AU636253B2

AU636253B2 - Adjuncts for bowling alleys

Info

Publication number: AU636253B2
Application number: AU86791/91A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Derek Thomas Hoy
Original assignee: KEYNODE Corp Pty Ltd
Current assignee: KEYNODE Corp Pty Ltd
Priority date: 1990-11-02
Filing date: 1991-10-28
Publication date: 1993-04-22
Anticipated expiration: 2011-10-28
Also published as: AU8679191A

Description

636253 P/00/0011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

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S5S 5 *o S S Name of Applicant: KEYNODE CORPORATION PTY. LTD.

Actual Inventor(s): DEREK THOMAS HOY Address for service in Australia:

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CARTER SMITH BEADLE Qantas House 2 Railway Parade Camberwell Victoria 3124 Australia Attorney Code SA Invention Title: ADJUNCTS FOR BOWLING ALLEYS Details of Associated Provisional Applications: PK 3131 The following statement is a full description of tnm invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: Our Ref: AWC:DK -1- 2 ADJUNCTS FOR BOWLING ALLEYS THIS INVENTION relates to adjuncts for bowling alleys and in particular relates to rebounder attachments for tenpin bowling alleys whereby a bowling ball is prevented from entering the gutters on each side of the bowling lane.

The invention is basically applicable for use by children to enjoy the game of tenpin bowling whereby the bowling ball is kept in play and obviates the frustration experienced for example by children when the ball runs into a gutter in a conventional alley as it is most apt to do when children are bowling.

According to the invention there is provided a rebounder attachment for a tenpin bowling alley having a series of bowling lanes with gutters extending along each side thereof and capping members between lanes, the attachment comprising a plurality of elongated support members adapted to be removably attached at intervals along the capping member between adjacent lanes so as to extend transversely thereof towards and over a part of the width of both gutters adjacent the capping member, 15 said elongated support members each being provided at both ends thereof with a sleeve member extending normal to its elongated member, said sleeve members locating and supporting a continuous length of tubing extending parallel to and along the length of the gutters, both said sleeve members and the tubing being formed of a part-resilient material.

20 According to a further feature of the invention there is provided a rebounder S. attachment for a tenpin bowling alley having a series of bowling lanes with gutters extending along each side thereof and capping between lanes, the attachment comprising a plurality of elongated members adapted to be removably attached at intervals along the capping member between adjacent lanes so as to extend transversely thereof towards and over a part of the width of one gutter adjacent the capping member, said elongated members each being provided at the end thereof with a sleeve member extending normal to its elongated member, said sleeve members locating and supporting a continuous length of tubing extending parallel to and along the length of the gutter, both said sleeve members and the tubing being formed of a part-resilient material.

The elongated members may be provided with pin members depending therefrom for removable attachment in apertures in the capping member. The pin 3 members may be suitably spaced apart on the elongated members for attachment in wide or narrow capping members.

The sleeve members may be attached to the end or ends of the elongated members in C-shaped brackets as by a suitable adhesive so as to snugly hold said sleeve members with a section of the circumference thereof protruding beyond said brackets.

The elongated members may be in rod or bar form and these members, their locating pin members and the C-shaped brackets may be formed of metal.

The sleeve members and the tubing may conveniently be formed from polyvinylrhloride or other suitable plastics material.

In order that the invention and its manner of performance may be more fully understood, reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention as illustrated sees*: •in the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 is a plan view of a section of a number of bowling alley lanes having 15 the rebounder attachments located on wide and narrow capping; Figure 2 is a plan view of the section 2 of Figure 1; S* Figure 3 is a part-sectional end elevation taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a part-sectional end elevation taken along the line 4-4 of Figure g:.os 20 1; o: Figure 5 is a part-sectional end elevation taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 1; sees Figure 6 is a part-sectional end elevation taken along the line 6-6 of Figure Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of a rebounder attachment; and S• Figure 8 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of mounting means for the rebounder attachment support member.

Referring to the drawings the rebounder attachments of one illustrated embodiment comprise elongated support members 5 consisting of a rod or bar member 6 having locating pins 7 depending from a central portion thereof and C-shaped bracket members 8 at the outer ends thereof, said brackets 8 locating and mounting a sleeve member 9 for supporting a length of tubing 10 therein. This embodiment is 4 for use on two adjacent lanes of the iwling alley.

Another embodiment illustrated comprises elongated support members 11 consisting of a rod or bar member 12 having locating pins 7 depending from an end thereof and C-shaped bracket members 8 at the other end. This embodiment is for use on one side of one lane only of the bowling alley.

The locating pins 7 are suitably spaced on each elongated member 5 and 11 for removable attachment in drill holes 13 in either a wide capping member 14 or a narrow capping member 15 extending between lanes 16 and between gutters 17 of adjacent lanes 16. The bowling surface 18 of the lane extends between gutters 17.

Referring to Figure 8 of the drawings there is illustrated another embodiment of the mounting means for the rebounder attachment elongated support members of the invention as applied to a rebounder attachment for use on one side of one lane of .the bowling alley but is not limited to this aspect of the invention and is equally applicable to the attachments for use on two adjacent lanes of the bowling alley and 15 on wide and narrow capping members.

*The mounting means of Figure 8 comprises a support base member 19 consisting of a base plate 20 and an upper plate 21 secured to plate 20 through two upstanding side plate members 22 on the base plate 20 to form a slot 23 therebetween.

The base member 19 is secured to the capping member 27 by any suitable fixing S 20 means.

