US3106396A

US3106396A - Bowling ball storage and retarding device

Info

Publication number: US3106396A
Application number: US819036A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Holloway; Henry C Congelli
Original assignee: AMF Inc
Current assignee: AMF Inc
Priority date: 1959-06-09
Filing date: 1959-06-09
Publication date: 1963-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1980-10-08

Description

Oct. 8, 1963 R. 1.. HOLLOWAY ETAL 3,106,396

BOWLING BALL STORAGE AND RETARDING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 MI I- l .WL 1. R0 Y R w mw M B U Nmw R mHc 0 1 T. Rm h .I am ||||l||| b %H IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIQII\!\\\\ FIG.

Oct. 8, 1963 HOLLOWAY ETAL 3,106,396

' BOWLING BALL STORAGE AND RETARDING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1959 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. HOLLOWAY BY HENRY O. CONGELLI ATTORNEY.

Oct. 8, 1963 R. L. HOLLOWAY ETAL 3,106,396

BOWLING BALL STORAGE AND RETARDING DEVICE Filed June 9, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 m v ROBERT L. HOLLOWAY y HENRY c. CONGELLI A TTORNE X United States Patent 3,106,396 BOWLING BALL STORAGE AND RETARDING DEVICE Robert L. Holloway, Snyder, N.Y., and Henry C. Congelli, Stamford, Conn., assignors to American Machine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New Jersey Filed June 9, 1959, Ser. No. 819,636 Claims. (Cl. 273-47) This invention relates to bowling apparatus and more particularly to an improved bowling ball storage and retarding device operative to reduce the momentum of bowling balls moving along a return runway and store the retarded balls in succession in a closed configuration substantially transverse to their path of travel on the runway.

Bowling ball retarding devices heretofore generally available utilized complex hydraulic, friction or other energy absorbing members resulting in a ball retarding device that was costly to construct and maintain. Further, a slowly moving ball was very often unable to operate the ball retarding mechanism and move to a final position of rest. Likewise, rapidly moving balls were not always sufficiently'slowed for safe deposit onto the ball storage rack.

The present invention is characterized by the provision of a bowling ball retarding device which is of simple construction, free acting, and one which operates satisfactorily regardless of the momentum of the balls to be retarded.

In the preferred embodiment, the invention includes a ball engaging member positioned in the path of travel of balls along a ball return runway. The ball engaging member is mounted on spaced supports which are in turn mounted on a resilient energy-absorbing member. Balls rolling along a return runway contact the ball engaging member, moving the ball engaging member backwardly. The energy imparted to the ball-engaging member by the bowling ball is dissipated by the resilient member. Balls, thus engaged, are deposited onto a deflector member which directs them onto a storage rack.

The invention is further characterized by the provision of a novel ball storage rack having storing elements forming a closed runway substantially at right angles to the path of travel of bowling balls moving along the ball return track and operative to store bowling balls delivered thereto in continuous succession. Balls retarded by the ball engaging member is deposited in succession onto a storage rack for storage therearound.

It is an object of this invention to provide a novel ball check for use with a bowling alley ball return.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel bowling ball check for a ball return runway employing a ball engaging member operatively connected to an energy absorbing device.

The invention is further characterized by the provision of a novel free acting bowling ball check which is operative under all conditions of operation despite the variations in the momentum of balls checked thereby.

'It is another object of this invention to provide a bowling ball retarding and storing device having a ball engaging member positioned in the path of travel of a ball along a bowling alley return runway, energy absorbing means connected to the member and means for directing balls away from the ball engaging member and onto a storage device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel ball storage rack operative to store bowling balls delivered thereto in continuous succession in a closed runway substantially transverse to their direction of movement along a ball return track.

"ice

A further object of this invention is to provide, in combination, a bowling ball retarding and storing device having a ball engaging member positioned in the path of travel of a ball moving along a bowling alley return runway, energy absorbing means connected to the member, a deflector member for directing balls engaged by the ball engaging member away therefrom and a ball storage rack operative to receive balis directed by the deflector member and store them in continuous succession in a closed runway substantially at right angles to their path of travel along the return runway.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain combinations and constructions which will be described fully herein.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a ball return provided with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the ball return illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the protective hood removed.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the ball return illustrated in FIGURE 1 with the protective hood removed.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4-4, FIGURE 2.

The ball storage and retarding device made in accordance with the invention may be used on any type of bowling alley ball return as long as it can be mounted so that its ball engaging member is located in the path of travel of a ball rolling onto the ball delivery section of a ball return on which it is installed.

