Patent ID: 7060137

Claim:
In a method of cleaning a bowling lane surface, the improvement comprising: advancing a maintenance machine having a cleaning liquid dispensing head along the lane surface in a path of travel; reciprocating the cleaning liquid dispensing head horizontally across said path of travel while the machine is advancing along the lane; while the machine is advancing and the cleaning liquid dispensing head is reciprocating, discharging cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid dispensing head onto the lane surface; applying lane dressing from the machine to the lane surface behind the cleaning liquid dispensing head at a different location as cleaning liquid is being discharged from the reciprocating cleaning liquid dispensing head; wiping the lane surface with a web of absorbent material on the machine behind the cleaning liquid dispensing head but ahead of the location at which the lane dressing is applied to the lane surface; and applying suction pressure to the lane surface with a suction head on the machine behind the web of absorbent material but ahead of the location at which the lane dressing is applied to the lane surface, said step of discharging cleaning liquid from the reciprocating cleaning liquid dispensing head including directing the cleaning liquid downwardly onto the lane surface under the machine as the cleaning liquid is being discharged from the cleaning liquid dispensing head.