Abstract:
A method for bowling a ball typically in ten pin bowling using apparatus ( 10 ) in which a ball ( 15 ) is supported to movable support means typically a roller ( 23 ) which is rotatably driven by a motor ( 26 ) whilst the ball is restrained in a substantially fixed position with the apparatus ( 10 ) including a stop ( 29 ) which may be actuated to release the rotating ball ( 15 ) to allow said ball to travel in a desired direction of travel along an elongated guide member or barrel ( 11 ).

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to the field of tenpin bowling and in particular to a method and means for bowling balls in ten pin bowling designed primarily but not exclusively for use by persons who are normally unable to lift and/or bowl ten pin bowling balls. The method and means of the invention may also be applied to bowling of other balls and thus the reference to ten pin bowling balls throughout the specification balls of all types which can be bowled. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Tenpin bowling is one of the world&#39;s greatest participatory activities, with player&#39;s ages ranging from 2 years of age to 90 plus. A tenpin bowling ball is a standard size (8.5 inches in diameter) but can range in weight from 6 to 16 lbs. The size and weight of the bowling ball presents a substantial challenge to the very young, infirm, aged and the disabled. As a consequence, a number of aids have been developed, including balls with handles, ramps, and various pushing devices to assist these players. 
     Over recent years there has also been a trend towards novelty bowling to attract social players to bowling as a purely social activity. This has led to the developments such as gutter bumpers, virtual bowling, light and media displays and a remote controlled bowling ball. 
     It would be desirable however if a method and means were available which enabled persons normally unable to lift or manipulate a ten pin bowling ball to easily bowl a ball 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention thus provides in a first preferred aspect, a method of bowling a ball, said method comprising the steps rotating a said ball whilst said ball restrained in a substantially fixed position and releasing said ball to allow said ball to travel in a desired direction of travel 
     Typically the method is used for ten pin bowling and the ball when released travels down a bowling lane. Typically the ball when in the fixed position is rotated about a substantially horizontal axis. 
     The present invention in a further preferred aspect provides ball bowling apparatus, said apparatus including movable support means for supporting a said ball, means for driving said movable support means to cause rotation of said ball, and means for releasing said ball from said support means to allow said ball to travel in a desired direction of travel. 
     Preferably the movable support means comprises a rotatable roller adapted to be driven directly or indirectly by a drive motor. Preferably elongated guide means are provided to guide movement of the ball. The guide means may be in the form of a hollow elongated member or barrel. 
     Preferably the apparatus includes a loading breech for moving a ball onto the movable support means. The breech may be slidably movable between a retracted open loading position for loading of a ball and a closed position in which the ball is moved onto the movable support means. Preferably the breech defines a cradle for supporting the ball for loading onto the movable support means. 
     Preferably the breech includes means which provided supplementary support to the ball when supported on the movable support means. Suitably the supplementary support means comprise one or more further rollers which may locate the rear of the ball. Preferably the one or more further rollers comprise spaced rollers supported for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis. 
     Preferably means are provided to sense movement of the breech into the closed position to enable drive to be supplied by a drive motor to the movable support means. The drive motor typically comprises an electric motor and the sensing means suitably comprises a switch which is engaged by the breech when moved to the closed position. 
     Preferably also means are provided which sense whether a ball is in the breech. Preferably the ball sensing means comprises optical sensing means. 
     Preferably releasable stop or restraining means are provided in the path of movement of the ball. The releasable stop means is preferably releasable to allow release of a rotating ball. The releasable stop means may be released by operation of a release arm. Preferably the stop means comprises a stop member which is normally in the path of movement of the ball. Preferably the stop member is rotatable or pivotal about a substantially vertical axis out of the path of movement of the ball. Preferably operation of the release arm permits the stop member to rotate typically to a substantially horizontal position to allow release of the ball for travel along the guide member or barrel. 
     As an alternative or additionally, the ball may be released by stopping the drive motor for example by braking the drive motor and/or removing power from the drive motor. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates schematically in side view ten pin bowling apparatus according to the invention with the ball positioned for loading into the apparatus; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic top view showing the manner in which the ball is supported before loading into the apparatus and prior to bowling; and 
         FIG. 3  illustrates schematically in side view the apparatus loaded with the ball and prior to bowling. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring firstly to  FIG. 1 , there is illustrate ten pin bowling apparatus  10  according to an embodiment of the present invention including an elongated hollow guide member  11  which is supported on a mobile carriage  12  comprising a carriage body  13  mounted on wheels and/or castors or similar  14 . The hollow guide member  11  has internal dimensions such as to allow a ten pin bowling ball  15  to travel freely therealong from a loading end  16  of the guide member  11  to an exit end  17  thereof. The guide member  11  comprises a barrel-like member. 
