
Who invented the pinsetting machine?
The first mechanical pinsetter was invented by Gottfried (Fred) Schmidt, who sold the patent in 1941 to AMF. Pinsetting machines have largely done away with pinsetting as a manual profession, although a small number of bowling alleys still use human pinsetters.
What does a pinsetter do?
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pin spotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players.
Who made AMF's 1946 automatic pinsetter?
When AMF was showing their 1946 machine to the public In Buffalo, New York there were 2 other companies showing films and articles about their own automatic pinsetters. One was the Automatic Pinsetter Company from Camden, NJ and the other was Wolab Corporation which built a machine for the L.L. Leveque Company from Columbus, Ohio.
Where did the LeVeque pinsetter come from?
One was the Automatic Pinsetter Company from Camden, NJ and the other was Wolab Corporation which built a machine for the L.L. Leveque Company from Columbus, Ohio. AMF later bought out thepatents of both these companies. Articles from 1946 of the Columbus, Ohio automaticare available on the “articles” listing page.

Who invented the pinsetter machine?
On March 13, 1906 J. Clayton Backus of Smethport patented a machine that he invented for bowling alleys. The machine that he invented was an automatic pinsetter and spotter for persons working in bowling alleys.
When was the automatic pinsetter invented?
The first automatic pinsetters were introduced by the Brunswick Company in 1956. The boys in this picture are working as pinsetters at Midway Alleys in St. Paul, 1937.
When did bowling alleys become automated?
The automatic scorer was first field tested at Village Lanes bowling center, Chicago in 1967. The scoring machine received approval for official use by the American Bowling Congress in August of that year. They were first used in national official league gaming on October 10, 1967.
What did a pinsetter do?
Today, machines do this work. In bowling, a pinsetter, or pin spotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players.
Who invented the automatic pinsetter in bowling?
The most prolific of these was Norwegian inventor Ernest Hedenskoog. He was put on the payroll of Brunswick in 1911 as the “in house” inventor and was responsible for many of the Brunswick patents including the B-1 and B-10 semi-automatic pinsetter used by pinboys of the time.
Who invented the bowling ball?
98-year-old Joseph Gentiluomo invented the modern bowling ball, and rolled the first ball at the Halfmoon bowling alley since it closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
How heavy is a pinsetter?
A pair of fully assembled pinsetters weigh about 5,000 pounds, and much of this weight is concentrated along narrow footprints along the sides of each pinsetter. The best foundation for a bowling alley is a reinforced concrete slab, at least 4 inches thick, and sealed to minimize dust.
How many pins are in a pinsetter?
An automatic pinsetter works with a total of 20 pins, twice the number needed for the 10-pin arrangement.
What is a pin boy?
(formerly) a person stationed in the sunken area of a bowling alley behind the pins who places the pins in the proper positions, removes pins that have been knocked down, and returns balls to the bowlers.
How do you make a bowling pinsetter?
5:2110:46How to Build a Mini Bowling Lane! (Tutorial) - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo this piece of cardboard is actually acting as this piece of wood the piece of wood that the laneMoreSo this piece of cardboard is actually acting as this piece of wood the piece of wood that the lane is actually sitting on.
How does a string pinsetter work?
How Do String Pinsetters Work? With a string pinsetter, you have strings attached to the top of each pin. There is no interference with how the pins fall. The pins are pulled back into the rack, and the machine then resets the ones that weren't knocked down after the roll.
How does a bowling pinsetter work?
1:1815:27How does a Bowling Pinsetter Machine work? (Brunswick GS-X)YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThis absorbs the impact of the bowling ball pins knocked over are sometimes referred to as dead woodMoreThis absorbs the impact of the bowling ball pins knocked over are sometimes referred to as dead wood the remaining pins will be lifted up and the dead wood will be cleared off the lane.
Who invented the pinsetter?
In 1936 Gottfried Schmidt invented the mechanical pinsetter while with the AMF firm, which largely did away with pin setting as a manual profession, although a small number of bowling alleys still use human pinsetters.
Why are pinsetters called pin boys?
Probably due to the nature of the work (low-paid, often part-time, manual labor that most frequently took place evenings), many pinsetters were teenage boys, and thus pin boy is another name used to describe the job.
What is pinsetter in bowling?
In bowling, a pinsetter, or pin spotter, was originally a person who manually reset bowling pins to their correct position, cleared fallen pins, and returned bowling balls to players.
Why do people use pinchasers?
While humans usually no longer set the pins, a pinchaser, or in slang ‘pin monkey’, often is stationed near the equipment to ensure that it is clean and working properly, and to clear minor jams.
Do pinsetters have automatic tracking?
Many pinsetters are integrated with electronic scoring systems of varying sophistication. While many pinsetters have a manual reset button to use in case the pinsetter does not automatically activate at the correct time, other types have no automatic tracking of the state of the game – especially for the candlepin and duckpin bowling sports which ...
