NRI Rejector in a Westinghouse WC102MD has no coin chute

[darrelcraig]

I just purchased a Westinghouse WC102MD machine as my first project.  Apparently everything on this machine is in perfect condition, so it may not be much of a project.  The only issue I've encountered before is that it won't accept any coins. When I put in nickels, dimes, or quarters, they immediately drop out the slug chute.  If I remove the rejector and drop them in the coin slots so they hit the switch, the machine vends normally.  I've uploaded a picture of the mechanism.  The machine has been in storage for many years.

The mechanism is National Rejector model D11017C, and I can't find one tidbit of information on this model anywhere (although it seems real similar to the 7600 series).

I've bought and read a few different service manuals and looked at a bunch of forums but I figured posting the question might give me a jump on this.  I'll probably also just tinker with it to see if I can get it working.

My questions are:
1) According to the Westinghouse service manual for this machine, the coin mechanism is the one delivered with the machine,  but the one in the picture has the coin changer.  Is it possible they purposefully did not include the coin changer?  Why?

2) Should this mechanism work without the missing parts?  If yes, what are some other things I can check?  I'm going to check to make sure it is receiving power tonight.

Thanks!

[tkaz]

Welcome to the board!

I'll chime in with the quick and obvious...pull out the slug rejector and give it a good cleaning with soap and water.  It'll get gummed up over the years and the coin weights won't move like they should 

[darrelcraig]

Thanks for the quick reply.  I do plan to clean the slug rejector, but I don't think this is the issue.  The more i tinker with this machine, the more I think it may have never been used (other than by the mice that left a nest behind).  I'd been thinking about the little electromagnet think behind the slug rejector.  It has a wire with three "limbs" on it which stick into the back of the slug rejector.  I couldn't see that it moved when I plugged in the machine, so tonight I decided to tape it back (toward the back of the machine).  Once I did this, the machine operated successfully on two nickels or one dime and deliver bottles as expected.  So my next step is to find out if this is an elecrical issue or if it is the electromagnet thing itself. 

Also, I'm still wondering why the coin changer chute is missing.  Any help is appreciated.

[Jim]

You may have to investigate the "Sold Out" circuit...
Something is keeping the "crem", the little electromagnet think behind the slug rejector, from being energized...
If the electro-magnet is energized, coins will be allowed to continue through the slug rejector eventually energizing the vend cycle...

[tkaz]

Does your 'Make Another Selection' lamp ever come on?  There is a small switch inside the vending stacks that indicate whether or not the column has inventory...you can adjust the arm of the switch, which could have come out of alignment.  When the switch is engaged (the 'Make Another Selection' light turns off and the three-pronged piece (the Coin Return ElectroMagnet, or CREM, pulls back and allows coins to flow.

[johnieG]

The relay (with the three wire "fingers" ) is called the Coin-Reject-Electro-Magnet, or CREM for short, it's purpose is to reject all inserted coins if several conditions are present,

1; The machine is in the middle of a vending cycle, or the vending price has been reached and the machine is waiting on a selection to be made ( the vending credit relay is "ready" & waiting for a button to be pushed)

2; if there aren't enough minor coins (nickels in most cases) to make correct change. if a major coin ( IE a quarter is inserted for a 10-cent vending price)

3; a selection is sold out ( on a multi-vend machine) or is empty

4; if there is no power to the machine (obviously a default condition)

so if the CREM isn't pulled in, but there is power going to it ( in your case 115 volts) then it is burned out, or with the WC102, the carrier switch ( sold-out switch) isn't wired correctly or has been accidentally wired backwards (easy to do as the wires for the normally open & closed contacts are identical in color & have no identification labels on them) the bottom line is the CREM isn't really required for home use. you can replace it with an old-stock unit form a parts 'mech, or cut the wire "fingers" off at the metal plate & enjoy the machine as-is.

So if your "Sold" out lamp & the "Correct Change Only" lamps are working properly, then the chances are the CREM is burnt out.

PS, if you wire a "always-on" free-play switch or hard-wire the credit line (pins #3 & 1) together, this can burn out a CREM or a credit relay on a post-select machine, but yours is a "pre-select type. were you select your flavor , then insert your coins.

PS#2... the coinmech shown isn't a change-giver, it is a fixed-price unit.

[darrelcraig]

I checked and the make another selection light comes on and goes off depending on the selection.  I only have a couple of bottles in most racks but a couple are empty.  I also checked to make sure the electro magnet did not energize with when the light turned off and on. Is there a way to test the voltage coming to the electromagnet? 

I think I remember the correct change light coming on the first day I had it but can't remember for sure.  Tomorrow I'm going to see what it takes to check that bulb.

Thanks for the note on the fixed price.  I guess if someone drops a quarter in, they lose their change.

[mznb1u]

I only have a couple of bottles in most racks but a couple are empty. 

I will defer to Johnie on the CREM issue as he knows a lot more about coin mechs than I do.  But the problem could be caused by not enough stock in the vend columns.  I am not familiar with that machine but a lot of the machines with vending stacks require a minimum amount of product to vend.  That way the machine did not sell out completely and there would be a few cold bottles or cans in the stack after re-stocking.  Add some more product and see if that works.  Just a thought.

  Tim

[tkaz]

Is that why these machines need two bottles in them?  I never thought about it from needing an immediate cold one in there, just thought it was bad design!

[darrelcraig]

The service manual indicates that the make another selection light comes on when there is one bottle left.  I had three on one rack at one point, which is more than it takes to close the switch, so I don't think that's the issue.  But I do need to buy some more bottles for my Vendo 63, so I'll probably load them in the Westinghouse first just to make sure. Thanks for all the responses.  This soda machines hobby is looking like it's going to be a blast!!

Since I mentioned the Vendo 63, i decided to try switching out the coin mechanisms.  I switched them out and the coins passed through the new mechanism too (in the Westinghouse).  So I guess my problem is outside the mechanism itself.