Title: Bowling Catalog E
Author: Narragansett Machine Company
Release date: June 16, 2018 [eBook #57337]
Language: English
Credits: Produced by ellinora, RichardW, and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
produced from images generously made available by The
Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
THE recent revival of this interesting game has resulted in the application of modern principles of system and exactness to Alleys, Pins, and Balls. What would have been very good ten years ago will not answer at all now. The alley in particular must be right from the start and remain so. This can only be expected of experienced builders, using first class materials. We have been building alleys for ten years and by giving them careful study have produced good alleys. This catalogue describes them in every detail. There are alleys and ALLEYS, but there is only one “STANDARD” ALLEY. The statements we make regarding it are facts, borne out by the class of people who use it.
CONSTRUCTION. The beds rest on sleepers supported at their ends by sills running the entire length of the alleys. These may rest on a concrete, cement, or other solid floor, or on posts or piers set 8 ft. apart, or where the ground is firm and dry of a gravelly nature, on flat stones laid on the ground. The sills raise both sleepers and bed clear of the ground or cement, and as there is ample air space beneath them they are not liable to be affected by moisture which nearly always collects in confined places near the ground. The beds are made of strips three inches wide, tongued and grooved on the sides, (see page 14) and are built up by nailing and glueing each strip on top of the preceding one until the bed stands on edge 42 inches high: in this way the strips are firmly driven together and a solid bed secured. The bed is then laid down, screwed to the sleepers and planed.
DURABILITY. This is secured, first by the use of good well-seasoned timber. Second by the ample air space beneath the alleys. As we use large quantities of the Hard White Maple of which the beds are made, we have arranged with several of the largest mills in the country to select from their finest stock the best for our use, shipping in car-load lots. No such timber can be found in any city yards. The Sills and Sleepers are of Selected Hard Pine, known as one of the most durable woods. As none of the woodwork is bedded in cement or in any way closed up there is no tendency to dry rot, and it cannot be affected by any ordinary degree of moisture. By long experience in alley building we have ascertained the most durable materials for different parts and their best forms, features that save wear and avoid early and expensive repairs.
The Standard (Reiskey & Wolf Patent) Adjustable Alleys are constructed in every detail the same as the Standard Bowling Alleys except that the sleepers on which the beds rest are adjustable. The adjusting screws are placed at the ends of the sleepers and rest on the sills as shown above. They are riveted to Iron Shoes that are secured to the sills so that the screws can raise up or draw down the beds. Any deviations of the beds from level, except such as are due to wear, may be corrected by the adjusting screws, and the expense of re-planing avoided or reduced in cost. When it is necessary to plane out a worn spot the worn part may be raised by the screws and the necessity of taking a deep cut of the whole bed avoided.
SECTIONAL ALLEYS. On the Adjustable principle we build sectional Alleys with the beds in sections 12 to 14 feet long and 42 inches wide. After the Adjustable Sleepers are set and leveled, the bed sections are screwed to them and if necessary again leveled by the adjusting screws. Such alleys are as near portable as it has been possible to get alleys and may be moved from Winter to Summer resorts, etc.
BEDS first quality white maple, 3 in. wide, rabbetted on the sides, laid on edge, glued and nailed with cut steel nails.
LENGTH OF BED, 78 ft., width, 41 to 42 in., thickness, 3 in.
SLEEPERS to be of selected hard pine, 6 in. deep, 3 in. wide, placed at an average of 36 in. apart.
SILLS to be of Hard Pine 6 × 6, built of three pieces.
SCORE BOARDS of artificial slate, 20 in. by 27 in. inside frame, ruled to 2 in. squares, framed in oak, with chalk rail.
SCRATCH LINE AND PIN SPOTS to be of Black Vulcanized fibre. Side cushions to be of hard wood faced with sole leather from a point opposite the head pin to one foot beyond the end of the bed.