Referring specifically to FIGURE 1 there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention operatively associated with the delivery end of a ball return track T of a suitable ball return runway R. The invention comprises a ball engaging member 1t preferably of resilient impact absorbing material such as foam rubber, leather, cotton padding, or the like, having a relatively low coefilcient of friction. Member 10 is attached as by bolts 12 to the upper end of two spaced upright, generally L- shaped supports, 14, which mount member 10 in the pathof and transverse to a ball B rolling along tracks T. Supports 14 are provided with downwardly inclined sections 13 adjacent their upper ends as shown best in FIG- URE 2. Inclined sections 13 are provided so that balls B rolling along tracks T and engaged by member are deflected downwardly for reasons described in detail hereinbelow.

Supports 14 are secured at their lower ends as by bolts 16 to shock or impact absorbing mounts 18. (See FIG- URE 4.) Mounts 18 comprise spaced

plates

20 and 22 separated by a resilient impact-absorbing block 24. Block 24 is preferably of rubber, but other suitable plastic or resilient impact-absorbing material may be substituted.

Plates

20 and 22 are secured as by adhesive bonding to block 24 as shown in FIGURE 4. Mount 18 is further provided with an outer bracket 26 having peripheral lip or rim proportions 28. Bracket 26 is positioned adjacent the edges of resilient block 24 and extends along one side thereof remote from plate '20, as shown in FIGURE 4. Bracket 26 may be adhesively bonded to block 24, or block 24 may be freely retained therein by means of rim portions 28. Mount 18 is in turn secured as by bolts 30 through bracket 26 to vertical supports 32. The invention further includes a ball storage member, designated generally S, installed on the floor of a bowling establishment and preferably at the rear of the bowling alley approach. Storage member S is preferably described as a generally closed configuration; such as a rectangle or ellipse (see FIGURE 3) and is positioned below the delivery end of runway R (FIGURE 2). Storage member S comprises a substantially horizontal storage support plate 34 provided with storage rails 36 formed or suitably attached on plate 34 and describing a generally rectangular or elliptical configuration. Plate 34 in turn is mounted on

vertical supports

32, 38 and 39 supported on the floor of the bowling establishment, To furnish a finished appearance, storage member S is provided with an outer masking member 46. Further, plate 34 is provided with a central aperture 35 (FIGURE 3) through which projects supports 14' and member It into operative ball-engaging position. In addition, member S is provided with shelves 41 for storage of balls not in play.

In operation, a ball B rolling along tracks T, is discharged from discharge station or terminal point D thereof into a ball receiving station E having a ball guide such as spaced tracks which extend, as shown in the drawings from within an enclosing hood H around the top of ball storage member S. Hood H is of substantially rectangular cross-section, but preferably has four closed sides, an open side facing runway R through which balls roll from discharge station D and an opening 44- through which balls roll along tracks 3d into storage space in storage member S.

Upon entering hood H, ball B strikes member 153 positioned in the path thereof at the rear of tracks 36 (FIG- URES 1, 2 and 3). Bowling balls rolling along tracks T are generally provided with an excess of momentum, which must be substantially completely dissipated before balls B can be safely conducted to ball storage member R. Therefore, when a ball B engages member 19, member 10 is urged backwardly thereby as indicated in broken lines in FIGURE 2. The Work performed by a ball in urging member 19 to this rearward position consumes substantially all the kinetic energy possessed by ball B as it is returned along tracks T.

Mount 18, is operative to absorb the impact imparted to member 10 and its supports 14 by a ball B checked thereby. As member 10 is moved to its rearward position, shown in broken lines in FIGURE 2, plates 2%) and 22 secured to the lower ends of members 14 are pivoted to the position shown in broken lines in FiGURE 2. However, brackets 26 attached to neither plates 26", 24 or supports 14, remain stationary, transmitting no motion, vibration or impact to storage member supports 32. The entire kinetic energy of a ball checked by member 19 is absorbed by the resilient blocks 24- which because of their resiliency deform under the impact and thereby absorb the vibration and shock transmitted thereto from member 1% through supports 14 and plates 29. It will be understood that if desired, supports 14 may be of resilient yieldable construction and formed of some impact-absorbing material; such as, rubber, spring steel, plastic or the like. nate the necessity of providing resilient blocks 24 since supports 14 could be rigidly secured at their lower ends to supports 32, the impact upon engagement of a ball with member It) being absorbed directly by supports A ball B is thus safely deposited by the inclined mounting of member 1i} downwardly onto deflector member 42. Member 42 is preferably wedge-shaped and operative to direct balls delivered thereto in one direction only and transverse to their direction of movement along tracks T. Balls B deflected by member 42 are urged out of hood H through opening 44 provided in one of the closed sides of hood H and onto rails 36 of storage member S.

