Thames & Kosmos Candy Claw Machine User manual

EXPERIMENT MANUAL
EXPERIMENT MANUAL
Candy Claw
Machine
Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG, Pfizerstr. 5-7, 70184 Stuttgart, Germany | [phone] | www.kosmos.de
Thames & Kosmos, 89 Ship St., Providence, RI, 02903, USA | 1-800-587-2872 | www.thamesandkosmos.com
 I
Scan ths QR code to vew a step-by-step
assembly vdeo and tps on how to buld
and use the andy law Machne

A
B
C
P6
P12
P7
P13
P19
P14
P20
P18
P21
P11
P22
P15
P5
P2
P3
P8
P9
P10
P16
P1
P23
P24
P17
P25
P26
P27
4x
4x 3x
2x
2x
2x
4x2x
2x 2x
P4
No. Description Qty.
A Plastic frame A (Parts A1–A17) 1
B Plastic frame B (Parts B1–B9) 1
C Plastic frame C (Parts C1–C13) 1
P1 Base tray 1
P2 Base front panel 1
P3 Back leg 2
P4 Top frame 1
P5 Worm screw 1
P6 Column (2 left and 2 right) 4
P7 Mounting panel for crank 1
P8 Prize door 1
P9 Prize ejector tray 1
P10 Prize chute frame 1
P11 Prize trigger 1
P12 Worm screw housing 1
P13 Piston seal 4
No. Description Qty.
P14 Suction cup 3
P15 Flexible drive shaft, 480 mm 1
P16 Flexible tubing (3x 450 mm,
and 1x 240mm) 4
P17 Rail 2
P18 Large piston spring 2
P19 Arm scissor spring 2
P20 Prize door spring 1
P21 Prize trigger spring 1
P22 Belt 1
P23 Large clear plastic panel 2
P24 Small clear plastic panel 2
P25 Die-cut sheet with 3 prize boxes 1
P26 Sticker sheet 1
P27 Lollipops* 6
*Flavors and colors may vary.
KIT CONTENTS
What’s inside your experiment kit:
Checklist:
Do you have any questions or are you
missing any parts? Our tech support team
will be happy to help you!
[email protected]
or 1-800-587-2872
Good to know!

550103-02-230222 1
Kit Contents ..............................Inside front cover
Table of Contents................................................ 1
Introduction........................................................ 2
ASSEMBLY STARTS ON PAGE 3
Candy Claw Machine Assembly ...................3
How to Use the Candy Claw Machine ......... 13
Experiments ........................................... 14
How Hydraulics Work .............................. 15
Handy-Dandy End Effectors ..................... 16
About Gears and Levers ....... Inside back cover
T


S
You will find Additional Info
in the check t out SECTIONS ON
Pages 15, 16, and the inside
back cover
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Candy Claw Machine
Children as young as eight years of age
can enjoy experimenting with the built
Candy Claw Machine, but most children
under 12 years will need a lot of help
building it. Regardless of their age,
please support your child with advice
and a helping hand, especially during
tricky assembly steps. Before
beginning, read the directions together
and discuss the safety instructions.
To prevent damage to the work
surface on which your child is building,
provide them with a mat or other
surface protection.
When cutting the plastic parts out of the
frames with the diagonal cutters or
scissors, special care must be taken,
not just because of the sharp edges on
the tools, but also because the plastic
parts can yield sharp edges or burrs.
These can be removed with the help of
the diagonal cutters or a nail file.
Supervise your child when they are
using the sharp tools until you trust that
they can handle the tools independently.
We hope you and your child have a lot
of fun building and playing with the
Candy Claw Machine!
Dear parents and adults,
Not suitable for children
under 3 years. Choking
hazard — small parts may
be swallowed or inhaled.
Strangulation hazard —
long tubes and belts may
become wrapped around
the neck.
Keep the packaging and
instructions as they
contain important
information.
Refer to the packaging for
the nutritional information
and the ingredients list for
the lollipops.
!
!
WARNING
– You must carefully cut the plastc parts out of ther
frames wth dagonal cuttng plers (dagonal cutters)
or scssors Take specal care when cuttng out the
hydraulc cylnders, because they can crack f not removed
carefully See specal note n red to the left
– Remove the parts from the frames only when they are needed
– Remove excess materal (burrs) from the parts before
assemblng them Normal scssors do not cut as precsely as
dagonal cutters, so you may have to fle some of the rough
edges down wth a nal fle or sandpaper
– Assemble everythng n the order shown Don’t ump ahead
– You must properly lubrcate each pston seal (P13) nsde the
hydraulc cylnders wth ol See page 5
I