     A breech  18  defining a ball cradle is provided at the loading end  16  of the guide member  11 . The breech  18  is slidably mounted to the guide member  11  or body  13  so as to be slidable between the retracted position shown in  FIG. 1  to a load position (shown in  FIG. 3 ). The breech cradle has a bottom wall member  19  having an opening  19 ′ therein in which the ball  15  may seat whilst an end wall member or door  20  of the breech  18  carries spaced apart rollers  21  supported for free rotation on a transversely extending shaft  22 . The ball  15  seats in the breech cradle prior to entry into the guide member  11  and when supported on the cradle, the ball  15  can lie against the spaced rollers  21  as shown in  FIG. 2   
     Provided within the carriage body  13  is a central drive roller  23  which is aligned with the longitudinally axis of the guide member  11  and which is supported for rotation about a substantially horizontal axis on a bearing mounted axle  24  extending substantially at right angles to the guide member  11 . The axle  24  is coupled through a suitable transmission such as chain sprocket transmission  25  to an electric motor  26 . Power supply for the motor  26  is provided by a battery  27  within the carriage body  13 . 
     A microswitch  28  is provided within and on one side of the guide member  11  in the path of movement of the breech  18 , the microswitch  28  controlling supply of power from the battery  27  to the motor  26 . 
     A normally upright stop arm  29  (see  FIG. 3 ) normally prevents the ball  15  from rolling through the guide member  11 , the stop arm  29  being mounted to the carriage body  13  for pivotal rotation about an axis  30  and projecting upwardly into the guide member  11  to be in the path of movement of the ball  15 . A firing lever  31  also pivotally mounted at  32  for movement about a horizontal axis. A link arm or stop member  33  connected to the lever  31  normally cooperates with an extension or lever of the stop arm to hold the stop arm  29  in position as shown in  FIG. 3  so that the ball  15  cannot move down the guide member  11 . Forward movement of the lever  31  will disengage the link arm or stop member  33  from the stop arm  29  or extension thereof which will allows the stop arm  29  to rotate clockwise and lie substantially flat along the base of the guide member  11  as shown in dotted outline in  FIG. 3  which will allow the ball  15  to move down the guide member  11 . A further microswitch  34  is provided in the carriage body  13  in the path of movement of the firing lever  31 . 
     Placed along the bottom of the guide member  11  is a friction pad  35 . This pad  35  can be made of cloth rubber, foam, plastic or other suitable material that will absorb any lane conditioner carried into the mechanism on the ball  15 , and provide friction for the ball  15  to drive itself out of the guide member  11 . 
     An optical switch  36  (see  FIG. 2 ) is provided on the side of the guide member  11  to sense the presence of a ball  15  on the breech  18  when the breech  18  is slid into the guide member  11 . The switch  36  is in series with the microswitch  28  and microswitch  34 . 
     In use, the apparatus  10  is moved into the normal position of bowling in ten pin bowling and the player aligns the guide member  11  as desired with the bowling lane and then slides the breech  18  open to the position of  FIG. 1 . This disengages the microswitch  28  and prevents power from being supplied to the drive motor  26  from the battery  27 . This is a safety mechanism to ensure the safety of the user. 
     When the breech  18  is open, the player places the bowling ball  15  onto the breech cradle and pushes or slides the breech  18  closed. In this movement, the ball  15  is lifted up onto the drive wheel  23  and rests on and is supported on its rear side by the rollers  21 . The position of the ball  15  can be adjusted backwards or forwards by moving the door rollers  21  closer or further apart along the shaft  22  as desired. In the ball loaded position the stop arm  29  prevents the ball  15  from rolling through the guide member  11 . 
     As the breech  18  closes, the microswitch  28  is engaged by the breech  18  and closes as does the ball activated optical switch  36 . When both switches  28  and  36  are closed, the power circuit is completed such the power is supplied to the drive motor  26  from the battery  27 . This causes rotation of the drive wheel  23  in an anticlockwise direction and consequently causes the bowling ball  15  to be rotated clockwise being supported on the drive wheel  23  and by the end rollers  21 . Once the ball  15  is at maximum rotation, it will stay in position rotating as long as the wheel  23  rotates. 
