Results 1 to 10 of 10

Thread: Just thinking

  1. #1
    Pachi Puro Pachinko Botan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Bedford
    Posts
    2,246
    Thanks
    1,254
    Thanks Received
    844

    Default Just thinking

    I'm not sure how to word it i hope people can work it out I'll just shot my idea and people can reply back with there idea


    I'm thinking when I get two machine and I hit fever on one machine I would like it to keep filling self up, balls that drop out bottom will be ok as I'm planing on a ball lift.

    Here my idea dunno how to do it or if it will work.


    Like a big tank on the floor say and some sort of lift that lift the balls up to say 4ft "not right height but near enough " then in a plastic piping tube then drop in to said machine.

    That's my idea

    Anyone else fancy adding there idea or if they have done this can help

    Cheers

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

  2. #2
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Guildford, Surrey
    Posts
    28,495
    Thanks
    13,435
    Thanks Received
    18,805

    Default Re: Just thinking

    As with all things. The problem is the lift. It's easy to fit a micro switch or proximity switch in the top tank to start a lifting device. But the lifter its self is the problem. Others put a large tank above the machine to refill by hand. These then needs shut off so if you open the machine. The tank doesn't empty out.
    Ian #UKPachinko

  3. The following user says "Thanks" to Drunkenclam


  4. #3
    Pachi Puro Pachinko Botan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Bedford
    Posts
    2,246
    Thanks
    1,254
    Thanks Received
    844

    Default

    How would the parlors do the bit if the machine open it shuts off ? Some sort of ball management I guess

    Tank on top sounds like a better idea

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

  5. #4
    I was thrown out of Top Gear Drunkenclam's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2010
    Location
    Guildford, Surrey
    Posts
    28,495
    Thanks
    13,435
    Thanks Received
    18,805

    Default Re: Just thinking

    You mean like the ones I sold on eBay last year
    Ian #UKPachinko

  6. #5
    Scowlin' Jean Hornigold hanabi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    at the 'Seaside' (UK)
    Posts
    27,335
    Thanks
    51,524
    Thanks Received
    30,711

    Default Re: Just thinking



    I always thought this one looked fun


    http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/loca...=65&linkid=561

    Angie ...
    Pachinkos, Pachislos, Coffee, Papercraft Ninja, Pinball

    I ran away with the Steampunk Circus!
    I was hiding in a room in my mind...
    You crush the lily in my soul...



  7. The following 3 users say "Thanks" to hanabi


  8. #6
    Pachi Puro Moparformances's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Diamond Springs CA
    Posts
    14,076
    Thanks
    26,525
    Thanks Received
    12,096

    Default Re: Just thinking

    i always thought having the hopper on top was the only way to go.. having all the balls on top allowed the fever to be as long as it needed and ample balls to keep it going.. then the lifter could take its time refilling the top master hopper/hoppers.. having the balls on the bottom seems safer (weight) and allot easier.. but then you have to have a lifter that can move balls fast enough to feed a machine during a fever..
    Never Doubt that a small group of thoughtful, .......... /........ If your not going to stand behind our troops
    ...committed people can change the world. ............. /.................Please, Please stand in front of them
    .....Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has............./
    .........................................Margaret Mead

  9. The following 2 users say "Thanks" to Moparformances


  10. #7
    Pachi Puro Pachinko Botan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Bedford
    Posts
    2,246
    Thanks
    1,254
    Thanks Received
    844

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hanabi View Post


    I always thought this one looked fun


    http://www.pachitalk.com/forums/loca...=65&linkid=561

    Link didn't work for me

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

  11. #8
    Pachi Puro Pachinko Botan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Bedford
    Posts
    2,246
    Thanks
    1,254
    Thanks Received
    844

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Moparformances View Post
    i always thought having the hopper on top was the only way to go.. having all the balls on top allowed the fever to be as long as it needed and ample balls to keep it going.. then the lifter could take its time refilling the top master hopper/hoppers.. having the balls on the bottom seems safer (weight) and allot easier.. but then you have to have a lifter that can move balls fast enough to feed a machine during a fever..
    Just trying to work out how I can add this idea to a set up
    Gonna try and build a cabinet/stand for cutie honey and G spot when I get one

