My Challenge Ball Project

[TrevorMuth]

I've been fascinated by arrange balls and challenge balls a member here owns and since I cant get one right now I figured I'd make my own, one that I could enjoy and get a better knowledge and maybe more inspiration. I'll also take any suggestions anyone has!
Let me talk about the pics before I get into some of the dimensions I came up with.


1. my general design 50% finished(symmetrical to other side) and base game play idea
2. I traced the general shape and location of pins right onto the plexiglass on my pachinko machine then i added my customizations.
3. taped some paper together and taped it to the plexiglass and set in on my windowsill and used the sunlight as a lightbox.
4. transfer of design on plexiglass to paper result
5. just put i place to see if it looked like fun also a good spot to keep that paper safe
6. i took that paper tracing and taped it to some paperbags(also taped together) and began punching pinholes so i can make a rough draft of the playfield and do small tests, without destroying my only paper copy.
7. result of pin holes
8. time to push nails through the 4-8 layers of paperbags( didnt think that through...) i taped a guitar pick to my thumb so i could jsut push them through.
9,10,11,12: the hour long process of pushing pins being completed.
13: this is howw i think im going to get the spinner bonus in the center to readout. have a cog with varying lengths to trip a series of leaf switches telling what it is on. (this is actually what controls your ice cube maker!)
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okay, these are measurements that i made on my nishijin and am going to keep as close to them as possible.

Wood for frame:
31" X 2 3/4" X 3/4" QTY:2
20 1/2" X 2 3/4" X 3/4" QTY:1
20 1/2" X 3 1/2" X 3/4" QTY:1
Wood for door frame:
31" X 1 7/8" X 3/4" QTY:2
16 1/2" X 6" X 3/4" QTY:1
16 1/2" X 1 3/4" X 3/4" QTY:1
Wood for Playfield:
24" X 18" X 3/4" QTY:1
Glass:
16" X 18" QTY:1
Plexi-glass:
16" X 18" QTY:1
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next are my playing field dimensions. these can vary obviously but im using them as reference for a final draft. took these with a caliper and i hope i read them right...messed up a few times. and the wording makes sense to me :P

pins that are a half inch apart actually have 0.47" between pins. diagonal pins have 0.5"
width of pin: 0.0073"
width of spinner: 1.145"
space between curved pins: 0.15"
min. ball hole width/height: 0.435"
height of nails from field: 0.725"
space between bottom pins above edge spinners: 0.7"
space between bottom pins above top spinners: 0.6"
width of top ramp opening: 0.5"
width of ramp metal: 0.028"
distance from field/ height of ramp metal: 0.673"

thats all i have so far. need $$$ to get some wood and pins. and i already have some pieces coming in the mail. i do believe i still need a recycler tray from a model A if anyone has an extra one laying around?? thats be really nice and save molding!

[emmadog]

good luck, it'll be interesting to see your progress on this difficult project. if you describe how you're planning to accomplish the various functions (game start, recording wins, score keeping, paying out, etc.) then we could offer some suggestions.

[Card Shark]

Very interesting project. Be sure to keep us posted along the way.

[TrevorMuth]

10.jpg11.jpg12.jpghow the spinner will work..i think.gif

[Lt Teddy]

Best of luck with your project. Have you ever played an arrangeball? Their are a few differences from a pachinko and their are anywhere from 16 to 19 pockets on the bottom of one. Some thing for you to think about. You can actually make it anyway you want. If you would like some close up pictures of any of my machines just let me know which one and I will gladly email as many as you want. If you need some close ups of the insides please let me know. Their is absolutely no way I could make one and am very interested in how yours comes out. Don

[TrevorMuth]

i dont want to get to technical with the game and am trying to keep it somewhat mostly mechanical. i dont want to have to program any boards. this doesnt play like an arrange ball thats why i'm calling it a challenge ball. the goal is to get a high score. the higher the score, the bigger the payout. i plan on having some sort of 4 digit readout in the top left corner for score. i havent planned anything out for speakers or sound effects. i guess ill have to plan that out later when i figure out how to wire things together without completing the circuits making the leaf switches useless as for the pockets on the bottom, i only have 11... and that includes 2 return pockets.

after inserting a token/quarter i think im going to have it mechanically operated to tell when a token passes, tripping something to complete a circuit sending power to the object that raises the ball trap, releasing them for play. after the balls leave it relieves a weight sensor that completes a circuit turning of the previous switch... it will be easier when i actually get everything in front of me attatched is a picture of how i think im going to get the ball release to work.

as for the spinner in the center, last was a last minute idea I threw in there.. no clue of how im actually going to accomplish that. i might go somewhere along the lines of having a ball after hitting a bonus pocket run along a sensor that turns on a spinning motor for as long as the ball is on it. then once its off, the spinner will slow down and stop? now to get that leaf switch to add to the final score and not do it repeatedly...may needs some boards afterall..