O
r


N
t

I
p
S
You will also need:
Scissors, diagonal cutters,
nail file, basin of water,
vegetable oil
Take partcular care when
removng the tubes of the hydraulc
cylnders (4, 7, and 8) from the
frame Some of these are attached
wth thcker tabs of plastc
Frst, cut a few mllmeters away
from the tube Then, carefully
remove the excess materal
Burr Clip
Clip
Clip
Burr
Burr

2
INTRODUCTION
 :      
        
  :
  
 
 :
 
  
-
 
  

 : 
  
 
:  
-

( 
) 
 
  
  
- :
   
 
-
:  
  
 :
 
  

 :
 
 

: 
 
 :
 
  
 :
 
 
 
 
 :
 
  
  
  
: 
  
 
: I
  
:  
   -
   
You have probably seen a claw machine game at a
movie theater, video arcade, shopping mall, bowling
alley, or other entertainment venue in your area. They
go by many names including claw cranes, toy cranes,
and skill cranes. They usually consist of a large, clear
box lled with prizes like toys and stuffed animals.
Inside the box is a claw that moves in three
dimensions: forward and backward, left and right, and
up and down. The player operates the claw with either
push buttons or a joystick controller on the outside of
the machine. The player pays a fee to try their luck at
moving the claw to the correct position and grabbing a
prize. Then the claw returns to its starting position and
drops the prize into a chute where the player can get it.
With this kit, you can build a mechanical claw
machine. Your machine requires no electricity or
electronics — just simple machines and the power of
your hand. Here is an overview of the different parts of
the Candy Claw Machine:
Candy Claw Machine
T
e
A
m
a
z
i
n
g

P14 x3
A9 x2
A8
P1
P2
P3
A1
P3
Note: If the suction cups get
stuck to your work surface
during assembly, you can
remove them from the model
until the end.
Back side
Note: There is a small tab on the bottom of P1. When
the spools (A9) are on the left side of the tab, they can
not rotate relative to the driveshaft (A1).
Later, when installing the ribbon (step 43), the spool
on the inside moves to the other side of the tab so that
it can spin freely without rotating the drive shaft.
33
Assembling the Candy Claw Machine
CANDY CLAW MACHINE ASSEMBLY
3
4
1
2
 I
Scan ths QR code to vew a
step-by-step assembly vdeo
and for more tps on buldng and
usng your andy law Machne

P7
P10
P8
P20
P4
P24 x2
P6 x4
P9
P21P21
P11
P23
1
2
3
2 3
1
2
1
2
Note: Make sure the straight
arm of the spring (P20) is
tucked in the notch in P8.
Note: There
are two
shapes of the
column
pieces (P6).
Match their
bottoms to
the slots in
the base.
Slide the
columns
into the
base.
Slide the back
and side
panels into
the channels.
Place the top frame on the columns. Each
corner should click into place. The panels
will fit into the grooves of the top frame.
Place the L-shaped
end of P20 into the
small hole as shown.
Note: Peel any
thin protective
films off the
panels.
Place the left peg of
P8 into the base.
Snap the right peg
of P8 into the base.
Place the spring (P21)
onto the peg of P11.
Turn the base over.
Click into place.
4
7
8
9
10
5
6
 
