Mills Operator Bell identified

[and]

Hi,
I recently bought this old rough one arm bandit. I hope I can ask a few questions to begin with. I think there will be more...

Is it correct that this bandit is called Mills Operator Bell?
What year could it be from? I can't find any model number on it.
Could there be a manual for this particular model?

One strange thing is that after wheels spinning, the middle wheel stops first. Is that something wrong?
Also on one picture with a red arrow there is a long arm that's loose. How and where should it be connected?

Hope you can help.
Sorry for the dirt - haven't had time to clean it yet.

[badpenny]

Good looking 1920/30s Mills Bandit there my friend.

Looks clean to me..... or should I say cleaner than some of mine!

Don't worry about that lever, it allows you to refill the payout tube without playing the machine.

What happens to the first reel? Does it ever stop or is it still running now?
Is the middle reel stopping the only fault?
If so, looking good to me.
Check for dried grease on the axle of the first reel brake, then report back no later than 8 am tomorrow and make sure your buttons are shining bright.

BP

[coppinpr]

Although the site gurus will correct me if I'm wrong (as usual), I'd say it's a 1926 "Bullseye" but with an "OK Bell" payout card frame.

[and]

Thank you Badpenny and coppinpr,
The middle reel stops first then stops the first reel and last stops the third reel.
I think I need to take the slides out and clean them they have sticky grease and dont always payout.
Also it seems to be in freeplay, since I dont have to pay to play.
I still cant understand what the lever is for, its just laying there loose,,,,

Do you know if its possible to buy a manual somewere to this, I need to learn more how it work and what name parts have.
It missing a part behind the gooseneck and its also mising the lock on the back door.

Thanks again for your help

[badpenny]

You don't want any grease on the coin slides, come to that you don't want any oil or lubrication at all on the slides. Merely clean them.
We have a topic called Top Tips for Newcomers if you haven't already read it. Follow this link Click Here

If you place a coin in the slot, lift that loose lever and pull the handle, you should find that the coin is played through to the coin tube without spinning the reels.

If it's on freeplay the coin locator pin is sticking and needs careful adjustment

As for a manual, to be honest the mechanism is a basic and quite straight forward piece.

You might find the following free links interesting.
Although the manuals do not refer specifically to your model of Mills, the principals are the same, and should give you an outline.
http://rwatts.cdyn.com/download/Mills%20Model%20M.pdf
http://rwatts.cdyn.com/download/mills%20777%20hitop.pdf
http://rwatts.cdyn.com/download/mills%2 ... 0Story.pdf
http://rwatts.cdyn.com/download/mills%2 ... makers.pdf

Best of luck and keep asking if you need to.

BP

[coppinpr]

The manual you need is Owners Pictorial Guide to Mills Bell slot machines - not cheap but easy to find. This manual handles all the usual Mills mechs (which yours is 90%), plus it has a section on goose neck machines as well, so you would be fully covered. It is so detailed and easy to follow that total strip downs and re builds are clear to follow.

I don't know for sure, but it might be that the middle reel is supposed to stop first. Some later machines (especially Bally, and German electro/mechanical) that have reel stop buttons have at least the option to set the middle reel to stop first. I believe the designers thought that if they stopped 2, 1, 3 rather than 1, 2, 3 it was harder to get a win using the skill stop buttons, thus increasing the house %. Others may know better than me though.

[bandito]

The machine you have is a Mills Operator Bell. It has the correct award card frame and award card. The name "bullseye" is a nickname given to it by someone. If you said to an American collector you have a "bullseye bell", they would laugh at you!

Dates from the mid to late 1920s. A very nice machine when restored or just cleaned up. Below the coin entry, next to the magnifying glass, on the right edge, should be a number stamped into the casting. This number would be something like 187889 or such. This could date your machine.

I would think that your reels should stop in order, 1, 2, 3. Might just be a bent reel stop arm. Try stopping the clock fan blade with your finger, after actuating a cycle, and gently let the clock unwind so you can see what is happening to the stops when they click into place. Let us know how you get on,
bandito.

[andydotp]

Q: Does the 2nd reel actually get stopped by the reel brake lever or just 'run out off puff' before the cycle completes?
Sounds like your spindle needs a good de-grease and the reel brakes adjusting.
Nice machine and,
andy.

[coppinpr]

If you said to an American collector you have a "bullseye bell", they would laugh at you!

