Little Duke Owners Step Inside

[RameGoom]

Help!

Paging any owners out there who have the Little Duke with a gum vender. I'm trying to find out how the trip lever is actuated each time the machine is played.

The trip lever that protrudes thru the case must be lifted every time the lever is pulled. But I don't know how that is accomplished.

Pictures below:
Slot with vender
Inside trip lever
What I *think* is part of the trip mechanism

If anyone can direct me to the proper function, I really appreciate it.

[mechanic]

Do you have the linkage that is attached to the inside cabinet? Most of them are missing from the machines. They were usually removed along with the vendor or to keep the vendor from working.

[flipper77]

Here is picture of mine FYI. Flip

[flipper77]

Here is the arm that resets the vender lever.

[RameGoom]

Wow! Thanks for the pictures. I don't have those parts, so I will fabricate the parts from scratch...hopefully use the image you attached to make it work.

I can't figure out what the small arm I have does. Doesn't seem to fit anywhere in the machine. I suppose the main thing is that every time the mechanism cycles, it has to lift that lever that releases the internals in the vender which enables the operator to retrieve a gumball - if the button is pulled.

I will make it work....

[RameGoom]

Looks like a daunting task to try and find the proper mechanism to make my vender function. Several key components on it. Too bad whoever took the vender off didn't keep all of the parts with the vender for future generations.

So, I'm going to re-engineer the project. I will be able to trip that mechanism with three components. However, I don't think it will work exactly like it should, but it will function.

Looking at how Jennings designed the mechanism, it appears that when you pull the handle, the factory levers don't trip the vender set pin until the reels are spinning. That cam disc must cause the mechanism to "snap" the trip lever into operation when the reels let loose.

What I'm going to do is build a lever system that will raise the lever proportionally as the reel mechanism cocks, with the full reset being at the very end of the trip point - right before it snaps off of the triangle pawl. I'm in the position of re-inventing the wheel here, but I want it to work normally. I worked out a design that will use three steel fingers with shoulder bolts as pivot points.

That will make it function almost properly. However, if someone should pull the handle to the point *right before* the reels let go, the lever would be held at its reset position, so pushing and pulling the gumball release button repeatedly will deliver gumball after gumball. Minor annoyance, but I can keep it simple by doing it this way. I'll post pictures as it progresses.

For you collectors and restorers out there: Is it acceptable, or is it a common practice to substitute or fabricate a lever or bracket on a machine that's otherwise missing it, assuming you would have a difficult time finding the right part? I'm impatient, but who knows, I might eventually find the correct parts to keep it original.

On another note, where would I find shoulder bolts that are slotted instead of the conventional socket-head design?

[mechanic]

SHHHHHHHHHHHHHH Be very very quiet, there could be wabbits here!!! Here's a little way of cheating on hard to find shoulder screws, use a slotted screw and a piece of tubing or tube bearing to make the shoulder be sure the OD and ID are right. Good till a real one is found!!!!

[RameGoom]

Now that you mention it, I have done something similar in the past, using a piece of fuel line tubing, cut with a tubing cutter, to mock up a "shoulder". PITA to do though.

I was thinking I could use a socket head shoulder bolt, fill in the hex socket hole with solder, then dremel-grind a slot across the head with one of those friction disks. Lot of work, but it might look authentic. The thing is, all the shoulder screws used on these slots have a hugely large diameter head on them.

[Midcoast Vintage]

there is a random group of shoulder screws currently listed on ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shoulder-Screws ... 3ced2527b2

[watlingboy]

Fabricating missing or unobtainable parts as original is acceptable. Redesigning or reengineering should be a last resort. Little Dukes survived in large numbers, someone out there should be will to loan you the parts so you can have them faithfully reproduced or willing to have them made for you. Down the road when it comes time to sell this machine, having incorrect parts on it will hurt the value. Looks like a very nice machine, you should make every effort to put it back to original.

Watlingboy