Augusta, GA
I lucked across a 1964 Williams Whoopee for sale this week. The price was great and it was local so I bought it. The stepper units all need to be cleaned but the game is in great shape and everything appears to work properly. I can start a game normally after manually resetting the ball count unit to the start position. Everything on the playfield works and it scores normally. In looking at the playfield and reading about this machine, I see that it has a captive ball unit. The six rollover wires/switched are all there (three in each ball trough). There is a wire switch at the "top" of the unit (under the triangular plastic at the top of the photo)that gets tripped when a ball rolls through the top where the two lanes join. There are two empty holes just below that and it is clear that an assembly has been removed on the bottom of the playfield. I think I can recreate the missing assembly since I found a parts diagram of it on-line.
I am not sure how this unit is supposed to function. I am guessing that 5 (or more?) balls remain in the captive unit all the time and they get knocked from one side to the other by two kickers that are just outside of each flipper. Does the upper switch and missing assembly hold one ball at the top and release it by retracting the pins when another enters on either side? The reverse of this is that the missing assembly would have to stay energized all the time until a ball hits the top switch turning off the coil thereby trapping it (the pins in the holes would be up as when a pop bumper is not energized. The missing coil is: G25-1100. Is this a type that can stay on for long periods of time like a relay coil?
Does anyone know which way this is supposed to work? I do not have a manual and cannot find one online. I will order the schematic this week.
Thanks 2 all,
pabilo21