Several lists, including one American one, list the "Bullseye" as a model, and even if it's not, and only a nickname given to a model (as many others have), I see no reason to appear to be rude about my comment. If they laughed, it would be because they did not know it is sometimes called a Bulls eye, as in fact you don't.

If it has the correct frame, can you explain the photo I posted which comes from a site listing Mills models and, in fact, matches the machine in question in every other aspect?

[and]

Thank you for great help, This is the best forum !
I will order the "Owners Pictorial Guide for Mills". I do need to learn more about the parts names and how it works.
I have not yet checked the function of the loose lever, will try that later.
When I more carefully looked, there was a number under some paint on the casting (see pic), number "218835", I think.
Can this date the machine?
Also, as you described, I slowly let the reels stop. I saw that they stop 2, 3, 1 and, just as bandito, says the first reel stop-arm is bent.
I will later try to bend it back. I can see that the stop arm brakes are worn up where they get into the reels.
And, yes, it needs a degrease. I'm not sure which part is called the spindle.
I'll let you know how it works after I have tried to bend the lever.

[bandito]

The picture posted of the Mills "bullseye" is taken from Jo van Dongen's web site. He lists the machine as "Mills Operators Bell Bulls-Eye."
When I first got into collecting slot machines, this model was one of the first slot machines I bought. I thought it was called a "bullseye" model, as that was what I thought it was. I understand some collectors may refer to it as a "bullseye" machine, but I would now say my machine is a Mills Operators Bell.

If you google pictures and search "Mills Operator Bell" and "Mills Bullseye", take a look at what comes up.....
I have seen many machines in this style, some with the award card and frame as per "and's" original post. I have also seen machines with the stretched award card and hollow frame.
In the pictures I have posted, they are from a Mills slot machine guide/instruction booklet from the late 1920s. You can draw your own conclusions....
It is never my intention to be rude to any members on this site... If I were, I expect to be booted off this site for sure.....

Hello "and" , I would think the number on your machine would date it to 1930. Just a guess. Keep the pics coming.....

[and]

Hi Mr bandito,

Very interesting pics you sent! I've been searching for something like this.
Would it be possible for you to email me pics from this booklet?
Please let me know if you can do that or where I could get one.

Thank you again.

[coppinpr]

No problem Bandito. Just took a little offence when you said everyone would laugh, when in fact "bullseye" is a common name for this model. It certainly is an Operator Bell but, like others, has a nickname of its own that it is often referred as. Although the photo I posted may be the same one, I did not find it on the site you mention but another site where it is listed among a list of Operator Bell variants simply as "Bullseye". Neither machine you show above from the booklet have any stop buttons, so perhaps that is the small difference.

It's a great find and bending the part may well fix the problem. As it says in the Mills Guide, "bending is a normal when both making and repairing slot machines" (or words to that effect, I don't have the book here with me ). Just do it with care.

[and]

I have done a little bit of bending on the first (left) stop arm. The reels now stop 1,2,3 but! reel 1 and two almost stops at the same time is it possible to adjust this ?

[badpenny]

........... just a little bit.

[bandito]

ahhhhhhhhhhhh.............so THAT'S how you bend it.........

[coppinpr]

From your photo of the star wheel brake levers, it looks like the middle arm is also bent (perhaps just the photo?). Looks like it's not straight (rather than bent like arm 1. was). Putting this back in line with the others should change the timing enough to make them stop correctly.

[and]

Great song there, badpenny
I will check the middle arm later this week as suggested.

[gameswat]

I have to say though without knowing that much about bandits that I'd give the unrestored machine a lot more credit for having the original frame than the restored version. Since those smaller repro parts have been so freely available from dealers for the last 30+ years I think a lot of restorers prefer to replace than replate. And often parts get substituted.

Can't tell you haw many cranes I've seen in the US with those cast marquees saying "Steam shovel - See it Operate" and I don't believe I've ever seen an original! Steve Gronowski must've made at least 500 of those things over the years. They were copied from a real marquee but should only be for one early model.

[youngerap]

Just been letching my way through the pictures in the book I won in the PennyMachines Auction ("American Play Emozioni a Gettone Slot machine, juke box e flipper della collezione Morlacchi") and have just seen a stunning picture of an 'Operators Bell Bullseye - Mills 1923'.

It has a serial number of 189199 and the same award card as that shown by 'and'. It does not, however, have the skill stop buttons.

I must say, 'and', I do envy you the opportunity to bring this machine back to its former glory. It is an absolute cracker!