P.S. sorry for the wall of text.. I just get into it sometimes :P

[emmadog]

Really neither here nor there but in regards to manufacturers, the labels "challenge ball" and "arrange ball" mean the same type of machine where balls light corresponding numbers. Taiyo used CB and Satomi used AB. Anyway, I have a machine that is entirely mechanical and the balls are released by the incoming token falling about 8 inches and lands on the top of a rod then into the coin tube. The rod gets pushed down and thru linkage lowers a small metal tab in the ball queue area that lets the balls roll forward. Now this tab stays down and when a new game is started, the player must push a reset button which releases the balls from their various pockets and at the same time resets the metal tab/ball stop. So in essence starting a game requires a button press then inserting the coin. If you go the electric route it would be simple to set up a solenoid.

[mxfaiman]

Well It will be fun watching you do this.

I don't think anyone has attempted this before.

[emmadog]

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1338943874.387942.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1338943888.375371.jpgImageUploadedByTapatalk1338943902.133252.jpg
ImageUploadedByTapatalk1338944078.390943.jpg
The solenoid is activated by an incoming token as it trips the micro switch which there's a pic of. The solenoid pulls in and pivots the metal rod holding the balls causing them to drop down. The trick is coin to be how to dictate the length of time the rod pivots. If its instantaneous the balls may get hung up. Dunno how to do this without circuit boards controlling the time. Also, micro switches come in a few standard sizes but they come in many different activation weights or the force needed to complete the circuit. Something to be aware of.
Other pics are of the balls lined up in the queue area on the mechanical machine. You can't see the tab but it's there preventing them from rolling down. Other pic shows the linkage from the rod and almost to the tab. The rod moves down, presses down on a lever that then pushes up on one end of another lever. The opposite end of the second lever extends up and becomes the metal stop. Since its other end is pushed up, the tab end goes down and the balls roll to the shooter.

[emmadog]

Well It will be fun watching you do this.

I don't think anyone has attempted this before.

Mudfud was gonna attempt this some time ago and she has the talent and electrical knowledge to pull it off. I was looking forward to seeing what she came up with. She puts up a flurry of posts then disappears so who knows.

[mxfaiman]

Mudfud was gonna attempt this some time ago and she has the talent and electrical knowledge to pull it off. I was looking forward to seeing what she came up with. She puts up a flurry of posts then disappears so who knows.

If anyone would have attempted it, it probably would have been her. I know she has the skill to possibly pull it off.

[TrevorMuth]

well i've been just getting things prepped in more detail to what i need and how im going to accomplish it. i still need to find stuff to mold custom plastic parts and stuff to create the molds for those parts. i've bought some grid paper and redone the entire field making a few adjustments and making everything properly spaced and symetrical. 2012062595115814.jpg2012062695102119.jpg2012062695113411.jpg2012062695131241.jpg2012062695150949.jpg

NOW i need some help with the electronic section..the spinner in the center mainly. when a jackpot pocket is scored, it will trip a micro switch sending a signal to the motor making the wheel spin. i dont know how im going to stop it from spinning and how im going to do the readout :S

here's a link to what i think i should get o tell what the readout is then just makeshift the spinner to fit on the end. but i dont know how to make it spin unless i hooked up a motor then attatched it by rubberband. then as for stopping it from spinning, i'd think i'd need this Schneider Electric/Magnecraft - 822TD10H-UNI - Sensors, Switches & Relays - Time Delay Relays (TDR) - Allied Electronics attatched to the motor and the activation switch to stop the motor. this is a time delay relay. so when a jackpot trips the switch, it turns on the motor, spinning the wheel, and activating a countdown to stop the motor. once it stops, the selection it is on will need to be sent to the scoreboard. the only problem i see with that is it will consistantly be sent to the scoreboard and as its spinning, it will send each item as it clicks over it. any thoughts or suggestions? and of course, for the scoreboard im assuming im going to have to program some sort of microchip to interpret the input and calculate math and change the bars on the screen to read out numbers. i havent gotten that far. im more focused on building the cell and working around it. the center jackpot probably wont be in right away and i will replace it with one i bought online temporarily.
Electroswitch Inc. - C5P0112N-A - Sensors, Switches & Relays - Switches - Allied Electronics

[emmadog]

PIC micro controller technology looks like it would suit your application nicely. One of my arrangeballs uses this.

[CarlW]

Consider a stepper motor and an arduino. Here is a link to an experimental kit. Note, the kit does not include the arduino, just the shield and the motors...

Adafruit Motor/Stepper/Servo Shield for Arduino kit [v1.0] ID: 81 - $19.50 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits