Patent ID: 8051528

Claim:
In a method of maintaining a bowling lane using a maintenance machine, the steps of: applying a liquid cleaner to the lane as the machine travels in a forward direction from the foul line toward the pin deck; drawing liquid cleaner off the lane using a vacuum motor during at least a portion of the travel of the machine in the forward direction from the foul line to the pin deck; maintaining the vacuum motor turned off during at least most of the travel of the machine in a reverse direction from the pin deck to the foul line; using a squeegee assembly in engagement with the lane to help remove cleaning liquid from the lane as the machine travels in the forward direction; stopping movement of the machine in the forward direction when the squeegee assembly passes beyond and overhangs the edge of the pin deck, the method further comprising moving the squeegee assembly to a raised position after the machine has stopped in its position overhanging the edge of the pin deck of the lane, then maintaining the squeegee assembly raised as the machine moves in the reverse direction for a predetermined distance, then moving the squeegee assembly to a lowered position in engagement with the lane, then maintaining the squeegee lowered as the machine moves in the forward direction, and then stopping the machine when the squeegee assembly passes beyond and overhangs the edge of the pin deck of the lane for a second time.