the direction of the raceway. The mechanism with base plate 61, control plate 65 and arm holder 69 operates in the manner described above with reference to FIGS. 7 and 9.

The mode of operation of the automatic pin and cone setting machine 1 a is explained below with the aid of the attached figures. At the beginning of a working cycle, the starting position of pins 8 on fairway 7 and the new arrangement of pins 8 to be achieved, and thus the work steps to be carried out, can be different: either pins 8 that have fallen over after a throw must all be cleared from fairway 7, and that put the stopped pins 8 as exactly as possible in the position after interim, necessary for clearing, in which they stopped after the throw, whereby this position after a throw can deviate from the position before the throw (case 1), or they are all Clear pins 8 from fairway 7 in order to then place a user-selectable list of pins 8 on fairway 7, the selected one Setup can be the complete basic setup of all ten pins 8 or a partial setup of this arrangement (case 2).

Both cases, as well as variants and combinations thereof, can be entered via the control device 20. This is located at a suitable location at a corresponding distance from the mechanical devices of the automatic pin opener la shown in FIG. In any case, the control device 20 serves to register and display the actual situation after each throw and to identify the pins which have stopped after a throw on the basis of the signals from the buttons 76. In addition, the user can set the pins 8 for the subsequent throw , or for subsequent throws, can be entered into the control device 20. The control device 20 then commands the corresponding functional parts of the pin or cone setting machine between the throws via signal lines, not shown in the drawing, in accordance with a mode of operation described below. Since the conveyor belt 3 and the vertical conveyor 9 per se belong to the prior art, the following description of the functional principle essentially relates to the positioning device 1.

The above-mentioned cases are described below with reference to the embodiment of the mechanical device 23 shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 5 and 11, wherein - as mentioned above - the mechanical devices 23 of both the first 12 and the second receptacles 14 are designed in several embodiments can. The basic function of the pin or cone installation machine la can also be described with the above Embodiments of the mechanical devices 23 can be achieved. In the above-mentioned case 2, all pins 8 located on the fairway 7 are cleared from the fairway 7 by means of the clearer 6 and fall to the bottom right into the area of the conveyor belt 3, in order then to be picked up by the vertical conveyor 9. At the upper end of the vertical conveyor 9, the pins 8 enter a conveyor chute 11 which can be pivoted about a vertical axis. As shown in FIG. 3, the conveyor chute 11 can be pivoted in the three directions A, B and C. Together with a rotation of the turntable 13 matched to the respectively set pivoting direction A, B or C, the end of the conveyor chute 11 is adjusted to the center of the central first receptacle 12 or one of the two concentric circles of the first receptacles 12 arranged around it - Depending on the rotational position of the turntable 13 - the pins 8 conveyed via the conveyor chute 11 drop into the corresponding first receptacles 12. The pivoting of the conveyor chute 5 is achieved by the motorized pivoting device 5, while the rotation of the turntable 13 is effected by the motor 21. The synchronization of the swivel device 5 and the turntable 13 ensures that those first receptacles 12 are filled with pins 8 by means of the conveyor chute 11, which are to be filled as a function of the entered set-up. This synchronization is carried out by the control device 20 via conventional sensor devices and signal lines, not shown in the drawing.

The release of the pins 8 from the first receptacles 12 into the underlying second receptacles 14 of the setting unit 15 is carried out as described below. The pin 8 that has fallen into a first receptacle 12 is held there in the position shown on the left side of the positioning machine 1 shown in FIG. 2. By raising the pin setting unit 15 upwards, the pins 8 in the first receptacles 12 are released in the manner described above, so that they fall down into the second receptacles 14 due to gravity. By the pins 8 falling into the second receptacles 14, the mechanical devices 23 are brought into the holding position under the action of the gravity of the pins 8. Each pin 8 is then in the position shown in the middle of the positioning device 1 shown in FIG. 2. As a result, exactly those second receptacles 14 are filled, as is required depending on the arrangement 1 desired in the given case 1.

The pins 8 are deposited from this position on the fairway 7 after all pins 8 have been cleared from the fairway 7, in the steps shown in FIG. 10.

The depositing unit 15 is moved by the guide device 28 into the position shown in FIG. 10-image 1, in which the gripper device 16 rests on the floor. By further lowering the settling unit 15, the gripper device 16 is moved upwards along the guides 29 relative to the settling unit 15. In another embodiment, the gripper device can also be moved upwards relative to the settling unit 15 via a conventional mechanical device in a manner synchronized with the downward movement of the settling unit 15. Through the rest If the actuating elements of the setting unit 15 move downward (FIG. 10 - FIG. 2), the mechanical devices 23 are actuated in the manner described and the mechanical device 23 is brought into the pin release position, so that the pins 8 are a short way down fall onto the fairway 7, and the depositing unit 15 can be moved up again (FIG. 10 - FIG. 3). Thus, the pins 8 have been placed on the fairway 7 in the arrangement desired by the user, ie after all the pins 8 that have fallen over after a throw have been cleared from the fairway 7 (case 1).

In the above-mentioned case 2, in which the pins 8 that remain after a throw on the fairway 7 are left in this position (with a possibly shifted position) and the fallen pins 8 are to be removed from the fairway, there are additional work steps in addition to the ones described above to be carried out by the positioning device 1. The pins 8 that did not fall over during a throw are first picked up and set up again in the following manner: The setting unit 15 with the gripper device 16 attached to its underside moves through the guide device 28 into the gripping position, which is defined such that the gripper arms 51 located at the level of the pin neck of a pin 8 standing on the raceway 7 (FIG. 11, image 1). The gripper arms 51 of the gripper device 16 are first brought into the open position by means of the push rod 54 or the Bowden cable 52. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the gripping arms 51 are by a force on the base plate 61, which over the push rod 54 or corresponding Bowden cables by a conventional motor, not shown in the drawing transmitted, closed. The mechanical arrangement shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 has the effect that pins 8 which were displaced from their central position during the first throw are detected and remain in their displaced position when they are set down again. This effect is ensured in that the base plate 61 on the gripper plane 63 is both rotatable and translationally displaceable, while the pin 68 guides the control plate 65 in the guideway 70 of the base plate 61, whereby a translational relative movement of the base plate 61 and control plate 65 in the direction the axis of symmetry of the base plate 61 is ensured. The pivoting of the individual gripper into the position of the pin 8 causes a rotation of the control plate 65 on the base plate 61, and thereby a rotation of the arm holder 69 with its gripper arms 51 (FIGS. 7 and 8). When a pin 8 is gripped by the gripper arms 51, the electrical buttons 75 perceive a pin 8 by contacting a contact point on the gripper plane 63, which is registered in the control unit 20. In this way, the control unit 20 can determine which pins 8 have remained on the fairway 7 after a throw. After gripping the pins 8 by the gripper device 16, the entire support frame 17 with the gripped pins 8 moves upward, as shown in FIG. 11-image 2, so that the fallen pins 8 can be cleared from the fairway 7 by means of the clearer 6. The cleared pins are conveyed via the conveyor belt 3 and the vertical conveyor 9, as well as the conveyor chute 11 into the first receptacles 12 determined by the control unit 20, provided that these have not yet been filled. Otherwise, pins 8 that are not yet required are held in a suitable manner in the conveyor device until they are required. After clearing the pins 8 by the clearer 6 the pins 8, which have initially stopped after a throw and are then lifted off by the gripper device 16, are put back onto the fairway 7 after the support frame 17 has been lowered again, as shown in FIG. 11-image 3.

The gripper device 16 is explained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The essence of the gripper mechanism is that it can automatically adjust itself to laterally shifted, stopped pins 8 in such a way that it can also pick them up without knocking them over, i.e. in the course of the gripping process, the gripper stands centrally on a laterally shifted pin 8 a, as indicated in the top half of Fig. 8 in plan view. The opening and closing force is introduced by the push rod 54 or, as described above, by appropriately arranged Bowden cables 52. This force acts on the handlebar 56, and thus on the base plate 61, which can be displaced translationally on the gripper plane 63 by the pin 78 (FIG. 9) of the gripper plane 63 protruding into its linear path 79. It can be advantageous to have the force coming from the push rod 54 or, as described above, from the Bowden cables act directly on the base plate 61 by means of suitable mechanics. This force causes the above-mentioned translational displacement of the base plate 61 on the gripper plane 63. The translational movement of the base plate 61 causes the pin 66 of the control plate 65 which projects into the guide track 72 of the base plate 61. The pin 66 together with the pin 68 of the swivel joint 67 that the control plate 65, under the action of an off-center pin 8 on the not yet positioned accordingly Gripper arms 51 can be rotated relative to the base plate 65 when the same force exerted is closed. The control plate 65 and the pair of grippers 50 in turn move translationally to one another, specifically because of the interaction of the pins 64 of the arm holders 69 with the curved tracks 71, and of the pin 68 with the opening 70 passing through the bores of the arm holders. The pin 68, the translational is fixed in the arm holders 69, extends further through the opening 70 of the base plate 65 and is fixed in the gripper plane 63, so that on the one hand the bore 74 of the arm holder 69 is fixed relative to the gripper plane, and on the other hand the base plate 61 and the control plate 65 can move relative to the arm holders 69 and to the gripper plane 63.

