bowl1820

Pinsetter Theory of Operation and Malfunctions

The purpose of this page is to give a bowler a bit more information on what causes a pinsetter stop or malfunction. The
machines are designed ideally to run, X number of cycles, malfunction free. As we all know, and probably seen that is not always
the case. Pinsetters are much like kids, some days they behave and other days you just want to beat their butts. Yes the
machine are old, but the machine are by no means worn out. All the parts are still available and will be available well into the
future because the Brunswick A Series Pinsetter is one of the least changed, and one of the most reliable pinsetter made.

First, lets explain the theory of operation. The machine has a 360 degree life cycle, and certain functions happen at 44, 90,
144, 180, 270, and 360 degrees or Zero.

Lets break the machine cycle into quarters:
- 0 to 90 Degrees:
The cycle begins when the ball is thrown, and the ball breaks the Electronic Triggering Beam. Once the beam is
broken a signal is sent to the Time Delay Module. The Time Delay Module waits 3 second to send the signal to the Triggering
Solenoid. The ball also breaks the Automatic Scoring Ball Detect Beam. The Ball Detect Signal and the Electronic Triggering
Signal lets the CCD Scanner Box acknowledge a ball was thrown and to take a comparison picture of the pins at 44 degrees, or
when the deck is about 1 inch above the pins. The Trigger Solenoid fires engaging the gearbox clutch, and at 44 degrees the
camera takes a picture of the standing pins. Once the rake drops, the pit curtain is raised to allow the ball to pass under the
curtain and be lifted up the ball rods by the ball wheel. Once the machine reaches 90 degrees the mechanical detector can
"detect" by the detector rod how far the deck has lowered. This indicates to the detector whether there are pins standing, a strike
has been bowled, or a pin has slid Out of Range and can not be picked up, and needs cleared by the Front Desk Attendant.

- 90 to 180 Degrees:
All based on the Detector reading at 90 degrees, and series of projections, cams and levers the following can happen:
1. Standing pins are picked up while the dead wood is swept from the deck and the pins are re-spotted onto the
lanes.

2. Strike - The dead wood is swept from the deck and a new rack of pins are set.

3. Out of Range where the gearbox clutch is dis-engaged and the machine cycle is halted. The Front Desk
Attendant must clear any dead wood on the lane and manually re-engage the gearbox while blocking the rake from sweeping the
Out of Range pins from the lane.

4. Second ball cycle at 144 degrees the second picture is taken by the Automatic Scoring Camera.
The deadwood pins and pins knocked down by the bowlers ball are shuffled off the pit carpet and into the clockwise
rotating pin wheel. These pins are deposited into the turn around pan, where the pan orientates the pins so they move up the
conveyor base first. The pins travel up to and over the pin gate and drop onto the turret trip lever. The pin gate is now locked and
does not allow another pin to drop into the turret till the turret indexes to the next turret spot. This action also unlocks the pin gate
and allows the next pin to drop onto the turret trip lever. This process is repeated 9 times. The 10th and last pin to drop in the
turret is the 5 pin. The 5 pin passes through a chute and actuates the 5 pin probe. The actuation of the 5 pin probe allows the
spoons, which are under rotational spring tension to rotate from underneath the base of the pin and drop from the turret wires into
the deck buckets. This actuation rotates the time delay trip lever. The time delay rotates and the cam on the underside of the
time delay gear simulates a pin dropping on the turret trip lever and allows the machine to index. When the turret indexes to all
the first pin to drop into the turret, a long link is pushed to the rear. The link is captured by a roller and this capturing motion lets
the clutch now the deck is ready to spot a new set of pins, it lowers a blocking finger to prevent a second set of pins from being
dropped into an already full deck, and last keeps the clutch or engages the clutch at 180 degrees. Once the deck sets a new
rack of pins, a roller on the deck shaft is rotated and releases the long link. This raises the blocking finger to say the deck is
empty of pins. There are two conditions that must be met for the pins to release from the turret. The deck must at it's highest
position. This is controlled by the restricted drop link and the right hand blocking finger, and the deck must be empty and in its
shifted forward position. This is controller by the left hand finger and the moving deck and scissor shaft.
Meanwhile as the pins are carried to the turn around pan, another wheel rotating counter clockwise carries the
ball up the lift rods. The bowling ball is transferred to the ball track and merges onto the underground subway at the y-switch and
is boosted back to the bowler by the ball accelerator.

If the deck is empty at 180 degrees, the rake will stop in this rear ward position till the turret delivers 10 pins to the
deck. Pushing the recycle or rest button does not do a single bit of good, and can actually cause the machine to
Christmas Tree after setting a full rack. If the machine stays back at 180 degrees for more than 5 to 7 seconds then
generally there is a malfunction or some of the pins have been ejected from the machine.

- 180 to 270 Degrees
At 180 Degrees the full deck signal is given the clutch is re-engaged, and the deck lowers towards 270 degrees. At
270 degrees or when the deck is at it lowest position a new rack of pins are set on the lane. During this point in the cycle the
rake is "blocked out" so the rake does not sweep into or under the deck.
The machine is now back to Zero or 360 degrees and the cycle starts all over again. This was the condensed version of how a
machine operates, but I wanted everyone to get a feel for what goes on behind the masking units.