SELF-PROPELLED AUTOMATIC BOWLING LANE MAINTENANCE MACHINE

• US 3,868,738 A
• Filed: 08/27/1973
• Issued: 03/04/1975
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daniel R. Horst, Donald E. Ingermann
• Original Assignee: Daniel R. Horst, Donald E. Ingermann
• Inventors: Horst, Daniel R., Ingermann, Donald E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Roberts, Edward L.
• Application Number:
  US05/392,026
• Time in Patent Office: 554 Days
• Field of Search: 15/4,98,103.5 118/202,4,7
• US Class Current: 15/4
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/00 Machines for cleaning floors, carpets, furniture, walls, or wall coverings
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4041 Roll shaped surface treating tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4055 for lifting the tools to a non-working position
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4069 Driving or transmission means for the cleaning tools
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/408 Means for supplying cleaning or surface treating agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/10 Apparatus for cleaning balls, pins, or alleys

Abstract

This invention relates to a self-propelled machine for automatically oiling and buffing the lanes in a bowling alley and, more specifically, to a piece of apparatus of the type aforementioned that includes a novel brake and cam-operated function control mechanism. The brake is characterized by a wedge-shaped shoe spring-biased upon deactuation of a solenoid holding same disengaged into an annular, inwardly-tapered, groove encircling a drum rotatable with the driveshaft. The cam-operated control mechanism, on the other hand, includes distance and function control cams mounted on separate cam shafts operatively coupled to one another and to the main drive by yieldable friction clutches for conjoint rotation while, at the same time, permitting each such subassembly to be adjusted independently and relative to the other two.

Claims

1. In combination in an automatic bowling lane maintenance machine:

a carriage;

a reversible drive mechanism housed within said carriage including a drive shaft and surface-engaging drive wheels mounted on said shaft operative to advance same along a predetermined course in a forward and reverse direction;

lanebuffing means including a roller and drive therefor, said roller being journalled for rotation in lane-contacting relation about a horizontal axis extending transversely of the direction of machine travel;

lane-dressing means detachably connectable to the lane buffing roller including a reservoir for the storage of a lane-dressing fluid and fluid transfer means, said reservoir being mounted adjacent the lane buffing roller for movement relative thereto between an extended and a retracted position, and said fluid transfer means being operative in the extended position of said reservoir to transfer fluid therefrom to the surface of said lane-buffing roller;

cam-controlled means connected to the reservoir operative upon actuation and deactuation to shift same between its extended and retracted positions;

cam means connected to the cam-controlled means operative to actuate and deactuate same;

power transfer means connected to the carriage drive mechanism; and

, manually adjustable means operative upon actuation to vary the distance over the forward and reverse travel of the machine during which the dressing is applied to the lane surface, said means comprising a yieldable friction clutch operatively interconnecting the power transfer means and cam means to define an adjustable driving coupling therebetween.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the fluid transfer means comprises a second roller Journalled for rotation in tangential contacting relation to the first of said rollers and wick means projecting from said reservoir operative to transfer the lane dressing fluid contained therein when in its extended operative position to the surface of said second roller.

3. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the cam-controlled means comprises spring means biasing said reservoir in one direction, electric servo-motor means operative upon actuation to shift said reservoir in the opposite direction in opposition to said spring means, and a servo-motor operating circuit including a cam-actuated switch.

4. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which:

the second power transfer means includes a shaft mounting the cam means for conjoint rotation therewith and a driven member operatively connected to the carriage drive means mounted on said shaft for independent movement relative thereto, said friction clutch means being interposed between said driven member and cam means to define the yieldable operative coupling between the latter and said carriage drive mechanism.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

cam-controlled reversing means connected to the reversible carriage drive mechanism operative upon actuation to reverse the direction of the latter;

second cam means connected to the cam-controlled reversing means operative to actuate and deactuate same; and

, a second yieldable friction clutch interconnecting the second cam means and power transfer means operative to define an adjustable driving coupling therebetween.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 5 in which:

the second power transfer means includes a first shaft mounting the first cam means for conjoint rotation therewith, a second hollow shaft mounted on the first for independent relative coaxial rotation, said second shaft mounting the second cam means for conjoint rotation, and in which said second friction clutch is interposed between the said first and second cam means to define a yieldable driving coupling therebetween.

7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 in which:

the second shaft is slidable axially relative to the first; and

, in which a spring engages the second cam means and biases same toward the first so as to squeeze the second friction clutch means therebetween.

8. The combination as set forth in claim 7 in which:

the first cam means is movable toward the clutch-engaging element of the power transfer means; and

, in which the spring is operative through the second cam means and a second friction clutch means to bias said first cam means toward said clutch-engaging means to squeeze the first friction clutch means therebetween.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 1 which includes:

brake means associated with the reversible drive mechanism operative to stop same, said means comprising a brake drum with an annular V-groove in its surface mounted on the drive shaft for rotation therewith, a wedge-shaped brake shoe mounted for reciprocating movement between a retracted disengaged position and an extended engaged position wedged into said V-groove, spring means biasing said brake shoe in one direction, a second servo-motor means connected to said brake shoe operative upon actuation to move same in the opposite direction in opposition to said spring means, and second servo motor actuating means interconnecting said second servo-motor means and reversible carriage drive operative to set the brake and stop the carriage whenever said carriage drive is in operation.

10. The combination as set forth in claim 1 in which:

one of the clutch engaging elements of the power transfer means or cam means is adjustable relative to the other such element; and

, in which a spring engages said adjustable element and normally biases same toward the other so as to squeeze the friction clutch therebetween.

11. The combination as set forth in claim 2 in which:

a second power transfer means operatively interconnects the reversible carriage drive mechanism and said second roller so as to define a driving connection therebetween.