Beachcomber build

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kingchristo
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Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

Hi everyone,
I'm looking at building a Beachcomber machine. I can't find much information or pictures about these machines from the few pics I have found. I think I may have figured the mech out - not sure yet. If anyone knows how it works, or has a picture, it would be great, thanks.
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slotalot
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by slotalot »

Hi kingchristo, welcome to the forum :D
I can't help with the mech, which I think will be quite simple. !PUZZLED!
But I have managed to find you a good photo of the artwork. !!THUMBSX2!!
Good luck with your project, don't forget to keep us up to speed with your progress. :tarah:
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beach1.jpg
pennymachines
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by pennymachines »

Hi kingchristo,
Received your PM today. Unfortunately, although I said I worked on two of these in the past, it was a long time ago and my memory is fuzzy. As Slotalot says, they're pretty simple, but the exact design of the coin release trips beneath the columns escapes me. Maybe some kind soul can take a picture with the glass out, although that's not a trivial task, besides there are very few of these games around.

I seem to recall the trips were made of white nylon or similar and the picture below (enlarged from the previous thread) seems to confirm this. You can just make out the little paddle which the winning coin displaces as it drops down the chute at the back. Obviously this rocks the front of the trip clear of the channel to release the pennies. The triangular bit is just the counterweight to rock it back.
Payout trips
Payout trips

The other thing you can just make out in some of the pictures are the pivoted chrome deflectors which, in the open position help guide coins towards the channels below. When a channel is full, the top penny rests against the side of the deflector, causing its upper edge to narrow the channel opening. This causes a bias away from full channels and a tendency for the other channels to fill.
Deflector
Deflector
deflector.jpg (9.82 KiB) Viewed 7247 times

kingchristo
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

Thanks for your reply. I think you are right, these are very rare and I am finding it difficult to get any information, so any info would be great. Thanks for clearing up the triangle shape things on the back. The bit confusing me is how the coins at the front stay where they do and then get released. I am wondering if the counterweight is the same as the coins that fill up the front, although not sure about this. If anyone's got any ideas a good brainstorm would help. Thanks again for your help.
pennymachines
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by pennymachines »

I'm sure the counterweight is only sufficient to rock the empty trip back to the closed position. It would have to be very heavy otherwise and a single falling penny wouldn't budge it.
kingchristo
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

This is true - thinking about it it's funny, I just can't work out what stops the front flapper from falling until the single coin hits the back flap.
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slotalot
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by slotalot »

I don't know if you have seen this video? but it might be of help?? :!?!:

kingchristo
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

I have seen the video of the beachcomber machine at play. If I could just get a picture of behind the glass that would solve the mystery. :)
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wembleylion
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by wembleylion »

Just a thought; as the first coin falls into the empty column does the chrome deflector reset a stop (which we can’t see in the photo) and then the plastic triangle holds it in place. With the correct geometry between the stop and the triangle it would be easy for a coin to move the triangle and release the stop allowing the coins to drop from the column.

John
rippyspennyarcade
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by rippyspennyarcade »

A nice thought John, but the deflector and the plastic triangle are not connected together. The holding and releasing of all the coins is all done via the plastic triangle.
slotsoffun
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by slotsoffun »

Loving this thread... just hope we get to see the "How it really works" as a conclusion!!!! Come on, someone somewhere must have the answer, even some pics of the insides.
kingchristo
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

I'm still trying to work on it. I have found out there is a pin that goes right through that holds the penny. Just have to work out how the flap works.
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wembleylion
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by wembleylion »

Just another thought; I wonder if it could it be this simple?

Just a quick, poor quality, drawing to help with the description. It does not show the playing surface board so the coin stop is on the play side and the balance weight and release arm 'triangle' is on the back joined by a pin through the board. Similarly the coins in play are on the play side and the winning coin shute is on the back.
img011.jpg

The coin stop holds the first penny exactly at its bottom dead centre, the pivot point of the coin stop is exactly on the centre line of the coin column so all the weight is carried by the pivot. A coin dropping down the winning shute rotates the release arm down taking the coin stop with it. The coin stop has only got to move a few degrees and the weight of the coins will push it clear; with the column empty the balance weight resets coin stop for next coin. As the column lengths increase so too does the length the winning coin has to drop so increasing its velocity to move the release arm.
I think the coin stop needs to be pointed as a flat one would offer more resistance and require a bigger rotation of the release lever to free the coins. It would need to be set up fairly accurately to work well. ---- But would it work???

John
kingchristo
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by kingchristo »

This is great and the diagram makes much sense. I think this is definitely doable but it will need to be calculated exactly like you say, but this is the best answer I have seen. I'll get working on a prototype for this.
Chris.
pennymachines
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Re: Beachcomber build

Post by pennymachines »

Very clever John - I think you have it almost exactly. I also recalled the solution this morning and I was going to submit a drawing but didn't get a moment today. Anyway, your diagram is more elegant than mine would have been. I believe the only difference is that Crompton employed flat ended coin stops rather than pointed tips.
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