Apparatus and method for selectively metering dressing onto a bowling lane surface

• US 5,641,538 A
• Filed: 10/24/1995
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: QubicaAMF Worldwide LLC
• Original Assignee: AMF Bowling Centers Incorporated (AMF Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuart, Steven W., Smith, Ronald L., Feldman, Leonid, Caffrey, Stephen F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Beck, Shrive
• Assistant Examiner(s): MAIORANA, DAVID MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US08/547,171
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 427/8, 427/428, 427/429
• US Class Current: 427/8
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/03 characterised by having provisions for supplying cleaning or polishing agents A47L11/065, A47L11/085, A47L11/125, A47L11/145, A47L11/161, A47L11/1625, A47L11/185, A47L11/201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63D 5/10 Apparatus for cleaning balls, pins, or alleys

Abstract

An apparatus applies dressing fluid to a bowling lane surface in a desired lane dressing pattern laterally across a plurality of zones on the bowling lane and longitudinally along a predetermined length of each of the zones. Each zone may be the width or a selected fractional width of one board across the bowling lane so that different discrete amounts of lane dressing can be applied to each board along a predetermined length. The apparatus includes a plurality of metering devices which supply lane dressing to corresponding lane dressing dispersion units which in turn supply lane dressing directly to an applicator. The applicator applies the lane dressing to the bowling lane according to the desired lane dressing pattern. A method is provided to supply discrete amounts of bowling lane dressing at desired incremental locations laterally across and longitudinally along a bowling lane. Further, a method is provided for calibration of the apparatus of this invention in order to achieve application of complex lane dressing patterns to the bowling lane.

Claims

1. A method of applying lane dressing to the boards of a bowling lane, in both desired lateral increments and desired longitudinal increments along the bowling lane, by an applicator of a bowling lane maintenance machine, which travels along the length of the bowling lane, and includes an onboard computer, said method comprising the steps of:

creating a database array for storage of information reflective of a plurality of lane dressing patterns comprising amounts of lane dressing to be applied in desired lateral and longitudinal increments along the bowling lane;

storing the database array in a memory of the computer;

selecting a desired lane dressing pattern for application of lane dressing laterally across each board of the bowling lane and longitudinally along a selected length of each of the boards;

retrieving selective data from the database array corresponding to the selected desired lane dressing pattern;

providing a plurality of lane dressing dispersion means for discrete and variable volumetric controlled application of lane dressing to the applicator as the bowling lane maintenance machine travels along the length of the bowling lane;

activating the plurality of lane dressing dispersion means responsive to the retrieved selective data wherein activation of the dispersion means occurs repetitively along a predetermined distance as the bowling lane maintenance machine moves along the bowling lane; and

selectively applying the lane dressing to the bowling lane according to the desired lane dressing pattern.

2. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the selected lane dressing pattern comprises amounts of lane dressing which vary laterally across and longitudinally along the bowling lane according to the desired lateral and longitudinal increments.

3. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the amount of lane dressing varies within each lateral and longitudinal increment.

4. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the selected desired lane dressing pattern is selected in lane dressing units.

5. A method, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

viewing a visual display coupled to the computer reflective of the selected lane dressing pattern.

14. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said activating step further includes the step of:

applying lane dressing according to the desired lane dressing pattern wherein application of the lane dressing may be varied laterally and longitudinally with respect to at least each board of the bowling lane.

6. A method of applying lane dressing in variable lateral and longitudinal increments to the boards of a bowling lane along the bowling lane, by an applicator of a bowling lane maintenance machine including a controller, as the bowling lane maintenance machine moves along the bowling lane, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting amounts of lane dressing to be applied along a lateral portion of the bowling lane;

selecting amounts of lane dressing to be applied along a longitudinal portion of the bowling lane;

providing a plurality of lane dressing dispersion devices for discrete and variable volumetric controlled application of lane dressing to the applicator as the machine moves along the bowling lane;

selectively metering discrete quantities of lane dressing from the dispersion devices onto the applicator in discrete and variable volumetric amounts in a plurality of activations as the bowling lane maintenance machine moves along the bowling lane in response to the selected amounts of lane dressing along the lateral and longitudinal portions; and

selectively applying the discrete quantities of lane dressing along predetermined lateral and longitudinal lengths of the bowling lane as the bowling lane maintenance machine moves along the bowling lane.

7. A method, as claimed in claim 6, further including:

viewing a visual display coupled to the controller reflective of the selected amounts of lane dressing to be applied.

15. A method, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said selectively applying step further includes the step of:

applying lane dressing according to the selected amounts wherein application of the lane dressing may be varied laterally and longitudinally with respect to at least each board of the bowling lane.

8. A method of calibrating a bowling lane maintenance machine having an onboard computer which selectively controls the application of lane dressing onto a bowling lane surface, the machine including a plurality of metering devices which apply metered amounts of dressing to an applicator, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a desired lane dressing pattern;

applying a predetermined amount of lane dressing according to the selected pattern;

measuring the amounts of lane dressing applied to the bowling lane along a plurality of longitudinally spaced sections extending laterally across the bowling lane;

comparing the measured amounts of lane dressing applied with that of the selected lane dressing pattern to identify any deviation of the measured amount of lane dressing from the selected lane dressing pattern;

inputting data into the computer which is responsive to an identified deviation;

calculating a correction factor via the computer to adjust the metered amounts of lane dressing to be applied to the bowling lane to create the selected lane dressing pattern;

sending controlling signals to the metering devices to control the rate and amount of lane dressing delivered to the bowling lane in response to the calculated correction factor; and

applying an adjusted predetermined amount of lane dressing to the bowling lane according to the selected lane dressing pattern.

9. A method, as claimed in claim 8, wherein:

the method claimed therein is repeated until a desired level of calibration is achieved.

10. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

viewing a visual display coupled to the computer of the selected lane dressing pattern.

11. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

viewing a visual display coupled to the controller of the measured amounts of lane dressing applied.

12. A method, as claimed in claim 8, further including:

viewing a visual display coupled to the controller of the comparison between the measured amounts of lane dressing applied and the selected lane dressing pattern.

13. A method of calibrating a bowling maintenance machine having an onboard computer which selectively controls the application of lane dressing onto a bowling lane surface for producing a desired lane dressing pattern, the machine including a plurality of metering devices which apply metered amounts of dressing to an applicator, the onboard computer providing a pulse width modulation signal to each of the metering devices, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting a desired lane dressing pattern;

providing first pulse width modulation signals to each metering device reflective of the selected lane dressing pattern;

applying a predetermined amount of lane dressing according to the selected pattern;

measuring the amounts of lane dressing applied to the bowling lane along a plurality of longitudinally spaced sections extending laterally across the bowling lane;

comparing the measured amounts of dressing applied with that of the selected lane dressing pattern to identify deviations of the measured amounts of lane dressing from the selected lane dressing pattern;

calculating correction factors via the computer to adjust the pulse width modulation signals for each of the metering devices corresponding to identified deviations;

providing second pulse width modulation signals to each metering device corresponding to the identified deviations and reflective of corresponding correction factors; and

applying an adjusted amount of lane dressing to the bowling lane according to the selected lane dressing pattern.