Apparatus for selectively metering dressing onto a bowling lane surface

• US 5,679,162 A
• Filed: 03/18/1996
• Issued: 10/21/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: QubicaAMF Worldwide LLC (Daifuku Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: AMF Bowling Centers Incorporated (AMF Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Smith, Ronald L., Feldman, Leonid, Caffrey, Stephen F.
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS, LAURA ESTELLE
• Application Number:
  US08/618,256
• Time in Patent Office: 582 Days
• Field of Search: 15/98, 15/103.5, 118/207, 118/244, 118/255, 118/258, 118/259, 118/264, 118/304, 118/684, 118/266
• US Class Current: 118/684
• 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: A47L 11/4011 Regulation of the cleaning machine by electric means; Control systems and remote control systems therefor
• 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 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• 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 discrete pattern laterally across a plurality of zones on the bowling lane. A carriage, for movement along a bowling lane, has an applicator mounted thereon for applying the dressing fluid to the bowling lane surface. Dressing fluid is supplied from a reservoir by a plurality of pulse valves which supply the dressing fluid to a plurality of fluid dispersion chambers, each having an inlet connected to one of the pulse valves and having an outlet positioned to apply dressing fluid to the applicator. The outlet has a width equal to the width of one of the zones. A controller is provided for selectively activating each of the pulse valves to discharge a discrete amount of fluid dressing into each dispersion chamber. Each zone may be the width of one board across the bowling alley so that different discrete amounts of oil can be applied to each board. A method is provided to supply discrete amounts of bowling lane dressing to each of a plurality of zones wherein each zone is one board width or portion of a board width.

Claims

1. Apparatus for applying dressing fluid to boards of a bowling alley, said apparatus comprising:

an applicator;

an elongated bar disposed adjacent said applicator, said bar having an upper surface and a forward edge positionable for engagement with said applicator;

a plurality of side-by-side dispersion chambers formed along said bar, each chamber communicating with said forward edge; and

an elongated cover plate extending over said upper surface of said bar and attached thereto, said forward edge of said bar and said plate forming an outlet slit means through which dressing fluid is dispersable onto said applicator.

2. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said outlet slit means comprises:

a plurality of outlet slits in contiguous side-by-side relationship so that a smooth pattern of dressing fluid is disperable onto the applicator.

3. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 2, wherein:

the number of said outlet slits is equal to the number of boards across the bowling alley; and

each said outlet slit is the same width as the respective boards on the bowling alley.

4. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, further including:

a reservoir for supplying dressing fluid to said dispersion chambers;

separate pulse valves for a least some of said dispersion chambers, each pulse valve having an inlet and an outlet;

means interconnecting said inlet of each of said pulse valves to said reservoir for supplying dressing fluid from said reservoir to each of said pulse valves under pressure; and

conduit means connecting said outlet of each of said pulse valves to said respective dispersion chambers.

5. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

each of said pulse valves is mounted on said elongated cover plate and a portion thereof extends through said elongated cover plate and into said elongated bar for holding said elongated cover plate in fixed position on said elongated bar.

6. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, further including:

a controller connected to each of said pulse valves for activating each of them for a predetermined duty cycle.

7. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 4, wherein:

said interconnecting means includes a manifold.

8. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said manifold is mountable generally parallel to said elongated bar.

9. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said manifold is formed in said elongated bar.

10. Apparatus, as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said elongated bar is in the form of a rectangular tube to provide a manifold for receiving the dressing fluid from a reservoir.