See the back cover of ths
manual for an alternate setup
of the prze door

B5 B2
B6 A10
B4
A10
A10
B5 A10
B2
2
1
3
C3
P18 P13
C8
C5
3
2
1
4
Assemble the scissor arm mechanism. Lay
the parts flat on a table. These images show
the parts viewed from above.
1 2 3 4 5
6 7 8
A10
B6
A10
B4
P19
P19
Note: When inserting A10, pick up the parts with
both hands. Make sure the parts are fastened
together before moving on to the next step.
Add the spring (P18) to C5.
Insert the piston from step 12 into the
hydraulic cylinder (C8) and move it back and
forth several times to coat the inside of the
cylinder with oil. Reapply oil as necessary.
A12
A13
With the first cylinder, make sure the
spring (P18) is completely outside of the
cap (A12 + A13).
Note the hole’s orientation
relative to the nozzle.
Piston
Cylinder
Nozzle
A13
After the part is
removed from the
frame, remove
the burrs with the
diagonal cutters.
A12
H2
1
2
2
With the second cylinder, make sure the
spring (P18) is completely inside of the
cap (A12 + A13).
Note the hole’s orientation
relative to the nozzle.
Push the
piston all
the way
in before
placing
the cap.
Piston
Cylinder
Nozzle
After adding the
spring, press C3
onto C5 here.
Carefully remove C8
from the plastic frame
and set aside.
Pour vegetable oil
into a small bowl.
Then dunk the
piston seal (P13)
into the oil, making
sure to coat it
completely.
Repeat steps 12 and
13. You will end up
with two hydraulic
cylinders:
You have made
hydraulic 1 (H1).
You have made
hydraulic 2 (H2).
H1
11
14
12
13
Assembling the Candy Claw Machine
5
15

The tabs on 8 are
thcker and must be
cut lttle by lttle, and
as far away from the
part as possble

6
Submerge the loose end of T1
in the basin of water. Orient
the nozzle of H1 toward the
top, then move
the piston up
and down until
H1 and T1 are
filled with water.
Water will remain in
the cylinder and tube.
Set aside.
Connect the long end of
tube T1 to the nozzle of H1.
Connect the tube T2 to
the nozzle of H2.
Submerge the loose end of T2
in the basin of water. Orient
the nozzle of H2 toward the
top, then move
the piston up
and down until
the tube and the
top of H2 are filled
with water.
Lorem ipsum
Let the spring draw the
piston back into the
cylinder. Water will remain
in the tube. Set aside.
You have made
hydraulic 3 (H3).
You have made
hydraulic 4 (H4).
C12 P16
P16
C6
C11
C12 P16P16
Tube assembly: There are three 450-mm tubes and one 240-mm tube. Connect them as shown here.
Piston
Cylinder
Nozzle
Piston
Cylinder
Nozzle
H3
240 mm
Tube 2
450 mm
T2
Tube 1
450 mm450 mm
T1
Lubricate P13!
P13
P13 Lubricate P13!
C6 C4
C11 C7
Move C6 back and forth
several times to coat the
inside of the cylinder (C4) with
oil. Reapply oil as necessary.
C2
Move C11 back and forth several
times to coat the inside of the cylinder
with oil. Reapply oil as necessary.
H4
T1
H1
T1
H1
H2
T2
H2
T2
T1
H2
T2
H1
16
17
19
18
20
Watch for leaks as
you fll the cylnders
Only water should be
fllng the cylnder
If you see ar fllng
the cylnder, try the
followng
1 arefully remove
the cap (A12 and
A13) and re-ol the
pston
2 heck for cracks n
the tube (8)
3 heck for tears
n the pston seal
(P13)
If any part s
damaged, contact
techncal support for
a replacement

7
Assembling the Candy Claw Machine
A14
Make sure C11 is rotated so
its teeth are on the front.
H3
Submerge cylinder H3 in
the basin of water, then pull
back the piston.
Aim the nozzle back into
basin, then push the piston
back into the cylinder.
Some water will remain
in the top of H3. Set
aside.
Submerge the nozzle of
H4 in the basin of water.
Pull the piston upward
to fill the cylinder with
water.
H4
Water will remain in the
cylinder. Set aside.
H3
H4
H4
H3
Turn around
21
22
23
24
When you are fnshed fllng the hydraulcs wth water you wll have
T1
H1
H2
T2
H4
H3