Rails 36 preferably are mounted with a slight incline on plate 34 so that successive balls B deflected by deflector member 42 through opening 44 gravitate slowly around member S to a position adjacent the opposite side of hood H as shown best in FIGURE 1; hood 1%, member 10 and runway R being located substantially centrally with respect to storage member S.

Such an arrangement would elimi- Thus there is disclosed a simple, efiicient, and reliable ball retarding and storing device operative to engage balls returning along a ball return runway, and dissipate the kinetic energy contained therein, and also store such checked balls in succession in a substantially closed path of travel generally at right angles to their direction of travel on the runway.

What we claim is:

1. A bowling ball retarding device for a bowling alley ball return runway comprising a ball engaging member, spaced supports mounting said member transversely in the path of travel of a ball rolling forwardly along said runway, said member as thereby mounted having having its forwaa d ball-engaging surface inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to the supports and in the direction of ball travel, said supports extending downwardly from said member to beneath the level of said runway, energy absorbing devices operatively connected to said supports at the lower ends thereof and resiliently mounting the same for limited impact-absorbing movement of said member under the influence of a said ball rolling along said runway, the energy absorbed by said devices being effective to restore said member to a normal position following such impact thereby to effect deflection of the ball in a direction downward and rearward from its approaching direction of movement for delivery thereof from the runway to a ball storage means.

2. A device according to claim 1, including a device providing a substantially horizontal surface in front of and beneath the level of said member, the last-mentioned surface sloping downwardly toward one side of said runway to deliver balls to a storage rack at said one side.

3. A bowling ball retarding device for a bowling alley ball return runway comprising a ball engaging member, a supporting structure mounting said member transversely in the path of travel of a ball rolling forwardly along the runway and having a lower portion extending downwardly beneath the runway, a stationary structure associated with said lower portion of the member-supporting structure, and a resilient, energy-absorbing material connecting said lower portion -to said stationary structure and thereby yieldably mounting said member supporting structure for limited impact-absorbing movement under the influence of a ball striking said member, the energy a sorbed by said material being effective to restore said member to a normal position following such impact thereby to effect deflection of the ball in a direction downward and rearward from its approaching direction of movement for delivery thereof from the runway to a ball storage means.

4. A device according to claim 3, wherein said member is mounted with its forward ball-engaging surface inclined downwardly and rearwardly relative to the supports and in the direction of ball travel.

5. A device according to claim 3, including means in front of and below the level of said member for delivering a ball deflected thereby toward one side of the runway for delivery to a storage rack at said one side.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,597,072 Cowgill May 20, 1952 2,627,409 Breen Feb. 3, 1953 2,633,359 Hedenskoog Mar. 31, 1953 2,668,714 Huck Feb. 9, 1954 2,693,359 Anderson Nov. 2, 1954 2,788,972 Turner Apr. 16, 1957 2,937,024 Ernst May 17, 1960

Claims

3. A BOWLING BALL RETARDING DEVICE FOR A BOWLING ALLEY BALL RETURN RUNWAY COMPRISING A BALL ENGAGING MEMBER, A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE MOUNTING SAID MEMBER TRANSVERSELY IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL OF A BALL ROLLING FORWARDLY ALONG THE RUNWAY AND HAVING A LOWER PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY BENEATH THE RUNWAY, A STATIONARY STRUCTURE ASSOCIATED WITH SAID LOWER PORTION OF THE MEMBER-SUPPORTING STRUCTURE, AND A RESILIENT, ENERGY-ABSORBING MATERIAL CONNECTING SAID LOWER PORTION TO SAID STATIONARY STRUCTURE AND THEREBY YIELDABLY MOUNTING SAID MEMBER SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR LIMITED IMPACT-ABSORBING MOVEMENT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A BALL STRIKING SAID MEMBER, THE ENERGY ABSORBED BY SAID MATERIAL BEING EFFECTIVE TO RESTORE SAID MEMBER TO A NORMAL POSITION FOLLOWING SUCH IMPACT THEREBY TO EFFECT DEFLECTION OF THE BALL IN A DIRECTION DOWNWARD AND REARWARD FROM ITS APPROACHING DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT FOR DELIVERY THEREOF FROM THE RUNWAY TO A BALL STORAGE MEANS.