Rotomat repair

[swifty]

Hello everyone,

I have just joined! Through a friend of a friend I have been given what I believe is a Rotomat Juwel (looking at your posts) to try to fix (owner says it belonged to my Granddad, he used to have 3 machines blah blah blah). I know absolutely nothing about fruit machines, but I do dabble with old clocks and cash registers!

The main fault seems to lie with the coin checking mechanism. From what I can see, there are two parts to this; one sprung lever of which the bottom you can depress to let the coin slide into the storage tube and the other is attached to the crank lever and I presume checks a coin is there and then determines if the mechanism should operate.

I also presume the relationship between these two levers has to be set up perfectly for the machine to operate correctly? I would be extremely grateful if somebody could explain how these levers are supposed to work, then I'll see if I can replicate this I can upload some photos tonight.

Thank you all very much for any assistance you can give me. I know the owner will be absolutely chuffed if I can get the machine working for her again.

Best regards

Jason

[badpenny]

Hi Jason, welcome on board and our commiserations on being inflicted.
I'm sure we can help you, you're experience with clocks and tills will help a lot.
Post as many photos as you can, it help us to identify if anything is missing etc.

BP

[swifty]

Hi BP,

Thanks for the warm welcome! Attached are some photos, if I have done them correctly, concentrating on the coin mechanism for now. Ignore temporary blue tape repair! I do have the connecting piece from coin entry slot which is not shown.

Thanks all!

Jason

[coppinpr]

Hi, and welcome,
Could you tell us what it's not doing? Does the coin fall straight through? Does it stick inside the coin mech? Does it appear to not go far enough into the mech before jamming up?

These faults are common and are almost always caused by dirt or grease (no oil should be used on any parts that come into contact with a coin) but there are other reasons it might fail, so let us know exactly what it is and isn't doing, but make sure it's clean and free moving before moving on.

A couple of things to note that are obvious but I will mention them:

Are you sure you are using the correct coin?
Are there any parts missing (hard to tell I know).

There are also a couple of things you should know before attacking the machine.

These were made to last just three years, after which they had to be broken up or exported (hence we have loads in the UK 70+ years old). They are made of the cheapest possible metal (sometimes described as "pot metal"). It breaks VERY easily especially after 70 years, so go careful. Age alone can make these parts fail. The payout slides are particularly fragile. I know we are not looking that far in (yet) but take care with them. Weak enough when new, a UK conversion to old 1D coins makes the shoulders on them very thin.

It's very like the Juwel (1955) but is actually the standard Rotamat made two years earlier in 1953 by Gunter Wulff in Berlin.

This link will show you a reasonable but not large photo of the mechanics of a perfect machine. There is also a good photo of a complete parts breakdown so you can check if any part is missing:
https://www.automatix-club.de/index.php ... 81-rotomat

[badpenny]

From what I can see I bet the coin is just dropping through.
There is a bit missing which is spring loaded. It holds the coin so the hook lever can grasp it.

Confirm that's all that is happening and we'll take it from there.

BP

[swifty]

Thank you so much for getting back to me!

Much as I like the machine, I had a suspicion it was cheaply made. The mechanics don't seem too bad but the veneer is starting to lift all over, the case doesn't quite line up correctly and the plate by the crank handle is literally disintegrating! Also I presume there should be a spring loaded lever which is attached to the crank, so the handle returns automatically when pulled? Well this has completely sheared off the crank! I am hoping this shouldn't affect operation of the machine other than you have to pull the handle back up manually?

The coin does rest at the top. It sits on a lever which I guess you would call pivoted and spring loaded? It has identical ends, though the pallets (if that's the right word to describe them) face opposite directions. The hole for the pivot is off centre, making one end of the lever longer than the other. Someone has definitely been messing about with this as it is a little bent. If it helps I can remove this and take a photo tonight?

My assumption of what should happen is this lever holds the coin in place, as you start to pull the crank handle it is pushed out the way enough for the hook lever to grasp it. At present the lever seems too high (it is above the hook lever) so remains in the way.

I have tried reversing the lever, but then it holds the coin even higher up, and does not move at all when you pull the crank handle.

If somebody could explain how this should work, including the order of the lever and the spring (ie which do you fit first), I think it could be a great start to solving the problems of this machine!