The bar member 24 of the rebounder attachment support member 25 is provided on one side thereof with a locating plate member 26 adapted to be keyed •into slot 23 so as to firmly locate the attachment support member 25 on the capping member 27. If desired and to ensure secure engagement of the attachment support members along the length of the bowling alley the base members 19 of alternate support members may be oppositely mounted along the capping member 27. If necessary to ensure a firm engagement of plate member 26 in slot 23, the upper plate 21 may be movably mounted on the base member 19 on studs with wing nuts to allow the upper plate 21 to be tightened against locating plate member 26 when it is engaged in slot 23 to firmly secure plate member 26 therein.

Sleeve members 9 are formed of PVC material or the like and secured in Cshaped brackets 8 by a suitable adhesive and brackets 8 may also be squeezed or crimped to firmly locate sleeve members 9 therein. Sleeve members 9 have an internal diameter such that tubing 10 which forms the main barrier is a close sliding fit therein. Tubing 10 is also formed of PVC material or the like.

Although not to be taken as a limitation of the invention, in one practical construction of a rebounder attachment found to be satisfactory in operation the members 6 are formed from 10 mm steel rod, the C-shaped bracket 8 from half of a 40 mm diameter steel tube, the sleeve members 9 from 25 mm PVC tubing; tubing lengths 10 from 20 mm PVC tubing, and locating pins 7 from 10 mm steel rod of mm length. For a wide capping member 14 pins 7 may be spaced 125 mm apart and for a narrow capping member 15 pins 7 may be spaced 30 mm apart. By using PVC or like material for the sleeves 9 and tubing 10 the bowling balls do not suffer any damage in use.

The present invention may be easily set up on and dismantled from one or more lanes reserved for use by children or by elderly, infirm or partly disabled persons 15 who enjoy a game of tenpin bowls but who do not have the strength or the delivery Q 1 t to keep their bowl out of the gutter and with the rebounder attachments of the oinvention those persons are assured of a result with every ball bowled.

Furthermore the invention enables complete families to participate in and enjoy the game of tenpin bowling with the parents and grown-up children using the conventional lanes and the children and perhaps grandparents and partly disabled members of the family using the rebounder lanes.

It will be appreciated that these may be made many modifications in details too of design and configuration of the above described embodiments within the broad S*o scope of the invention and all such modifications are deemed to be within the ambit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A rebounder attachment for a tenpin bowling alley having a series of bowling lanes with gutters extending along each side thereof and capping members between lanes, the attachment comprising a plurality of elongated support members adapted to be removably attached at intervals along the capping member between adjacent lanes so as to extend transversely thereof towards and over a part of the width of both gutters adjacent the capping member, said elongated support members each being provided at both ends thereof with a sleeve member extending normal to its elongated member, said sleeve members locating and supporting a continuous length of tubing extending parallel to and along the length of the gutters, both said sleeve members and the tubing being formed of a part-resilient material. 0

2. A rebounder attachment for a tenpin bowling alley having a series of bowling lanes with gutters extending along each side thereof and capping between lanes, the attachment comprising a plurality of elongated members adapted to be removably attached at intervals along the capping member between adjacent lanes so as to extend transversely thereof towards and over a part of the width of one gutter adjacent the capping member, said elongated members each being provided at the end thereof with a sleeve member extending normal to its elongated member, said sleeve members locating and supporting a continuous length of tubing extending parallel to and along S: 20 the length of the gutter, both said sleeve members and the tubing being formed of a part-resilient material.

3. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the elongated members are each provided with a plurality of pin members depending 0 therefrom for removable attachment of the elongated members in apertures in the 75 capping member.

4. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 3 wherein the pin members are suitably spaced apart on the elongated members for attachment in wide or narrow capping members.

A rebounder attachment according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the removable attachment means of the elongated members on the capping member comprises support base members attached at intervals along the capping member said base members having a horizontally extending slot therein and a locating plate I 0 7 member attached to each elongated member and extending therefrom so as to be keyed into the slot of a base member to firmly locate said elongated member on the capping member.

6. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 5 wherein each support base member comprises a base plate and an upper plate secured to the base plate through two side members to form a slot therebetween.

7. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 6 wherein the upper plate is detachably mounted in the support base member so as to be capable of being tightened against said locating plate member in the slot.

8. A rebounder attachment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said sleeve members are located on the end or ends of the elongated members in C- shaped brackets secured to the end or ends of the elongated members with a section of the circumference of the sleeve members protruding beyond said brackets.

9. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 8 wherein the sleeve members are 0 S 15 secured in said C-shaped brackets by a suitable adhesive.

"10. A rebounder attachment according to Claim 9 wherein the C-shaped brackets are additionally crimped on said sleeves.

11. A rebounder attachment according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the elongated members are in rod or bar form and said sleeve members and tubing are 20 formed from a PVC material.

12. A rebounder attachment for a tenpin bowling alley substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. 0 DATED this 28th day of October, 1991. 25 KEYNODE CORPORATION PTY. LTD. CARTER SMITH BEADLE Qantas House, 2 Railway Parade, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia. 8 ABSTRACT A rebounder attachment for a tenpin bowling alley which prevents the bowling ball entering a gutter in a conventional alley when, children or elderly, infirm or partly disabled persons are bowling. The attachment comprises a series of elongated members transversely located on the capping members between lanes and extending over a major part of the width of the gutters adjacent the capping members, the outer ends of the elongated members being provided with resilient sleeve members for locating and supporting a continuous length of resilient tubing extending along the length of the gutters. *0 0* **0 *0 0*