Bowling ball path indicator

Claim 1

In a computerized optimum ball path indicator for bowling alleys including a pinspotter, a pinspotter mask having selectively illuminated ball path arrows thereon, selective control means for said arrows and computer means responsive to pins left standing after the bowling of a first ball in a bowling frame to logically select one or more appropriate ball paths to knock down the combination of standing pins from a first plurality of appropriate ball paths, the improvement comprising: scan sequence selector means responsive to said appropriate ball paths selected by said computer means; said selector means having a first plurality of ball path inputs equal in number to said first plurality of appropriate ball paths for receiving an input signal corresponding to those ball paths selected by the computer means; a second plurality of intermediate ball path outputs representative of a lesser number of optimum ball paths than said first plurality of appropriate ball paths; logic means interconnecting said first plurality of appropriate ball path inputs with said second plurality of intermediate outputs, each of said first plurality of inputs having a series connected sequencing switch between it and said logic means; a plurality of optimum ball path relay means corresponding one to each of said second plurality of intermediate outputs; a control output from said logic means common to said inputs and a first control relay controlled thereby; cancel and set sequence switch means and latching relay means controlled thereby to unlatch and latch, respectively; computer call input means and a second associated control relay means actuated in response to a call signal from said computer means, said second control relay means selectively interconnecting said SET SEQUENCE switch means in circuit with said latching relay means; third control relay means controlled by said latching relay means, selectively completing a circuit between said latching relay means, selectively completing a circuit between said common control output and said first control relay means and selectively, in conjunction with said first control relay means, enabling said optimum ball path relay means; fourth control relay means selectively initially controlled by said latching relay means and subsequently held in by said computer call input means in response to a call signal; reset relay means selectively controlled by said latching and fourth control relay means; pinspotter reset output means selectively controlled by said reset relay means; optimum ball path output means corresponding in number to said plurality of optimum ball path relay means and corresponding one to each said ballpath arrows on said pinspotter means; and driving means sequentially closing and opening said sequence switch means continuously in predetermined sequence to thereby scan, in each said sequence, each of said first plurality of appropriate ball paths inputs, constrain said latching and control relay means to CANCEL a present sequence and SET said scan sequence selector means for a subsequent sequence, and effect energization of one of said optimum ball path output means and its associated ball path arrow in response to the first occurrence in said scan sequence of a said input signal on a said one of said first plurality of ball path inputs.