Patent Publication Number: US-6340335-B1

Title: Bowling lane ball return capping

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/004,184, entitled BOWLING LANE BALL RETURN CAPPING, filed on Jan. 8, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,106,404. Priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 is hereby claimed on the above-identified patent application. The entire disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to a cover assembly for a bowling lane ball return channel, and to the combination of the cover assembly with adjacent gutters. 
     Bowling balls returning to the front end of the lanes are purposely out of sight to prevent visual disruption of the game and for other reasons. The ball return track is thus covered with a housing and cover of some sort. However, there are times when access to the ball return track becomes necessary, e.g., for maintenance or to retrieve an errant ball that for some reason does not return completely and thus causes a blockade for subsequent balls, or other reasons. Access should not be so easy as to allow unauthorized persons to enter the ball return track, but should be readily accomplished by authorized and knowledgeable personnel. Further, the cover should be visually attractive since the large number of such covers and their considerable length makes them a substantial portion of the visual panorama of the bowling establishment. 
     Adjacent the ball return channel and astraddle thereof is a pair of gutters that serve adjacent bowling lanes. As is known, these gutters receive errant balls that depart the lane during bowling. Typically, these gutters are constructed separate from the ball return channel structure. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of this invention is to provide a unique bowling ball return channel cover assembly that enables ready access to the underlying ball return track by authorized and knowledgeable personnel, and that is pleasingly attractive. The assembly is composed of 1) a plurality of ball return anchor plates, preferably polymeric, of a width greater than the ball return channel, with upwardly extending, laterally spaced parallel anchor protrusions, and gutter locking lateral edges, and 2) a dress cover having a pair of depending fastener legs interlockable with the noted anchor protrusions, side walls that encompass the underlying plates, and contrasting color stripes for decorative purposes. 
     Another object is to provide a combination of ball return channel cover anchor plates and gutters wherein these are interconnected in a fashion enabling the securement of the gutter edge by the anchor plates when fastened to the return channel walls. The outer gutter edge interfits with the anchor plates by a rib and groove arrangement. Thus, the anchor plates serve at least a dual function. 
     Another object is to provide gutters which are assembled in segments interconnected end to end by sliding connectors. 
    
