Bowling ball return systems and methods

Bowling balls are returned from the pit area of a bowling alley to a return shroud through a vacuum tube into a lift tube. A transporter assembly is contained within the shroud for decelerating the bowling balls. The shroud includes continuous rails for permitting a high volume of bowling ball storage. In order to reduce the area required for spacing between adjacent bowling alleys, the vacuum tube is installed underneath the plane of the alleys, with the bowling balls fed into the vacuum tube via a vertical tube extending upwardly behind the pin-setting equipment located in the pit area.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The invention relates to bowling ball return systems and methods. 
2. Background Art 
The ancient game of bowling has seen much in the evolution of the methods 
and devices used to return the a bowling ball to the bowler after the 
bowling ball has been used to knock down bowling pins. Many of the methods 
used manually by human pin setters were carried over to mechanical 
devices. One such device includes a mechanical arm that lifts the bowling 
ball to a track elevated above the bowling alley in the pit area. The 
bowling ball builds up momentum and therefore speed by rolling down the 
inclined track to a level track running along side and usually below the 
alley to the approach or player's area. The elevation of the inclined 
track needed to be high enough to provide initial speed to the bowling 
ball so that it could reach the ball storage racks located above the alley 
at the approach end of the alley. To assist the bowling ball in rolling up 
the inclined plane to the ball storage rack, wheel and belt devices were 
devised to impart sufficient added momentum to the ball to allow it to 
roll up the inclined plane to the storage rack. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,987,000 (Bowling Alley) issued Jan. 8, 1935 to G. F. Cahill 
discloses as one of the objectives of the invention to accelerate the 
return of the bowling ball from the pin or pit end of the alley to the 
approach or player's end of the alley and in particular to enable the 
bowling ball to climb to the elevated player's end, which is elevated 
above the pit end of the alley. Various devices are disclosed for use in 
accelerating the bowling ball using wheels and belts in contact with the 
bowling ball. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,247,787 (Suction Lifter) issued on Jul. 1, 1941 to G. J. 
Schmidt discloses a transfer mechanism comprising a suction head provided 
with a vacuum and motor controlled assembly that can lift and relocate a 
bowling ball from one position to another, and is used to relocate a 
bowling ball from a pit area to an elevated track for its initial 
acceleration from the pit area to the approach area. In addition, this 
system could be configured to relocate the bowling ball from a location on 
the track below the alley to a ball storage rack located above the alley. 
In typical bowling ball return systems, the bowling ball is accelerated 
from the pit area by the various methods discussed. The bowling ball is 
accelerated only to the point where it can reach a location below the 
approach area. The bowling ball is then fed into a power lift assembly 
which carries the bowling ball upward into the ball storage rack. The lift 
assembly is housed in a ball lift hood to conceal it from the player's 
view. There are inherent problems associated with these typical return 
devices that include the need to stop operations because balls of varying 
weights have traveled at various speeds and have become jammed in the 
return or at the power lift. 
The use of track to transport the bowling ball from the pit area to the 
approach area of a bowling alley has seen extensive use. The use of track 
to transport a sphere in general has been disclosed in various arts as 
seen in U.S. Pat. No. 1,885,662 (Electric Railway System) issued on Nov. 
1, 1932 to H. K. Whitehorn. Whitehorn discloses a sphere being transported 
over a two rail system as well as a tube. 
Pneumatic tube transmission systems have been employed to transport 
containers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,939 (Pneumatic Tube Transmission System 
With Slow-Down Blower) issued on Jan. 15, 1991 to M. J. Foreman and H. R. 
Greene and U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,038 (Pneumatic Tube System) issued on Jan. 
16, 1973 to W. M. Van Otteren disclose such pneumatic systems. 
SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
The present invention contemplates a system for returning a bowling ball 
from a pit end of a bowling alley to an approach end of the bowling alley. 
