Fixing large coin escalator problems

[treefrog]

Renamed & moved to Tips & Tricks - Site Admin.

Having rebuilt many escalators, I have often had issues with larger coin versions, especially large penny. Common issue being coins overrunning the teeth and bunching. Anyone else had similar issues and what most likely causes have been?

Just finished another Copper Sega....

[treefrog]

Well as with so many questions on this forum, this one never got a response, so though I would answer it myself as it maybe of use to someone.

Bunching of coins on these escalators is common, you see all the time and can often end up with a jam. It seems it is worse on larger coins like the old penny, I guess the weight of the coin does not help. When I have had it on sixpence size coins they are often light enough just to be pushed through.
(Have simulated below picture on a fixed escalator)

Having stripped, clean, checked etc, I could not work out why this was happening. Things like spring issues or worn teeth came to mind as well as weak compression springs on the slides and grime and dirt. In my case and on another 1D escalator I had, this issue turned out to be something else. Essentially the top toothed slide should be marginally offset to the lower one so that it sits slightly behind, maybe 1mm. This allows the lower slide teeth to grip hold of the coin and the top slide back. If they are the same or the other way around the problem occurs.

There are few adjustments for this, but I did manage to adjust the slide stop on the end to compensate, which fixed the issue. Maybe of use to someone who wastes their time rebuilding again and again...have fun.

[moonriver]

Another example of easy when you know how. I think I had this same issue many years ago and never got to the bottom of it.

[badpenny]

Well sleuthed TF

BP

[chris rideout]

My Sega is a Progressive Star with a Shefras escalator. This has been almost faultless ever since it has been in the machine. The only problems I had were:

(1) Spitting out good coins. Cure: I very slightly bent the hinged part which opens and drops a coin if there is one stuck in the rejector. It was not closing properly.

(2) Rejector sticking after machine was played. You could hear an extra click after the coin slides had moved. This was caused by delayed action of the escalator as it reset to take another coin. Cure: It took about 15 minutes of investigation followed by a 3 second burst of WD 40 to sort it out.