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US 8,939,846 B2Granted
Self-contained, resettable bowling pin release
OwnerDavid Hudachinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bowling pin release mechanism, which is used to release bowling pins onto the lane for the first ball, which is pin cell independent. As such, aside from the vertical, reciprocating motion of the frame structure on which it is mounted, does not require additional mechanical or electromechanical mechanisms or components for pin release and reset operations. The resettable pin support and release mechanisms are contained within the pin cell.
Claims2
A self-contained, resettable release mechanism for a bowling pin having a top, a bottom, an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the bowling pin having a diameter tapering from a fattest portion downward to the bottom of the pin, the mechanism comprising:
- a) a frame, vertically movable from an upper position to a lower position above a lane surface;
- b) a first bowling pin support and a second bowling pin support for supporting a bowling pin,
- each bowling pin support being pivotally mounted to the frame on a pivot for pivotal motion from a pin support position wherein the bowling pin supports are horizontal and in contact with a stop tab, upward and outward to a release position in which the bowling pin supports are vertical;
- each bowling pin support having an inside edge with an approximately semi-circular cutout, the cutouts being beveled to conform to the slope of the lower portion of the bowling pin;
- each of the bowling pin supports having an inside edge, the inside edges facing each other when the bowling pin supports are in the pin support position, such that when the bowling pin supports are in the pin support position the cutouts form a generally circular hole having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fattest portion of the lower portion of the bowling pin;
- the pivots of the bowling pin supports being mounted sufficiently far apart such that when the bowling pin supports are in the release position, the bowling pin supports do not interfere with the released bowling pin;
- c) a bowling pin tube mounted above the bowling pin supports and centered such that when the first bowling pin support and the second bowling pin support are in the support position, the lower portion of a bowling pin in the bowling pin tube is supported in the circular hole formed by the semicircular cutouts of the bowling pin supports with the bottom of the pin extending downwardly from the frame;
- d) a first linkage assembly coupled at a first end to the first bowling pin support and a second linkage assembly coupled at a first end to the second bowling pin support, a second end of the first linkage assembly being coupled to a second end of the second link assembly by a release actuator extending below the frame;
- the release actuator and linkage assemblies being arranged such that when the frame is lowered to a lane surface, the release actuator contacts the lane surface, and upward movement of the release actuator moves the second ends of the first linkage assembly and the second linkage assembly to pivot the first bowling pin support and the second bowling pin support from the support position to the release position, and when the frame has reached a lowest position the bowling pin supports are at maximum outward rotation in the release position and do not interfere with the bowling pin;
- e) a reset lever having a first end inserted into a side of the bowling pin tube;
- and
- f) a reset linkage assembly coupled to the reset lever, the first linkage assembly and the second linkage assembly,
- such that when a bowling pin is inserted into the bowling pin tube, the fattest portion of the lower portion of the bowling pin contacts the first end of the reset lever, moving the reset lever to cause the first linkage assembly to move the first bowling pin support from the release position to the support position and the second linkage assembly to move the second bowling pin support from the release position to the support position, and the bowling pin slides downward through the bowling pin tube to be supported by the bowling pin supports.
10 more elements
A self-contained, resettable release mechanism for a bowling pin having a top, a bottom, an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion of the bowling pin having a diameter tapering from a fattest portion downward to the bottom of the pin, the mechanism comprising:
- a) a frame, vertically movable from an upper position to a lower position above a lane surface;
- b) a first bowling pin support and a second bowling pin support for supporting a bowling pin,
- each bowling pin support being pivotally mounted to the frame on a pivot for pivotal motion from a pin support position wherein the bowling pin supports are horizontal and in contact with a stop tab, upward and outward to a release position in which the bowling pin supports are vertical;
- each bowling pin support having an inside edge with an approximately semi-circular cutout, the cutouts being beveled to conform to the slope of the lower portion of the bowling pin;
- each of the bowling pin supports having an inside edge, the inside edges facing each other when the bowling pin supports are in the pin support position, such that when the bowling pin supports are in the pin support position the cutouts form a generally circular hole having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the fattest portion of the lower portion of the bowling pin;
- each of the bowling pin supports having a cam mounted on the bowling pin support adjacent to the pivot, such that when the frame is lowered to the lower position, the cam contacts the lane surface and pivots the bowling pin support from the support position to the release position;
- the pivots of the bowling pin supports being mounted sufficiently far apart such that when the bowling pin supports are in the release position, the bowling pin supports do not interfere with the released bowling pin;
- c) a bowling pin tube mounted above the bowling pin supports and centered such that when the first bowling pin support and the second bowling pin support are in the support position, the lower portion of a bowling pin in the bowling pin tube is supported in the circular hole formed by the semicircular cutouts of the bowling pin supports with the bottom of the pin extending downwardly from the frame;
- d) a first latch pivotally mounted to the frame above the first bowling pin support, such that as the first bowling pin support pivots to the release position, an end of the first bowling pin support contacts the first latch, rotating the first latch outward and upward, such that when the first bowling pin support fully moves to the release position, the end of the first bowling pin support has been moved past the first latch and the first bowling pin support is held in the released position by the first latch;
- e) a second latch pivotally mounted to the frame above the second bowling pin support, such that as the second bowling pin support pivots to the release position, an end of the second bowling pin support contacts the second latch, rotating the second latch outward and upward, such that when the second bowling pin support fully moves to the release position, the end of the second bowling pin support has been moved past the second latch and the second bowling pin support is held in the released position by the second latch;
- f) a reset lever having a first end inserted into a side of the bowling pin tube;
- g) a reset linkage assembly coupled to the reset lever, the first latch and the second latch,
- such that when a bowling pin is inserted into the bowling pin tube, the fattest portion of the lower portion of the bowling pin contacts the first end of the reset lever, moving the reset lever to move the first latch and the second latch, allowing the first bowling pin support and the second bowling pin support to move from the release position to the support position, and the bowling pin slides downward through the bowling pin tube to be supported by the bowling pin supports.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.