US3037299A - Bowler trainer device - Google Patents

Description

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 14, 1960 INVENTOR.

77/001195 A. 7'A-LFOR0 A T'TOR/VIY June 5, 1962 T. L. TELFORD 3,037,299

BOWLER TRAINER DEVICE Filed NOV. 14, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

THOMAS 4. 7z-4F0R0 June 5, 1962 T. TELFORD 3,037,299

BOWLER TRAINER DEVICE Filed NOV. 14, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

THQMAS, 7 FRa' ZWMM.

A rroe/v'r United States Patent fifice 3,037,299 BOWLER TRAINER DEVICE Thomas L. Telford, 1024 E. Fifth St., Royal Oak, Mich. Filed Nov. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 68,807 Claims. (Cl. 3529) This invention relates to practice devices for bowling a bowling ball.

Bowlers have practiced heretofore to perfect their bowling techniques, strengthen their bowling muscles, correct their faults, and acquire additional action on the ball, however, the several methods of the prior art entail the use of a bowling alley and same has not proven entirely satisfactory for practice inasmuch as they are not always available, are expensive to use, and do not give proximate visual indication of the action of the bowling ball.

With the foregoing in view, the primary object of the invention is to provide a practice device for bowling a bowling ball which is simple in design and construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use, easy to construct, readily available at home or bowling establishment, and which provides proximate visual observation of ball action.

An object of the invention is to provide support means for lineally sliding a bowling ball so that the bowler can move the ball lineally such as in bowling.

An object of the invention is to provide transverse rotational support means for a bowling ball so that the bowler can impart a spin to the ball in practice similarly as in bowling.

An object of the invention is to provide swivel means on a vertical axis in the bowling ball support so that the bowling ball can turn thereabout such as in bowling.

An object of the invention is to provide a bowling practice device which is relatively small so that the bowler can practice bowling in a small area of a bowling establishment or at home.

An object of the invention is to provide a bowling practice device which is portable so that it can be moved from place to place with facility.

An object of the invention is to provide means by which a bowlers personal ball can be mounted and dismounted easily in the practice device without modification of the ball.

An object of the invention is to support the bowling ball above the floor so that when the bowler bowls the ball on the device the influence he 'gives the ball is readily discernible as the ball is free to rotate without floor contact thereby giving the bowler visual observa device with the slide broken away indicating fore-shortening in length.

FIG. 2 is a top-plan view of the device seen in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end-elevational view of the device seen in FIG. 1 showing the slide area in cross section.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing the slide as a depressed floor channel.

FIG. 5 is a slide elevational view of another embodiment of the device showing the carriage partly in cross section.

FIG. 6 is a top-plan view of the device seen in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end-elevational view of the device taken on the line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged-fragmentary view of one end of the carriage showing the rotary head advancing and locking means.

FIG. 9 is a side-elevational view of another embodiment in the invention.

FIG. 10 is a top-plan view of the device seen in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is an end-elevational view of the device seen in FIGS. 9 and 10; and

FIG. 12 is an enlarged view of the ball mounting, partly in cross section, showing the slide and bearing arrangement.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, the bowling practice devices disclosed therein to illustrate the invention comprise a guide slide 10 lineally movably supporting the carriage 11 which pivotally supports the yokes 12 via the swivel bearing 13 with the yoke 12 supporting opposed paired rotary heads 14' and 15, which in turn, support the bowling ball 16 for rotational movement about the axis of the heads, swivel movement about the vertical axis of the bearing 13, and lineal movement with the carriage 11 along the slide 10.

More particularly, the slide 10 may be integrated with a base 20 and side rails 21 or the slide may be embodied as a depressed channel 22 in the floor 23 as seen in FIG. 4. The carriage 11 has a body 25 and wheels 26 for movably supporting the carriage 11 on the slide 10. The swivel bearing 13 has one portion 27 mounted on the carriage body 25 and the other half mounted on the yoke web 28 and the paired arms 29 and 30 support the rotatable heads 14 and 15 in face opposed relationship with the one rotatable head 14 having a threaded bolt support 41 threaded in the arm 29 of the yoke 12 so as to be advanceable and retractable relative to the ball 16 for mounting and dismounting the ball between the heads.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGS. 5 through 8, the slide comprises lineal slide bars 40 and 41 upon which sleeve bearings 42and 43 are disposed respectively and which, in turn, support the end plates 44 and 45 of the carriage 46 and the end plates carry the opposed rotationally disposed heads 15 and 14 for supporting the ball 16 therebetween for easy insertion and removal and it will be observed, FIG. 8, that by tightening and loosening the clamping screw 47 that the threaded bolt 31 th'erethrough can be locked in position supporting the ball 16 so that rotational movement thereof will not influence either tightening and loosening of the heads.

Referring now to the device seen in FIGS. 9 through 12, the slide 50 is supported on the vertical plates 51 and 52 which art attached to the base plate 53; lineal bearings 54 and 55 disposed around the slide 50 and transverse rotational bearings '56 and 57 are mounted on the lineal bearings 54 and 55 respectively, and the ball 58 is mounted on the rotational bearings 56 and 57 so that the ball 58 is endwise movable with the lineal bearings 54 and 55 and transversely rotationally disposed on the rotational bearings 56 and 57.

It will be noted that the devices seen in FIGS. 1 and 9 are portably displayed while the device of FIG. 5 is shown anchored to the floor with the brackets 48 and 49 supporting the slide bars 40 and 41 at the desired height.

In operation, the user mounts the ball of his selection, such as his personal ball, between the rotational heads 14 and 15 and the device is ready for use in practice bowling. In the device of FIGS. 9 through 12 the ball 58 is permanently mounted so that it is unnecessary to insert or attach the ball.

