FORUM

Thanks to our market page and the response to my ad there from one of our regulars I am now the owner of this unusual and interesting slot machine in just the condition I like em! ready to raise from the (almost) dead.
Chrome is great but the glass will be an interesting challenge , a chance to try the new glass paint spray I mentioned in another post perhaps.
One of the switches is broken and the lower lights are missing but this is easy to fix, the mech seems to just need a good clean and service and it will be fine.
I've never had a Bell fruit mech before and I'm not sure how much of this one is original but I suspect most of it, It has the full number of vertical fingers but only one horizontal finger as that is all this conversion needs, the jackpot slide works the switch that fires the jackpot slide and there is one other slide to pay 2 coins.
The very chunky clock is interesting, much more substantial than a mills or Jennings clock.
The reel strips are of course the the most outstanding feature and they are in near perfect condition, I believe only the"Mackason" and "forest brown", brand names survives and perhaps even the latter of the two is gone now.
All the locks are there but no keys and my new lock picking skills were needed to gain access to the top box (odd that this had its own lock?)
As i said this is my first Bell fruit slot and I was wondering if they all came with the high class enamelled badge on the front? A very nice feature I very much look forward to restoring.
Anyway Ill post progress reports and I'm keen to hear from anyone who knows more about these machines, thanks again to the market page and to the seller for giving me the chance to work on this machine at a very fair price,

Almost finished restoring this lovely enamel badge from the "flowers" machine, I wonder who designed it, love the arm pulling a machine handle in the middle and the two lions who appear to be playing wall mounted slots.
Did they run out of symbols for the shield? there is a bell,cherry,orange and plum plus what looks like a clover but is red so perhaps another cherry? then there is the motto " play, good luck,win". At a time when machines were not being made to the standards of previous decades someone decided to add this top quality piece to their machines.
Like the other metal furniture on this machine it was made by Pattorini & Sons ,35 Barr St, Birmingham

That is a cracking looking machine mate , never seen one like it before but it's nice
Will keep an eye on this resto

I have a soft spot for these early Bell Fruits, because they're British, quirky and chromey. The Flowers brewery symbols are a very nice touch too.

coppinpr wrote:Like the other metal furniture on this machine it was made by Pattorini & Sons ,35 Barr St, Birmingham

Actually, it's Fattorini & Sons (Bradford Works, 35 Barr St., Birmingham).

In 1881 John Fattorini of Manningham, Yorkshire near Bradford was a goldsmith employing 12 men and 2 boys. At that time he had several sons who later joined him to become Fattorini & Sons. Fattorini and Sons started off in Bradford before moving to Birminhgam. They are first listed in the Birmingham trade directories in 1917. They produced a wide range of badges over the years and were acquired by their namesake Thomas Fattorini in 1983. They also had offices in London and Glasgow, with the Glasgow mark occasionally featuring on the badges.

The Badger, November 2001 (newsletter of the Badge Collectors Circle)
Fattorini Company History

I could not have said it was an F and not a P on any of the pieces unless I was told it was, then I can see it.

Always fancied one of these as I quite like the look of them and the stylised handle. They even did a matching stand for them, but the size and graphic quality has always put me off. Still looks like you're making a good job of it. Will be be good to see the final result.

I'm really pleased to see the popularity of this machine rise.

I've had a couple over the years and tried to sell them for money or near offer.
I ended up swapping one for an old telephone and fear that I may still own the other one, somewhere.

One of them was purely mechanical and the other had a really strange electrical payout system. Instead of fingers three panels of pins (one for each reel) entered the face of the symbols at the back of the mechanism.
As a consequence, looking at the winning line you could clearly see patterns of holes in all of the reels which corresponded to what was going on at the back.

BP

Having now finished the glass work on this machine (see the tips and tricks forum section) I today cleaned the chrome - don't let anyone say Bell Fruit chrome is poor, this one is best part of 50 years old and not a mark on it once I'd cleaned it.

What a great job you've made of this. Keep photo's coming
John

Finished and rebuilt, a few electric problems to do (I'll be asking questions soon).

First class job Paul, good for another 60 years.

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

Can some expert help me understand the wiring on this machine. It's all very simple and doesn't actually do very much but although I can see what it does, I can't quite understand how it does it, in as much as getting any power to the right place.

This machine is 95% mechanical, the power handles only the top box light, another light whose tube is missing and I can't place, and the very simple jackpot system.

As for the jackpot, I'm assuming the power arrives on the mech via a socket then supplies 240v to the slide solenoid (as it's rated 240v on it), the switch on the mechanical slides completes the circuit to the solenoid, fires the slide, pays the token, then the other switch near the clock switches off the solenoid, completing the cycle. If I'm wrong here, please tell me!

