Quiky~Ticky
Theory of Operation
Tickets are placed into the counter through the chrome centerpiece. A phototransistor senses the ticket and starts the motor. The motor turns driving the geared wheel, which moves the flat black-geared belt. The round green belt operates in unison where they wrap around the front rollers. The ticket is pulled into and through the counter by the pressure exerted between the belts by the lever. The string of tickets is pulled toward the reading optics. The belts can be adjusted to properly grip the tickets so that just pulling can just break them. Adjusting the belts properly will also optimize the lifespan.
As the
tickets pass through the read optics, the bar code on the ticket is read. An infrared (LED) Emitter is directly over
the ticket. A sensitive Detector is
directly under the ticket aligned with the Emitter. The light from the emitter passes through the paper but does not
pass through the bar code. The
electronics senses the difference in the light pulses, determining the width
and number of pulses. These numbers are
used to determine the validity of tickets.
Verified tickets are counted as “GOOD” while those with the unverified
are counted as “????”. Since the
electronics read through the paper ticket it does not matter whether the bar
code is facing up or down. This
process is covered in U. S. Patent # 6,732,926. The read optics is adjustable to guarantee the tickets are read
accurately.
After tickets are verified and counted, they are sliced so they can’t be used again.
the pieces go into the bottom of the cabinet for later disposal. There are optics mounted just below the counter mechanism, above the square cut out where the tickets fall that shuts down the counter when the discarded tickets pile up too high.
When the customer finishes counting the tickets a button
on the front of the cabinet will actuate the
thermal printer and a receipt is printed. To print internal reports the operator can press the report
button inside the counter. These
buttons are also on the board along with a reset button, which will clear the
number display.
The circuit board controls all of the functions in the counter. The board has adjustments for optimizing the sensing of the read optics and for the volume of the sound tones. The counter uses an ATX type PC computer power supply rated for 5 VDC at 15 amps and 12 VDC at 5.5 amps and is available at any major computer outlet or from Paper Ticket Experts.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
MAIN BOARD
D2 = LAMP /
Power for exterior light
D3 = A OUT / Not used
D4 = B OUT / Not used
D5 = RECEIPT /
Lights when receipt is printed
D6 = REPORT /
Lights when report is printed
D8 = START /
Lights when a ticket is inserted into counter
D9 = MOTOR /
Lights when motor is running
D10 = READ /
Light blinks when code passes through read optics
D11 = TOTALIZER /
Lights when electric counter is pulsed
D12 = PAPER OUT /
Lights when printer paper is out
Power is an ATX Computer Power Supply, which has a 20-pin
connector. The large power resistor
keeps the 5 VDC loaded down so that the electronics will supply 12 VDC. The power supply will not turn on without
this resistor.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Ticket
Entry Adjustment & Start Optics
The entry system consists of the limit plate, entry optics, gripping rollers and an adjustable lever.
LIMIT PLATE: This
metal plate is attached to the front entry unit with a short carriage
bolt. This plate is beveled on one edge
and is set so that the tickets will pass through the slot but unwanted coins or
metal objects are stopped.
ENTRY OPTICS: The
reflective optics positioned on the Limit Plate, sense the presence of a ticket
in the slot. The optics should be
positioned 1/8 of an inch above the ticket for a proper reflective reading. This optics turns on the drive motor, which
move the tickets through the counter.
GRIPPING ROLLERS:
There are two rollers just within the ticket opening in the front entry
plate. A thin black timing belt runs
around the bottom roller and a round green belt runs around the top
roller. The bottom roller is attached
permanently to the counter housing and the top roller is moved up and down by
an adjustable lever to adjust the grip on the tickets.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Ticket Travel & Guides
The travel mechanism, controlling the path the ticket
takes through the reading optics consists of a flat black timing belt, the
round green belt, front pressure roller, rear pressure roller, and the back
rollers.
BLACK TIMING BELT:
This belt is flat on the outside and has teeth on the inside. These teeth mesh with the drive system,
which will be discussed later. The
teeth keep the belt from slipping, keeping the speed of the tickets constant.
ROUND GREEN BELT:
This belt keeps the tickets sandwiched so that they travel on top of the
black timing belt through the mechanism.
REAR ROLLERS:
Both belts pass around rear rollers.
The purpose for these is to allow both belts to continue in their
circular movement. These rear rollers
also hold the slicing blades and will be discussed later.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N.
Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Drive Motor and Timing Pulley:
The Drive mechanism consists of a 60 RPM, 12 VDC gear motor, 48 tooth timing gear and adjusting slots.
