FORUM

The concept didn't enter my addled brain until the last week in December, 2017. It's booked in to an exhibition on 7th. April, so work is having to proceed more rapidly than I'm happy with. I suppose I can always go back and do it again, properly.

Are you going to make your deadline?

The exhibition was held by a mechanical television enthusiasts group, so I compromised, and only took the actual 'television' part of the machine.
It ran beautifully, and the rest is now making rapid progress. I'll try to load more pictures soon.

brigham wrote: ↑Tue Jun 19, 2018 6:51 pm The exhibition was held by a mechanical television enthusiasts group, so I compromised, and only took the actual 'television' part of the machine.
It ran beautifully, and the rest is now making rapid progress. I'll try to load more pictures soon.

Did you ever complete the Green Ray build?

And to anyone who might know....

1. Was this a British machine from 1931?

2. Did the pen actually write on the card, or is this claim "Handle your card carefully on damp days as the special ink which has to be used does not dry very quickly." just part of the deception?

3. "For a true reading insert one penny in the slot then stand in front of the green ray then press the return switch and keep it pressed till the card is delivered from the pocket below.

If you do not carry out these instructions the reading will be a poor one of the person pressing the return switch."

Question being, does the push-button switch actually do anything, and if so what?

Would love to know.

1) Yes. Hope-Bradshaw.

2) No, the pen just wobbles about a bit to make it look like it's writing.
Thick pre-printed cards are dispensed in much the same way as bars of chocolate or
packets of cigarettes are dispensed from vending machines.

3) What return switch? There are no switches or knobs or levers for the punter to play
with - he merely stands in front of the machine and waits for his fortune card.

Thanks JC.

Regarding the push-button, you can see in the picture here: https://auctions.morphyauctions.com/Lot ... yid=483561 if you zoom in, "KEEP YOUR THUMB ON THE RETURN SWITCH". I was curious if it was wired up to anything.

That's interesting, although I'd have to question whether that switch is original - it certainly looks like it's been slapped on the front of the machine as an after thought.
I've come across many of these machines over the years, and have operated one on three different sites in the past 15 years, and have never come across such a switch.
It should be noted that all the mysterious gubbins behind the window does differ from machine to machine - they presumably used whatever old electrical crap was to hand as each machine was built. Some were more elaborate than others.

That makes a lot of sense. Such an imaginative machine. I suppose the push-button might be as simple as turning an extra light-on... but actually do nothing much in reality beyond add to the sense of mystery/old-flannel depending on how well you can suspend disbelief.

Lovely machine on Twitter, seemingly with no push-button as you suggest is the norm.



Link here: https://twitter.com/tonysvintage/status ... 1885278208

oneswitch500 wrote: ↑Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:10 pm I suppose the push-button might be as simple as turning an extra light-on... but actually do nothing much in reality beyond add to the sense of mystery/old-flannel depending on how well you can suspend disbelief.

I've often thought Bradshaw missed a trick by not incorporating such a device on the Green Ray, so it's interesting to see this. John Brenner made great play with this idea, providing a handle you had to grip for an accurate reading. If you released it, you got a card admonishing you with an invitation to insert another coin and follow the instructions.

The instruction card looks original and in keeping, so maybe this was a Bradshaw afterthought. It seems evident from the other Morphy Auction pictures there isn't anything behind the button.

A museum restoration of a Green Ray was documented in detail and is a wealth of information for the machine mechanics as well as the fortunes it dispensed. Over 53 Mbyte of info in the PDF on it. Very good reference for anyone doing a restoration or re-creation of one. PDF at link below.
The restoration of a Green Ray Television Wonder, a 1930s Fortune-Teller slot machine from the Deutsches Technik museum Berlin PDF

Copied to Resources - Site Admin.

Spotted this curiosity which appears to have sold for 210.00 NZ Dollars 26 days ago via New Zealand online auction https://www.bidbud.co.nz/

Probably 1940-50’s.
Sold as-is. Bought as a project but have too many other projects and not enough room. Have not tried to power up but looks like it will require work.

It appears to be a loose copy of Bradshaw's machine from around the period they were originally made...