Lovett Automatic Co. Selectacolor identified

[brigham]

The gameplay is no more than 'pick-a-colour', without any of the fascinations like a roulette wheel or a turning pointer.
If it embodies the design described in the patent grant, then it has the most complicated variator I have ever come across, involving a pulsed magnetic clutch!
It may account for why everybody's heard of Jamiesons...

[pennymachines]

Yes, I'm sure that accounts for its relative obscurity. Hot on its heels came a bunch of similar but more exciting ideas, such as...

Bally's Spinner of 1962

Streets Colourama of 1963

Whittaker Brothers' Roulette of 1964

(modern versions)



Brenco's Orbit and Money Wheel of 1966

[pennymachines]

The only machine listed is 'Selectacolor' (American spelling) of 1960, an "unclassified gambling machine", advertised in the World's Fair 20th February 1960. Although it pre-dates the patent application by a year, the name fits the bill.

John Lovett's daughter recently contacted me to confirm that Lovett Automatics did make the Selectacolor:

This machine was build by my father, the late John Lovett. It was indeed manufactured in Slough. His unit was next door to Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s factory. It is possibly the last remaining unit. He invented the first multi slot. It was made of fibre glass and its shape was for a specific reason.

[treefrog]

Looks like Steve from Colcon has had a Selectacolor put into the online auction, although it looks to have most if not all of the mechanical parts shown in the patent missing, plus every position blocked. A bit of a mammoth task on that one……

URL+REMOVED+BY+SITE+ADMIN#

Coppin, the picture that started this thread, was this someone who has one now or an historical photo, as if current certainly looks more complete.

[ab88]

It's the same machine. The blocked off sections are identical.

[treefrog]

It's the same machine. The blocked off sections are identical.

Yes I realised after I posted... not for the faint-hearted. The pay cups are very similar to the Fruit Cocktail, but are made of poor quality alloy of some kind plated and seem to corrode easily. I did have one, bought at the Elephant and moved on. The new owner could not get it working properly and moved it on again. I like the looks of the Fruit Cocktail glass. Shame this beast has not got some impressive colourful graphics on it…

[brigham]

The Selectacolor is a bit of a Chumbley, isn't it...

[pennymachines]

Had to look it up.
I trust you mean Dr Who type:

chumley.gif (1.62 MiB) Viewed 2491 times

not urban dictionary type?

[livinginthepast]

I'm pleased that you needed to look it up Mr pm

[13rebel]

[pennymachines]

I had to look up what those other words meant too.