GEAR MOTOR: This is a very stable low voltage drive
mechanism that turns the timing gear so that the tickets travel at an
established speed.
TIMING GEAR: This is a black gear with 48 teeth. The
black geared belt which carries the tickets through the mechanism, travel
around the circumference of the timing gear. The wheel and belt have teeth so
that very little pressure is needed to eliminate slippage.
TIGHTNESS OF BLACK GEARED BELT: The adjustment for the
black belt is on the front and rear screws of the motor. The tightness of the belt should only be
enough so that the gears do not jump.
Too much tension will slow the motor RPM and effect the counting and
might introduce more ticket errors.
Pressure between Round & Geared Belt
The material used for the Green Belt is a 4MM round
belting. This material is designed for
minimal stretch and wear, although over long periods of running the pressure
between the Black Geared Belt and the Green Belt will cause some stretch. The Black Geared Belt has a fabric center
that reduces the stretching. The Green
Belt has no fiber strands and will stretch with pressure and time.
Having minimal pressure, just enough to break the tickets while pulling
from the outside, will increase the life of these belts. Too much pressure reduces the life of these
belts.
Pressure is applied through a lever. This lever mounts to the main assembly with
a Nylon Lock Nut. Tighten the nut to
maximum and loosen 1/8 turn. This will
allow the lever to move without wobble.
If you have removed the lever add light grease or oil to the surface
before assembling. The red knob
tightening screw and it’s lock nut adjust the lever and the pressure between
the belts. While running tickets
through the counter, tighten the screw with your fingers until the tickets
break when held. This will be the
correct setting. Set the adjustment
with the nut on the screw, thus securing the lever.
Over time this adjustment may need slight tightening
because of belt wear or a crease in the Black Geared Belt. Use the same method as described above. The life of the Green Belting can be from
two months to two years depending on the adjustment. No matter how well you adjust the Green Belt it will need
replacing at some time.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N.
Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Slicing
& Destruction of Tickets
The slicing blades are the unit at the rear of the counting mechanism. The black and green belts drive the two circular blades. These cutting blades are very sharp and care should be taken when working on this section. There is an adjusting screw with a red knob. Turn this screw to move the slicing blades so that they cut the ticket in half. Secure the screw with the nut so that the blades stay in position. The Top cutting wheel is pressed against the lower with a spring. A washer on one end and a thrust bearing on the other allows the wheels to turn smoothly. The shaft collar sets the pressure on the cutting blades and does not have to be very tight.
Once a month a drop of 3-in-1 oil is good for the cutting blades, the two bronze bushings within the two wheels and the thrust bearing. Be careful not to get any oil on the belts.
The edges of the cutting blades should never need sharpening, as they are case hardened steel.
Pressure between the blades is adjusted by moving the Shaft Collar. The pressure
spring rides against a Thrust Bearing. Spring should be tight enough to slice tickets.
Again, the cutting blade edges are VERY sharp!
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Read
Optics & Adjustments 
To adjust the optics put the leads of your
voltmeter on the optic pins to the board.
The ground (black) lead should go to the black wire on the plug. The positive lead (red) should go to the
white wire on the plug. Align the
optics to that you get a reading:
NO PAPER .6
PAPER 1.8
BLACK
INK 4.8
Since the Schmidt Trigger reacts 2.5 volts you need a
swing from less than two to more than three for the optics to work well. Adjust the potentiometer (R15) by turning
the small screw.
To find the sweet spot run tickets through the counter
and place your voltmeter with black on ground and the positive lead to
TP4. You will get a questionable count
(low pitched sound) around 2.00 to 3.00.
Find the outer limits and adjust the Potentiometer in the middle, or
2.50
The bar code reads through the paper so it does not
matter whether the tickets are code up or down. The LED (Emitter) is on the top and the Detector is on the
bottom. Reading is better if the ticket
passes close to the Detector. The
Detector should be aligned with the center of the bar code.
All tickets are counted. “Good Tickets” are those that are validated as correct. “?????” are those tickets that do not qualify as correct.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Receipt
Printer:
RECEIPT PRINTER: This is a thermal printer and rests in a
chrome dispenser. Threading the paper through the printer is simple. Remove the printer from the holder and turn
to “ON”. Open the hinged cutter unit
of the printer and move the gray lever to the open position. Pass the thermal paper under metal post and
place the edge under the rubber roller of the printer. The paper will
automatically pass through the printer and come out under the aluminum pressure
strip controlled by the gray lever.
Make sure that the paper is straight before locking the gray lever.