    Fancy doing it like this
    http://mjinko.ichiya-boshi.net/sima.html

    Just need to translate all the pages lol

    Can't see it being to hard pics help alot and dad probably give me a hand man a wiz with wood

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

  12. The following user says "Thanks" to Pachinko Botan


  13. #9
    Scowlin' Jean Hornigold hanabi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    at the 'Seaside' (UK)
    Posts
    27,335
    Thanks
    51,524
    Thanks Received
    30,711

    Default Re: Just thinking

    Quote Originally Posted by Pachinko Botan View Post
    Link didn't work for me

    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk
    that's strange, must be that silly tapatalk

    let's see if a simple copy & paste will work here?



    Custom Four Game Pachinko Ball Management System

    Well, here it is, my very own custom four game pachinko ball management system which utilizes a central hopper to feed four games at one time.

    SYSTEM DESCRIPTION

    The Hopper
    The system hopper dispenses balls via gravity fed ramps and has individual shut off gates for each machine. Hopper capacity is up to 10,000 balls. The hopper is manually refilled from the front and features inclines and ramps which keeps balls flowing into the four ball ramps. Plexiglass is used extensively to view flow at a glance. Swing gates are mounted on the hopper at the entrance to each ramp and can be used to agitate the balls in the hopper if ball gridlock occurs. A detachable plexiglass lid is mounted on the top of the hopper to keep out dust.

    The Ramps
    The ramps are inclined enough to provide a rapid feed of balls into each game's feed gate. Plexiglass is used on the front in order to monitor ball flow. Hinged and/or removable lids are also plexiglass and serve as "keepers" to prevent ball stacking and jams.

    The Feed Gates
    The feed gate serves to receive the flow of balls from the ramp and to channel the balls down to the top ball tray on the back of the pachinko game. Each feed gate is designed with a manually retractable tray feed chute which is used to stop ball feed into the top tray and allow for the game door to be opened without balls spilling into the cabinet.

    The Lower Ball Chute and Collection Basket
    The tray and basket at the bottom of each game has been removed and a plastic chute has been designed to direct all balls the player loses (the take) to a large plastic basket under the game which can be removed from the front to provide more balls for play or to occasionally refill the main hopper.

    CONSTRUCTION PREMISE
    I felt the ball management system had to be made from commonly available items in order to keep costs down and make the project one which anyone could do with a bit of diligence and time. All materials or reasonable substitutes are available from Lowes, Home Depot or your local hardware store. No exotic tools are needed but a good miter saw and cordless drills make things easier.

    HOW TO BEGIN
    The room I could use for my game area is relatively small, so I knew space was at a premium. I chose to design a counter and shelf support system which commanded the least amount of space from the wall into the room.

    Next, I decided to mount all four games next to one another without any additional framing materials between the left and right sides of each game. This meant I had to make sure the countertop for the games had to be rock solid and able to bear game weight including balls. All shelf brackets were large and were mounted into vertical wall studs. In addition, vertical floor to counter supports were placed on each side and in the center below the counter.

    I also had to deal with a wall that formerly had a window in it. I was excited that this project would cover the opening without having to replace any wall paneling.

    Fortunately, I had two electrical outlets on the wall which would supply the power to run all the games without tripping a circuit breaker. These games consume very little power, anyway. I decided to a add an on/off power switch for each game and locate the switches under the counter. This would allow me to power up only the games I wanted to play and cut down on power consumption and heat buildup in the room.

    A word about the countertop before we proceed, make absolutely sure the brackets which support the counter are mounted so that the countertop is ABSOLUTELY LEVEL left to right and front to rear! Remember, the pachinko game plays correctly when it sits dead level. You will be amazed how much better the game will play.

    Next, set the games on the countertop in the position they will occupy when set into place with screws.(Do not set them in place with screws, yet) Take some painter's blue masking tape and run it along the front bottom edge of your games and mark each game's exact side location on the tape so you can know where everything will fit.

