United Dixie Ball Bowler

[PopcornShop]

   Here is a Dixe Ball Bowler I picked up about a month ago now... Its still in its original condition as far as cosmetics are concerned.. I have gone through the machine mechanicaly but still am having some issues in the tenth frame... It also features line bowling..which is another game type...very fun to play... Let me know what you think!!  Also if anyone can help with my tenth frame issue...lol.. Once again my pics are not the best but it will give you the idea...

[Creighton]

Very Nice!!
Thanks for the pics.
Creighton

[bcharlton]

Looks great.  Does it not score the tenth?  Does it shut down in the tenth?  Maybe I can help.

Brian

[PopcornShop]

Looks great.  Does it not score the tenth?  Does it shut down in the tenth?  Maybe I can help.

Brian

  Hey Brian... The problem in the tenth is like this...  If I dont fill in the tenth is works as it should.. The problem occurs when I fill in the tenth strike spare or that type of thing....It will just keep on letting you bowl with out ending the game or if you have more then one player it wont advance to the next player... I have worked on these a few times and always seem to find the problem..But this one has me stumped...lol..  I would think it is either in the frame control disc, extra shots disc,or even maybe the player up disc...But there again im not sure.... Any help would be great!!  Let me know what you think. 

Brian

[bcharlton]

Hi Brian,

I will look into it and PM you,.  I have a couple iof ideas.

Brian

[Larry]

Check your spring tension on your steppers (frame control disc, extra shots disc, player up disc, strike spares, etc.).  Some steppers reset in one quick swoop, like the one in this first paragraph and others ratchet back, like in the second paragraph.  Manually activate the solenoids to advance the spider contact fingers all the way, then hit the other solenoid to reset them back to the zero position.  Sometimes the main spring is not wound tight enough, or the nut that holds that section is to tight and it binds.  Eitherway it could stop the spider fingers from resetting all the way back to the zero position.  

If it is not the main large spring, around the copper stem, check the other two springs that move the other stepper pieces.  They sometime wear and need to be shortened by a loop or two to make them pull harder to advance the spider fingers over the contact rivets.  You can sometimes have it advance fine, but it wont reset fine, or visa versa.  As in the first paragraph advance the fingers by using the solenoid and then use the other solenoid to manually ratchet it back.  See if it hangs up.  I have spare United parts if you need springs.

If the steppers advance and reset easlily, check the stepper switches.  Manually make and break the switches using the solenoids as described before.  Watch the contacts.  Clean the contacts with some scotch brite to shine them up to get a better view.

[cohammer]

love it

[PopcornShop]

Hi Brian,

I will look into it and PM you,.  I have a couple iof ideas.

Brian

  Thanks for any help or ideas !!

Brian...

[PopcornShop]

Check your spring tension on your steppers (frame control disc, extra shots disc, player up disc, strike spares, etc.).  Some steppers reset in one quick swoop, like the one in this first paragraph and others ratchet back, like in the second paragraph.  Manually activate the solenoids to advance the spider contact fingers all the way, then hit the other solenoid to reset them back to the zero position.  Sometimes the main spring is not wound tight enough, or the nut that holds that section is to tight and it binds.  Eitherway it could stop the spider fingers from resetting all the way back to the zero position.  

If it is not the main large spring, around the copper stem, check the other two springs that move the other stepper pieces.  They sometime wear and need to be shortened by a loop or two to make them pull harder to advance the spider fingers over the contact rivets.  You can sometimes have it advance fine, but it wont reset fine, or visa versa.  As in the first paragraph advance the fingers by using the solenoid and then use the other solenoid to manually ratchet it back.  See if it hangs up.  I have spare United parts if you need springs.

If the steppers advance and reset easlily, check the stepper switches.  Manually make and break the switches using the solenoids as described before.  Watch the contacts.  Clean the contacts with some scotch brite to shine them up to get a better view.