    
     These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the drawings: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pair of ball return anchor plates and a fragmentary portion of the dress cover; 
     FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view of the components in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 2A is an enlarged sectional elevational view of the dress cover connected to an anchor plate; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional elevational fragmentary view of interlocked components of a ball return channel, and a pair of gutters straddling the ball return channel; and 
     FIG. 4 is a sectional elevational view of one of the gutter elements. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now specifically to the drawings, the assembly  10  (FIG. 3) depicted includes a pair of upright, elongated, laterally spaced ball return channel side walls  12  of wood, polymer or the equivalent, defining a ball return channel  14  therebetween. A ball return track (not shown) is mounted at the bottom of channel  14  for return of the bowling balls back to the head of the lane, i.e., to the bowlers. Straddling this ball return subassembly is a pair of mirror image gutters  16 , each of which extends laterally from a bowling lane  18  to one of the walls or uprights  12 . Each gutter has a structure formed with a vertical leg  16   a  integrally depending downwardly from the inner lateral edge portion adjacent lane  18 , and an outer edge, horizontal support flange  18   b  engaging on the upper surface of upright  12 . The center of the gutter is positioned to preferably engage an underlying surface. The bottom surface of the gutter is convex and the upper surface is concave so as to receive any bowling balls which roll off the lane. The gutter is preferably formed of polymer such as extruded segments to be joined end to end. Thus, the underside of gutter segment  16 , laterally astraddle the center thereof, has a pair of receiving pockets preferably longitudinally oriented to receive the ends of tube connectors shown in dotted lines in FIG.  3 . Each connector pocket preferably includes a longer bottom leg  16   c  and a shorter upper leg  16   d,  both integral with the gutter segment and resiliently flexible. These form a discontinuous loop pocket. Slidable insertion of a tube end forces these two legs apart a slight amount against the inherent resilient bias thereof to secure the tubes in place and allow connection of segments of gutters together along the length of the lane. Hence, the gutters can be readily assembled at the bowling center. Preferably, the gutter is made of a polymer such as PVC, a polyester, or other suitable polymer. 
     The gutter flange  18   b  resting on upright  12  is shown to include an elongated concavity  18   c  in its upper surface to receive a protrusion, specifically an edge rib of the anchor plates, as will be explained. 
     Mounted at intervals along the length of the ball return channel is the plurality of support and anchor bracket plates  20 , each of which extends laterally across the ball return channel  14  to have ends which are secured to the two spaced uprights  12 . Specifically, these ends are secured to uprights  12  as by threaded fasteners  24  which extend through suitable orifices in plates  20  and are embedded into the side wall uprights  12 . The opposite lateral ends of each plate  20  is shown to include an upwardly offset portion  20   a  and a downwardly protruding edge rib  20   b  therefrom to anchor the gutters in place. Rib  20   b  interfits with groove  18   c  formed in flange  18   b  of the gutter element, while the underside groove  20   c  formed by offset  20   a  receives the outermost edge portion of the gutter flange  18   b . Anchor plates  20  have a pair of integral, upwardly extending connector protrusions  20   d  with laterally offset detents. These plates thus serve multiple purposes of stabilizing the upright elements  12  for the ball return channel, anchoring the edges of gutter segments  16 , and securing the ball return channel cover  30  as will be described. 
     Cover  30  is an elongated element preferably formed of extruded polymer, e.g., polyvinylchloride, polyester, or the like, and preferably formed in segments of convenient length. The cover has a decorative surface which preferably incorporates a pair of elongated stripes  30   a  at downwardly outwardly sloped wall portions adjacent the outer edges of the cover. These contrasting stripes can be co-extruded with the cover or subsequently applied. This cover preferably includes a pair of downwardly depending outer side walls  30   b  integral with the cover top surface, and optional inwardly projecting lower flanges  30   c  from side walls  30   b  which may rest on the top surfaces of the gutter flanges. Protruding downwardly from the underside of cover  30  is a pair of integral, laterally deflectable, resilient connector legs  30   d  which are generally: aligned with the integral upwardly extending connector protrusions  20   d  of brackets  20 . Legs  30   d  have laterally offset detents  30   e  here shown to form inwardly facing grooves, while protrusions  20   d  have opposite laterally offset detents which are oriented to engage detents  30   e  of legs  30   d . Cover segments  30  can be intermitted with plates  20  as by pressing down on the cover to bias legs  30   d  into a momentary deflected condition for a snap-on fit, or by sliding the cover lengthwise to cause the detents to interengage. Similarly, the cover segments can be removed by forcing them upwardly or sliding them longitudinally, for access to ball channel  14  for maintenance or other reasons. 
     Assembly of all the components of the combination can be readily achieved. Specifically, the two mirror image gutters  16 , if formed of segments, can be assembled. The segments of gutter  16  are longitudinally secured together by inserting connector tubes or the like as depicted in phantom in FIG. 4 to secure the longitudinal ends of the gutter together. With insertion of the connectors, legs  16   c  and  16   d  are shifted slightly against their inherent bias to achieve a tight fit. The gutters are placed with inner leg  16   a  supporting the gutter adjacent lane  18 , and the opposite edge flange  18   b  rested upon one of uprights  12 . Next, a plurality of anchor plates  20  are interengaged with the edges of the two gutters and fastened to uprights  12  by threaded fasteners  24  such as screws, this action also locking the gutter elements in place. Next, dress cover  30  is connected over ball channel  14  to anchor plates  20  either by positioning segments vertically on the plates and pressing the cover segment down to deflect legs  30   d  laterally for engagement of the detents of the legs with the detents of protrusions  20   d , or alternatively by sliding cover  30  longitudinally into engagement with successive anchor plates  20 . The decorative cover can have contrasting colors, e.g., on the stripes  30   a,  or the stripes can be reflective in nature. 
     Cover segments can be removed quickly by disengaging the detents or by sliding the cover longitudinally for access to the ball return channel. 
     The above description is considered that of the preferred embodiments only. Modifications of the invention will occur to those skilled in the art and to those who make or use the invention. Therefore, it is understood that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described above are merely for illustrative purposes and not intended to limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the doctrine of equivalents.