    Now you can move individual games on and off the counter as you figure out where the ball drop and wiring holes must be drilled. Remove the metal plate( if your game has one) that serves as a ball basket support on your game so you can get a better idea of precisely where the ball hole will need to be drilled. If you are lucky, none of the holes for the balls will be over a support bracket arm. If it is then move the games around until you can clear all the brackets. Wood vertical spacers may be necessary to obtain proper clearances.

    (The above photo shows the masking tape layout and splices for the game on/off power switch.)

    (This photo illustrates the mounting of a game power switch under the counter.)
    Next, construct the lower shelf which will support the ball collection baskets. I chose to make the shelf deep enough to hold a large collection basket so I didn't have to keep swapping baskets out.

    I covered the shelf with some velvet drapery material to cover up defects in the wood and lend a more plush look to the shelf. Don't make the shelf too big or you will bump your knees on it when you scoot your stool up to play. Anchor the shelf to the countertop side and center supports to provide more stability.

    FITTING THE LOWER BALL DROP CONNECTOR
    Next comes the fitting of a connector between the outlet on the game and the hole in the countertop. I noticed that the machine ejects the balls in a scattered manner. The connecting shaft can be made of metal, wood or plastic. The key here is making sure the connector fits closely enough to the ball outlet to prevent balls from escaping the shaft entrance and filling up the back of the machine.

    The hole through the countertop must be the exact same dimensions as the connector walls. If it is smaller, you will hear annoying loud taps every time a ball falling down the connector hits the Formica top. Anchor the fabricated connector to the game base frame. It seems every game maker's ball drop opening is slightly different and its location will vary from game to game.

    (Note that the above photo shows the connector has a red plastic lid with the opening designed to fit exactly beneath the ball exit hole of the game)

    THE TOP SHELF ABOVE THE GAMES
    Here I have layered two boards on the shelf which is mounted securely to wall studs. The lower shelf will be used to secure the games with screws. The other board will be the decorative portion of the shelf using, in my case, scrap wood from a computer cabinet I disassembled. Make sure the shelf is level and allow spacing so that the tallest game will fit (game dimensions will vary by as much as half an inch).

    (Notice that the shelf has rough cut openings to accommodate the placement of the ball feed chutes. The nice woodgrain backboard and ball hopper is built with wood from an O'Sullivan computer unit I had disassembled. I never throw anything away. Prefinished boards are available at home improvement centers if your wife objects to you cannibalizing her computer table for your project.)

    CONSTRUCTION OF THE HOPPER
    Several factors come into play. First the hopper must be elevated sufficiently to provide fall for the ball feed ramps. Next, the hopper should have a large ball capacity to accommodate multiple players. Finally, the hopper should have sloped walls to prevent logjams and balls hanging out in a corner with no place to go.

    I sloped the floor in the front half of the hopper towards the back. The floor in the back half pitch to the left and right side. Holes cut in the hopper sides provide exit points to the feed ramps. Balls will stack up inside the hopper at these exit points if the opening is too small. I chose to enlarge the holes and install a "keeper" hinge above the opening. This allows a more free flow of balls and provides a means of agitating the balls inside the hopper by simply pressing firmly on the hinge flap. This action usually resolves a hopper ball jam should it occur.

    (This illustrates the rear platforms sloping towards the feed ramp openings.)

    (The front ramp board will sit on top of the cross board and direct balls to the rear.)

    When completed, the hopper must be securely mounted to the rear wall and all sides of the hopper should be attached to each other with screws. The hopper will weigh about 60 to 80 pounds when filled with balls. I wanted the weight borne by the wall screws rather than the top shelf supporting the full load.

    (Note the hinges on the side of the hopper. They are mounted so the hinge moves only about one half of an inch outward before being stopped by the plexiglass top on the ball feed ramp. This serves as a "keeper" and the hinge may be pressed inward to agitate the balls and clear any jams.)