RUNS. One set for each pair of alleys, placed in the centre between the alleys, built low with oak centre post placed at Scratch line as per regulation.
CAGE for starting the balls to be of hickory with wrought iron brackets.
GUTTERS 9 in. wide, of selected hard pine.
SWINGING BUNTERS padded with palm fibre in sections, divided by burlap and covered with heavy Black duck.
PIT 4 ft. wide, length equal to width of alleys, padded on bottom, under end of bed and at the sides, with hair felt covered with heavy duck.
WOOD WORK where not otherwise specified to be of selected hard pine.
WORKMANSHIP to be first-class throughout, beds to be true from end to end and level crosswise. All parts to be firmly secured and left in condition for use.
FINISH. Surfaces of beds to be planed and sanded to a smooth even surface, level from side to side, and end to end. Posts, runs, gutters, etc., to have two coats of shellac varnish.
The following claims are made for the “STANDARD” Bowling Alleys, and have been sustained by use:
KEEP LEVEL. On account of the air space underneath them, which is ventilated by openings, the beds are less affected by moisture rising from the ground, cement, etc.
SURFACE. The bed being glued up of strips having rabbets cut on the sides, form a solid bed in which no piece can get loose, slip, raise up, or give any trouble.
FOUNDATIONS. Practically, no foundation is required; hence, a great saving is effected. The sills can be laid on a tar concrete or cement floor, or on piers or posts set three feet in the ground. All sills are supplied by us. As no part of the foundation is buried in cement, it lasts indefinitely.
WEAR AND TEAR. By long experience we have ascertained the best materials and forms to stand the severe usage of public and club alleys and by their use avoid the vexatious break-downs formerly so common on alleys.
EXPERIENCE. As we build a great many alleys our workmen are accustomed to the work and know its requirements. Our alleys are not experiments; they are tried and proved successes.
DURABILITY. The beds being made of double kiln dried White Rock Maple, last longer and do not require so much re-planing as if made of softer woods or maple as ordinarily seasoned.
RE-PLANING. The strips of which the beds are made do not dry out and have cracks between them that fill with grit and make re-planing almost impossible.
MAPLE is unquestionably the best wood for alley beds. It is hard, white, durable, even grained and when properly seasoned and dried, will remain as laid without shrinking or warping. That is, the best maple will do all this. We are large buyers of maple for alleys and other purposes, and get direct from the mills the highest grade of Hard, White (Rock) Maple. Such stock as is never carried by city yards—they have no call for it. This fine stock enables us to build alley beds that are clear white from end to end, without spots or streaks, level and true. The ideal bowling surfaces.
LOW Posts and runs are an innovation we introduced three or four years ago. Their advantages were apparent from the start and now nothing else will be tolerated. They give both players and spectators an unobstructed view of the alley beds and pins. In a room containing eight or ten alleys, one can see every pin. The runs are strong, the posts being short, and as the balls do not have to be raised so high to put them in the cage they are dropped in easier and wear longer.
The runs are low with a low post placed inside of the scratch line. These alleys conform in every detail to the Regulations of the Massachusetts Amateur Bowling League, which are generally adopted by other Eastern organizations.
The pit is four feet wide and is dropped well below the beds so that balls go over pins or balls lying in the pit.
The swinging bunters are large, heavy, and well padded with a durable palm fibre, the padding being in sections to prevent its packing down in the bottom of the bunter. The bottom and sides of the pit are padded, and from opposite the head-pin to one foot beyond the beds, the sides, where the flying pins strike, are covered with sole leather.
The ball cage and the first section of the runs are made of hickory to stand the severe use.
Tonguing and grooving alley stock is a feature we introduced several years ago—long enough to have given it a good test. A bed built this way, especially when glued and well nailed with cut steel nails, as ours are, is a solid plank from end to end with the tendency to warp removed by the strips having their grain in various directions. Loose or split ends that rise up and turn balls aside are an impossibility, and so close are the boards drawn to each other that it is almost impossible to find the joints. Thus the dirt is kept from working between the boards and forming unsightly cracks which let in water, when the alleys are washed, to work still more destruction.
