Bowling lane cleaning machine and method

• US 6,615,434 B1
• Filed: 10/05/1993
• Issued: 09/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kegel, LLC
• Original Assignee: The Kegel Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Davis, Mark E., Davis, John M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/131,855
• Time in Patent Office: 3,626 Days
• Field of Search: 153/02, 15/98, 153/19, 15/4, 153/20
• US Class Current: 15/98
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/185 with supply of cleaning agents
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/201 with supply of cleaning agents
• 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 11/4044 Vacuuming or pick-up tools; Squeegees
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4088 Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits

Abstract

As the cleaning machine travels along the lane from the foul line toward the pin deck area, cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the lane surface in periodic discharges of relatively short duration. A soft, thin web of cloth material immediately behind the spray nozzles is looped under a transverse cushion or backup member and is pressed against the wetted lane surface to spread and meter out the liquid into a thin film that passes beneath the cushion as a bead or shallow pool of the liquid is pushed along ahead of the cushion. The film is subsequently lifted entirely off the lane surface to remove all traces of moisture, oil, and grime by a combination squeegee and vacuum head assembly immediately behind the spreading web assembly. Programmable controls on the machine permit the cleaning functions to be carried out in relation to the position of the machine on the lane.

Claims

1. In a machine for cleaning materials from the surface of a bowling lane, the improvement comprising:

an applicator for applying a cleaning liquid to the lane surface as the machine moves along the lane;

a pickup in trailing relationship to the applicator for removing the liquid and extraneous materials from the lane; and

a wiper between the applicator and the pickup, said wiper including a transversely extending backup member and a web of absorbent material looped under said backup member for engaging the wetted lane surface and metering the applied liquid into a thin even film before it is removed by the pickup and for removing a small portion of the applied liquid before the remainder of the applied liquid is removed by the pickup.

2. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1,

said pickup including a suction head for lifting the liquid and extraneous materials from the lane surface by suction.

3. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 2,

said pickup further including a lane-engaging, flexible, transverse skimming blade associated with said suction head in position for engaging and directing the liquid film into the suction head.

4. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 3,

said blade being disposed behind said suction head with respect to the direction of travel of the machine when liquid is being applied;

said pickup additionally including a second lane-engaging, flexible, transverse skimming blade in front of the suction head,

said second blade including means for allowing passage of the liquid film from the second blade to the suction head and rear blade in consolidated, parallel streams of the liquid.

5. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1,

said pickup being provided with means for selectively raising and lowering the pickup between operative and inoperative positions.

6. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 5;

and

control means operably coupled with said pickup raising and lowering means for moving the pickup between its operative and inoperative positions depending upon the position of the machine along the lane.

7. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1,

said web of absorbent material comprising a non-woven, compressed cloth.

8. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 1,

said applicator including a spray nozzle located above the lane surface and disposed to project a spray of the cleaning liquid ahead of the machine as the machine moves along the lane.

9. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 8,

said applicator further including means for operating said spray nozzle at intermittent intervals.

10. In a machine for cleaning materials from the surface of a bowling lane, the improvement comprising:

an applicator for applying a cleaning liquid to the lane surface as the machine moves along the lane;

a pickup in trailing relationship to the applicator for removing the liquid and extraneous materials from the lane; and

a wiper between the applicator and the pickup in disposition for engaging the wetted lane surface and spreading the applied liquid into a thin film before it is removed by the pickup, said wiper including a transversely extending backup member and a web absorbent material looped under said backup member, said wiper further including a supply roller for holding a fresh supply of the web, a takeup roller for holding used portions of the web, and control mechanism operably coupled with said supply roller and said takeup roller for periodically causing a fresh portion of the web to be paid out to the backup member and a previously used portion to be shifted from the backup member onto the takeup roller.

11. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 10,

said backup member being rotatable in a direction tending to feed the web toward the takeup roller,

said control mechanism including means for paying out slack from the supply roller to one side of the backup member when the machine halts its movement along the lane in a forward direction,

said backup member being drivable in said feeding direction by the lane surface through a small amount of rational movement during initial movement of the machine in a reverse direction along the lane whereby to pull the slack out of the web on said one side of the backup member and advance a used portion of the web as slack on the opposite side of the backup member,

said control mechanism further including means for actuating the takeup roller in a manner to take up the slack on said opposite side of the backup member following rotation of the backup member.

12. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 11,

said control mechanism further including means responsive to the amount of slack in the web for actuating the supply and takeup rollers.

13. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 10,

said backup member including a resilient cushion directly underlying the web in the area that the web engages the lane surface.

