Penny Miser coin sorter Owners Manuel

The “Basic Model” is pictured and numbered.
  The “Deluxe Model” is an enclosed unit with only minor differences.
This Manuel covers both models.

Each Penny Miser is individually hand crafted and unique
No two are alike
Your Penny Miser is a one of a kind item

1    Front Panel                                       This is the front.  It displays the Penny Miser name decal and switch. The 9 volt battery is mounted to the back of this panel.
2    Power Switch                                    On/Off Switch
3    Penny Wheel                                    1/16“ thick (HIPS) disc with 8 penny holes that is attached to the Motor Shaft and rotates clockwise while directing the pennies
                                                                over the Copper Penny Hole and then over the Zinc Penny Discard Hole.
4    Flex Prevent Screws                         Helps prevent pennies from getting under the Penny Wheel and jamming the operation.
5    Copper Penny Hole                           The Hole in the Main Board that the copper pennies fall through.
6    Zinc Penny Discard Hole                    Hole in the Main Board that zinc pennies fall through
7    Main Board                                        Attaches to the Penny Miser Housing .  Supports the Motor, Balance Mechanism,  Penny Wheel, and Penny Wheel  Flex Prevent Screws.
                                                                Both Penny Holes are drilled into the Main Board.  The pennies ride on the Main Board while being directed by the Penny Wheel.
8    Penny Feeder Assembly                    Penny Plank, Feeder Tube.  The funnel is an accessory that helps feed a larger quantity of pennies into the feeder tube and is available at
                                                                Wal-Mart
9    Motor                                                 12 Volt DC 10 mA @ no load reversible gear motor.
10   Motor Shaft                                       This drive shaft attaches the Motor to the Penny Wheel
11   Shaft Cotter Pin                                Connects Motor Shaft to Motor
12   Motor Shaft Nut                                 Secures Penny Wheel to Motor Shaft
13   Power Connector                              Connects the Penny Miser to it’s power source via a 9 volt battery clip.
14   Balance Mechanism:                         The mechanism which acts as a balance scale consisting of the Balance Beam, Bearing Blocks, Balance Bearings,
                                                                Counter weight Screw & Weights, and Balance Platform
15   Balance Beam                                   Pivoting arm of the Balance Mechanism
16   Bearing Blocks                                   2 small blocks attached to the underside of the Main Board wwhich support the Balance Beam.
17   Bearing Block Screws                       Secures the Bearing Blocks to the Main Board.  Allows for proper positioning of Bearing Mechanism.
       & Lock Nuts (Not Labeled)
18   Balance Bearings                              Shaft running through and connecting Bearing Blocks and Balance Beam.
19   Balance Beam Retainer                     A small Rubber band connected to the Bearing Block Screws designed to buffer the Bearing Beam movement
20   Counterweight Screw                        Extends through the Balance Beam and allows the addition and subtraction of weight as needed for calibration.
21   Counter weight                                  Variable weights added or subtracted to the Counterweigh Screw as needed to calibrate for changes in motor speed
        Nuts & Washer                                  and surface level.  They machine size #6 washers and nuts
22   Balance Platform                               The surface positioned over the Copper Penny Hole acting as a trap door.  It‘s connected to the Balance Beam.
                                                                 The pennies transverse on to the Balance Platform during the sorting process   It’s here that the weight of the penny is estimated
23   Platform Adjust Screw                       Attaches the Balance Platform to the Balance Beam and allows for height adjustment of the Balance Platform
24   Platform Locking Nut                         Allows Balance Platform to be locked at the proper height    

The machine is a simple design.  The Motor turns the Penny Wheel.  During the penny’s journey,

it will encounter the Balance Platform which is part of the Balance Mechanism. If the penny is heavy,

the Balance Platform  acts like a trap door causing the penny to fall through the Copper Penny Hole.

Everything that gets by this filter will fall into the Zinc Penny Discard Hole.

NOTE:       There is a break-in period.  As the Penny Miser is run, it loosens up and becomes more accurate.

NOTE:       DO NOT FEED BENT, CORRODED, FILTHY, GUMMY, FOREIGN COINS, OR OTHER DENOMINATION
                   COINS INTO THE PENNY MISER.   IT WILL JAM

 START-UP PROCEDURE

Attach a 9 volt battery or an AC/DC Power Adapter to the Power Connector. and turn the Penny Miser on.

Note: If an AC/DC adapter is used, the Penny Wheel will move faster as voltage is increased
You can safely use up to 12 volt DC.  When learning the machine it’s best to start at a slower speed.
Be sure the polarity on the adapter is positioned so that the Penny Wheel rotates clockwise.

Watch and listen for a few moments to be sure nothing is binding the Penny Wheel as it turns.

The Penny wheel must turn at a constant speed.  If it is binding, or slowing, or stopping, first make sure the Penny Wheel Motor Shaft Nut is tight.
Then check the following to determine what is binding.  

