Novelty Merchantman Crane

Show us what you found. Make us jealous!
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by gameswat »

Thanks PM. The originals are litho on card and very few have survived at all and of those few I've seen all were badly faded. So I guess that explains why you've found so many hand painted on tin. Maybe if this was a tiny British manufacturer, then hand painting may have been the go. But this model was produced in the thousands and very popular.

Of the 6 photos you attached PM: #1 is based on the original poster, though appears to be hand recoloured and altered partly. #2 & #3 are the repro version sold by Jim Roller. #4 is the only untouched original, but badly faded, as can be seen by the hidden sections of my relic poster below.
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novelty poster.jpg
pennymachines
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by pennymachines »

If you do find one, or recreate one from the original lithograph, no doubt you'll upload it to Resources. :)
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by gameswat »

I'm well into restoring my early model Merchantman crane and been doing some research to fill in a few blanks. Just stumbled onto this design patent for an awesome background casting dating 1935 that sadly I've never seen surviving. Has anybody else seen it though?? Carl R Simpkins is also cited as the inventor on the Patent of the Novelty Merchantman Crane.
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by gameswat »

I have a query about whatever is missing from my Exhibit Supply crane prize delivery chute inner workings, as seen through the rhd door. I guess it was either a tilt mechanism or a more complicated way of closing the upper anti theft flap that stops kids sticking their hands into the machine. This is how I obtained the machine, with just a spring to pull the anti theft flap up (shut) when you open the chute on the front of the machine. There are several pins at the top as shown along with a bracket , but no holes to keep something in place, and no marks from grub screws? None of the many various patents show or explain this detail. Thank you.
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novelty merch mech 2.JPG
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane flag

Post by gameswat »

Before I sit down and make the thing, does anybody happen to have the original flapping US flag that flies on the top mast of the Novelty Merchantman crane by Exhibit? As shown here in an early advert. There is a small hole in the top of the mast to accommodate it. I think I've seen maybe one in person or a photograph years ago. A scan or photo would be ace if you have it, thanks. I think it's more than just decorative as I've noticed newer players have trouble figuring out which way the boom is facing. As can be seen in the photo below it appears to be flying behind the boom, so makes a great visual clue to judge the position.
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exhibitsupplyflag.jpg
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exhibitsupply3.jpg
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brigham
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by brigham »

You would have to be a bit of a buffoon not to see which way the boom is facing, surely?
It's right in front of you, and you can look at it from both sides, too.
What I always noticed was that some folk didn't grasp the FRONT/REAR arrangement. To be fair, a good few of these had lost the pointer, and in one case, the quadrant and instruction panel as well.
By the time I got round to playing these, they had already had a hard life.
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by gameswat »

brigham wrote: Mon Mar 18, 2019 6:10 pm You would have to be a bit of a buffoon not to see which way the boom is facing, surely?
Obviously they can see the general direction but all have tried to win certain prizes and they are always well off. None of them have ever experienced an old crane though as they are very rare in Australia. But having said that I've played it hundreds of times while adjusting and testing and it still isn't that easy for me to judge either! My bifocals don't help anything because I've found depending what direction I look I often I see slight bows to things that are completely flat!
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane ??

Post by pennymachines »

By "hole in the top of the mast", do you mean through the side of the mast or vertically down it? I couldn't thread a pin down mine, so if there's a hole, it must be very narrow. Maybe this was only a feature on some early models? I wasn't aware of it until you pointed it out and haven't found a single example amongst many photos.

I'm guessing it's the American flag, maybe like the lapel flag pins advertised on Amazon:
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

PM, my machine has the copyright date of 1933 on the instruction plate, which is an earlier one as it says "bucket" not claw. Which is earlier than the machine shown in the advert above which clearly shows the three finger claw and states so. I have the patent for the three finger claw and it dates April 1934. The flag hole is vertically down the mast and measures 5/64".

My machine came with a busted three finger claw. But I spotted this two jaw bucket years later by accident and purchased it as I knew that's how it came originally.
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exhibit flag hole.jpg
exhibit supply crane.jpg
novelty bucket 3.jpg
claw patent.png
Last edited by gameswat on Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

As for the flag, it shows one ripple in the middle, and dating from the early 1930s should be 48 stars. I was thinking about it last night, and I have two ways to go. Either to make up the matching flapping design and print on flat, or to print out a flat flag and glue or water decal it to thin tin and ripple that. :!?!: :o
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daveslot
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by daveslot »

Got this tinplate one.
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

So is that flag out of a crane Dave, or do you just happen to have one that size?
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by daveslot »

I have no idea where it came from. But I've cleared lots of arcades in the past and it was amongst that lot.
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by pennymachines »

That looks a lot like this American Flag 48 Stars antique hat pin. Maybe that's what they used?
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

The size is perfect for Dave's tin flag and looks very close to the advert, and since he found it at an arcade I'll bet money it's the one!
pennymachines wrote: Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:04 pm I couldn't thread a pin down mine, so if there's a hole, it must be very narrow.
PM, could the old wire be broken off in your mast and that's why the hole seems tiny?
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by pennymachines »

It's difficult to examine without disassembly, but I poked a thin wire down to the depth of almost 1/2". How do you think this would have held the flag, as it obviously doesn't rest on top of the mast?
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

I just measured the depth of the hole and exactly 1/2" deep. So the flag should stick up close to 1" looking at Dave's tape measure. That seems perfectly sized to me. I imagine if it's not a tight fit then a dob of glue would have kept it in place and from falling out when laid on it's back for moving. Though they always seem to be missing so maybe they were just a push fit?
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by pennymachines »

Oh, I get it - so the flag adds another inch or so to the height of the mast.
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gameswat
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by gameswat »

PM, I meant 1" to the bottom of the flag, so the whole thing will add close to 2.5" above the mast on my game, more than enough room to accommodate that.
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Re: Novelty Merchantman Crane

Post by pennymachines »

Yep !THUMBS!
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