Bowling alley bumper system
OwnerBobby R. Beeneinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An improved bowling alley bumper system for selectively guarding against the throwing of gutter balls. An elongated guard is supported alongside the gutter and can be pivotally retracted or extended between a first position in which the gutter is exposed and unguarded and a second position in which gutter entry by a bowling ball is precluded by constructing the predominant portion of the system of prefabricated modular sections of relatively lightweight component parts, they can be longitudinally positioned end-to-end enabling significant cost savings to be realized for both fabrication and installation.
Claims9
In a bumper system for selectively guarding a gutter of a bowling alley in which said gutter is adjacent to said alley and extends from a ball delivery entrance location to a discharge exit location, said bumper system being operative when selectively set to prevent entry of a thrown ball delivery onto said alley from entering said gutter and including displaceable longitudinal bumper members collectively extending substantially the length of said gutter, support means secured to a support surface of said bowling alley alongside of the gutter for the substantial length thereof to support said bumper members for displacement between a first relation in which said gutter is exposed to permit entry of a ball delivered onto the alley and a second relation in which said gutter is guarded against entry of a ball delivered onto the alley;
- the improvement in which said support means is comprised of a plurality of individual sections collectively extending longitudinally end-to-end parallel and substantially the length of the gutter from said entrance location to said exit location with a significant number of said sections being comprised of a common modular unit each containing an elongated length of channel shaped support, a correlated length of bumper member and at least one mounting member pivotally securing said bumper member to said channel shaped support, wherein each of said channel shaped supports are adapted to be fastened to said alley support surface in said end-to-end arrangement.
In the method of fabricating components for a bumper system to selectively guard a gutter of a bowling alley against a thrown ball delivered onto said alley from entering said gutter, said gutter extending adjacent to said alley from a ball delivery entrance location to a distance exit location and said alley has a longitudinal support surface adjacent to said gutter and including displaceable longitudinal bumper members collectively extending substantially the length of said gutter, support means secured from about said support surface alongside of the gutter to support said bumper members for displacement between a first relation in which said gutter is exposed to permit entry of a ball delivered onto the alley and a second relation in which said gutter is to be guarded against entry of a ball delivered onto the alley;
- the improvement in which said support means is fabricated by the step of forming a plurality of individual sections which when installed collectively extend longitudinally in an end-to-end arrangement substantially the length of the gutter with a significant number of said sections being fabricated of a common modular unit, each of the modular of said units including the fabrication steps of provided an elongated length of channel shaped support, providing a correlated length of bumper member and providing at least one mounting member for pivotally securing said bumper member to said channel shaped support, wherein each of said channel shaped supports are adapted to be fastened to said alley support surface in said end-to-end arrangement.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.