THE following is a list of Bowling Alleys laid from 1893 to 1895. The increasing number of parties using these alleys is their best recommendation.
A LIST of the Reisky & Wolf Patent Alleys laid by the Narragansett Machine Co., Providence. Sole Licensees under Patent No. 359,542, for Adjustable Bowling Alleys.
WE GUARANTEE the material and workmanship on all our alleys to be first-class in every respect and will repair free of charge, for one year, any breakage due to faulty construction or defective material; but we cannot guarantee against the natural effect of heat and moisture on the stock out of which the alleys are laid.
EXPERIENCE is a very necessary factor in building Bowling Alleys. For six years we built alleys according to the old method of setting the sleepers in cement, nailing the beds to them, etc., and though we took great care to have all work and materials first-class, our alleys did not always give the perfect satisfaction we desired. To obviate some of the troubles, in 1892 we introduced the Reisky & Wolf adjustable alleys with improvements in the construction of the beds, etc., and later the Standard non-adjustable alleys built on the same general principles. These alleys have given such excellent satisfaction that our business has largely increased, and we are confident that every alley we build according to our new method will give perfect satisfaction.
WHEN desired we build High Runs and Newel Post as shown by the drawing on this page. As will be seen by the “end view,” this post is made thin to allow as much room as possible for the bowlers. This style of runway has a sift-out that delivers the small balls on a lower rack.
OUR FACTORY, as will be seen by the illustration on page 24, is located at Woodlawn, a suburb of Providence, on the New York, New Haven Railroad. The lumber sheds and dry kilns, of improved construction, are by the side of a siding or switch built specially for us, enabling us to load our lumber or ship goods directly from the cars. We buy the highest grade lumber in car-loads direct from the mills, and have the latest improved machinery for working it. With the best of facilities and experienced workmen, we can promise first-class work.
| Size. in. Diameter |
Weight. lb., solid |
Weight. lb., bored |
Tel. Code. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 ⅝ | · | (MAGNET) |
| 4 ½ | 2 ¼ | · | (MAGPIE) |
| 5 | 3 ⅛ | · | (MALADY) |
| 5 ½ | 4 ⅛ | · | (MALICE) |
| 6 | 5 ⅜ | · | (MALLET) |
| 6 ½ | 6 ⅞ | · | (MAMMON) |
| 7 | 8 ½ | · | (MANAGE) |
| 7 ½ | 10 ½ | 10 ¼ | (MANGLE) |
| 8 | 12 ¾ | 12 ½ | (MANNER) |
| 8 ½ | 15 ⅜ | 15 | (MANTLE) |
| 8.59† | 16 ⅛ | 15 ¾ | (MANUAL) |
| † Regulation size, 27 in. circumference | |||
These Balls are made of the best lignum-vitæ, or ball wood as it is termed by the trade. 7 ½ in. and all larger sizes have finger holes, unless otherwise ordered. Holes are bored 3 ½ in. apart unless ordered otherwise.
Sizes measured before re-turning.
Turned from selected Rock Maple, turned to regulation sizes and lathe polished.
| Small | 12 ½ in. cir. | 14 ½ high, per set, | (MARKET) | $4.00 |
| Regulation | 15 in. cir. | 15 high, per set, | (MARROW) | 5.00 |
| Large | 17 ½ in. cir. | 18 ½ high, per set, | (MARTYR) | 6.00 |
| Poney Pins | 9 in. cir. | 9 high, per set, | (MATURE) | 2.00 |
| Candle Pins | 2 ½ in dia. | 15 high, per set, | (MERCER) | 2.40 |
The following list is well adapted for one pair of Public or Club Alleys. For a Single Alley take half of the list of Balls and Pins. It is desirable to purchase large balls at first as they turn to smaller sizes.
