Coin operated candy dispensor...how to open it?

[severdhed]

hey guys, i bought a coin operated candy dispenser for in my family room at a local flea market this morning.  the unit is closed, but the center part of the lock is missing.  the guy claims i can go to any hardware store and get a lock for it, but i just don't know what to get.  i don't see how anything i stick in there will open this, other than by turning the entire piece.  how does this work?  did i get ripped off/




i tried turning the entire unit at the top, but it only turns slightly and then gets stuck...how is this supposed to work?

[92greenyj]

those work with a screw style lock. Basically the lock mechanism is threaded at the bottom and that threads onto the rod going thru the middle of the dispenser. Without the lock mechanism you should be able to just lift the lid off, followed by the globe, then the base from the bottom plate. Unless there is still a bit of the old lock stuck in there, which i can't tell from the pics, it should just lift right off.

Not sure about going to any hardware store to get the right style lock for those. Not sure if its a beaver or not, but most of these machines are the same and will use similar locks. Here is a link to a site with everything you should want or need for that, including locks and stands. I get my stuff from here for my machines at my work arcade.

http://www.gumballmachinesdirect.com/oakgumballmachineparts.html

[severdhed]

it doesnt lift off.  it moves about 1/8" or so, but wont lift off. in the bottom of the hole, there is a nut which is threaded onto the shaft that runs up the middle...i dont see how to get that nut off though

[92greenyj]

you mean inside the hole where the lock cylinder should be? If thats the case try a socket to remove it. the guy u bought it from probably put the nut in there to keep the whole thing together. Normally the lock cylinder is the nut. Or, alternatively, if you look on the bottom plate there should be a screw head right in the center, that should be the center rod. you could maybe try turning it from the bottom to loosen the nut.

[severdhed]

well, there was no way to get a socket in on that nut, since it was pretty much the full diameter of the hole, and there was no slot for a screwdriver on the bottom of the threaded shaft..  luckily, i was able to use a flat headed screwdriver and squeeze it in next to the nut and unscrew it a little at a time until it popped off.  i just wasn't sure how this was supposed to work, and i had no idea that the nut didn't belong there...thank you.

now i just need to find out if there is an easy way to make it take only a quarter instead of 35 cents.  any ideas?

[severdhed]

ok, i took the coin mech apart and got it to accept only quarters, so that problem is solved...now i just need to figure out how to adjust it so my candy just doesn't run straight through the machine. apparently it was set up for gum balls or something, the reese's pieces just run right through it.  i may need to fabricate something to cover that one hole so the candy can't fall right into it. 

[92greenyj]

you need to change the wheel inside the machine. if you check out that link i posted earlier you will see the various wheels available. you need a bulk candy wheel to do candy. the wheel you have now, from your description, will vend gumballs, 1" prize capsules, and small 27mm bouncy balls. I have both wheel types in my machines. I have 6 with the gumball/capsule wheels that are in your machine, and 2 with the bulk candy wheels. My bulk candy machines have Runts and Sixlets in them currently.

[severdhed]

awesome..thanks. are these things pretty universal?  there doesn't seem to be a brand name or model number anywhere on this unit...i have no way of knowing which parts to get.

[92greenyj]

they seem to be pretty universal, yes. Oak is the biggest manufacturer in the US. And the original, so most others copied their designs. All of my small head machines (about the size of yours) are oaks. though I do have a pair from another manufacturer and the wheels do look pretty similar. The wheels are pretty cheap too, so you don't have much to lose by trying an Oak bulk candy wheel. at most it might need to be trimmed to fit your machine.

[severdhed]

cool.  i'll have to give it a shot...looks like i'd need the vending wheel and the brush housing, when shipped that runs about $20.  that isnt real bad, however since i just spent $25 on the unit today, plus another $11 on Reese's Pieces, perhaps i'll wait a little while to keep my wife from complaining about me spending too much money on it. 

at least i played it off as a good way to save money for the kids.  i put quarters in, i get candy....the kids get the quarters...that is how i talked her into it. 

perhaps i'll try to rig up something to see if i can get it to work, if not then i'll order the vending wheels one of these days.

thank you for all your help.. i guess i also need to find alock for it, i see a few on that site, but i'm not sure which one is the right one to get...this project has become much bigger than i anticipated this morning...i figured i'd just bring the thing home, clean it, fill it and start vending candy...guess i should have done a little research first.

[92greenyj]

well if its for home use you really dont need the lock. you could just try to find a smaller nut. or a long nut, like they sell at home depot for linking all thread together. Also I'd check e-bay. lots of vending machines and parts pop up there pretty often. just google vending machine parts and see what turns up. actually try "bulk vending machine parts" otherwise you'll get hits for a lot of soda machines and such. I can tell you those things are great money makers for me. my units have already paid for themselves after about a month. mine bring in about $300 a week.

[severdhed]

thats a good idea..this is only to be use in my home so i dont really need it locked, i just need to keep it from falling apart.

[severdhed]

i got it working..i ended up cutting up a CD and made a baffle to stop the candy from falling down into the holes.occasionally if you turn the handle a bunch of times without a coin in, a single piece or two may fall through, but you have to do it alot...the only problem i have now is that it gives a really big handfull of candy for a quarter...so i will probably have to buy the other wheel at some point in time

[Kevin Mullins]

92greenyj probably knows all the proper terminology for those, but I know some of the "wheels" also divide the little compartments up to change the portion that is dispensed.

For the missing lock you may be able to find some sort of barrel nut or threaded coupler that's just long enough to reach down in and tighten up to lock the top down on the threaded rod. I'd check around in the specialty hardware section of any decent hardware store. (I think most of those would be a 1/4-20 thread, check yours though)

I have some Beaver units, but haven't messed with them a whole lot.

[severdhed]

awesome.  i stopped at a hardware store today and picked up a threaded coupler and a short thumb screw.  i put super glue on the threads of the thumb screw and screwed it into the coupler and tightened it very tightly with pliers.  that makes it just the perfect length to go down into the hole and attach to the rod and it still sticks out the top just enough to grip the thumbscrew.  it is easy to get back open if i need to and it keeps everything from falling apart.

thanks for the suggestions guys. i should probably just replace the wheel, but there is a part of me that is really enjoying modifying this myself instead...it's like BYOCD  build your own candy dispenser