    CONSTRUCTING THE FEED GATE
    This was probably the most complicated and challenging component of the entire ball management system. I wanted a means to load balls directly into the top game hopper without overfilling it. In addition the feed gate needed to have a shut off mechanism which would stop ball flow and allow the game door to open without balls flowing everywhere.

    The feed gate I have constructed has only two moving parts--the ball chute and the lift wire. The ball chute is designed to be hinged to allow clearance of the game ball tray when opening the game door. The lift wire fits around the ball chute and can be locked into a closed position to stop all ball flow from the feed gate. Tolerances are close and a lot of hand crafting is necessary to make everything function smoothly. After four discarded prototypes and three working mechanisms completed, the last one I made went fairly easily.

    ((Here you see the feed gate in the closed position with the lift wire elevated and secured by a brass rod passing under the lift wire into a hole. )

    GENERAL THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS PROJECT
    This was one of my more personally rewarding endeavors because it presented so many challenges. There were no blueprints to follow and I was determined to keep the system's operation as simple as possible. Gravity was free and everyone has some, so that became my power source.. That decision eliminated the need for electric ball lifts.

    By grouping multiple games to one hopper, I was able to provide enough balls to any machine to get me through a high payout fever round without having to visit the back of the game repeatedly to recycle balls. Incidentally, I am using about 8000 balls in the system. Since I now have front access to all the balls the game wins from me, I will now just empty all the baskets into the hopper before I begin a session and have enough balls for a couple of hours of uninterrupted play.

    The system is not perfect. Ball jams still occur. That is why I have used so much plexiglass for all the feed trails. I now can see at a glance if there is a ball jam along the way. Gravity, as we all know exerts a constant pull on all objects, especially those pachinko balls. They, like the Japanese, live in a densely populated world (the hopper), from which they want to escape (the feed rails) into a world where they can run free if only for a few fleeting moments (the game playfield) before they grab a bit of rest (the catch basket) and begin anew(back to the hopper). Every ball can be the one that triggers the big bonus. It is up to us to make that happen. Such is the game of life ala pachinko. So much for philosophy.

    Most ball jams can be resolved with a bit of agitation. The "keeper" hinges and wire lift gates exert force on the jam and get things moving again when you push or lift them. Being able to see where the jam is saves countless hours of beating on hoppers and rails trying to make something happen when you can't see where the problem lies. I wanted to avoid the "damned machine took my money and I'm going to beat it until it coughs it up" syndrome.

    Primarily, I wanted to share my ideas. I would love to hear what others have done to improve or to modify these concepts in their own ball management systems.

    Cost is always a factor. That is why I used so many recycled items. My project utilized a scrapped computer table, plastic store shelving, toilet bowl lift rods (new on markdown, thank you), the guide rail from a shower enclosure, and leftover drapery material. With a bit of thought and a leisurely stroll through a Home Depot or Lowes, you will usually come up with the part you need to make your idea work.

    I'm a regular reader of this board and will be happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this project.

    Thanks for viewing my post!




    Looks like it works!!
    Angie ...
    Pachinkos, Pachislos, Coffee, Papercraft Ninja, Pinball

    I ran away with the Steampunk Circus!
    I was hiding in a room in my mind...
    You crush the lily in my soul...



  14. The following 4 users say "Thanks" to hanabi


  15. #10
    Pachi Puro Pachinko Botan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Bedford
    Posts
    2,246
    Thanks
    1,254
    Thanks Received
    844

    Default

    Some reason I couldn't copy the txt in my S6 edge yet when I had iphone I could :/


    Thanks for doing the translation seem kind of straight forward to me



    Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk

Similar Threads

  1. What Were They Thinking?
    By derbyboy in forum These are the days of our lives...
    Replies: 7
    Last Post: 01-25-2008, 08:52 PM
  2. Thinking of going down ?
    By arbycoffee in forum These are the days of our lives...
    Replies: 2
    Last Post: 02-18-2007, 12:01 PM
  3. I like the way your thinking
    By drcrippen324 in forum Dear Arby
    Replies: 8
    Last Post: 03-13-2006, 03:59 PM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •