Template controlled bowling ball drilling machine

Claim 2

A machining device for boring contoured thumb and finger holes in bowling balls comprising: a stationary drill holding unit; a ball holding means for holding a bowling ball, means mounting said ball-holding means for traversing said ball-holding means with respect to said drill-holding unit along a linear path toward said drill-holding means, said drill-holding unit being lockable with respect to said path; means for reciprocal propulsion of said ball-holding means along said path; means for lateral transverse adjustment of said ball-holding means with respect to said path; a template positioned to be engaged by said ball-holding means as it moves along its path at a predetermined location to divert the said ball-holding means from said linear path to drill a hole which has a portion parallel to said path and a portion non-parallel to said path.

Claim 3

The machining device defined in claim 1 wherein said means for propulsion of said ball-holding means has sufficient stroke that it is capable of sufficient movement for producing a straight cylindrical bore from the outside surface of the ball for a distance corresponding to the inner phalanx of the thumb ad then sufficient additional movement for producing a bore extending in a direction non-parallel to said path for a distance corresponding to the length of the outer phalanx of the thumb.

Claim 4

The machining device defined in claim 1 wherein said template is formed so that said mounting means for said ball-holding means moves said ball-holding means with respect to said stationary drill-holding unit so that, during motion of said ball-holding means on said linear path, a hole is drilled from the outer surface of a bowling ball parallel to said path and said template is formed so that, after the parallel hole is bored to a predetermined depth, the ball is diverted from said path so that the direction of the hole beyond the predetermined distance is non-parallel to said path.

Claim 5

The machine device of claim 3 wherein the non-parallel bore in the bowling ball is straight.

Claim 6

The machining device of claim 3 wherein the non-parallel bore in the ball is curved.

Claim 7

A machining device for boring hole grips into bowling balls comprising: first mounting means for carrying a first portion of said machining device thereon; second mounting means for carrying a second portion of said machining device thereon; one of said portions of said machining device comprising drilling means for carrying a drill for rotation on a drill axis and the other portion of said machining device comprises bowling ball-mounting means for the mounting of a bowling ball thereon to be bored; guide means for guiding relative motion between said first and second mounting means, said guide means comprising a base on which said first mounting means is reciprocably mounted for guiding said first mounting means along a path, said path being non-parallel to said axis of said drilling means; template means on said base for engagement by said first mounting means after said first mounting means has moved a predetermined distance along said path to move said first mounting means on a path away from said path so that a hole bored in a bowling ball mounted on said bowling ball-mounting means has a portion parallel to said path and a portion non-parallel to said path.

Claim 8

A machining device for boring hole grips into bowling balls comprising: first mounting means for carrying a first portion of said machining device thereon; second mounting means for carrying a second portion of said machining device thereon; one of said portions of said machining device comprising drilling means for carrying a drill for rotation on a drill axis and the other portion of said machining device comprises bowling ball-mounting means for the mounting of a bowling ball thereon to be bored; guide means for guiding relative motion between said first and second mounting means, said guide means comprising a base on which said first mounting means is reciprocably mounted for guiding said first mounting means along a path, said path being non-parallel to said axis of said drilling means; template means on said base for engagement by said first mounting means after said first mounting means has moved a predetermined distance along said path to move said first mounting means on a path away from said path so that a hole bored in a bowling ball mounted on said bowling ball-mounting means has a portion parallel to said path and a portion non-parallel to said path.

Claim 9

A bowling ball finger hole boring machine comprising: a base, a track on said base; a carriage movably mounted on said track on said base for movement along a first path with respect to said base; bowling ball-mounting means on said carriage for mounting a bowling ball on said carriage; a template mounted on said base for engagement by said carriage, said template being positioned so that, after said carriage moves a predetermined distance along said path, at least part of said carriage is deflected by said template to move in a direction other than along said path so that a bowling ball mounted in said bowling ball-mounting means has a portion which moves along said path to a predetermined position and then moves away from said path in a direction controlled by said template; a drill head mounted on said base for carrying a drill having a cutter head and a shank of smaller diameter than its cutter head and rotating the drill about an axis so that the cutter head bores a hole in the bowling ball in accordance with carriage motion along said path and as deflected by said template.

Claim 10

A bowling ball finger hole boring machine comprising: a base, a track on said base; a carriage movably mounted on said track on said base for movement along a first path with respect to said base; bowling ball-mounting means on said carriage for mounting a bowling ball on said carriage; a template mounted on said base for engagement by said carriage, said template being positioned so that, after said carriage moves a predetermined distance along said path, at least part of said carriage is deflected by said template to move in a direction other than along said path so that a bowling ball mounted in said bowling ball-mounting means has a portion which moves along said path to a predetermined position and then moves away from said path in a direction controlled by said template; a drill head mounted on said base for carrying a drill having a cutter head and a shank of smaller diameter than its cutter head and rotating the drill about an axis so that the cutter head bores a hole in the bowling ball in accordance with carriage motion along said path and as deflected by said template.

Claim 11

The bowling ball-drilling machine of claim 7 wherein said axis of said drill head is positioned at an angle with respect to said path.