US2019607A - Automatic ball return for bowling alleys - Google Patents

Description

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Filed June 14, 1933 E. HEDENSKQQG AUTOMATIC BALL RETURN FOR lBOWLING ALLEYS v v 2 'sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 5, 1935 UNITED STATES AUTOMATIC BALL RETURN FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Ernest Hedenskoog, Muskegon, Mich., assigner to The Brunswick-Balke-Collender Company, lChicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application June 14, 1933, Serial No. 675,676

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved automatic ball return for bowling alleys, and this application constitutes a continuation in part of application for patent on Automatic outside bowling alley, Serial No. 514,808 filed February 10, 1931.

An important object of this invention is to provide a means for automatically returning a bowling ball to the player along an inclined runway, after the ball has been used and has rolled into the pit of the bowling alley.

Another important object of the invention is to provide automatic equipment for use in conjunction with the automatic bowling alley described in the aforesaid pending application which shall act to return all balls to the player no matter how often or how many balls are rolled, and without any attention whatsoever on the part of the player.

Still another important object of the invention is the provision of a combination of arms and levers whereby an impeller for raising the ball to the top of the inclined runway is continuously operated and in such a manner that it will automatically engage the rear face of a ball whenever a ball appears on the rails for return purposes.

Other and further important objects of the invention will be apparent from the disclosures in the accompanying drawings and following specication.

The invention, in a preferred form, is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings- Figure l is a side elevation of the improved automatic ball return of this invention, showing particularly the operating means, the links and levers.and the operation of the impelling arm in dotted lines.

Figure 2 is a. plan view of the rail structure 1 upon which the balls roll to the impeller.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the apparatus, showing the alley bed, the return rails for the balls, and the automatically operated ball impeller.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of the bell crank and associated mechanism for the ball impeller arm.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the guard for the balls on the returnway.

As shown in the drawings- The reference numeral Ill indicates generally the framework of the improved automatic ball return of this invention, the framework comprising essentially a pair of side elements which enclose a pit for the reception of balls which are directed at the pins in the alley. The pit includes a. runway I2 which passes out through 'an opening I4 in the side member I0 and upon which balls I6 are adapted to roll, the rails I2 being slightly inclined outwardly so that the balls 5 will naturally assume theposition shown in Figure 1.

The construction and operation of the bowling alley is fully described -and set forth in the copending application hereinabove mentioned and 10 will accordingly notI be described in detail here.

The automatic pin setting device is driven by a motor I8 which also continuously Aoperates a crank 20, to the outer end of which crank is pivotally attacheda link 22, the lower end of this 15 link being in turn mounted on a plate 24 in the shape of a bell crank lever, as shown. This bell crank lever is pivotally mounted on the frame of the machine at 26.

Pivotally mounted to the other arm of the bell 20 crank lever, at 28, is the upper end of a ball impeller 30, and a stop in the form of a socket or the like 32 is formed integral with the plate 24 at a point back of the ball impeller, as shown in Figures 1 and 4, whereby movement of the bell crank 25 lever about its pivot 26 will cause a corresponding upward motion of the ball impeller 30 into the position shown in the dotted lines in Figure l.

A stop 3i in the form of a projecting pin or the like is fixed on the framework I0 so as to 30 limit the backward motion of the ball impeller 30, and a slot 3l is provided in this element for the working reception of the pin 28.

Whenever a ball I6 is deposited on the runway I2, the inclination of the runway will cause the ball to pass out through the opening I4, at which point the runway curves at a right angle and continues in the form of an upwardly inclined returnway 36. This returnway is curved to correspond to the arc of movement of the end of 40 the ball impeller 30.

The ball impeller 30 is continuously moved from the position shown in the full lines, to the dotted line position and back again and whenever a ball appears just outside the opening Il 45 the lower end of the impeller will contact the ball, which will then accordingly be propelled up the returnway 36 and delivered at the top thereof, as best shown at 38 in Figure 1, from which point it is allowed to roll by gravity down a continu- 50 ation 40 of the returnway, the height of the top of the runway being such that a ball delivered vthereto will acquire suflcient momentumto insure its delivery at the players end of the alley.

