GB999120A - Practice device for automatic pin spotters - Google Patents

Abstract

999,120. Bowling alleys. AMERICAN MACHINE & FOUNDRY CO. March 29, 1962 [March 29, 1961], No. 12155/62. Heading A6D. In a bowling alley comprising pin-spotting mechanism for setting the pins on the pin deck at the beginning of a frame, a sweeper for clearing dead pins from the deck after the first ball has been bowled, and re-spotting mechanism for resetting the remaining pins in readiness for the second ball of the frame, means are provided for rendering parts of the re-spotting mechanism inoperative, thereby enabling a player to set up a selected combination of pins for practice purposes. Each of the re-spotting devices 20 of the alley comprise a bracket 24 keyed to a shaft 26 mounted in the table T of the spotting and re-spotting mechanism, and bolted to a complementary bracket 25 supporting a pin spotter 21 (not shown in full). The bracket 24 is formed with two, spaced parallel extensions 30, to the outer faces of which are secured trackways 32 for rollers 34 mounted at the upper end of a framework 38. This latter framework in turn comprises two diverging trackways 40 for rollers 42 mounted one on each of two gripping jaws 57. Jaws 57 also support rollers 48 slidable along trackways 50 secured one to each side of a plate 54. Both the plate 54 and the jaws 57 are lined with a resilient material such as sponge rubber. On lowering the table T, the plate 54 comes into contact with a pin head, and on further downward movement of the table, the plate 54 and track 50 are raised relative to the tracks 40, the latter thereby exerting a camming action on the rollers 48 to close the jaws 57. The upward movement of the plate 54 relative to the frame 38 is controlled by links 64, 66 pivoted at one end to a V-sectioned, vertical flange 62 mounted on the plate, and at the other to the extensions 30 of bracket 24. In order to hold the jaws 57 closed as the table is raised, a cam 86 mounted on a vertical flange 84 of the plate 54 normally engages behind a projection 70 formed in a metal strip 68 secured to the bracket 24 when the plate 54 moves upwards relative to the table T, the cam 86 being moved into this locking position by a trigger member 80 pivotally mounted between lugs 78 formed on said metal strip 68 and normally held in its operative position by a spring 82. Thus the jaws continue to grip the relevant pin when the table T is raised, and when the latter is subsequently lowered, continued downward movement of the table after the butt end of the pin engages the deck releases the cam 86 from the projection 70 and on raising the table once more the plate 54 and track 50 drop relative to the tracks 40, whereupon the jaws 57 open to release the pin. In order to render the above re-spotting mechanism inoperative when desired, a solenoid 96, mounted on the flange 62 of the frame 54, is energized to move a bar 108 into a position whereby as the plate 54 rises relative to the table T, it moves the trigger member 80 out of alignment with the cam 86 and therefore'prevents operation of the locking mechanism of the re-spotting device. Thus the pin registering with the re-spotting device remains on the deck when the table T is raised, and will be cleared from the pin deck by the subsequent action of the sweeper. Therefore, having first set the pins on the deck by means of pin-spotters 21, selective energization of the solenoids incorporated in the various re-spotting mechanisms 20 of the alley enables a player to select any desired combination of pins for the purpose of bowling practice. The circuitry containing the several solenoids 96 is auxiliary to the main circuit controlling the operation of the various parts of the bowling alley, and may be switched into the latter at will. Two alternative auxiliary circuits are described, in one of which the solenoids are each energized by a respective relay upon actuation of a control button, the relays simultaneously controlling the illumination of signal lights both on a control panel and on an indicator above the pin deck. In the second alternative the solenoids are all automatically energized when the auxiliary circuit is switched into the main circuit, and the control buttons serve to de-energize the solenoids and render the corresponding pin re-spotters active. The relays are adapted to be held in until the auxiliary circuitry is switched out of the main circuit, so that a certain combination of pins may be repeatedly re-spotted on the pin deck.