Geo Joyce & Sons Ltd. ABC Belfrute identified

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Potless
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Geo Joyce & Sons Ltd. ABC Belfrute identified

Post by Potless »

For many years I have been searching for information about the game featured in the attached picture - particularly the name of the unit and who made it.

This seemed pretty huge to me as a 9 year old - as you can see, it is a multiplayer betting game, with a large hexagonal light display, on which several large fruits are lit one after the other in rotation, eventually stopping on one particular fruit (cherry paying 2d, plum 2d, melon 4d, orange 6d, and bell 12p if I remember correctly). I assume they are fruits on this particular model, as the image is not very clear.

It reminds me of something Crompton's might have produced, but I have not seen it listed as one of their machines.

It would be great to see a clearer picture if anyone has one - so far this is the only one I have stumbled across on the 'net.
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

I have an original brochure for one of these and other machines in the range.....according to the paperwork, it was called an "ABC" or "ABC BELFRUTE" by a company called Millers Multi-slots Ltd... Will try and get a scan at some point... One of the tops of these sold twice at the Coventry auctions.
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slotalot
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by slotalot »

Potless wrote:It would be great to see a clearer picture if anyone has one - so far this is the only one I have stumbled across on the 'net.
Hi Potless, I see you have been looking at my website !!THUMBSX2!!
The machine was made by Geo Joyce & Sons Ltd, for Millers of Whitley Bay. Here is a better photo of the top box. This was for sale in one of the Coventry Auctions.
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

See below: The one on Slotalots picture is the same as the flyer "ABC"....The Coventry topper seems to be a variant, obvious not called ABC.

Interesting, in the scan of the flyer, it looks like the picture may be in an arcade and you can see a Hi Top on the left, but there is a row of bandits on the right I do not recognise. Anyone seen these before? !PUZZLED!
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slotalot
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by slotalot »

Nice one Tom! I think we are talking about the same "basic" machine. Sounds like they were both made by or for Millers. !!THUMBSX2!!
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

I think you're right about Geo Joyce, as the front of the Miller's catalogue states "custom made" for Millers. They also did the Horse base Newmarket, Fixed Odds, Win or Place and Starlite. I have another flyer from Geo Joyce with the Newmarket in it. They were based on Back Stormont St. in North Shields...
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moonriver
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by moonriver »

Henry Powell Snr. operated one for many years in the North East.
Potless
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by Potless »

Thanks so much for all the information guys. That has certainly filled in the blanks for me!

Another one crossed off the list... Wonder if I could make one from scratch (don't laugh, I have tried before and almost succeeded!).
chris roadhog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by chris roadhog »

The two I sold at Coventry both came out of Joyland, Bridlington.
Potless
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by Potless »

Just wondering about the odds arrangements on these machines - are they "what you see is what you get", or are they weighted electrically, so that it is much harder to land on the single bell symbol than it would appear?
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slotalot
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by slotalot »

Hi Potless, I think you will find that with most electro-mechanical machines of this age nothing was left to chance - somewhere in the circuit there will be something either mechanical or electrical that "sets" the odds in favor of the operator. That said, some machines could be worked out if you stood and watched them long enough, though in the old days you would be kicked out of the arcade for trying to beat the system. I have quite a few Jamieson wall machines that are controlled by old GPO relays. They have a 50 position uniselector inside that moves round one place each time a penny is put in, and out of those 50 positions only 5 or 6 are payouts, which of course means that the other 44/45 will never pay out anything. That said, when playing the machine the punter thinks it is all down to their skill when they miss a payout by one or two places... :tarah:
Potless
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by Potless »

The reason I ask about the odds is because I have a Royal Ascot wall machine, and there is definitely some skulduggery going on when bets are placed. There is some part of the circuit which detects when a 1/- bet has been made, and alters the outcome accordingly in favour of the operator. When betting on 1/-, you will often see the LOST sign light up, then immediately afterwards, the 1/- light will be on for just a split second, before the next play cycle! Very clever, but very devious too.
13rebel
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by 13rebel »

Slotalot's picture of the top box - assuming randomness pays out 67.5% and at this percentage I would think there is no 'fiddle' going on. Potless, you could well be right about your Royal Ascot though as Jamiesons Top Dog is similar in that it rarely lands on the hare (12d) when bet on but lands on it frequently when not bet on. This is not just 'gamblers fallacy' but is borne out by marking the winning positions on the rotary switch when in attract mode and then all of a sudden the 12d positions are lessened when you bet. Another person has one of these and has noted the same results so we came to the conclusion that there is a little man hidden inside changing things around. ;-)
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

Back to my question - anyone who can identify the line of bandits in the background of the flyer I posted? They almost look like one of those German machines. !PUZZLED!
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Potless
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by Potless »

Have to admit, I am at a loss as to what they are - they look like they could be from the Art Deco period judging by their shape.

It might be worth re-posting this query under a new heading, to see if the bandit enthusiasts have any ideas....
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

They look like the German "Merkur" bandit below
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badpenny
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by badpenny »

Well spotted Tom, I think you're right.

I've never seen one in the flesh, has anyone here?
Better still anybody got one? I'd love to see inside.

:cool:
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treefrog
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by treefrog »

Very similar in style to that machine you're after in Aus....

Mr Console as per the below thread had one, and the one pictured was in the States, so guess they are around. Would appeal to me, I like the curves.

Schwarz / Tura / AR-R German bandits
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badpenny
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Re: Another Electro-mechanical giant to identify!

Post by badpenny »

They were linked to Mills the same way as Tura were. I bet the mechs are similar.

I like curves as well, but that's a different forum all together.
skeetsta
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Re: Geo Joyce & Sons Ltd. ABC Belfrute identified

Post by skeetsta »

My uncle was Robert Miller of Millers Multislots of Whitley Bay. I’d love more information about any of their machines. My dad used to deliver them all over the UK in a Morris pick up.

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