Child's Wooden Coin-Operated Gumball Machine

My daughter was about nine years old when she wanted a gumball machine.  I decided I could make one from wooden parts and an old pickle jar.  At the time, there were some cheap gumball machines for children that dispensed a gumball when a large dowel was rotated.  There was no coin-operated mechanism.  

The photo is not the gumball machine I made, but resembles what I often saw on the market.  Instead of a turning a dowel, this one dispenses a candy when the slider is pulled outward.  There is no coin-operated mechanism.  My daughter wanted to be sure to charge her brother and her sister for all gumballs they consumed, so the coin-operated feature was a requirement.

(The photo is from Bing Images.)

Step 1 My mechanism and how it works

This is the slider mechanism for the gumball machine I made.  It is my own design.  The two main parts are designated as "A" and "B."  In summary, a coin is inserted through a slot from above (not shown.) and its edges fit into the recesses marked as "D." The operator pushes on the left end of "A." The coin pushes on "B" and moves it forward. The gumball loaded in hole "C" from an inverted glass jar above is pushed until it aligns with another hole below in the frame of the gumball machine (not shown), and the gumball rolls down a channel (not shown) to fall into a cup on the exterior of the machine (not shown). When the operator begins to pull the slide "A" back to its original position, the pressure on the edges of the coin is released and it falls through a slot below into a coin box (slot and coin box not shown). Part "F" is a piece of bent wire. It slides in the recessed channels and round holes indicated by the two "E"s. "F" engages "B"  when "A" begins to be pulled back to its original position.  This also pulls "B" back to its original position so a new gumball can fall into hole "C" from the jar above. Although shown too small in the graphic, the round holes that are part of the inletting for "E" on each piece are a large enough diameter that if someone pushes "A" without a coin in the machine, "A" moves harmlessly inward, but "B" does not move forward and no gumball is dispensed.  Make the round holes in "E" larger in actuality. There is enough tension on "B" supplied by a light spring from below that it does not slide when the machine is tipped. "G" is a recess in the side of "A" that rides over a vertical pin set to limit the travel of "A" so it can neither be pushed inward too far, nor pulled out of the machine.

"A" and "B" are made from a good, but inexpensive close-grained and easily-worked hardwood. The thicker end of "B" is as thick as the diameter of the gumballs you will be using plus just a little bit more, perhaps a little less than 1/16 of an inch. The hole marked "C" should be just slightly larger in diameter than the largest gumball in any package of the type you buy and use.     

Comments

[heathbar64]

this is a neat project. Wife wants a gumball machine to put in her shoppe, but metal. I might be able to adapt your mechanism.
I have a huge collection of popular science and popular mechanics mags from the 50's and 60's. I really enjoy reading and rereading them, because they have so many cool projects and things to actually do.

[Phil B]

This design was a little on the heavy and clunky side because wood was the only thing I could do based on my skills and tools at the time. It was great for a child who did not mind shaking the whole machine to make certain a gumball found its way into the hopper so it could be dispensed. For one in a shop something to stir the gumballs would be helpful so a ball falls into place in the process of one being dispensed. Thank you for looking and for commenting.

[kunfumaster]

AWSOME machine!

[Phil B]

Thank you. I am always concerned the reader may not find the explanation clear enough.

[gogglecrab]

Hey, check out my group! I'd love you to join!

http://www.instructables.com/group/CoinOperated/

[BiKeRiDeR122]

K00LLl







:D

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[farzadbayan]

Great job! I love it so much!

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[Nicole_David]

nice.....want to try this....

[Phil B]

Thanks. I would love to see pictures when you are finished.

[thats mr sonic to you]

super super cool

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[rimar2000]

Very clever, Phil!

[Phil B]

Thank you, Osvaldo. You are to be commended for thinking this through in Spanish.

[Lithium Rain]

What a neat project! I think I want to make one someday...

[Phil B]

Thanks. More power to you with your DIY projects! Regardless of your present expertise level, old issues of how-to magazines have some really useful articles for helping your expand your tools and your abilities, especially on a budget. You might appreciate some of the things about where and how to find those magazines on the 'Net mentioned in a recent Instructable I did.  As I mentioned in that Instructable, I used articles in those magazines to learn about using power tools and making furniture.  We still use that furniture after 40 years of marriage.

[Lithium Rain]

Hey, that ible is really cool! Faved and bookmarked to read much more in-depth later. :D (Oh and thanks for the advice)

[builderkidj]

reminds me of the knock operated gumball machine

[Phil B]

Thank you for commenting. I am not familiar with a knock operated gumball machine and could not find anything about one with an Internet search, either. Could you help me understand what that is?

[builderkidj]

look it up on make.com if not there its in a make magizine issue


-J

[Phil B]

I finally found it in volume 25 (for anyone else who is curious). Click on this link.  

[Civicalized]

This is very awesome! My step mom made a few of these when I was younger, but they weren't as cool looking as this! I may have to make me one now!

[Phil B]

Thank you. Please post a photo when you have finished yours.

[NaturalCrafter]

This is a nice project. I had one that was a small fish bowl on top of a wood box with a wood slider and no coin dispenser. Not sure where it is, but I like your model much better. This one is more desk size.

[Phil B]

Thank you.

[blkhawk]

This is a nice gift to a special child in our lives. It does not seem to be too complicated and will provide hours of sweet fun to our children. Great job!

[Phil B]

If you make one, post a photo when you are finished, please. 30 years later my daughter still has the one I made for her. You might want to do a dry run with the moving parts made from cardboard to get the spacing and fit just right. Then start cutting wood. My daughter wanted hers to work with a US dime. The problem is that dimes and pennies are close enough that this worked on either. I would probably suggest a US nickel.

Thanks for your interest.

[Kaptain Kool]

Awesome!

[Phil B]

Thanks. I apologize that I can not give precise dimensions for everyone.