Automatic Skill Machine Co. Sports allwin identified

[fruitbowl]

Does anyone know anything about this machine found in deepest Dudley. Looks English, quite early. Has two seperate tracks and triggers to fire the balls. Came complete with little brass cheques, but no balls. I have replaced them with steel balls but maybe they were wooden. The backflash is purple velvet. There is a brass plate towards the bottom of the machine with the word 'sports'. Also the brass cheques have 'sports' stamped on them.

Any information gratefully received.

[pennymachines]

Wow! Just shows - treasures are still out there to be found.

A few years ago I restored one of these with an electric shock feature. At the time I think I could have named the manufacturer, having done some research on it. I'll try to check it out. The game is called Sports (just as the discrete brass tag says).

It's a "double event" allwin - meaning you hit a target on the top level which determines how many balls you get to fire at the gold spots on the lower level for a token payout. Steel ball bearings is correct.

It's great that yours still has its original pediment. The few other examples I've seen had lost theirs.

Now I'm off to do some shopping in Dudley.

[john t peterson]

Take a look at Lot number 51 in the Costa Collection to be auctioned next month at Christies and you will see this same game. The link is available now on the "Home" page under the "Latest" listings at the top. The game is identified as "Allsport" by the Automatic Skill Machines Co. of London.

[pennymachines]

Looks like they got the name confused with Bryans Allsport. The tag on this machine, like the one above, is clearly "Sports".

[goddardr]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Sorry about the atrocious quality - pix had to be taken in bad conditions and in a hurry. I'll get better ones in due course. (Now added in a later post below). But in the meantime, does anybody recognise these machine types? All three are the same basic machine, with the same coin insert and player controls, but each has a different number of holes in the top section - I think the top holes set the payout amount and the bottom holes whether or not you get paid anything at all. I'll have more info on these when I've got one of them to take to bits, but meanwhile any hints appreciated!

Thanks!

Richard Goddard

[arrgee]

Richard, really interesting looking machines, looking at the first photo it looks like it has a double track system and I assume it fires a couple of balls, never seen anything like this before but I expect someone on this forum will enlighten you.

Richard Goddard
yep it is also my name as well !!!

[goddardr]

Yes, it is a double track with two "flickers". I've got one of them in the workshop now so I'll start taking it to bits next week to find out more. I imagine it's French - they often used the sloping coin insert. I've never seen a double track before in over 30 years of collecting - for three (identical cases, different scoring) to turn up in one place is really rather amazing. Mind you, there's a Tivoli and a Pickwick too - I may just be dreaming. Perhaps this is heaven or the restaurant at the end of the universe. Important note: they're not mine and never will be and the owner will never part with them.

I can't really believe someone else with my name has an interest in slots....are you sure you're not me in a schizophrenic moment?

If I wake up tomorrow to the sound of Sonny and Cher and the clock says 6.03 I'll know that the world has really gone weird...

Richard (yes honestly) Goddard

[goddardr]

Further info on these unknown wall machines. I've now begun the restoration work on one of them, so I've got some better photos to share. Still waiting for anybody to suggest maker etc - unfortunately there's nothing to indicate this on the inside. I was wrong about the scoring - see the image of the (rather faded) instruction card for more detail on this. I haven't been able to check exactly how the (fairly complex) mech works as I have no balls small enough (no comment please) - it appears to need about 1/4 inch bearings.

Anyway, here are some pics which I hope will help identify them...

Thanks in anticipation!

Richard Goddard

[pennymachines]

Hi Richard

What a remarkable clutch of machines!
The games go by the unprepossessing name of Sports and were made in London by the Automatic Skill Machine Co. circa 1909.

There were a few attempts around this time to develop the early allwin design into a more interesting double-event game. Another London-made machine from the period was Charles Herbert Stapleton's Double Loop (Edgerton Manufacturing Co.)

It amazes me how many variants there seem to be of the Sports. I restored one which had an electric shock feature and a couple of years ago a member of this forum found one in a shop in Dudley: Sports Allwin.

[goddardr]

Many thanks for this identification of the Sports. I'll try to post pics of each of them as they begin restoration, but I now have a Pickwick (later style), a Tivoli and a Bajazzo to start on, so it's going to be a busy winter.

I'll post the following question in the right forum when I have some pics, but just in case: The Tivoli (probably 1890s) is missing the mechanism which should pay out the ticket (it says on the pediment) or token for a cigar. Does anybody have clear, detailed photos/drawings of an original I could work from to replace it? Many thanks.

Richard Goddard