Thread Number: 46058  /  Tag: 50s/60s/70s Vacuum Cleaners
How to vacuum a bowling alley 		[Down to Last]
Post# 475268   1/25/2025 at 17:58 by Rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)        

This was said to be used by bowling alley installers/refinishers. I also have nozzles to go across lane and into both gutters.

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Post# 475270 , Reply# 1   1/25/2025 at 18:08 by Kirbyman65 (USA)        
Wow!

 kirbyman65's profile picture
Smart! Never thought they would make a vacuum just for bowling alleys. Looks like a hild shop vac.

Post# 475278 , Reply# 2   1/25/2025 at 23:32 by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

The last time I looked at the website featuring Brunswick bowling equipment the "Vacuum cleaner" was a box that would run down the alley and vacuum and wax it all at the same time.You would load the unit with cleaner and wax and set it on its way-then walk away to do other things.You had to move and start the unit at each lane.It rolled around on its wheels.Was completely different than the "shop vacuum" unit shown here.

Post# 475281 , Reply# 3   1/26/2025 at 09:55 by centralvacs1928 (Chicagoland)        

Very cool!

Looks like a copy (or private label?) of a Tornado...several other companies produced something similar.

I worked on a commercial Filtex central vacuum (CTS-500 dual motor) that was originally installed in a bowling alley. My assumption was that it was used for general cleaning, but the owner of the machine (who had removed it for his own use when the bowling alley was closing) said that it only had piping and inlets in the back, and was used to clean the pin setter machines.

Post# 475282 , Reply# 4   1/26/2025 at 09:58 by Rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)        
The Lane Vac

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Post# 475287 , Reply# 5   1/26/2025 at 17:08 by Rugsucker (Elizabethton TN)        
Missed this earlier



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Post# 475292 , Reply# 6   1/26/2025 at 19:30 by Lesinutah (Utah)        
Nice

 lesinutah's profile picture
Now all I need is a couple spare lanes I could vacuum.
Sweet vacuum.

Post# 475729 , Reply# 7   2/25/2025 at 21:40 by Paul (USA)        

Very cool! My aunt and uncle, who have passed away, used to manage a Brunswick university bowling alley built in 1962, so they likely used a similar Alley-Vac.

In our city, we had two bowling alleys: one with Brunswick pin setters and one with AMF (American Machine and Foundry)—the only two pin setter manufacturers of which I am aware. Anyway, I would think that AMF had/has its own alley-vacs, too.

The photos are of vintage pin setters for both companies—AMF debuted its first pin setters in 1952 and Brunswick followed a couple years later. Brunswick actually left the bowling industry in 2014 and was bought out by the parent company of AMF.

This guy should have that vac in his Brunswick collection: bowlingvision.com/one-mans-love-...

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