A guard 42 is provided to insure againstl a ball 55 leaving the returnway 36 under the original propelling action of the impeller 30A. The plane of movement of the arm 30 is outside the end of the guard 42, as shown in Figure 3.

It will be evident that herein is provided an automatic ball return for bowling alleys which is simple in construction, eiective in operation and not at all likely to get out of order. Furthermore, the device is adequately equipped to handle any number of balls which may be used in play of this sort, without complicating the delivery thereof or embarrassing or annoying the players in any Way.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details y of construction varied throughout a wide range, without departing from the principles of this invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention- 1. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising a curved returnway, a pivoted arm movable over the returnway and comprising a radius of the curve,l means for delivering a ball to the lower end of the returnway, and continuously rotated means for moving the arm over and behind the ball and thence upwardly to the upper portion of the returnway.

2. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising va curved returnway, a pivoted arm movable over the returnway and comprising a radius of the curve, means for delivering a ball to the lower end of the returnway, and means for moving the arm over and behind any ball on the lower end of the returnway and thence upwardly to the upper portion of the returnway, said armmoving means comprising a pair of levers, one operating as a crank and the other slidable upon the said arm.

3. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising a curved returnway, a pivoted arm movable over the returnway and comprising a radius of the curve, means for delivering a ball to the lower end of the returnway, and means for moving the arm over the ball and thence upward- ,ly to the upper portion of the returnway, said armmoving means comprising a pair of levers, one operating as a crank and the other slidable upon the said arm, and continuously rotatable means for operating the crank arm.

4. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, including a pair of return rails in the bowling alley pit, an inclined returnway, to which the rails deliver the balls, and means associated with the returnway for impelling the balls upwardly thereover and delivering the same to the top thereof, said means comprising a motor driven crank, a pivoted bell crank arm, a link connecting the crank of the bell crank arm and the impeller positioned on the bell crank arm with its lower end adjacent the curved returnway.

5. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, including a pair of return rails in the bowling alley pit, an inclined returnway, to which the rails deliver the balls, and means associated with the returnway for impelling the balls upwardly thereover and delivering the same to the top thereof, said means comprising a motor driven crank, a pivoted bell crank arm, a slotted link connecting the crank of the bell crank arm and the impeller positioned on the bell crank arm with its lower end adjacent the curved returnway, and means on the bell crank arm for contacting the impeller and moving the end of the sa/me from the bottom to the top of the returnway upon shifting of the bell crank lever about its pivot.

6. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising an inclined returnway outside the alley, and means continuously movable up and down the returnway for impelling the balls upwardly thereover upon the delivery of any balls to theV arm is mounted, and means for rotating the bell crank lever about its pivot.

'7. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising an inclined returnway, and means continuously movable up and down the returnway for impelling the balls upwardly thereover upon the delivery of any balls to the returnway, said means comprising an impeller arm above the returnway, a pivoted bell crank lever upon which said impeller arm is mounted, means for rotating the bell crank lever about its pivot, and stop means on the bell crank lever for forcing the impeller into upward movement upon corresponding downward movement of the corresponding part of the bell crank lever.

8. An automatic ball return for bowling alleys, comprising an inclined returnway and means continuously movable up and down the returnway for impelling the balls upwardly thereover upon the delivery of any balls to the returnway, said means comprising an impeller arm, a pivoted bell crank lever upon which said impeller arm is mounted, means for rotating the bell crank lever about itsvpivot, and stop means on the bell crank lever for forcing the impeller into upward movement upon corresponding downward movement of the corresponding part of the bell crank lever, and a further stop means associated with the free end of the impeller arm for preventing swinging thereof at the end of its downward travel.

ERNEST HEDENSKOOG.

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