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Newly proud possessor of a late 1d model. Worked fine until I started to fettle to try and get the jackpot to work and now it won't pay out at all. I suspect I have done something when tinkering but although I've studied the machine and looked at Mel's site I still don't know what I've done and still don't know how to make the jackpot work. As will be obvious to those of you who are, I'm not an engineer. I would however be very grateful of any assistance. I think I would like to start an idiots' (but keen) thread.

speedwell wrote:newly proud possessor of a late 1d model.Worked fine until I started to fettle to try and get jackpot to work

Hi speedwell , I don't know if it will help you but if you look in the Pennymachines Archive in the patents draw, you will find on page 3 the patent for this machine, it also contains a written account of how the jackpot operates, maybe you can work it out from that Best of luck

Thanks slotalot for the advice. I'll let you know how I get on. It may be some time........!

Slotalot wrote:

you will find on page 3 the patent for this machine

Good thinking Slotalot, however, if speedwell's Payramid is a late model and post 1960 then the patent may not be of any help as this was for the 1934 model and as we know Bryan substantially redesigned the mechanism in 1960, not sure if the jackpot was also redesigned though.

I have a copy of the patent and read through it last night, very interesting................ and also great if you suffer from insomnia.

speedwell wrote:now it won't pay out at all. I suspect I have done something when tinkering but although I've studied the machine and looked at Mel's site I still don't know what I've done and still don't know how to make the jackpot work.

Some questions then to help us help you:
Is it the early or late version Payramid (early version has coin slot on top and side opening; late version has coin slot on front and front opening)?
Do you mean it won't pay out at all now, or is it just the jackpot not paying?
When you tinkered, did you simply make adjustments, or did you take parts off and put them back (in other words, could something have gone back incorrectly)?

First, thanks for your replies. I really appreciate them. Secondly please forgive anything particularly naive that follows (or in the future and I won't mention it again!) I was a mean player of the Payamid and Retreeva many years ago but only recently started to be interested in their workings. Now to the problem. It is a late model. When I got it after feeding it with a good number of pennies (reaction time had slowed!), my 10 year old daughter started to achieve payouts. Then it stopped. Opened it up. Coins in tube, so tried a couple of times to run through balls. Lost 2 balls and pushed and pulled a bit and found and retrieved them. Think I may have altered something. Did not however deliberately. Last night on another run through the jackpot door opened (no coins in) but no earlier payout on balls 5, 6 and 7. I don't know exactly how the earlier payouts work, but assume the bars operated by the ball handle somehow knock the coin tube but even then can't see how it works to knock out the right number if I'm right. I have attached the spring from the tube to the spindle below but will try without. Also does the jackpot require prior filling or does it fill up as coins go in and if so how do I set it up. Although I believe the machine is all complete, I do not know how to set the variable payout. I have loose metal rectangle with notch (is this a pay slide?). Ironically I suspect that if one of you were able to see the machine it would take you 5 mins to explain. Any ideas please. On 2 separate topics Rippler back on ebay and Bryans man 1 appears to have put the Roma lookalike back on at buy now £125 (2 days ago) and 2 have disappeared unless I have got his username wrong.

Hi speedwell , Have you thought of posting some photos of your machine , it may help someone to work out what is wrong with your machine, Regards Stuart

Thanks slotalot. Good idea. I'll post some at the weekend, Regards, Speedwell.
Arrgee is of course right that the machines are different. If the patent could be posted or emailed I would be very grateful. I appreciate that for a layman it will hard to follow but it is also out of interest. I hope Arrgee that wouldn't be too much trouble.

Hi Speedwell, the action of the winning balls entering the mechanism actually forms a mechanical link within hollow castings/tubes, the ball forms a link to activate payout, when the eighth ball has activated a payout via the payout slide, it continues through a vertical casting/tube and activates a catch which is retained in position by a small spring, this catch is connected to a link which opens the jackpot. It could be that if the catch spring is missing or not connected properly then the eighth ball may be passing through without activating this catch.

The rectangular metal plate you describe certainly sounds like a payout slide and if you look on Melvyn Wrights website there is a page describing variable payout reproduced from the Bryan's original instructions.

I will email a PDF copy of the Patent to you, it requires careful reading a couple of times but does describe the machine workings very well.

Richard

Forgot to add, as Slotalot suggested, a few good photos posted on the site would be useful, I am certainly not very knowledgeable on these machines but there are some members whose knowledge and experience continue to amaze me, they may be able to assist further with the aid of a good photo.

Thanks Richard for advice and offer of patent copy. I've sent an email to you and hope to have time at weekend to see if I can fix and also to post the photos.
Regards, Speedwell.

I don`t have a 60`s Payramid, but I do have a pic of a mech, taken off the internet somewhere, it may or may not help!

Good luck Speedwell, Patent now emailed to you, look forward to seeing the photos.

Richard

Thanks Richard and Bryans fan. Both very helpful (and everyone else too) work on machine and photos now this coming weekend and will post progress or otherwise, Speedwell.