Need Some Help With A Locked Up Columbia

[marsonion]

I've had my previously non-functioning Columbia for 4 days now and figured out how to fix everything but the coin jamming. Maybe I can help. Maybe not. When mine jams with the handle pulled partially down, it always turns out to be coins jammed up in the escalator. I remove the coins and twist the escalator 2 or 3 steps clockwise and the machine will usually finish the cycle, unjaming itself.

Now if only I can figure out how to keep coins from jamming up the escalator... I do hope to find the answer in these forums because it looks like a design flaw to me. If I can fix that, I'm going to have a real nice machine.

One very common problem with the Columbia rotary escalator that isn't addressed in any repair/maintenance article that I've seen: it's supposed to travel 45 degrees of rotation on each pull, but sometimes it doesn't. If you look under the escalator turret, you'll find a spring-loaded conical "wart" that's supposed to "click" into a hole on the underside, securing its precise position every 45 degrees. In many cases, the damn rotating turret thing pulls up short and doesn't "click" into position, so the entire cycle jams. You seem to be saying your problem is with coins jamming in the escalator; are you sure the escalator isn't jamming all by itself, in the manner I describe here? I see you write that you can get the escalator working past one of these jams temporarily by pushing the turret around by hand; that sounds exactly like the problem I'm writing about here. There is a way of shimming the mechanism to remediate this problem; another poster says you just have to straighten the "rails" inside the escalator, because they can impede the rotary action if they rub or bind inside the housing.

[craigbell63]

Yes, I believe you are spot on. I have straightened those rails several time. They bend because of the dimes piling up. Now I have completely disassembled the escalator and found 85 years of crud where the dimes should roll around the carousel. The other parts are dirty too so I am going to let it all soak in some cleaner for a few hours and scrub the crud off. If needed, I may even polish the surfaces.

If I can get it all functioning properly, I think I'll add it to my small collection. It's really fun to play with when it doesn't jam. Some new reel strips and a new payout card would make this a great little slot machine.

[Doug N]

New to the site, been pouring over the forums to get my Groetchen Columbia 99% operational. I’ve learned so much over the past few days, what an education! I have one last issue that I just cannot seem to resolve. The issue is with a coin jam at the temporary shelf that holds up the nickel as it drops from the escalator body into a slot on the coin magazine. When there is a payout, and the coin magazine begins to rotate clockwise to dispense the nickels, the nickel in the shoot drops too soon and jams the rotation of the coin magazine. There needs to be a slight pause before the coin drops on payout. I’ve been able to resolve all my other issues with the help of the forum. I don’t have any issues otherwise, the machine performs flawlessly until there is a payout. There does not appear to be any sort of an adjustment to increase the pause. I’ve adjusted the leaf spring on the escalator side arm that operates what I believe they call the coin shutter (the fingers that hold up the coin in the chute). Has anyone experienced this issue?

[Doug N]

OMG. Fixed it. I distantly thought I need to pause the Nicole if the chute during payout. I had it backwards…. I actually neede to drop the Nicole SOONER, before the carousel began the payout. Fixed. Thanks for the help forum!

[nvmos2]

I've fixed several Columbia mechanisms over the years; it really helps to know the parts and what they're supposed to do.
All I've needed for the Columbia is what's shown in this photo; if you like, send me $20 and I'll copy them and mail them to you.

[nvmos2]

marsonion wrote:

One very common problem with the Columbia rotary escalator that isn't addressed in any repair/maintenance article that I've seen: it's supposed to travel 45 degrees of rotation on each pull, but sometimes it doesn't. If you look under the escalator turret, you'll find a spring-loaded conical "wart" that's supposed to "click" into a hole on the underside, securing its precise position every 45 degrees. In many cases, the damn rotating turret thing pulls up short and doesn't "click" into position, so the entire cycle jams. ............... There is a way of shimming the mechanism to remediate this problem; ..............[/quote]


I know that was written 2 years ago, but I'm trouble shooting a Columbiua now and am hoping you (anybody?) can tell me; which part needs to be shimmed to remediate this problem.
TIA.

[just frank slots]

If all else fails. You can always fill it with cement and use it as a boat anchor... Do you own a boat?

[wallruss001]

On my Columbia 25 cent, I have found twice where two coins attempt to occupy the same slot on the magazine usually jamming at the feed. It's hard to see sometimes unless you remove the cover of the escalator. Remove the extra coin and put into an open slot.
"The Swiss watch of slot machines" was the statement from the guy I bought it from. Of course, it was jammed when I bought it, but he did carry it to my car.

[nvmos2]

I have kept one Columbia that, in fact, has run like a "fine Swiss watch" for the over 20 years that I've owned it. The one I am currently trouble shooting belongs to someone else.

IMO many of the negative comments concerning the Columbia slots are from newbies mindlessly repeating what they’ve heard. Most seasoned coin-op collectors would agree with what R. Bueschel has written (paraphrased):
“Owners/restorers of Columbias are in a class by themselves because the machines are in a class by themselves. Practically all of the antique 3 reel slots
have the same basic mechanism because all of the producers just copied each other going all the way back to the original Liberty bell machines, the sole exception being the Columbia Bell. Rather than play copy cat and try to directly compete with the big producers, Groetchen elected to re-invent the Bell machine from the ground up to create a smaller, lighter, more efficient and less troublesome machine with unique features unmatched by the bigger Bells. The resulting machine had bugs, is complicated, packs too much sophisticated machinery in a small cabinet and is hard to repair and maintain. Columbia devotees swear by their machines, others swear at them. In many of the latter cases, the problem has been one of maintenance , repair and the almost total lack of knowledge. The machines are amazingly clever and run like a top when well maintained.”

[wallruss001]

I advised my daughter to not buy a Columbia, but that was before I bought mine. They are different, not well represented, or documented. I agree with the fact the engineering is superb. I love playing the slot, size, weight, is great. I have the same doc's thanks to Marsonion. Jackpot loading is so precise, and doesn't fail.