This page is for information about the Small Parts Inc. Kinetic Token Machine, (called the "Tokinetic" machine).

This page undergoing constructionism.

Deseret News article, Elaine Jarvik, Oct. 16, 1999
Additional pics, about 140k total
More pics, parts during building, about 200k total

Technical details:

The TOKINETIC Machine has 15 motors, (many of which are controlled through H-bridge chips for stop/start/reverse action), 3 solenoids, 9 optical switches, and 17 mechanical switches.  It uses an embedded microcontroller (Intel 8051 - series MCU) with shift register input and output extension (Motorola HC-series high-speed cmos logic shift registers).

It dispenses a 1.125" souvenir token with S.P.I. information for catalog referrals, and accepts either US quarters or special tokens.  It runs a two-and-one-half-minute show, which features a rollingball sculpture that uses one-inch heavy balls of brass and steel, and one-inch lightweight balls of lucite, polyethylene, delrin, and aluminum.  The balls share the same track and are kept separate via a spring-loaded trapdoor.  Tracks and ramps include a folding segment which extends in time to provide a pathway for balls, as well as other elements which mechanically accommodate balls in a carefully programmed in-the-nick-of-time sequence.  Among other elements is a robotic arm which picks and places the coin to actuate the fetch-and-drop souvenir token delivery.

Initial public response has been along the lines of "You have to watch it a lot to see everything!"  Children and adults alike are mesmerized, and technical-minded people seem to keep discovering aspects which elude the casual observer.

Here are a couple views.  Check the link above for more pics.
 
 


ToKinetic machine with D. Emery
 

Front view, interior
 

Back view, interior
 


Small Parts referral card
 


e-mail - korg70kbc@hotmail.com
 
 
 
 
 
 

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