C13C13
C13
C1
For each cylinder, snap the left peg into
the base first. Then snap in the right peg.
Guide the tubes back, under the base.
A7
A7
2
1
1
1
2
2
Guide the tubes up through the holes in the
base (1) and top (2) of the machine.
Once the first tube is
already passing
through the holes, it is
harder to pass the
second tube
connector (C12)
through the holes. You
just have to wiggle it
and push it through. It
will fit.
C12
H2
H1
C1C1
Attach the handles (C1) to hydraulic cylinders H1 and H2 using the clips (C13).
Then, attach the pegs as show below. H1 is on the right; H2 is on the left.
8
25
26
27

Side view
Front view
A11 1
3
2
B9
B9
P12
P5
P17 x2
Note: The
scissor arm
is behind B9.
Screw B9 onto P5. Then insert P5 into P12 as shown.
Attach the scissor arm mechanism to B9 using A11.
H4
H3
T1
T2
Connect the tubes to the hydraulic cylinders as shown.
1. The tube
(T1) from H1
connects to
the upper
cylinder (H3).
H4
2. Guide the
tube (T2) from
H2 through
the hole in B9
as shown.
3. Then, connect
the end of the tube
(T2) to the lower
cylinder (H4).
9
Assembling the Candy Claw Machine
28
29
31
30
After completng step 31, where you connect T1 to
H3 and T2 to H4, test the movement of the claw and
scssor arm by movng the handles (1) Excess water
wll drp out of the machne ths s normal If the
hydraulcs don’t work, gve them a lttle push wth your
hand If they stll don’t work, watch the assembly vdeo
(see p 3) and refll the hydraulc system (steps 19–22)

10
C10
B7
C9
B8
Thread the ribbon through the slots of P12 as shown.
The ribbon on the left should be about 12 inches
longer than the ribbon on the right.
Move the claw assembly out of the way of the slots
in P12 by twisting the red worm gear (P5).
Thread the ribbon through the rest of the machine as
shown. Make sure the ribbon sits above the rollers (A7).
Move the claw assembly to the left of the machine.
A7
A7 P5
P12
H4
Install the claws.
32
33
34
35
36
37
Algn the claws exactly as shown

11
Assembling the Candy Claw Machine
A5 A3
A2
A6
1
2
Turn the machine onto its left side so
you can see the bottom of the machine.
Move the left spool (A9) to the left, past the
tab on P1. You may need to pull the drive
shaft (A1) away from the machine slightly
in order to move the spool past the tab.
Bring the ribbon that is on the bottom of
the machine up to the spools, making
sure that it is not twisted. Thread it
through the two slots of the right spool
as shown.
Wind the right spool several times,
turning the spool counterclockwise (as
viewed from the front of the machine).
Hold some tension on the ribbon as you
do this. The drive shaft (A1) will rotate.
Thread the end of the ribbon that is
coming from the slot above into the
two slots on the left spool as shown.
Note: the
right spool is
closer to the
back of the
machine.
Note: the left
spool is
closer to the
front of the
machine.
Leave 1
inch of
excess
ribbon.
Leave 1
inch of
excess
ribbon.
Wind the left spool in a clockwise
direction (as viewed from the front of
the machine) until all of the ribbon
slack is taken up. Hold some tension
on the ribbon as you do this. The
drive shaft (A1) will not rotate.
Rotate the two spools in opposite
directions so that the ribbon is taut.
Then, slide the left spool to the right past the
tab on P1. If you are having trouble pushing the
spool past the tab, try pulling it away from the
machine slightly as you move it.
1. Slide A6 into the
slot in the back of P7.
2. Insert A2.
38
41
44
39
42
40
43
45
46
After completng step 43,
turn the machne uprght
and test the movement of
the claw from sde to sde by
rotatng the drve shaft (A1)
n both drectons You may
need to re-tghten the rbbon
(step 43)
If you are havng trouble wth
nstallng the rbbon, watch
the assembly vdeo (see p 3)