I am told the machine runs on old pennies; they seem to fit well and I was given a large supply of them with the machine.

Unfortunately I cannot get that link to open, but thanks for sending it.

Thank you again!

Jason

[badpenny]

The link that Coppinpr sent is excellent and shows you everything except next weeks lottery numbers.
I've reproduced here the two relevant photos from it, and translated the German text for you: -

Heer ist ein photographiapikture ov zie mackinary avter eit es dropped onto zur floor. Yoo must to peek oop all ov zee itty bitty bits immediately!!!

Now yoo must to mantle dem all back to zees. Do it now schnell!!!

After the hook comes over and grabs the coin its linkage stops the disc sandwiched between the handle lock. This in turn permits the pawl to engage and the handle connects.

BP

[swifty]

Thanks for the pics BP. I can see mine is definitely different. I do not have what looks like an L shaped spring loaded lever, located just below where the arrorow '2' is pointed. Instead I have a straight vertical lever which is pivoted and sprung, just above where the right angles meet of the L lever. Also mine only has one coin chute below this mechanism (although I think it has some kind of 'slide' chute directly in front of the tube which is visible).

I will take the lever apart tonight and do pics, hopefully they will make more sense of what I am trying to say!

[badpenny]

The two tubes thing isn't important, some have them others haven't.
The L shaped bit you can't find is what I was referring to in my earlier post

From what I can see I bet the coin is just dropping through.
There is a bit missing which is spring loaded. It holds the coin so the hook lever can grasp it.

Confirm that's all that is happening and we'll take it from there.

BP

You need that bit.
Your "straight vertical lever which is pivoted and sprung" is something different. It hooks over the top of the coin and prevents another coin from being inserted while the mechanism is in play. The purpose being a second coin in the gate while the mech is cycling would allow the player to cheat and manipulate the reels with the handle to force a win!

The main reason for removing ..... the L shaped lever (and then losing it) was often in an attempt to change the denomination, especially after decimalisation. Altering the diameter of the coin stop so it would take a 2np coin. Then when finding it was much more dificult to do than to say, then going back to the old penny but forgetting how the lever went back.
BP

[yaksplat]

Am I the only one that thinks that clean mechanisms like this are beautiful?

[swifty]

Am I the only one that thinks that clean mechanisms like this are beautiful?

Nope. I agree! Works the same with old tills and clocks too! It's a good feeling when a cash register hasn't worked for approx 20 years and you get it unjammed and cleaned up and working a treat

[swifty]

Now it makes sense. Thought I couldn't see how just that sprung lever and coin hook could make it all operate. Of course the next question is, does anybody have said 'L' shaped lever within their spares?!

Thanks

[badpenny]

You may have realised by now that the sprung lever is sitting in the case and is operated by a cam on the end of a rod which is attached to the mech. The two only come into contact with each other when the mech is inside the case.

I bought a box of Gunther Wolff bits and bobs at the last Coventry auction in November. I haven't looked at it since, I'll have a dig around after this weekend if nobody else comes to your rescue.


BP

[badpenny]

While I think of it, and a bit off topic, but here's my cash register. I took it as a swop over 15 years ago.

[swifty]

That's a beauty BP, and thanks for having a rummage for me. I'll get the owner to check she hasn't got some spares lying around though I think that's unlikely.

[yaksplat]

Does anyone have the original piece that you're looking for?

[arrgee]

It's a good feeling when a cash register hasn't worked for approx 20 years and you get it unjammed and cleaned up and working a treat

Do you collect old tills Mr swifty?

[badpenny]

Jason ……
I don't know where you are in the country, but is there any chance you'd make the Coventry Auction in March?
I think there's something you might be interested in.
BP

[swifty]

It's a good feeling when a cash register hasn't worked for approx 20 years and you get it unjammed and cleaned up and working a treat

Do you collect old tills Mr swifty?

For my sins, yes I do! I probably have around 15 - they are not mega old, but from the 50's onwards, electro-mechanical...

[swifty]

Jason ……
I don't know where you are in the country, but is there any chance you'd make the Coventry Auction in March?
I think there's something you might be interested in.
BP

Hi BP,

I'm in Leek, Staffs, so Coventry certainly not out of the question! Do you have a link for the auction you could send me? Thanks