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's greatest participatory activities, with player'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 161bs. 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 bails 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 substantial ly 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 hall 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;

Pig. 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 embodtment of the present invetitioa 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 1 1 comprises a barrel-like member.

A breech 18 defining a ball cradle is provided at the loading end 16 of the guide member 1 1. 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 scat 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 I S seats in the breech cradle prior to entry into the guide member 11 and when supported on the cradle, the ball IS 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 1 1 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 1 1. 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 1 1 in the path of movement of the breech 18, the microswitch 28 controlling supply of poweT 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 1 5 cannot move down the guide member 1 1. 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 1 1 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 I I to sense the presence of a hall 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 1 1 .

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 1 1 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 IS 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 tonger 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 1 1 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 1 1. 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.