12
A6
A17A17
A15
A15
A16
A16 Wipe up any water that has spilled
out of the hydraulic system.
A4
A15
A16
A17
P15
P23
De!
Peel any thin
protective films
off of the panel.
Line up the
prongs on the
gear with the
tabs inside the
hole in A1.
Guide the flexible shaft
(P15) through the slot
in the base.
Connect the flexible shaft (P15) to the ends of A3 and A6. A3
47
48
49
You can
reconfgure the
gears n dfferent
ways
What do you
notce when you
do ths
Can you
gR I?

HOW TO USE THE CANDY CLAW MACHINE
13
Candy Claw Machine
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
Fold up the small prize boxes and put them, along with the lollipops and any other
prizes of your own, into the tray. Stick the number stickers onto your prizes to indicate
different point values for each prize.
2
Decide which prize you want to try to grab. Turn the left-right crank to move the claw
arm left or right toward the prize.
3
Turn the forward-backward crank to move the claw arm directly above the prize.
4
Push the arm lever down to extend the claw onto the prize.
5
Holding the arm lever down, close the claw by pulling up on the claw lever. Make sure
you grabbed the prize with the claw. Release the arm lever to raise the arm.
6
Holding the claw lever up, move the claw to the prize chute with the left-right and
forward and backward cranks. Once the prize is over the target, release the claw lever.
7
When the prize drops, it should hit the bullseye of the prize trigger. This will cause the
prize door to pop open and the prize to pop out!
Can you
gR I?

If any part of your claw
machne s not workng
properly, scan ths QR code to
vew troubleshootng vdeos
C y mTe Th caY Aw AcNe Nd Et  pZe vE tE??

EXPERIMENTS
A. Change the claws
1. Lift up the front plastic panel. Press the tabs on C9 and
C10 toward each other to release the current claw piece.
2. Snap the new claw pieces into C9 and C10. Experiment to
see which claws work best for picking up a variety of
different objects!
B. More direct control
1. Remove the flexible shaft and the small shaft A3.
2. Connect the crank A2 directly to the connector A5.
Observe the differences in how the worm screw operates
with this configuration.
C. Gears, gears, gears
1–4. Try all of the different gear train combinations below,
and invent your own!
5. Which one moves the arm the fastest? Which one is the
easiest to turn? Note which direction each gear turns in
each setup.
14
A1
A2
B1
C1
C2
C4
C3
When you need to refll
the hydraulc system
wth more water, you
don’t have to take the
tubes entrely out of
the machne Just
dsconnect the tubes at
the tube connector, put
the ends of the tubes
n a cup of water, and
pull on the hydraulc
pstons to draw more
water nto the tubes

HOW HYDRAULICS
WORK
In the claw machine, you saw how you could
use the piston of one hydraulic cylinder to
move another cylinder’s piston, and thereby
transfer force, when the two of them are
connected by a tube and the system is lled
with water. This is partly due to the fact that
water cannot be compressed. It is also
because the pressure applied to a liquid like
water is transmitted through it with equal
strength in all directions, because the
molecules of a liquid can be easily moved.
The metal springs inside the cylinders
apply forces to the pistons to keep them either
pushed in or out. This sets the default state of
the claw as open and the arm as raised.
The transfer of force through cylinders and
pistons is called hydraulics (Greek for
“water tube”). Hydraulic technology is used
in industrial machines and many technical
applications. Hydraulics allow the
transmission of forces from once place to
another through a exible tube and also the
conversion of small forces into larger forces.
Special hydraulic oils are often used as a
medium instead of water because they can be
put under higher pressures. Hydraulic
systems can be found in excavators, elevators,
numerous construction vehicles, and in the
braking systems in cars.
Force from hand
Force on
claw gears
Force on
claw gears
Force of spring
Pressure in tube
15
Check It Out