Means are provided at the pit area to transport the bowling ball to an 
entrance end of an elongated, enclosed tube. The elongated tube has the 
entrance end near to the pit area and an exit end at the approach area, 
and has a bore sized to receive the bowling ball. Air flows through the 
elongated tube such that a vacuum is formed at the entrance end. The 
bowling ballis received at the entrance end and accelerated through the 
elongated tube toward the exit end. The exit end of the elongated tube is 
disposed such that the bowling ball is delivered to a conventional power 
lift, or alternatively delivers the ball to a transporter and deceleration 
assembly which relies upon the momentum of the ball through the tube to 
elevate the ball to the storage area. 
In the pit area, a track system from two lanes delivers bowling balls from 
both lanes to the entrance end of the elongated tube. This track is 
inclined downward from the pit area to the elongated tube, and the tube 
extends along the floor between two lanes as in a typical return system. 
Alternatively, if greater lane densities are required, the return tube is 
installed underneath the lanes. This also permits the pin-setting 
equipment to be installed more closely together in the pit area. 
The system includes means for forming an air flow from the entrance end of 
the elongated tube to the exit end is accomplished by inserting a conduit 
into the elongated tube near the exit end of the elongated tube and with a 
fan placed in the conduit and rotated such to cause the air to flow from 
the entrance end of the elongated tube toward the exit end. The rate of 
air flow is controlled by the selection of a desired horse power rating 
for the fan motor, by selecting a desired pitch for a fan blade, the speed 
of the fan, or a combination or these factors. By controlling the air 
flow, the acceleration and ultimately the speed of the bowling ball is 
controlled so that the bowling ball can roll to the exit end of the 
elongated tube at a desired rate of speed. 
Unlike bowling balls being accelerated from the pit area to the lift along 
a track, bowling balls accelerated through the tube maintain an air 
cushion between the balls and do not stack up against each other during 
their transport through the elongated tube. 
In one arrangement, the elongated tube works in conjunction with a lift 
tube to deliver the bowling ball directly to the ball storage rack, so 
that the need for the power lift is eliminated. The elongated tube has 
means for diverting the bowling ball to the lift tube, and a track which 
is placed in the elongated tube so as to divert the bowling ball as it 
rolls toward the exit end of the elongated tube. The diverted bowling ball 
passes through an opening in the top wall of the elongated tube or end of 
the elongated tube or top wall or end of a vacuum box into the entrance of 
the lift tube. The speed of the bowling ball is such to propel the ball up 
the lift tube and out the exit of the lift tube which is located so as to 
deposit the bowling ball into the ball storage rack. In a preferred 
embodiment, the ball is passed into a transporter and positive 
deceleration assembly located above the surface of the bowling alley and 
within the hood of a ball return shroud. 
The present invention is also directed to a return shroud construction 
permitting the storage of a large number of bowling balls around the 
entire periphery of the shroud.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A bowling ball return apparatus 10 in accordance with the present invention 
is described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. As installed, the 
apparatus 10 receives a bowling ball 12 from the pit area 28 of a bowling 
alley 16 through a ball pit exit door 30 onto a track 34. The track first 
end 36 is adjacent to the ball pit exit door 30 and elevated above the 
track second end 38 which is adjacent to the entrance end 22 of an 
elongated tube 20. Track 34 having parallel rails 40 has long been used to 
transport spherical objects and especially bowling balls 12 as shown in 
FIG. 4. The elongated tube has the entrance end 22 in the vicinity of the 
pit area 28 and an exit end in the vicinity of an approach area 18 of the 
bowling alley. The bowling ball 12 is received at the track first end 36 
and rolls down the inclined track 34 to the entrance end 22 of the 
elongated tube 20. 