Pass the thermal paper through the slot in the cutter
slot of the slicing unit. With the paper
outside of slot, close the cutter case.
Before placing the printer back into its dispenser, press the report
button. This will print and cut the
report, verifying that the paper is correct and the cutter is working. Place the printer into counter.
THERMAL PAPER: The Quiky~Ticky counter uses thermal paper
2 ¼ inches wide (58 mm). This can be
purchased from most office stores.
Paper Ticket Experts has the correct thermal paper in large rolls.
The time, date, and other information on the receipt and
report are supported by the Battery
(BAT1) and the Crystal (Y2) on
the Main Board. Be careful not to
short, disconnect or allow the battery to discharge or the memory will be
lost. The date can be reprogrammed by
returning the board to Paper Ticket Experts.
“RESET”, “REPORT” and “RECEIPT” buttons are Located near
the lower left corner of the board.
Pressing the “RESET” button will reset the count currently on the front
L.E.D display. The “RECEIPT” Button is
used for printing the customer printout.
The “REPORT” button prints the tickets to date. This will not reset the figures in memory.
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Trouble
shooting guide
Ticket is placed into entry slot. Motor does not start:
If LED #D8 is not lighted, then:
Check connectors on board and start optics
Check alignment of start optics with ticket
Replace Start Optic
If LED #D8 on board does light, then:
Check connectors on board and motor
Check Motor Transistor #Q8, if bad replace
Disconnect and check motor with 12 VDC
If there is no count on front display
LED #D10 on board blinks
Check wiring and connectors
If LED #D10 on board does Not blink:
Adjust Pot #R15 until reading (See Manual)
Check optic detector (See Manual)
If ticket does not slice
Check Green Belt for tightness (See Manual)
Check Spring tightness (See Manual)
There is No Sound:
Check wiring and connections
Adjust Pot #R14 on Main Board
Check Transistor #Q9 and replace if bad
Printer does not print
Paper Roll is too tight in holder causing drag.
Lever is not in the closed position causing slippage
Check wiring and connections to printer & #J6 on main board
Check for Thermal Paper
Turn paper over! Thermal Paper only prints on one side.
If there are no lights and no movement in Counter
Check fuses
Check for 12 VDC at fuse
Check for 5 VDC at large gold power resistor
Check connectors
Repair or Replace Power Supply (See Manual)
Paper Ticket Experts, 531 N. Francisca Ave., Redondo Beach, Ca. 90277 … 310-374-9982
Retail
Price List
Complete Ticket Counter Drive Mechanism $699.99
Main Board Without Cables $349.99
New Processor Re-programmed EXCHANGE $39.99
Thermal Printer with Cable $395.99
Thermal Paper (Case of 24 Rolls / 400 feet each) $119.99
ATX Power Supply 5 VDC at 15 amps / 12 VDC at 5.5 amps $79.99
12 VDC Gear Motor $99.99
Main Black Gear Drive Pulley $29.99
Black Flat Geared Belt $11.99
Round Green Belt $16.99
Read Optics EXCHANGE (Emitter, Detector & Cable) $79.99
Start Optics with Cable $29.99
Slicing Unit Complete w/ 2 rollers & Knives $99.99
LIMITED WARRANTY
The “QUIKY~TICKY” counter is warranted by Paper Ticket Experts, Inc., to the original user against defects in workmanship or materials under normal use for ninety days after the date of purchase. Any part which is determined to be defective in material or workmanship and returned, shipping costs prepaid, will be repaired or replaced at the sole discretion of Paper Ticket Experts, Inc.. The warranty will be void if the unit is not installed properly.
WARRANTY DISCLAIMER. Paper Ticket Experts, Inc., does not express
nor imply a warranty that the products are legal to operate in any
jurisdiction, or that these units will necessarily conform to any local
ordinances.
Except as provided, no warranty or affirmation of fact, express or implied, other than as stated in “Limited Warranty” or “Warranty Disclaimer” above is made or authorized by Paper Ticket Experts, Inc. The liability of Paper Ticket Experts, Inc., in all events is limited to the purchase of the parts which are shown to be defective.
PROMPT DISPOSITION. Paper Ticket Experts, Inc. will make a good
faith effort for prompt correction or other adjustments with respect to any
parts which proves to be defective within the warranty period.
SHIPPING DAMAGE is the responsibility of the
recipient. If product is damaged please
contact the carrier immediately.
PAPER TICKET EXPERTS, INC.
531 N. Francisca Ave
Redondo Beach, Ca 90277
Phone (310) 374-9982
Fax (310) 374-2387