  Thanks Larry...  I did go through all the steppers and they did work well ..for about a week...then everything went down hill ha ha ...But it may be the spring tension.. You have raised some good points to check.. Would it be safe to say its in a stepper?  One thing about this machine is I feel its in remarkable shape... You have a puck bowler of this same style right?

[Larry]

I had the Line up but sold it years ago.  I would bet that it would be in the stepper units.  It could also be in a relay switch, just double check all your switches manually.  Especially in that rack on the door.  Sometimes those can be hard to see.  I would play a multi player game by hand (just slide your hand over the metal things that the ball rolls over to make the switches) and make sure that the first player has no marks in the tenth and then have the second player mark and see if it goes to a third player or not.  If it still fails, I would recheck the steppers.  

On My Falcon ball bowler, I had an intermitent problem that drove me nuts.  I should have wrote it down just in case it came back, but I didn't.  Anyway, it was a similar problem in tenth frame, who knows it might be the same problem.  I had some sort of failure, of course I don't remember what, and after I narrowed it down to my steppers, I rechecked them and they were fine, looked at all the switches and manually made and broke them, they were fine too.  The problem was whenever the door stack reset itself, the shock of that bar slamming the switches to their normal positions, caused one switch to slight open and then make again.  So when you looked at it it was fine,  but on reset, it opened for a split second which caused my problem.  I made the switch a little tighter and ten years later, it still works fine.  It was funny when I originally read your post I was thinking about that switch.  It's a longshot, but look to see what switches are in series with your problem stepper coils maybe you have a similar problem.  If you still can't get it, P.M. me and I'll pull out my schematics and see what I can find and call you.

[PopcornShop]

  Hey Larry,  Good news... The problem has been found    It was in the stepper... It turned out that the tension on one of the springs was way to tight... I should of checked that closer because it was something my brother had done...  After I spotted that I check all the steppers and went through them all again.. Everything is very smooth now...  I just wanted to say thanks for your very good help!!  I do have another issue.. This one I don't think is to bad though.. On player 3 the score reels... The problem is everytime the tenth reel trips it also trips the thousandths reel... I'm assuming its in the reels... but what reel would cause this do you think? Or is it not in the reels?  It only happens on player 3...an ideas...I'm listening !  Thanks again...Brian....

[Larry]

The reels rotate everytime the reel coil gets a pulse from the relays on the door, not in the switch stack.  I think the door relays are 1-10,10-90, 100's, 1,000's, etc.  Something like that.  You'll see them.

A reel resets at a zero position and starts from that zero position.  When you get one point (score, pin, whatever you call it) the reels coil gets a pulse and rotates one time.  As it rotates the nylon cam, that the reel is anchored to, rotates one step.  Every point rotates that cam one step.  When it gets to the number nine, the cam makes a switch and the next pulse it receives turns the ten column reel to a one and the ones column reel turns to a zero.  So you show the number ten on your score reels.  That switch that closed is now open and the ones reel is back to it's zero position and will continue to count until the number nine.  Where this process repeats itself.

All the reels have two switches.  One is the zero switch which kills power to the coil on reset, thats why all the reels stop at zero.  The other switch advances the next reel as stated above to the tens, hundreds, thousands.  Actually the thousands reel only has one switch.  It does not advance anything it just zero's out on reset.


A few things come to mind.  Either the tousands reel is in the hundreds spot and the hundreds reel is in the thousands spot.  The nine switch in the thousands reel is adjusted to close and vibration causes it to make.  The thousands relay, on the door, is making when it shouldn't be.  

[Ltransam]

Larry's the MAN !!!   

[rayg]

Hey Larry,

U know you stuff, If I even get my bowler "some day", I know who to call for help!

[Larry]

Thanks Leonard.   

Rayg, No problem. I'll be more than happy to help.

[bcharlton]

Larry,

You are the Obi Wan Kenobi on vintage ball bowlers!!!!

[PopcornShop]

 Ha ha Larry is the man!!! I dont think I could of done it with out him!! Thanks for all the help    Tonight im going to tackle the player three reel problem...lol...