A motor and fan assembly 62 as shown in FIG. 8 is affixed in line or 
coaxially with the elongated tube 20 at the exit end 24 of the elongated 
tube 20. The fan 64 is rotated so as to create an air flow 68 from the 
entrance end 22 to the exit end 24 of the elongated tube 20. This air flow 
68 forms a vacuum at the entrance end 22 of the elongated tube 20 where 
the bowling ball 12 is sucked into the elongated tube 20. The elongated 
tube 20 has a bore 26 shaped for closely receiving the bowling ball 12 as 
shown in FIG. 3. A regulated power supply 66 controls the speed of the 
motor and fan assembly 62 which in turn controls the air flow 68. The 
bowling ball 12 is accelerated through the elongated tube 20 toward the 
exit end 24 of the elongated tube 20. To protect the fan 64 from unwanted 
debris that may be sucked through the elongated tube 20, a screen 70 as 
shown in FIG. 8 is affixed between the fan 64 and the lift track 50. 
A vacuum box 56 shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 is positioned at the 
exit end 24 of the elongated tube 20 and receives the elongated tube 20. 
The vacuum box 56 contains a lift track S0 with a first end 52 affixed so 
as to receive the bowling ball 12 as it leaves the exit end 24 of the 
elongated tube 20. The lift track 50 diverts the bowling ball 12 through 
an opening 48 in the top of the vacuum box 56 and toward an entrance end 
44 of a lift tube 42. The momentum and thus speed of the ball is such that 
it rolls along the lift track 50 and through the lift tube 42 to the exit 
end 46 of the lift tube 42 where it is deposited into a ball storage rack 
14 located above the approach area 18 floor elevation. 
The level of the elongated tube 20 and relative positions of elongated tube 
and dependent elements is maintained using shims 90 located between the 
floor 88 and the elongated tube 20. To provide for a minimum loss of air 
flow 68 and a smooth ball speed control, a flap 58 is placed over the 
opening 48 in the vacuum box 56. The flap 58 is affixed along one end 60 
to permit movement and allow the bowling ball 12 to pass from the lift 
track S0 to the lift tube entrance end 44. It is anticipated that the lift 
track 50 can be installed within the elongated tube 20 without the use of 
the vacuum box 56 by incorporating an opening 48 in the top of the 
elongated tube 20 at the position where the bowling ball 12 is to be 
ejected from the elongated tube 20 into the lift tube entrance end 44. A 
flap 58 affixed at one end 60 similar to that discussed above would be 
employed. 
A second embodiment is anticipated when a partial replacement of a bowling 
ball return system is made in an existing bowling alley facility or when a 
bowling alley plans to incorporate existing power lift 76 equipment to 
carry the bowling ball 12 from a subway below the approach area 18 to the 
ball storage rack 14. FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show a partial view of this 
second embodiment. 
In this second embodiment for the invention, the exit end 24 of the 
elongated tube 20 terminates near an entrance end 78 of the power lift 76 
placed on the floor 88. A power lift entrance track 82 is placed between 
the exit end on the elongated tube 20 and the power lift entrance end 78 
such that the bowling ball 12 is received at the exit end 24 of the 
elongated tube 20 by a first end 84 of the power lift entrance track 82 
and accelerated toward the exit end 80 of the power lift entrance track 82 
affixed so as to allow the bowing ball 12 to be accepted by the power lift 
76 at its entrance end 78. Refer to FIG. 9. 
The bowling ball 12 is transported from the pit area 28 toward the exit end 
24 of the elongated tube 20 as it is in the preferred embodiment. See FIG. 
I and FIG. 2. However, in the second embodiment, the air flow 68 used to 
accelerate the bowling ball 12 is created with a motor and fan assembly 62 
located near the exit end 24 but between the exit end 24 and the entrance 
end 22 of the elongated tube 20. A conduit 72 is affixed to a side wall 74 
of the elongated tube 20 in the proximity of but not at the exit end 24 of 
the elongated tube 20. The motor and fan assembly 62 is affixed inline to 
the conduit 72 with the rotation of the fan 64 such that the air flow 68 
accelerates the bowling ball 12 from the entrance end 22 of the elongated 
tube 20 toward the exit end 24 and out the conduit 72. 
