Bowling pin detecting apparatus

Claim 1

IN A BOWLING ALLEY INSTALLATION HAVING A PIN DECK PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF PREDETERMINED PIN POSITIONS, THE COMBINATION OF: A PLURALITY OF TRANSDUCERS SPACED FROM SAID PIN POSITIONS EACH OPERATIVELY ARRANGED TO PROVIDE AN ELECTRICAL OUTPUT IN RESPONSE TO PRESENCE OF A PIN AT A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID PIN POSITIONS; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SIGNALLING DEVICES EQUAL IN NUMBER TO SAID TRANSDUCERS FOR INDICATING PINFALL RESULTS AFTER THE ROLLING OF A BALL; A SUPPLY CIRCUIT; A PLURALITY OF ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SWITCHING DEVICES EACH ARRANGED TO CONNECT A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERATED SIGNALLING DEVICES TO SAID SUPPLY CIRCUIT AND EACH COMPRISING HOLDING MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SUCH CONNECTION ONCE THE SAME HAS BEEN MADE; SEQUENCE SWITCHING MEANS ARRANGED TO SEQUENTIALLY CONNECT SAID SWITCHING DEVICES EACH TO RECEIVE THE OUTPUT OF A DIFFERENT ONE OF SAID TRANSDUCERS; A STARTING CIRCUIT CONNECTED TO SAID SEQUENCE SWITCHING MEANS TO INITIATE OPERATION THEREOF; CONTROL MEANS CONNECTED TO CONTROL SAID STARTING CIRCUIT; SAID CONTROL MEANS BEING RESPONSIVE TO OCCURRENCE OF A PREDETERMINED PLAYING EVENT; AND MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY DEACTIVATING SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DEVICES, SAID DEACTIVATING MEANS INCLUDING AN ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DEACTIVATING SWITCH AND A TIME DELAY DEVICE, SAID TIME DELAY DEVICE BEING CONNECTED TO BE PLACED IN OPERATION IN RESPONSE TO COMPLETION OF SAID STARTING CIRCUIT AND TO OPERATE SAID DEACTIVATING SWITCH WHEN A PREDETERMINED TIME HAS ELAPSED AFTER THE PLACING OF SAID TIME DELAY DEVICE IN OPERATION.