| 4 Regulation Balls | $20.00 |
| 2 Balls, 8 ½ in. diam. | 9.00 |
| 2 Balls, 8 in. diam. | 8.00 |
| 2 Balls, 7 in. diam. | 6.00 |
| 2 Balls, 6 in. diam. | 4.00 |
| 4 Balls, 4 ½ in. diam. | 5.00 |
| $52.00 | |
| 2 Sets of Match Pins | 10.00 |
| 1 Foot Chalk Box | 1.25 |
| 1 Winn’s Ball Retarder | 10.00 |
| Foot Chalk in Box, made to be cut down as the chalk wears, | $1.25 |
| Score Books bound in cloth, size 9 × 11 ½ in., with American League Rules. | |
| No. 1, 60 Games, | 1.25 |
| No. 2, 120 Games, | 1.75 |
| No. 3, 176 Games, | 2.50 |
| Standard Dressing, for use after washing, to preserve the surface and retain the color of the wood. In gallon cans. Per gallon | .75 |
| Savogran, for cleaning alleys, 1 lb. package, | .25 |
| Savogran, for cleaning alleys, 5 lb. package, | 1.00 |
Some means for retarding or reducing the speed of returned balls is an absolute necessity, otherwise they crash into each other making a disagreeable noise, injure the balls and knock the smaller ones off the runs. When taking a ball off the runs bowlers have often had their fingers badly crushed by a swiftly returned ball.
It is desirable to return balls as swiftly as possible to save time and get a favorite ball back without delay.
The retarder shown above was invented by a bowler and is perfection itself in operation. The resistance is greater for large and swift balls, and very little on slow or small balls. The resistance is affected by the air chamber under the short end of the lever which has an outlet for the compressed air controlled by a set screw so it can be adjusted. The long end of the lever has a wooden shoe with leather on the under side. A large ball raises this shoe high, compressing the air, a quick ball raises it quickly and is resisted by the compressed air which can only escape slowly. A small quick ball raises the shoe a short distance quickly and is held back by the shoe while a small slow ball passes under with scarcely any resistance.
The retarder will save its cost in the wear of the balls in a single year and give comfort and safety to the bowlers. It can be secured to any runway about 10 feet from the post in a few minutes, screws being sent with each retarder.
These lockers are adapted for public alleys and form a safe receptacle for the coats, hats, etc. of the bowlers. They are built in sections, to be easily set up, and other lockers may be added to a cabinet at any time.
| Whitewood Locker 7 feet high (6 ft. inside), 18 in. square, with lock, knocked down on cars in Providence | net each. $6.00 |
| Ball Lockers; 12 in a cabinet, each locker holding two Regulation Balls; locks on doors all different; net price for cabinet with oak front and ends | 30.00 |
We are prepared to furnish balls, pins, or any other supplies, all of the best obtainable quality. Our alley balls are turned from the best lignum vitæ and we make our pins of first quality Rock Maple, to the form prescribed by the Bowling League.
For members of clubs to keep private balls for their own use.
These Lockers are used in many clubs to keep the private ball of the members separate from those in general use. They are generally made of oak with twelve lockers in a cabinet, but may be made of any other material or number of lockers.
The necessary dimensions for “Regulation” Bowling Alleys are given on the blue print bound in opposite this page. The required space should be absolutely free from columns, piers, pipes, etc. Any such projection will prevent the alleys from being full “Regulation” size as required in match games. More space at the end of the “Run” for spectators is desirable, but not necessary. A space 5 ft. wide and 6 in. deep for the pit should be provided; the rest of the floor or ground should be level as shown in section on the blue print.
Original spelling and grammar have been generally retained, with some exceptions noted below. The transcriber produced the cover image and hereby assigns it to the public domain. Original page images are available from archive.org—search for “bowlingcataloge00narr”.