The exit end 24 of the elongated tube 20 is closed using a flap 58. The 
flap 58 is sized larger than the elongated tube bore 26 and affixed at the 
top of the elongated tube 20. The bowling ball 12 rolls out the exit end 
24 of the elongated tube 20 by pushing against the outwardly hinged flap 
58. The direction of the air flow 68 out the side wall 74 of the elongated 
tube 20 and through the conduit 72 causes a partial vacuum at the hinged 
flap 58. This partial vacuum acts as a cushion for the rolling bowling 
ball 12 and provides the needed braking for the bowling ball 12 before it 
ejects from the elongated tube 20. The rotation of the motor and fan 
assembly 62 is controlled from a variable power supply 66 as in the 
preferred embodiment. In the case of the second embodiment, the distance 
between the exit end 24 of the elongated tube 20 and the conduit 72 
location in the side wall 74 is also used in establishing the speed of the 
bowling ball 12 and in particular the speed with which it leaves the exit 
end 24 of the elongated tube 20. 
The invention discloses the apparatus used to deliver a bowling ball 12 
from its useless place in a bowling alley 16 pit area 28 to the ball 
storage rack 14 where a bowler can retrieve it for the next attempt at his 
sport, bowling. 
Two embodiments have been disclosed for the bowling ball return. Variations 
within each embodiment are anticipated. One such variation includes using 
the elongated tube 20, the vacuum box 56 and the motor and fan assembly 62 
in a combined configuration. FIG 11 illustrates this configuration. The 
elongated tube 20 having a full bore 26 penetrates an end wall of the 
vacuum box 56. Inside the vacuum box 56, the elongated tube 20 is 
partially cut along the tube wall in such a way to keep the bottom of the 
tube wall in place and remove the sides and top of the tube wall. The 
bowling ball 12 will roll uninterrupted from the full bore to the cut tube 
through the vacuum box and leave out an exit end of the vacuum box. The 
motor and fan assembly 62 is affixed to the side wall of the vacuum box 
rather than the exit end of the vacuum as described earlier. Air flow 68 
is established at a desired level based on the location of this vacuum box 
configuration with respect to the power lift 76 or the lift tube 42 in the 
embodiments disclosed. A flap 58 is affixed to the exit end of the vacuum 
box 60 for efficient air flow control. The partially cut elongated tube is 
extended outside the vacuum box. Once outside the vacuum box 56, the 
elongated tube 20 is returned to a full bore condition to allow the 
bowling ball 12 to be directed as desired to a lift tube 42 or to a power 
lift 76 as described. FIG. 11 and FIG. 12 illustrate the use of this 
vacuum box embodiment. 
The use of the vacuum return system described above permits special 
benefits to be recognized in the pit area at the end of a bowling alley, 
as is described next with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. 
In FIGS. 13 and 14, the construction of a pit area 110 of a pair of bowling 
alleys 112, 114 is shown. In the past, it was conventional to employ a 
covered return lane between a pair of alleys, with bowling balls being fed 
into the return lane from the pin setting equipment. In accordance with 
the construction set out in FIGS. 13 and 14, the pin setting equipment 116 
is disposed in a more closely positioned relationship between adjacent 
alleys 112, 114 than has heretofore been done in the past. In order to 
feed bowling balls 12 back to the storage rack in the approached area, the 
adjacent alleys 112, 114 are provided with corresponding rail systems 118, 
120 which feed the bowling balls from the top of the pin setting equipment 
116 and into a vertical tube 122 located behind both pin setters 116 in 
the pit area. Noting FIG. 14, bowling balls are then dropped down the 
vertical tube 122, around a curve and into the vacuum tube 20, for 
transportation back to the storage rack in the approach area, with the 
tube 20 extending underneath the alleys 112, 114, rather than between them 
as has been done in the past. It will be appreciated that this 
construction permits a greater density of bowling alleys than has been 
achieved in the past. 
Another technique for delivering the bowling ball from the lift tube 42 to 
the storage area will now be described with reference to FIGS. 15-17. 
