Jackpot Horse Racer

[treefrog]

Anyone know much about the below machine, English, looks fantastic, but know not the maker or anything about them. Two sold last year in Murphy auctions, think they were different and believe one was an known English collector who shipped his English machines to sell in US, which was odd.

Any left in the U.K.

[dutchboy]

Wow I like that, never seen something like that. My first thought by seeing the last pic was Mills shape of casting and bottom. Do you know what it went for treefrog?
Greetings.

[badpenny]

I recall Mr P mending something similar about 15 years ago for someone.
Perhaps Nursey could nudge his elbow just as he's about to slurp his afternoon very hot chocolate.

It might have been a spinning horse racer though.

[aristomatic]

I think a member here may still have one...

[pennymachines]

They were designed in 1932 by Walter William Burton of Hall Green, Birmingham - see Archive for patent GB390654. I think the company was called OK Novelty Co. I refer to them variously as Revolving Jackpots, The Roundabout or Carousel, but although some of those names were on the machines, the paperwork didn't look original. I visited the site of the former workshop years ago but it had reverted to mending lawn mowers. I know there are a few still in the UK.

Curiously, there are two radically different mechanisms, although externally the games look similar. Both contain a series of glass 'jackpot' tubes which accumulate coins as the game is played. When a horse stops exactly behind the arrow, the tube at the front (in view of the player) dumps its contents to the payout cup. On what I assume to be the first model, the horses rotate on a kind of carousel platform while the tubes remain stationary. The rear tube takes a set percentage of the players' coins until it is filled or until a win is achieved, whereupon (as previously described) the front tube releases its contents and upon the next play all the tubes shift round one place. In this way, the rear tube which has been filling moves away from the coin feed and will eventually make its way around to the front to become the 'live' jackpot.

A problem with this mechanism was the amount of force required to pull the handle after a win. I'm sure the punters had more muscle in those days, and presumably children weren't supposed to be gambling anyway. The other version simplifies the mechanism and reduces the strain on the handle by putting the jackpots on the same axis as the horses so they rotate together every turn and coins are randomly distributed between them. From a player point of view, on model a. you know in advance how much you can win by observing the jackpot; on model b. the payout depends on which horse wins.

[treefrog]

Thanks all, real shame all the good machines end up in the states, we never get to see them. Mind you I have yet to get to the dizzy heights of an eight grand machines. I think I recall who told me who had one, maybe he will let me play

[pennymachines]

Actually, British machines are frequently repatriated from the States. Just over a week ago a forum member showed me pictures of two very nice British machines recently purchased there. Ship loads were exported during the 1970s but as collector interest matured in the UK they have tended to be more highly valued in their country of origin. Fortunately, most American collectors also prefer their own. Enlightened individuals, like JP, are the exception. As you hinted, it may have been financially disadvantageous for whoever exported those games, especially taking into account shipping and auction costs.