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sterlingbowl.com
MECHANIC NOTES |
Sterling Lanes
11216 E 24 Highway
Sugar Creek, MO 64054
816-252-2111 |
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"What's the deal with all of these ball calls?"
Answer:
During a typical league there can be up to 360 balls
thrown down a single pair of lanes. In a full house that would
be up to a total of 4,320 balls! That would also be 4,320 balls
that have to cycled through the pinsetter and transferred back up to you,
the humble bowler.
So what happens to your ball after it clears the pin deck?
Check out this picture summary of what can go wrong.
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You've thrown your ball, after it clears the pin deck it enters the pit
area where the pinsetter machinery should, if all goes right,
immediately return it to you. But if it doesn't, here are a few
reasons why... |
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BALL IN FRONT OF CUSHION
The most common reason the ball does not clear the pit cushion is
because the pinsetter fails to cycle. Manually pushing the reset
button will resolve it. This problem can also be caused by pins or
another ball in the pit holding the ball back while the pinsetter
cycles, or a problem with the shakerboard or shakerboard cover hanging
up the ball and not allowing it progress to the ball wheel. |
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PINS BLOCKING BALL IN THE PIT
This is usually a symptom of a different
problem such as a pin jam in the pin elevator, but it can also be caused
by literally bowling faster than the pinsetter can physically reload the
pins. Slowing down may help resolve this problem. |
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SPINNING ON THE BALL
WHEEL
This is probably the most common problem when your ball does
not return promptly. This is caused by the ball picking up oil from the
lane and making the ball, the ball wheel, and the lift rods slippery.
Keeping your ball wiped off will help remedy this problem, as well as us
keeping the machinery clean. |
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BALL AT LIFT ROD ELBOW
When the ball hits the pit cushion with a
great deal of force at just the right angle it can slip under the
cushion and lodge itself between the lift rods, shakerboard, and pit
cushion. This usually happens on the second ball when there are fewer
pins to slow it down. This can also be caused by mechanical failure of
shock absorbers to slow down the ball or the cushion may be adjusted too
high. |
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BALL IN THE PIN WHEEL
When there is more than 1 ball in the pit
at the same time, one of the extra balls will usually slip down into the
pin wheel. This problem is sometimes hard to see, especially if the
ball is dark in color. Occasionally the pins themselves will force the
ball out of the pin wheel, but not often. |
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YO-YO
This problem is appropriately named because the ball or balls go up and
down in the lift rods like a yo-yo. This can be caused by oil build-up
on the balls, ball wheel, and lift rods, or ball strips (pieces of
rubber attached to the ball wheel to grip and push the ball up the lift
rods) are worn and need to be replaced, or the lift rods are out of
alignment. When there is a long delay for balls to return, but not long
enough to call it in, this could be the reason. |
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BALL CAME
OUT OF LIFT RODS
Whether an a act of God, sunspots, or a
shift in the earths crust, this problem occurs when the ball basically
squirts out of the lift rods and lands on top of the pit cushion. This
does not occur often, but unlike most other problems, can cause significant ball damage to the
waylaid ball. |
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OBSTRUCTION IN BALL TRACK
As you might guess, pins fly all over the place when projectiles are
flung at them at 60 mph. Occasionally one of these pins will land
in the ball track and obstruct it's normal progress. This one can be
very hard to see unless we know to look for it. If you have to call
your tardy ball in more than once, odds are this is the cause. |
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BALL AT "Y" TRACK
Each lane pair is designed to allow only one ball to enter the center
track at a time, but occasionally, when the timing is just right, they
will meet in the middle and stop both balls. This problem is easy to
see, but does not happen often during league play so it is not always
looked for. When you are waiting on balls on both lanes this is most
likely the culprit. |
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NOT OUT OF THE WOODS JUST YET...
So your ball has made it past all the obstacles in the pinsetter and is
on it's way back up the ball track, but there is still the possibility
of the ball coming off the track, a pin in the subway return, or a
malfunction or jam in the ball lift, not to mention physical breakdown
of the pinsetter machinery. |
And Then There's This...
There are times when every ball will go right up
and back with no problem...except for one. No matter what we say, do,
or swear that one ball wants to sit there and spin 3 out of 4 times.
On a different week and a different lane, that ball might not have any
problems. Every pinsetter has it's own personality, and can get an
attitude. Try to be patient. |
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