Noting FIG. 15, there is provided a transporter assembly 210 which is 
enclosed within a shroud 240, which shroud is omitted in FIGS. 15-17 and 
described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 18-20. The transporter 
assembly 210 includes a conveyor sub-assembly 212 consisting of a conveyor 
belt 213 carried by spaced rollers 214, 216 with the second roller 216 
serving as a drive roller operated from a drive wheel 218 engaged by a 
belt 220. The belt 220, in turn, is driven by motor 224 through gear 
reduction sub-assembly 222. The entire conveyor assembly 212 is supported 
at the exit end of the lift tube 42 by a brace 226 and frame members 225 
and 227. Also located at the exit end of the lift tube 42 is a brake 
support housing 228 which is shown in specific detail in FIG. 17. The 
brake support housing 228 includes first and second brake plates 230, 232 
which are respectively pivoted to the housing at pivot points 231 and 233. 
Each brake plate 230, 232 includes a cross-rod 235 which is restricted in 
movement by a slot 237 on opposite sides of the housing 228. Each brake 
plate 230, 232 is held downwardly against the bottom of the slot 237 by a 
corresponding spring 234, 236 fastened at one end to the cross-rod 235 and 
at the other end to the bottom of the housing 228. Preferably, each brake 
plate 230, 232 has a soft, friction-type material (such as leather) along 
the face of the brake plate. 
In operation, bowling balls 12 are directed through the lift tube 42 and 
out of its exit end onto the conveyor 213. By way of example, it is not 
uncommon for the bowling balls 12 to be moving at a rate of about 20 miles 
per hour at the exit end of tube 42. Immediately upon exiting the tube, 
the bowling balls are directed by the first brake plate 230 against the 
surface of the conveyor 213, which is operating at a much slower speed but 
in the direction toward the exit end of the brake housing 228. The first 
brake plate 230 has the effect of rapidly slowing down the bowling ball, 
without marring or scratching the surface of the ball. The second brake 
plate 232 insures that the bowling ball is travelling across the conveyor 
only at the speed of the conveyor, so that the ball has lost all of its 
momentum. The ball then passes through the exit opening of the brake 
housing 228 and into the ball delivery area 238 (FIG. 15) of the storage 
area. 
A novel form of a shroud and storage rack for bowling balls is shown and 
described with reference to FIGS. 18-21. 
The novel shroud assembly 240 of FIGS. 18-20 includes a bottom shroud 
portion 242, which extends continuously in a curved pattern to the rear of 
the shroud 245, and thence along the opposite side 243. A removable shroud 
cover 244 extends over the exit end of the lift tube 42, the conveyor 
subassembly 212 and the brake housing 228 and includes an exit opening 246 
for directing bowling balls into the delivery area 238. A bumper 29 and 
triangular shaped director 252 are employed in the ball delivery area 238 
to stop the forward direction of the bowling ball leaving opening 246, and 
in order to direct the bowling balls onto an encircling rail system. The 
rail system comprises an outer rail 248 supported by stanchions 249 and an 
inner rail 250. As will be appreciated from FIG. 19, the rail system 
extends continuously around the shroud 240, thus permitting a storage on 
the order of 17 bowling balls. As is depicted in FIG. 20, the rearward 
portion of rail 248 extends slightly below the level of that rail at the 
ball delivery area 238, in order to facilitate the rolling of the balls 
rearwardly about the shroud 240. 
As is shown in FIG. 21, it is preferred that at least the outer rail 248 be 
fabricated from a translucent material having a slot 247 along its bottom 
portion, with a string of light emitting diodes or other lighting means 
260 with appropriate circuitry 262 extending through the slot 247, in 
order to illuminate the rail 248. The rail 250 may likewise be provided 
with similar lighting. 
This concludes the description of the preferred embodiments. A reading by 
those skilled in the art will bring to mind various changes without 
departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended, 
however, that the invention only be limited by the following appended 
claims.