Now what I can't understand is how the correct power gets to the JP system. The power comes in via the cable shown in photo 1 and goes to the junction/fusebox next to the choke unit (one small length of black wire cut off can be seen leaving this junction box at the top of entry 2 of the connector strip). It then seems to go to the said choke and to another choke in the top box (this second tube is working) but then I'm lost. It seems to go to the socket fixed to the machine case (see photo) but this is just a two pin round hole socket. The plug on the mech (seen in photo 2 resting on top of the jackpot tube) is a four pin square pin plug, in the right place to connect to the socket but clearly not correct. This plug leads directly to the jp electrics only. There is no sign of any wiring leading to the second, missing tube light.

So questions are, how do I get the correct power to the JP system, where was the second tube, and why no wiring for it from the choke? (Yet there is wiring both in and out of the choke which seems to go the socket). Should it be 240v direct to that solenoid/switch system? How do I deal with a four square pin plug facing a two pin round pin socket? I have a new connector but how or even should I attach it?
Help please, I'm OK with electrics but only if I'm sure of what I'm looking at.
Thanks...

Can NO one help with my eletrickery problem? I'm surprised!!

Paul ....

Can you ......
Show a picture of the switch etc that is operated by the clock?
Confirm the wire colours at the back and slip back the cover on the four pin plug to show the colours there?

BP

Machine at work, me at home till Thursday (the glories of semi retirement) so will do on Thursday.

Right BP,here are the details for you to work your electrickery on.
The mech plug shown below has four numbered pins ,1. is pink, 2. is blue 3.is orange 4. is not used

the clock switch has two wires = white and pink

the solenoid has two wires = orange and black

the jack pot switch has two wires = orange and white

the connector block in the case is (as seen below) 1= power in blue 2= earth (I think, as it looks greenish and is cut off,see arrow) 3=power in brown 4.power out to lights (2) both pink 5.= power out to lights (2) both black 6. is not in use the fuse is 5amp

Im guessing Im missing all the wiring from the connector box to the jack pot system, Im happy with the lighting wiring as one works (top box) and the other is missing the tube which suits me as the belly glass will not look good now with a new light. just want to get the JP working.

Firstly you're obviously going to have to change the internal plug and socket so they're the same profile.
Squares into rounds just ain't going to do it.

I would then use a simple continuity tester to identify the positive and negative wires as they appear inside the cabinet.
For anyone who doesn't have one or finds multi-meters too fussy This is a cheap jobby that will suffice.
Alternatively it's easy to make one with a small battery, bulb and wires.


Looking at the circuit that fuels the JP I'd suggest rewiring with similar gauge wire as follows ......


The connector block would benefit from being replaced it looks cracked and could cause other problems eventually.

I'd also attach an earth wire to the mechanism chassis and run it through to the earth pin on the plug.

In the event that the continuity tester doesn't prove that the fuse at the connector block is still in the line or you do change the connector block I'd place one in line, as well for protection sake.

I hope that helps.

Thanks BP, that's brilliant, loads of help. I have a tester and I've already got a connector ready to replace the old. I'm not good at electrics and although I think I can see the logic please talk me through the circuit.
Correct me please as I think I'm seeing it wrong.

Power + comes in and goes to the clock switch,
power continues to the JP switch,
then on to the self energising relay. (Question - do I have this relay in place as part of the current system or do I need to get one?)
The power then continues on through the solenoid to to the neg -.

I don't understand the other branch that seems to go directly to the neg bypassing the switches. Are you saying the self-energising switch switches the power either through the clock and jp switches or misses them out depending on if it's on or off?
Sorry if this is foolish, but as we are always saying on the forum take no chances with 240v in a machine.

Firstly the circuit.

Power comes in at + goes through the connector block and gets as far as the switch behind the clock (A) .
With the machine at rest that switch is open.
The power also gets as far as the switch side of the self energising relay (B), this switch is also open so the power gets no further at this point.

When you play the clock activated switch(A) will close and stay closed until the cycle finishes (the clock returning to rest reopens it) During play the power now gets as far as the next switch (C) which is attached to the slide and is normally open.

If you win a token the action of the mechanical slide closes this second switch (C) which allows power to get to the self energising relay(B), as this energises and locks on it closes the switch side of the relay (D) and allows power to the solenoid that releases the token.

The mechanical cycle finishes and when the clock has wound down it reopens the switch and cuts of the power to the relay which releases and the payout solenoid returns to rest, ready for the next game.


As to whether you need to fit a relay with a self energising field. As you've pointed out that circuit has been removed you may well be right. Sometimes they are slaved onto the side of the solenoid they act upon in which case you'll be ok, however you would see additional connections.

Stuartapotaslot is the best person I know for confirming that, in the meantime I'll search through the tea chests of electrical do'hickies I got from dassav when he unloaded them last year.

Also if anyone can see a problem with my understanding of the above for gawd's sake shout out. I know there are many more out there who know more than I do. Don't stay quiet, share your knowledge.

BP

badpenny wrote:Stuartapotaslot is the best person I know for confirming that, BP

Thanks for the vote of confidence BP
It is always difficult to try and workout what is happening with a machines wiring without having it sat in front of you BUT! from what I can see here in BPs drawing it should work just fine.