Handy-Dandy
End Eectors
The device at the end of a robotic arm is
called the end effector. You can think of it
like a human hand, but the variety of
different end effectors and their capabilities
goes far beyond what a human hand can do
on its own. In this kit, there are three
interchangeable end effectors: scoop, three-point
gripper, and two-point gripper. They are all good
at picking up different objects. End effectors are
designed to interact with and manipulate objects
in their environments to perform
specialized tasks.
What can e effecto do?
There are two main categories of end effectors: grippers and tools.
Here are examples of each.
Grippers Tools
Mechanical (fingers) Welding torch
Suction, vacuum Spray painting
Magnetic Measuring, sensing
Adhesive Drilling, cutting
Degrees of Freedom
Unlike a human arm, a robotic arm has a lot more
freedom to move through space in different ways.
The term “degrees of freedom” is used to describe
the movement of a robotic arm through space. The position and orientation of
an object in space is described by three coordinates in the x, y, and z directions, and three
directions of rotation around those axes.
The area dened by all of the positions in space that the end of the robotic arm can reach is known
as the workspace. If the object that the robotic arm needs to pick up is not in the workspace, the
robot cannot pick it up! The workspace depends on the degrees of freedom, limitations of the
joints, lengths of the linkages, and the angles at which the object must be picked up.
16
?
!
CHECK IT OUT

GEARS AND GEAR RATIOS
Gears are actually just wheels with teeth on them. The
teeth allow the wheels to mesh together and turn each
other. In other words, they allow forces to be
transmitted from one wheel to another.
The mechanical advantage of a gear is evident when a large
gear meshes with a small gear. One full turn of the large gear
will produce, say, three full turns of the small gear. Because of
this, the smaller gear always turns faster than the larger. On the
other hand, the larger gear turns with greater force than the
smaller one. So, in this way, gears can be used to make slow
turning motion into rapid turning motion, or to covert small
forces into large forces. Multiple gears meshing with each other
are called gear trains, or transmissions.
Your claw machine has a gear train
controlling the left-right motion of the
arm. The gear connected to the crank (or
any input force) is called the driver gear.
The gear that is turned by the driver gear
is called the driven gear. Gears of
different sizes are used to increase or
decrease the speed or the force of rotary
motion, called torque. The relationship
between the number of teeth on meshing
gears is called the gear ratio. The gear
ratio indicates the change in speed or
torque from one gear to the other.
The levers connected to the tops of the
hydraulic cylinders help you transfer the force
from your hand to move the pistons inside the
cylinders. Levers are rigid bars that pivot on a
point called the fulcrum. A weight (or load) at
one point on the bar can be moved by applying a
force (the effort) to another point on the bar. If
the distance from the fulcrum to the effort (the
effort arm) is greater than the distance from
the fulcrum to the load (the load arm), then a
smaller force can move a larger load. This is
how the lever makes work easier.
levers
?

CHECK IT OUT
40 teeth
Driver gear
20 teeth
Driven gear
Number teeth driven gear
Velocity
ratio =Number teeth driver gear
(1:2)= =
20
40
1
2

550103-03-####22
Do you have any
questions?
Our technical support
team will be glad to
help you!
Thames & Kosmos US
Email: [e-mail]
Web: thamesandkosmos.com
Phone: [phone]
You mght fnd that some
przes you want to use n the
claw machne are too bg and
get stuck when they should be
eected from the prze chute
In ths case, you can easly
remove the eector tray from
the prze door and nstall t n
a fxed poston at the bottom
of the prze chute In ths
setup, the prze door smply
pops open and you can reach
n to get your prze
1 2
3rd Edition ©2022 Thames & Kosmos, LLC, Providence, RI, USA
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Invented by David Yakos, Streamline Design LLC
Text and editing: Ted McGuire and Hannah Mintz
Package design template: Atelier Bea Klenk, Klenk/Riedinger
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