The cam tracks 71 of the control plate 65 guide the pin pair 64 of the gripper arms 51 (cf. FIG. 9). According to Fig. 8, 9 is caused by the course of the cam tracks 71 that the gripper arms 51 close when the base plate 61 is pulled away from the pin 8 shown in Figure 9, and that the gripper arms open when the base plate 61 to Pin 8 is moved there. In an alternative embodiment, however, the cam tracks 71 can also be arranged such that the gripper arms open when the base plate 61 is pulled away from the pin 8. In any case, the curve design also causes the gripper arms to be locked in the closed position.

In the two embodiments described in FIGS. 7 and 8, when gripping the pins 8 which are off-center on the track 7, when the gripper arms 51 are closed, the control plate 65 rotates through the swivel joint 67 on the gripper plane 63 and in this way enables the gripper pair 51 to be centered on an off-center pin 8 according to the upper half of FIG. 9 of the top view there.

In the event that pins 8, which have remained off-center after a throw, cannot be gripped by the maximum open gripper arms 51, the gripper arms 51 rest on the heads of the corresponding pins 8 when the gripper device is lowered. Suitable sensors detect this process, e.g. Sensors that detect the slackening of the Bowden cables 52, which is passed on to the control device 20, which passes on a message to the user that the pins 8 must be removed or set up mechanically.

Claims

C 1346 HM

_

Claims:

1. Automatic pin or cone stand-up machine (la) for bowling or cone systems with

- A clearing device with a clearer (6) movable horizontally above the fairway (7) for removing pins (8) from the fairway (7),

a vertical conveyor (9) for conveying cleared pins (8) and for transporting the pins (8) to a predetermined height,

a horizontal conveyor which takes over the pins (8) from the vertical conveyor (9) and forwards them to a positioning device (1),

- And a control device (20), the positioning device (1) having:

- a support frame (17),

a rotating plate (13) arranged at a vertically fixed height, rotatably attached to the support frame (17) via connecting elements and driven by a motor (21), with first receptacles (12) attached to it, to which mechanical devices (23) are coupled, and

- A set-down unit (15) with second receptacles (14) to which mechanical devices (23) are coupled, the set-down unit (15) being vertically displaceable relative to the turntable (13) for setting up pins (8) on the fairway (7) is characterized,

that the locking units (v) of the first receptacles (12) of the turntable (13) for transferring the pins (8) to the set-down unit (15) can be unlocked by raising and running up the set-down unit (15) against release elements (a) on the first one Recordings (12) of the turntable (13) and by actuating the same, and that the locking units (v) of the second recordings (14) of the setting unit (15) can be unlocked by lowering and running up the setting unit (15) against the fairway (7) and by actuating release elements (a) on the second receptacles (14).

2. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical devices (23) on the first receptacles (12) have a lever mechanism (25) each having an upper lever (41) and in each case a mechanically coupled lower lever (43), the lower lever (41) being in the closed position which projects almost horizontally into the first receptacles (12) when the upper lever (41) is pivoted into an upward position in which it is not in the first receptacle (12) protrudes (pin receptacle position), the lower lever (43) being pivoted into a downward position in which it does not protrude into the first receptacle (12) when the upper lever (41) is in the locked position , in the first The receptacle (12) protrudes almost horizontally (pin holding position), the upper and lower levers (41, 43) still being able to be pivoted in pairs into a position in which the upper levers (41) attached to a first receptacle (12) are pivotable downward into a position such that the head of a pin (8) can be moved between the free ends of the upper levers (41) (pin delivery position), and the pin (8) falling through the first receptacle (12) ) moves the lower levers (43) attached to the first receptacle (12) from their locked position to their outwardly pivoted open position so that the upper levers (41) pivot into their locked position and the pin (8) in the first Hold the receptacle (12) and that the lever mechanism (25) is pretensioned such that when there is no pin (8) in the first receptacle (12), the lower lever (43) is in the open position and the upper lever (41) is in the locked position.

3. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the mechanical devices (23) on the second receptacles (14) have a lever mechanism (25) each with an upper lever (41) and one mechanically coupled to this comprise lower lever (43), the lower lever (41) being in the locked position projecting almost horizontally into the second receptacles (14) when the upper lever (41) is pivoted into an upward position in which the latter does not protrude into the second receptacle (pin receptacle position), the lower lever (43) being pivoted into a downward position in which it does not protrude into the second receptacle (14) when the upper lever (41 ) is in the locked position, which projects almost horizontally into the second receptacle (pin holding position), the upper and lower levers (41, 43) still being able to be pivoted in pairs into a position in which those on a second receptacle ( 14) attached upper lever (41) can be pivoted downward into a position such that the head of a pin (8) can be moved between the free ends of the upper lever (41) (pin delivery position), and still the second Receptacle (14) falling pin (8) moves the lower lever (43) attached to the second receptacle (14) from its locked position to its outwardly pivoted open position so that the upper lever (41) pivots into its locked position and the P hold in (8) in the second receptacle (14), and and that the lever mechanism (25) is pretensioned such that when there is no pin (8) in the second receptacle (14), the lower lever (43) is in the open position and the upper lever (41) is in the locked position.

4. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that two symmetrically opposite mechanical devices (23) are attached to each receptacle (12, 14). 5. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one of claims 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that each mechanical actuating device (23) each has two parallel lower levers (43) and two parallel upper levers (41).

6. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 2, 4 or 5, characterized in that the first receptacles (12) together with the lever mechanism (25) are axially displaceable axially relative to the turntable (13) that on the first receptacles ( 12) stop devices (46) with damper elements (47) are furthermore attached, which hold the lower levers (43) in a half-open position and release the same for pivoting outwards into the open position when the first receptacles (12) are included the lever mechanism (25) can be moved vertically upwards from a basic position via the stop devices (46), and that the vertical upward and downward displacement of the receptacles 12 by vertical upward and downward movement of the setting unit 15 by actuation by the top of the second receptacles 14 be effected.

7. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the second receptacles (14) together with the lever mechanism (25) are axially displaceable relative to the setting unit (15), and that stop devices (46) with damper elements (47) are also attached to the second receptacles (14) and hold the lower levers (43) in a half-open position and release them to pivot outwards into the open position when the first receptacles (14) with the lever mechanism (25) are moved upwards beyond the stop devices (46).

8. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 2, 3, 4 or 5, characterized in that the mechanical device (23) comprises a displacement device (49) with a slide in a predetermined direction (48), on each of which two stop devices (46) with damper elements (47) outside of the lower lever (43) located in the pin holding position, so that for a given displacement position of the slide (48) each lower lever (43) bears against a stop device (46) when the lower levers (43) are in the pin holding position so that each slide has two grooves (s) running transversely to its longitudinal direction, each groove (s) lying on the same side next to a stop device and one position on the slide ( 48) and has a depth that the lower levers (43) can pivot from the pin-holding position into the pin-dispensing position at a predetermined displacement position of the slide (48) en (slide position 2), and that each slide (48) is coupled to the displacement device (49) and can be pushed by it from the slide position 1 into the slide position 2. 9. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 8, characterized in that the displacement device (48) works according to a magnetic principle of operation.

10. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 9, characterized in that each displacement device (48) is electrically connected to the control device (20) and is electrically controlled by this.

11. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 10, characterized in that each displacement device (20) has sensors which receives the position of the slide (48) and reports to the control device (20).

12. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanical device (23) of the first receptacles (12) comprises a pin holding mechanism (31), that the holding mechanism (31) through openings in the first receptacles (12th ) include two displaceable gripping jaws (32) which are pretensioned into a position projecting into the first receptacle (12) such that the holding mechanism (31) continues to be attached to the gripping jaws (32), extends horizontally and is pretensioned in an initial position ) and vertical, through the slider pins (37) extending therethrough and prestressed into a lowermost position, the pins (37) holding the slides (35) in a position in an almost relaxed state by means of a positive connection of the pin (37) and slider (35) so that the gripping jaws (32) do not protrude into the first or second receptacle (12, 14) that the holding mechanism (31) for releasing pins (8) is actuated downwards by raising the pins (37), the slides (35) being at a raised position of the pins (37) under the force of gravity of the pins (8) move sufficiently far outwards and let the pins (8) fall down, and that the pins (37) automatically relax in an almost non-actuated state Move the position so that the positive connection between the pin (37) and the slide (35) is released and the slide (35) moves inwards into its pretensioned initial position.

13. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one of claims 1 or 12, characterized in that the mechanical device (23) of the second receptacles (14) comprises a pin holding mechanism (31) that the holding mechanism (31) through openings in the second receptacles (14) includes two displaceable gripping jaws (32) which are biased into a position protruding into the second receptacle (14) that the holding mechanism (31) continues to be attached to the gripping jaws (32), runs horizontally and is biased into an initial position Slider (35) and vertical, through the slider pins (37) extending therethrough and preloaded into a lowermost position, the pins (37) holding the slides (35) in a position in an almost relaxed state by means of a positive connection of the pin (37) and slider (35) so that the gripping jaws (32) do not protrude into the second receptacle (14) that the holding mechanism (31) for releasing pins (8) is actuated downwards by raising the pins (37), the slider (35) being in a raised position Move the pins (37) sufficiently far outwards under the force of gravity of the pins (8) and let the pins (8) fall down, and and that the pins (37) automatically move into an almost relaxed position in the non-actuated state, so that the positive connection between the pin (37) and slide (35) is released and the slide (35) moves inwards into its pretensioned initial position.

14. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the setting unit (15) can be moved up and down by a guide device (28) relative to the fairway.

15. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the guide device (28) comprises a motor (22), guide rails and a cable pulling device.

16. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a gripper device (16) is mounted vertically displaceably relative to the settling unit (15) below the settling unit (15) via vertically extending guides (29).

17. Automatic pin or cone erection machine according to claim 16, characterized in that the gripper device (15) on a gripper plane (63) contains gripper units, the arrangement and number of which corresponds to the basic pin layout according to the rules of the game, the gripper units being a base plate (61 ), a control plate (65) and two symmetrically arranged arm holders (69), each with an attached gripper arm (51), which are connected to one another by a swivel joint (67) fixed on the gripper plane (63) for executing opening and closing movements, that the base plate (61) contains an opening (70a) through which the swivel joint (67) runs and straight lines (79) into which pins (78) projecting from the gripper plane (63) for translational guidance of the base plate (61) protrude on the gripper plane (63) so that the control plate (65) has a pin (66) which fits into a circularly curved cam track (72) introduced into the base plate (61) ) protrudes so that the control plate can be rotated relative to the base plate (61) in a region predetermined by the cam track (72), and is carried in its translational movement by the base plate (61) in any position rotated relative to the base plate (61), that the control plate (65) also contains paired cam tracks (71), into each of which a pin of the arm holder (69) protrudes, so that the arm holder (69) with the gripping arms (51) by a relative movement between the control plate (65) and the arm holders (69) perform opening and closing movements in each rotational position of the control plate (65) relative to the base plate (61), and that the base plate (61) can be actuated via Bowden cable devices (52).

18. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claim 17, characterized in that each gripper arm (51) via a swivel joint (53) is attached to an arm holder (69), which allows pivoting movements of the gripper arms (51) to a predetermined extent electrical contact points are attached to the gripper plane (63) in the vicinity of the free ends of the gripper arms (51), so that a sensor sensor (76) is attached to the free end of the gripper arm (51) and is unloaded by a pin (8) The gripper arms (51) are located at a predetermined height above the gripper plane (63) and which, under the action of the force of gravity of a gripped pin (8), closes an electrical circuit by touching the associated contact point in order to grasp a pin (8) by two gripper arms ( 51) to the control device (20). 19. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 17 and 18, characterized in that each base plate (61) is actuated via a push rod (54).

19. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 17 or 18, characterized in that a plurality of base plates (61) are actuated via a push rod (54).

21. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to claims 17 and 18, characterized in that each base plate (61) can be actuated via a Bowden cable (52).

22. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the loading device comprises a conveyor chute (11) which is coupled to a pivoting device (5) attached to the vertical conveyor (9), the pivoting device (5th ) is designed such that the conveyor chute (11) can be pivoted about a vertical axis, that the pivoting position of the conveyor chute (11) can be adjusted by a motor, and that the pivoting position of the conveyor chute (11) can be set by the control device (20).

23. Automatic pin or cone setting machine according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the control device (20) receives instructions from the user and transmits them in the form that the entire system carries out these instructions, the instructions comprising pin arrangements to be set up before a throw, and in that the control device (20) the movement and position of the turntable (13) and the conveyor chute (11) synchronized by control signals ..