FORUM

Barry's unusual electro-mechanical allwin ("Help! What is it?" MMM Issue 21) is foreign, as Jerry suspected - German, in fact.
It's a Jentzsch & Meerz 1939 Imo-Looping as pictured in
Automaten Welten: Freizeitzeugen des Jahrhunderts.
More details including how it operated in the next MMM.

Many thanks to Pennymachines and Coin-op (who emailed me some info. a few days ago). It's great to see what the Imo-Looping actually looks like, although the picture posted by Pennymachines is different to Barry's project. I wonder whether Barry's is a later version, or if it has been 'modernised' at some time in it's past. I've emailed Barry to ask him to see if there's an engine-turned aluminium back beneath the plastic backflash on his. I'll update when I receive his reply.

I heard from Barry a couple of days ago, and he has confirmed that the plastic backflash on his machine does indeed cover the original aluminium back.
I shall be reporting on Barry's project again in the next issue of the magazine, and will be following it's progress in the coming months.

That's an intriguing collection of gubbins on the back of the door in the middle photo.
What is the half a tin can at the top for?
Perchance could it be a drum to announce a winning punter, somewhat like the bell inside my clown catcher?

Badpenny

No! (answering my own bloody questions now!)
I move my money onto it being a rotating reel that shows a different symbol or payout in the letterbox shaped window set into the playfield?

Anything else I want to know that perhaps I can guess at?

Talking- to -myself Penny

Actually, the drum thingy is a score indicator. I had originally thought it unlikely to be a score keeping device as there is no reset solenoid or any other apparent reset mechanism, but a score indicator it most definitely is (it counts up in 3000s)
All will be revealed in the March issue of the magazine.

Thought this machine on ebay rang a bell and remembered the article in MMM (was it that long ago!!), looks to be fairly original. Interesting that the coin payout tube appears to be very similar to that found in a clown. I guess J & M used the same parts in differing machines.
Very unusual coin entry for a wall machine. Could this be one of the earliest electro-mechanical games?

Mr P commented .... Barry's unusual electro-mechanical allwin ("Help! What is it?" MMM Issue 21) is foreign, as Jerry suspected - German, in fact.
It's a Jentzsch & Meerz 1939 Imo-Looping as pictured in
Automaten Welten: Freizeitzeugen des Jahrhunderts.

I have a copy of that book, and I'm 'bliged if I can find a picture of the Imo-Looping in it.
Could someone point me in the correct direction please?

BP

Damn! You can't trust anything you read nowadays.
It was actually page 156-7 of Lucky Dice und Henkeltöpfchen: Schöne alte Automaten.

Thanks Mr.P .... as the man who claimed to be my Father used to say: -
Just because a bus has Bisto written on the outside it doesn't mean they sell it inside

The bad news is I don't have the second book, and already have enough books written in Johnny Foreigner speak.
The good news is I have both machines pictured and I'm fascinated they both do practically the same thing yet in quite different ways.
BP