Page 6: Machine Doesn’t Dispense Tape

The most common cause is a defective or improperly adjusted safety switch – 400SAFETYSWITCH (Ref. FF112). Turn on the tape machine. If the pilot light is on and the top heater is heating, yet none of the key switches will dispense tape, then the probable cause is the safety switch.

A. Quick Safety Switch Check

Here is a quick way to check the safety switch.

On “S” Models:
  1. Unplug the machine.
  2. Remove the key drum and access hole cover. The safety switch is located toward the front of the large measuring wheel.
  3. Check the wires and make sure that they are connected to the safety switch.
  4. The switch trip lever shuts the safety switch off. Check this lever to make sure that it is not broken.
  5. Check the spring 400LEVERSPRING (Ref. EA80) to make sure that it is not broken.
  6. If the lever is bent up or the spring is broken, replace them.
  7. Next, check to make sure that the safety switch is shut off.
  8. Push the small white button on the top of the switch down.
  9. Try plugging the machine back in and see if it operates.
  10. If it does, the problem was that the safety switch did not shut back off. You may need to replace either the lever or the spring.
  11. If the white button was down, or pushing it down does not reset the machine, you may need to replace the safety switch (See section B).
On “L” Models:
  1. Unplug the machine.
  2. Remove the key drum and access hole cover. The safety switch is located toward the front of the large measuring wheel.
  3. Check the wires and make sure that they are connected to the safety switch.
  4. The safety switch is screwed into the safety switch bracket on the side frame.
  5. When the bumper cup arm returns to home position, it has to push up the copper safety switch spring to reset the switch. Check to make sure this lever is operating properly.
  6. If it is broken, you can order just the safety switch bracket.
  7. If the spring is not broken:
    1. Rotate the measuring wheel by hand and hold it.
    2. Push the small white button on the safety switch down.
    3. Release the measuring wheel. Did it push the small white button up when it returned to home position?
    4. If not, adjust the safety switch reset screw or safety switch reset spring so that it pushes the white button on the safety switch up when the bumper cup arm is in home position.
    5. You can try re-bending the spring or moving the screw in or out.
  8. If the above procedures fail to restart the machine, you may need to replace the safety switch or check the wiring harnesses for any broken wires.

B. Replacing the Safety Switch

Tools required: Soldering iron, solder.
  1. Unplug the machine.
  2. Remove the key drum and access hole cover.
  3. Locate the safety switch.
  4. Remove wires from old switch with soldering iron and desoldering wick if available.
  5. Remove both screws that hold the safety switch to the bracket.
  6. Screw the new safety switch onto the bracket.
  7. We find it helpful to cut just a short piece of the wiring off to expose a new surface before resoldering wiring to a new safety switch.

If you have any questions about any of the above procedures, please feel free to call us at 1-800-899-9389.

Tigerseal Products Sales and Service
13093 Old Ridge Road
Beaverdam, VA 23015