     To release the ball  15 , the player then operates the firing lever  31  by pivoting it or rotating it clockwise which engages microswitch  34  and cuts power supply from the battery  27  to the drive motor  26 . Further, as the firing lever  31  is moved forward, the link arm or stop member  33  disengages from the stop arm lever  29  and allows the stop arm  29  to rotate. The stop arm  29  can then rotate to a flat position parallel to the base of the guide member  11  which will allow the rotating ball  15  to drive itself forward through the guide member  11  and onto the bowling lane. 
     With power removed from the drive motor  26 , the drive wheel  23  stops, the stop arm  29  is cleared by the ball  15  and as the firing lever  31  is returned to the starting position, the link arm or stop member  33  again engages the stop arm  29  and rotates the stop arm  29  back into the guard position of  FIG. 3 . As the firing lever  31  is disengaged from microswitch  34 , power is allowed to be supplied through the circuit once microswitches  28  and  36  operate. With the slidable breech  18  closed, and with the ball  15  no longer in the breech cradle, the optical switch  36  will prevent power supply to the motor  26  from the battery  27  as a ball  15  will not be detected by the switch  36 . Thus the motor  26  cannot run without a ball  15  in the breech cradle and the user can slide open the breech  18  in safety. 
     The stop arm  29  mechanism may be adapted to also push the ball  15  from the breech without stopping the motor  26 . Further other alternative methods of ejecting the ball  15  such as rams, hinged pusher arms, solenoid activated arms and the like would be equally feasible and are encompassed within the scope of this application. 
     In the preferred form, the drive mechanism consists of a wheel driven by a chain or other transmission from the drive motor  26 . Alternatively, the roller may be directly driven by the motor  26 . Further the drive roller  23  may be replaced by belts, two or more rollers chains or other components which will effect rotation of the ball typically about a horizontal axis whilst is remains in a fixed position. 
     The speed of the ball  15  can be adjusted by including a speed adjusting circuit with the drive motor  26  so that the speed of the motor can be controlled and set at any desirable level. 
     The apparatus  10  may also include a laser transmitter unit  37  (see  FIG. 1 ) which may be mounted on the guide member or barrel  11  which emits a laser beam which can be sighted on the pins for aiming of the guide member or barrel  11  towards the pins. 
     The front of the carriage  12  as also show in  FIG. 1  may also be provided with a proximity sensor  38  which will sense the presence of persons in the front of the guide member or barrel  11 . The proximity sensor  38  is connected in an alarm circuit  39  with includes an audible alarm  40  such as a siren which will be sounded upon the presence of a person being sensed. Persons operating the apparatus  10  will thus be warned as will the person whose presence is sensed so that appropriate action can be taken. 
     The alarm circuit  39  is also connected to the laser transmitting unit  37  and will remove power supply from the laser transmitting unit  37  when the presence of a person is sensed by the sensor  38 . 
     The alarm circuit  39  is also connected in the supply circuit to the motor  26  such that when the presence of a person is sensed by the sensor  36 , power supply to the motor  26  is removed. If power supply was not removed from the motor in these circumstances, release of the stop arm  29  will cause a ball  15  to be released creating a risk to persons in front of the guide member  11 . If however power is removed from the motor  26 , the momentum of the ball  15  will drive the support roller  23  until both the ball  15  and roller  23  rotate to a stop. When the risk is removed, the apparatus  10  and the firing lever  31  can be reset. 
     In the apparatus of the present invention, the ball  15  remains in a substantially fixed position relative to the guide member  11  as the mechanism rotates the ball from rest. The ball  15  is allowed to reach maximum rotation for any length of time the bowler desires. Further the ball  15  can be discharged by stopping the motor and allowing the rotation of the bowling ball  15  to move it out of the guide member. 
     It should be noted that reference to the prior art herein is not to be taken as an acknowledgement that such prior art constitutes common general knowledge in the art. 
     The terms “comprising” or “comprises” as used throughout the specification and claims are taken to specify the presence of the stated features, integers and components referred to but not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other feature/s, integer/s, component/s or group thereof. 
     Whilst the above has been given by way of illustrative embodiment of the invention, all such variations and modifications thereto as would be apparent to persons skilled in the art are deemed to fall within the broad scope and ambit of the invention as herein described.