Mini-Pusher, Aladdin's Lamp & Davey Jones' Locker

[howeinuk]

My next project is to restore this Penny Pusher. I have 3 questions for the experts out there and would be grateful for your help and advice:

1. Does anyone know the maker of this machine and when it was made?

2. The 'penny distribution' panel / chute is missing so I need to re-make it. Does anyone have a similar machine and could post an image please?

3. The formica needs replacing. I have been looking on Ebay but haven't been able to buy a small quantity of formica sheet. Can anyone suggest a supplier please?

Thanks!

[coin-op]

I''m going to suggest that it's a Jamieson's Easy Push from the late '60s. As to Formica, their website gives a list of distributors (see link below). However, as fashions change I wonder if they still carry the type of Formica you will need; will be interested to know.

http://www.formica.co.uk/publish/site/e ... /home.html

[JC]

I don't want to start an arguement here, but I think it was produced by Cam Automatics.
I recall there is an excellent article on the subject of counter-top pushers, written by pennymachines, which can by found in the Arena......................
Unfortunately, I cannot confirm, as I don't seem to be able to get in at the moment.

[coin-op]

I don't want to start an arguement here

No arguement, I was only guessing! I once had an Easy Push and I seemed to recall that it had similar plastic artwork and cabinet styling, but I suppose that some companies lacked imagination and so lifted ideas from others. I now regret getting rid of that Easy Push

[slotalot]

For what its worth I once contacted the son of the man who owned Cam Automatics, he told me that he didn't think that Cam made any of there own machines, he thought they were only agents for other makers, but as always.....I could be wrong
This is what he told me.

Yes, it was indeed run by my father. Unfortunately I was born in 1958 myself, so I am afraid my personal knowledge is very limited as I believe my father's ownership of Cam ended about 1965. I know the entire industry was only just legalised, and was in danger of being taken over by organised crime in those early days. I also know my father managed to make and to lose a substantial fortune in very short time. I have spoken to my mother who didn't ever visit the premises in Seaham, but like me did not recall that they made their own machines at least I don't think they engineered the gaming mechanisms. I am pretty sure the machines were all Bell Fruit. My guess is that only the artwork was specific to Cam, and may have been ordered customised from the manufacturer. I have no memories of these machines without reels at all.
My father who’s middle name was Cameron hence the name Cam Automatics had been civilian entertainments officer at RAF Lakenheath, a then enormous USAF base where US law applied - and still does today. Gaming had been legal in the US while still illegal in the UK, so he had managed many slot machines on the base and when gaming was legalised in the UK; he was one of very few British people with experience of the industry. So I am pretty sure Cam started by modifying American made machines. That there was also a link to Bell Fruit I am sure.

[pennymachines]

1. Does anyone know the maker of this machine and when it was made?

I'd forgotten, until Jerry mentioned it, that we'd pinned down Mini-Pusher, Aladdin's Lamp and Davey Jones' Locker to CAM Automatics. I think this was a result of Slotalot's research into the other CAM games - the little light-flashing gambling machines in similar cabinets to the pushers. Although they may only have been distributors, CAM are the only name so far associated with these mini pushers. Jamieson products, in particular, Easy Push and Push Over, are similar in format but are distinctly different in construction. See: Portable Penny Pushers. Date-wise, Crompton didn't invent the pusher until 1964, so they have to be "late '60s" (most post-decimal mini pushers were old machines converted to take the new coins).

2. The 'penny distribution' panel / chute is missing so I need to re-make it. Does anyone have a similar machine and could post an image please?

Unfortunately, this is missing (together with some other parts) in the example I have, but others I've seen use an unsophisticated bit of plastic chute like the end of a vacuum-cleaner pipe.

3. The Formica needs replacing. I have been looking on Ebay but haven't been able to buy a small quantity of Formica sheet. Can anyone suggest a supplier please?

The example below has a lurid yellow plastic laminate with a faint cloth-texture pattern. I guess any period Formica would do; they seemed to use whatever was to hand. I've been looking for some brown cloth-texture patterned Formica for another machine but it seems nobody supplies the stuff. The answer, I think, is to buy some junk '60s sideboard or cabinet. Make friends with an antique dealer who does house clearances.

[jimmycowman]

I've never really liked those kind of pushers. Is it the case if you just tap the side, the pennies will fall down??? How do you fix them down right??

[slotalot]

The answer, I think, is to buy some junk '60s sideboard or cabinet. Make friends with an antique dealer who does house clearances.

That's the way I have done this in the past but it's not easy to remove .... but it can be done , don't try to remove the Formica from the plywood! try to remove the plywood from the Formica. I put the panel with the Formica face down on an old blanket on a flat surface, then with the aid of a wallpaper steamer I softened the plywood and stripped it back layer by layer, until all that was left was the Formica, the sheet was approx 5 foot X 2 foot and it took me about 6 hours to do which was OK as I was out in the sunshine working
Tip of the day Don't use the wife's best blanket, she won't like it

[howeinuk]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions and information - makes interesting reading.

My tip of the day - don't use a blow torch to strip paint off whilst in the vicinity of the washing hanging up to dry. The blackened tea towel took some explaining!!

[jimmy55]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Doing my daily trawl for new images for our facebook page [url]http://www.facebook.com/pennypetition[/url] I came across Aladdin's Lamp.
Anyone ever seen one of these before? And how did it work? No controls at all visible, I presume entirely electromechanical?
It's amazing what you find whilst 'Googling'.

[slotalot]

Hi Jim, the Aladdin's Lamp is a small coin pusher - the only part that moves is the small red table. It only moves about an inch, just less than the diameter of an old penny. Any coins that move to the front of the cabinet drop into the cash box via a hidden slot. Very simple idea.

[jimmy55]

You live and learn!! Is it in your collection Stuart?

[pennymachines]

Here's one from the Arena which sold for £250 in Coventry on the 29th November 2009.

See also:
CAM Automatics
and
Portable Penny Pushers

[slotalot]

You live and learn!! Is it in your collection Stuart?

Hi Jim, I did have one a few years ago but I let it go to make room for other things.
PM did a good story about pushers, but you will have to join the Arena to see it, its only a couple of pounds to join, but it's well worth it.