In operation, the bowler inserts his fingers in the ball and then moves the ball to the rear position and then brings his hand forward as in bowling and releases the ball as in bowling whereupon the ball is carried forward Patented June 5, 1962 lineally on the carriage 11 rolling on the slide and any rotational influence given the ball by the bowler will cause the ball to rotate on the rotatable heads 14 and 15 and to swivel about the vertical axis of the swivel bearing 13 and, due to the fact that the ball is not in contact with the floor, the rotational influences and lineal influences given the ball by the bowler will maintain themselves for a period of visual operation and study so that the bowler can determine what action he is putting on the ball Whereas in bowling a ball on an alley the ball goes down the alley away from the bowler and its ball action is diminished and out of observation due to alley contact.

It will be noted that in the devices of FIGS. 5 and 9 that the swivel portion about the vertical axis is deleted but since the lineal motion in conjunction with the transverse rotational motion is essential in bowling, the devices of FIGS. 5 and 9 are highly useful and they provide a practice and observation advantages of the invention as the bowler can readily lineally move the ball and rotationally influence the ball as desired and same will maintain itself for a period of time for observation at the location of the device.

Due to the fact that the average bowler does not really know how much action he has imparted to the ball from a visual standpoint, the device readily advises the bowler as to his ball influencing rotation and the device provides practice means with a minimum of space.

Although but a single embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail it is obvious that many changes may be made in the size, shape, detail, and arrangement of the various elements of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A bowling practice device for providing a bowler with facilities for gripping, moving and releasing a bowling ball substantially the same as in bowling a ball on an alley and which provides visual indication of the rotational influences imparted to the ball by the bowler in bowling for study, analysis, correction, and practice comprising a slide, a carriage lineally movable along said slide, a yoke having a web portion and paired opposed upwardly extending arms, swivel means pivotally supporting said yoke web about a vertical axis on said carriage, paired opposed rotatably supported ball supporting heads on said yoke arms adapted to support a bowling ball for rotational movement therebetween in a horizontal plane; said slide, carriage, swivel means, and heads being capable of supporting a bowling ball above the floor for compound lineal movement, rotational movement about a vertical axis, and rotational movement in a horizontal plane giving the user practice facility and proximate visual indication of ball action for study, analysis, correction, and development.

2. A bowling practice device for providing a bowler with facilities for gripping, moving and releasing a bowling ball substantially the same as in bowling a ball on an alley and which provides visual indication of the rotational influences imparted to the ball by the bowler in bowling for study, analysis, correction, and practice comprising paired slides, means supporting said slides, a carriage lineally slidably supported on said slides, and paired opposed ball gripping and supporting heads transversely rotationally supported on said carriage for lineal movement therewith; said heads being adapted to rotatably support a bowling ball therebetween; said slides, carriage, and heads being capable of supporting a bowling ball for compound lineal movement and transverse rotational spin as in bowling giving the user practice facility and All) 4- proximate visual indication of ball action for study, analysis, correction, and development.

3. A bowling practice device for providing a bowler with facilities for gripping, moving and releasing a bowl ing ball substantially the same as in bowling a ball on an alley and which provides visual indication of the rotational influence imparted to the ball by the bowler in the bowling for study, analysis, correction, and practice comprising a slide, means supporting said slide, a first lineal bearing endwise slidably disposed on said slide for endwise slidably supporting a bowling ball on said slide, a second bearing transversely rotationally disposed around said first bearing for rotationally supporting bowling ball on said slide, and a bowling ball disposed on said second bearing; said slide and said bearings supporting said bowling ball for compound lineal movement and rotational spin as in bowling giving the user practice and proximate visual indication of ball action for study, analysis, correction, and development.

4. A bowling practice device for providing a bowler with practice means for gripping, moving, and releasing a bowling ball similarly to bowling a ball on a bowling alley and which provides practice facilities without using a bowling alley and proximate visual indication of rotational influences imparted to a bowling ball in bowling comprising rotational ball supporting means adapted to rotationally support a bowling ball on a horizontal axis for rotational movement, lineal movement means supporting said rotational ball supporting means for lineal movement therewith; said rotational and lineal movement means being adapted to support a bowling ball for compound lineal and rotational movement as in bowling giving the user facilities for practice and proximate visual observation of ball action and swivel means interposed between said rotational movement ball supporting means and said lineal movement supporting means pivotally supporting said rotational movement means on said lineal movement means.

5. A bowling practice device for providing a bowler with practice means for gripping, moving, and releasing a bowling ball similarly to bowling a ball on a bowling alley and which provides practice facilities without using a bowling alley and proximate visual indication of rotational influences imparted to a bowling ball in bowling comprising a horizontal rod having a longitudinal axis constituting the bowling ball lineal path, rotational ball supporting means on said rod adapted to angularly rotationally support a bowling ball on said rod longitudinal axis for angular rotational movement about said rod transverse to the bowling ball path; lineal movement means on said rod for movement along said rod longitudinal axis supporting said rotational ball supporting means for lineal movement along said rod therewith; said rotational and lineal movement means being adapted to support a bowling ball for compound lineal movement along said rod longitudinal axis and rotational movement angularly about said rod longitudinal axis, and a ball on said means giving the user facilities for practice and proximate visual observation of ball action; said ball having finger holes for gripping said ball and visual indicia for indicating angular rotation of said ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 973,799 McKinley Oct. 25, 1910 1,625,676 Pajeau Apr. 19, 1927 2,499,470 Duncan Mar. 7, 1950

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