Bowling pin cable adjustment arrangement

In a bowling pin positioning apparatus having a plurality of bowling pins (1), including individual cable means (2) secured to the heads of the pins for suspending the pins,

• a bowling pin cable adjustment arrangement having
• a support frame (4);
• individual cable storage drums (6), each having a predetermined length of cable wound thereon in at least a portion of one storage loop;
• a plurality of rocker plate elements (9) pivotably mounted on the support frame (4);
• resilient biassing means (8) holding said rocker plate elements in predetermined position on the frame;
• a ratchet (22,28) preventing rotation of the storage drums in a direction (D) of feeding cable from the storage drum to the respective pin;
• controllable ratchet release means (10) positionable for engagement with the ratchet latch (28) upon deflection of the rocker plate element (9) and hence of the ratchet counter the resilient biassing means (8) to then permit release of cable from the storage drum;
• means (5, 16, 13, 17, 18, 19) in engagement with the cable means (2) and selectively controlling the length of cable between the frame and the pins to thereby position the pins on the floor of a bowling alley, or at an elevated position thereabove;
• means (12) positioned a predetermined distance above the floor of the bowling alley, and engageable with the heads of the pins (1) to provide a top fixed position of the pins;
• cable tensioning means (50,51,52) engageable with the respective storage drums (6) and selectively movable to move the storage drums in a direction (G') to tighten the cables thereabout, engagement of the pins with the stop means (12) causing tension to be applied on the cables (2) tending to overcome the tension of the resilient biassing means (8) and permitting deflection of the rocker plate element (9) to pivot from said predetermined position and permit rotation of the storage drum (6) counter the direction of rotation applied thereto by said cable tensioning means and pay-out of just so much cable from the storage drum as necessary to cover the distance from the storage drum to the head of the pin (2) in engagement with the head engagement means (12) upon return of the rocker plate element to said predetermined position, and reengagement of said ratchet (22,28).