Pit cushion cam and roller kit

Abstract

The Follower Link Assembly acts as a pivot to raise the pit cushion upon ball impact allowing the bowling ball to pass under the pit cushion and to lower the pit cushion at the end of the pinsetter cycle. By design, the pit cushion was an integral part and dependent upon the follower link assembly for it's movement. The forward, rearward, and upward position of the pit cushion was restricted and controlled by the elongated slot design of the follower link assembly. The Pit Cushion Cam & Roller Kit does not restrict the forward position of the pit cushion. The free rotation of the urethane roller controls rearward and upward rotation of the pit cushion. The steel cam is solidly secured to the pit cushion mount. The free rotation of the urethane roller allows pit cushion to raise allowing the bowling ball to enter ball elevator assembly.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]“Not Applicable”STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESERCH OR DEVELOPMENT: [0002]“Not Applicable”REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX “Not Applicable”BACKGROUND OF INVENTION [0003] The PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT replaces the current Follower Link Assembly used on all Brunswick Model A-2 pinsetters. The PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT eliminates the moving components of the Follower Link Assembly that are known to have unsatisfactorily wear and failure rates. The PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT's component design allows the pinsetter to operate more efficiently with less moving parts and with less maintenance requirements. [0004] The Follower Link Assembly acts as a pivot assembly to raise the pit cushion upon ball impact so the bowling ball can pass under the pit cushion to enter the ball elevator and to lower the pit cushion at the end of a pinsetter cycle. The pit cushion as...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] Replacing the Follower Link Assembly with the PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT eliminates all the Follower Link Assembly components known to fail due to ball impact and lack of adequate lubrication. Pit cushion positioning, when the pinsetter is waiting for bowling ball impact (0 degrees), is not controlled by the PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT's components and therefore not as susceptible to component deterioration due to the severity and repetition of the bowling ball striking the pit cushion. Also, pit cushion rotation is not controlled by the PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT resulting in less component deterioration. Rotation of the pit cushion is unimpeded until pit cushion cam meets elastomer roller assembly while freely pivoting clockwise. This unimpeded movement results in improved vertical link and triangular plate upward rotation greatly improving the operation and reliability of the rake trip mechanism to begin the pinsetter cycle. Minimal maintenance and lubrication are required to maintain the integrity of the PIT CUSHION CAM AND ROLLER KIT's components.

Problems solved by technology

The Follower Link Assembly is viewed by Pinsetter Mechanics as an area with a high rate of mechanical failure and maintenance.

Due to the severity and repetition of the bowling ball striking the pit cushion, the integrity of follower link assembly has been known to deteriorate at an undesirable rate.

The Follower Link Assembly parts are used to control the position of the pit cushion prior to bowling ball impact making the Follower Link Assembly components susceptible to the severity of bowling ball impact.

The pivot point of the pivot links begins to degrade at the point of connection with the steel spacer due to the severity of bowling ball impact and lack of adequate lubrication.

The Follower Link Assembly part deterioration results in continued restricted pit cushion rotation resulting in reduction of vertical link and triangular plate upward rotation upon bowling ball impact responsible for unlatching rake trip mechanism to begin pinsetter cycle.

As parts of the Follower Link Assembly continue to deteriorate, component rotation continues to be seriously impeded thus resulting in the need for the Follower Link Assembly replacement to restore the rake trip mechanism performance to satisfactory operable condition.

Due to the pit cushion position, bowling balls are susceptible to getting pinned between the pit cushion and ball lift rod assembly that could result in bowling ball damage and the failure to return the bowling ball back to the bowler.