1. Loosen each Penny Wheel Flex Prevent Screw
2. Check the Penny Plank to be sure it is shimmed properly with washers.  It should be positioned very slightly (about 1/32”) above the rotating Penny Wheel and directly over the path of the Penny Wheel Holes.
3. Pull up on the Feeder Tube.
4. Check the Penny Platform to be sure it is not positioned too high and jamming in the Penny Wheel Holes.
5. Remove the Penny Wheel and check for foreign material stuck between it and the Main Board.

FEEDING PENNIES INTO THE PENNY PLANK ASSEMBLY

 Make sure the Penny Plank is shimmed with washers so that it rests just slightly above the Penny Wheel.  Adjust the Penny Plank so that the Feeder Tube is lined up directly over the rotating Penny Wheel Hole.  To AVOID JAMMING, be sure that the bottom of the Feeder Tube is positioned very near the Penny Wheel so that only one penny gets fed at a time.
(To do this you can push down on the Feeder Tube until it makes contact with and stops the Penny Wheel from rotating), and then pull up very slightly while twisting the Feeder Tube. 

You can feed the pennies directly into the Feeder Tube or attach the optional funnel to the Feeder Tube.  If using the funnel, feed the pennies by letting them hit & slide down the sloping side of the funnel which will direct the pennies into Feeder Tube. 

Always keep a set of reference pennies on hand that are visually identifiable.  I use 35 shinny pink zinc pennies and 15 brown copper pennies.  I can distinguish the difference by color so it doesn’t matter if they are heads up or down.  All the pennies I use are clean and in fine or better condition.  I start running only the zinc pennies.  I start by taking away some counter weights until all zinc pennies fall through the Copper Penny Hole.  I slowly add counterweights until none go through.  (This is a very sensitive balance and small weights make a big difference)  I then run the copper pennies.  All or almost all should fall through the copper Penny Hole. At this point you are into very fine adjustments adding or taking away very thin lock washers.

 CALIBRATION

There are only two calibrations that you adjust

 Adding or subtracting Counter Weight Nuts & Washers on the Counterweight Screw  is the major factor in varying in calibration.  This may be needed when the sorting rate is sped up or slowed down, or when you move the Penny Miser to a different location (different slant), or even as temperature and humidity change drastically.  The washers and nuts are machine screw size #6. Extras are included.
The position of the Counterweight Screw relative to the Balance Beam) up or Down, along with the height position of Counter Weight Nuts & Washers (23) are minor factors

 The second point of calibration is the height of the Balance Platform.  If it is too low, most pennies will fall through.  if it is too high, it will get jammed in the Penny Wheel Holes). The height of the Balance Platform should be slightly above the top surface of the Main Board so that when an empty Penny Wheel hole passes over the Balance Platform, the Balance Platform will move up slightly into the hole but not move enough to enough to bind. 

The angle of the Penny Platform, when resting in an empty Penny Wheel Hole, is slightly back (towards the Counter Weight Screw) and slightly angled so that the leading edge (the edge that the penny first encounters) is slightly lower than the trailing edge.  This fine tuning can be accomplished by shimming or sanding the bearing blocks if too much jamming is encountered.

TROUBLE SHOOTING

 If a penny or even small debris gets stuck under the Penny Wheel,  it will affect the operation or accuracy.  If this happens, turn the unit off. Remove the Feeder Assembly.
Unscrew the motor shaft nut and the flex prevent screws and lift off the Penny Wheel.  Clear the penny or foreign material.  Reassemble.

If the Feeder Assembly jams, turn the unit off.  Try to turn the Penny Wheel in reverse the distance of one Penny Wheel Hole by hand or by reversing the polarity on the Universal AC/DC Adapter  if one is used. Turn the Penny Miser back on.  If this method fails, lift the Feeder Tube and clear all pennies.  The Penny Plank may also need to be lifted and re-shimmed closer to the Penny Wheel.  

 The top reasons why pennies fall into the wrong holes

Dirty gummy or corroded pennies                                      Get rid of them
Dirty holes in the Penny Wheel                                            Clean with Windex or soap and water
Nicked holes in the Penny Wheel                                        Gently sand the nick with very fine sandpaper
Penny stuck under Penny Wheel.                                        Clear penny.
Debris stuck under Penny Wheel                                        Clear debris
Balance Mechanism Jammed                                             Inspect and remove foreign material.     

If the Penny Wheel Doesn’t  turn check in the following order

Penny is stuck in Copper Penny Hole                                 Push the top of counterweight screw lightly.  This will pop the stuck penny out. 

                                                                                            .    If you are sure the stuck penny is a copper penny, you can poke it through

Motor Shaft Nut is Loose (Nut and shaft are turning)         Tighten Motor Shaft Nut

Flex prevent screws too tight                                                Loosen screws

Penny stuck between Penny Wheel and Feeder Plank    Turn power off and rotate penny wheel by hand slightly  counterclockwise

Listen to see if Motor is running (If not)                              Switch On/Off Switch to On, Check Power Connector, Check wiring

Care & Maintenance