A system for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines includes a substantially wedge-shaped solid body mounted in a specific location along a transport band of an automatic pinsetter machine. The solid body is shaped, configured, and made of a material conducive to deflecting bowling pins away from a ball return door as bowling pins travel on a transport band towards a pin elevator. A method for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines using an apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter includes the steps of configuring the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines, selecting an optimal location to mount the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines, and mounting the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines.

A ball lift assembly includes: a housing having an entrance and an exit; a motor which drives a ball lift system; an electronic control unit (ECU); and a plurality of sensors providing signals to the electronic control unit, including: a first sensor which detects a ball entering the lift system through the entrance; and a second sensor which detects the ball exiting the lift system through the exit. The first sensor provides a first signal to the ECU when the first sensor detects the ball entering the lift system through the entrance. The second sensor provides a second signal to the ECU when the second sensor detects the ball exiting the lift system through the exit. The ECU will turn on the motor to drive the ball lift system upon receiving the first signal, and turn off the motor of the ball lift system soon after receiving the second signal, while making sure the ball actually exits the unit.

A system for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines includes a substantially wedge-shaped solid body mounted in a specific location along a transport band of an automatic pinsetter machine. The solid body is shaped, configured, and made of a material conducive to deflecting bowling pins away from a ball return door as bowling pins travel on a transport band towards a pin elevator. A method for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines using an apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter includes the steps of configuring the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines, selecting an optimal location to mount the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines, and mounting the said apparatus for preventing ball return stops in automatic pinsetter machines.

A method for controlling a bowling ball return device comprises following steps: detecting, by using one or more sensors, an obstruction inside the bowling ball return device in vicinity of an accelerator belt, turning off, by using processing circuitry, a motor of the accelerator belt of the bowling ball return device and closing, by using the processing circuitry, bowling lanes coupled with the bowling ball return device.

A customizable housing for a bowling ball return at a bowling lane can be provided. The housing can include a housing body, and a throat defined in the housing body that is sized, dimensioned, or configured to allow for passage of the one or more bowling balls to a retrieval area. The housing further can include one or more customizable, modular, or interchangeable portions of a selected size, dimension, shape, or configuration that are configured to be selectively coupled to the housing body, which portions include a surface or face with one or more selected colors, images, depictions, graphics, themes, finishes, textures, or combinations thereof provided thereon.