Patent ID: 8863441

Claim:
A platform arrangement for removably covering the lanes of a bowling alley array to provide a planar horizontal platform over the bowling alley array, the bowling alley array having a plurality of longitudinally extending bowling lanes in a side by side substantially parallel alignment and each lane having a first longitudinally extending edge and a second longitudinally extending edge and a bowling ball gutter extending longitudinally adjacent each edge of said bowling lanes and the gutter adjacent the first edge of each lane is separated from the gutter of the adjacent lane by a division capping and the gutter adjacent the second edge of each lane is separated from the gutter in the adjacent lane by a bowling ball return capping comprising, in combination: a planar platform comprised of a plurality of sheet like members; a plurality of base support members in a preselected rectilinear grid connected to said planar platform for supporting said planar platform a preselected distance above said bowling alley array, said plurality of base support members having a top surface, a front surface, a back surface and a bottom surface, and: said top surfaces having walls defining transversely extending grooves; said front surfaces having walls defining front surface pockets; said back surfaces having walls defining back surface pockets; transverse support members extending in said grooves of said top surface of said base support members; longitudinal support members having first ends and second ends, and: said first end of each of said longitudinal support member positionable in one of said front surface pockets of said base support members, and said second end of each of said longitudinal support members positionable in one of said back surface pockets of said base support members; and, a plurality of lane edge longitudinal support members said lane edge longitudinal support members are removably connected to said base support members in a longitudinal array and arranged to be positioned at said edges of said lanes adjacent said gutters, and said lane edge longitudinal support members have shoulders and said shoulders configured to removably fit into said front surface pockets and said back surface pockets of said base support members.