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Identify your Lock: The other piece of information that can be useful if you have lost the key and cannot pull the lock out of the gumball machine to inspect it, is how the top of the lock looks while it is in the machine. Here is a picture of a cash box lock with two flat sides. Some locks engage with the machine on 2 sides - meaning that the otherwise round lock body has two flat sides that keep it from rotating in the lid of the machine - while others engage on four sides - with four square bumps on the sides that fit into matching grooves in the lid of your gumball machine. Identify Your Lock Engagement: The third question is how does the lock engage with the machine. If the part of the key that goes into the lock looks like a circle, then it is a cylinder key. Identify your Key Type: The second question is what type of key does your lock use, is it a flat key like that of a house key or is a cylinder key like one found on a bike lock. Here is a picture of a common style of cash box lock. Identify your Lock Type: The first thing to check when trying to decide what type of lock you have is what the purpose of the lock is, does your lock screw onto a center rod and hold the lid in place on your machine, or is it a lock for the cashbox drawer that only turns 90 degrees.
#Vending machine key codes how to
Instructions: How to Replace A Gumball Machine Lock and Key
#Vending machine key codes code
If you did not write down the key code in a safe place shortly after buying the machine, you will eventually regret it. What still remains a mystery is then the key code specific to your lock. The good news is that locks and keys across the gumball machine industry can be described according to a very few basic characteristics and even though there are different types of locks, they are pretty easy to classify if you know what those characteristics are. Parts, locks and keys for these machines are often NOT interchangeable, even if the machine looks just like the one in a picture on our website.
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All of these circumstances are important because there are many different manufacturers out there of machines that look alike. To complicate the situation, there are no marks (even if you know who manufactured the machine) that reveal the specific key code for a particular lock and most manufacturers have multiple lock and key codes to help protect their machines. As it so happens, only a small fraction of machines have any marks or logos on them to identify the manufacturer. There is also the slightly less frustrating feeling of buying a used gumball or candy machine, at auction or a garage sale, without a key and realizing that you have no idea who manufactured the machine or where to start looking for a new key. Washington is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Central Florida.One of the most frustrating experiences that you can have as a vending machine owner is the feeling that accompanies losing the key to one or more of your gumball machines.
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He has contributed to the "Orlando Sentinel" as well as various online publications.
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A list of distributors can be found online. If you have lost your key you can acquire a new one through the vending machine distributor through which the machine was originally purchased. Vending machine tubular key and matching blank keyĪcquire a vending machine key.
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