Unusual? Jennings Duchess Mech

[coppinpr]

I saw this Jennings Duchess machine on the net and I myself have never seen this type of mech so was wondering if someone could explain its use.

Clearly the unusual section on the rear uses the cut out sections of the payout disc that hold the reels in place during the wind up stage in much the same way as the Mills gold award does but why are there three and no special payouts on the machine that I can see? Was this just a method of releasing the jackpot?

[widget2k4]

I may be wrong but that looks very much like a Watling not a Jennings

[widget2k4]

The 3 levers you're referring to are the brakes for stopping the reels. Maybe Jennings copied Watling's idea, I'm not sure but that's how it worked in my Rol a Top.

[coppinpr]

Sounds right, the auction room listed it as a Jennings and I didn't really give it a thought. Having never had a Watling I've not seen the mech before, thanks.

[treefrog]

This is the correct mechanism for the Jennings Duchess, not a Watling machine.

No idea on the history of these. They were small vendor type machines of their era. Almost a cross between a stimulator and bandit.

There was one for sale a few times at the Elephant a year or so back, which was incomplete. Tiny little things and look cute.

[daveslot]

There have been two sold at the Elephant, the first had a linkage missing to the clock, otherwise OK, sold for £460. The second complete with working vendors, very nice, made about £1300.