14. In a machine for cleaning materials from the surface of a bowling lane, the improvement comprising:

an applicator for applying a cleaning liquid to the lane surface as the machine moves along the lane, said applicator including a spray nozzle disposed to project a spray of cleaning liquid onto the lane surface at periodic intervals in advance of the machine as the machine moves along the lane;

a pickup in trailing relationship to the applicator for removing the liquid and extraneous materials from the lane said pickup including a backing suction head having an inlet disposed for movement along the lane surface in closely vertically spaced relationship to the surface and a resilient, transverse skimmer blade located closely behind said inlet in disposition for engaging the lane surface and skimming the liquid film and extraneous material into the inlet; and

a wiper between the applicator and the pickup in disposition for engaging the wetted lane surface and spreading the applied liquid into a thin film before it is removed by the pickup, said wiper including a web of non-woven, compressed cloth looped under a transversely extending backup member in disposition for engaging the lane surface as the machine moves alone the lane,

said web of cloth being provided with mechanism for periodically paying out a fresh section of the cloth for engagement with the lane surface and for taking up used sections of the cloth,

said vacuum head and skimmer blade having apparatus operably associated therewith for shifting the head and blade as a unit between operative and inoperative positions;

said machine further including control means operably coupled with said spray nozzle, said cloth payout and takeup mechanism, and said vacuum head and skimmer blade shifting apparatus for actuating the nozzle, mechanism and apparatus at predetermined points in the movement of the machine along the lane.

15. In a lane cleaning machine-as claimed in claim 14,

said control means being operable to actuate the spray nozzle for an initial application of cleaning liquid to the lane while the machine is still behind a foul line and resting upon an approach surface that precedes the lane,

said control means being further operable to maintain the vacuum head and skimmer blade in said inoperative position during at least a portion of the time that the machine is on the approach surface and to maintain the vacuum head and skimmer blade in said operative position during the time that the machine moves along the lane toward a pin deck area of the lane remote from the foul line,

said control means being additionally operable to actuate said payout and takeup mechanism after reaching said pin deck area of the lane.

16. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 15,

said control means being operable to prevent actuation of said spray nozzle during return movement of the machine from the pin deck area of the lane toward the foul line.

17. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 16,

said control means including a programmable micro-computer.

18. In a machine for cleaning extraneous materials from the surface of a bowling lane, an improved wiping cloth assembly comprising:

a transversely extending backup member;

a web of absorbent material looped under said backup member in position for wiping engagement with the lane surface as the machine moves along the lane;

a supply roller for holding a fresh supply of the web;

a takeup roller for holding used portions of the web; and

control mechanism operably coupled with said rollers for periodically causing a portion of the web to be paid out to the backup member and a previously used portion of the web to be shifted from the backup member onto the takeup roller,

said backup member being rotatable in a direction tending to feed the web toward the takeup roller,

said control mechanism including means for paying out slack from the supply roller to one side of the backup member when the machine halts its movement along the lane in a forward direction,

said backup member being drivable in said feeding direction by the lane surface through a small amount of rotational movement during initial movement of the machine in a reverse direction along the lane whereby to pull the slack out of the web on said one side of the backup member and advance a used portion of the web as slack on the opposite side of the backup member,

said control mechanism further including means for actuating the takeup roller in a manner to take up the slack on said opposite side of the backup member following rotation of the backup member.

19. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 18,

said control mechanism further including means responsive to the amount of slack in the web on said opposite side of the backup member for actuating the takeup roller.

20. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 19,

said control mechanism further including a spring-loaded actuator engagable with used portions of the web on said opposite side of the backup member, and a pair of spaced apart, mutually opposed switches in disposition for alternate actuation by said actuator depending upon the extent of slack existing in the web on said opposite side of the backup member whereby to control actuation and non-actuation of said takeup roller.

21. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 18,

said backup member including a resilient cushion underlying the web in the area that the web engages the lane surface.

22. In a machine for cleaning extraneous materials from the surface of a bowling lane, an improved wiping cloth assembly comprising:

a transversely extending backup member;

a web of absorbent material looped under said backup member in position for wiping engagement with the lane surface as the machine moves along the lane;

a supply roller for holding a fresh supply of the web;

a takeup roller for holding used portions of the web; and

control mechanism operably coupled with said rollers for periodically causing a previously used portion of the web to be shifted from the backup member onto the takeup roller and a fresh portion of the web to be paid out to the backup member, said control mechanism including;

means for rotating the takeup roller to shift a used portion of the web away from one side of the backup member and to advance a fresh portion of the web towards the opposite side of the backup member, and

means for rotating the supply roller for paying out a portion of the web from the supply roller to the opposite side of the backup member.

23. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 22, said means for rotating the takeup roller including a motor.

24. In a lane cleaning machine as claimed in claim 22, said means for rotating the supply roller including a motor.