Super Steer-a-Ball

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Guest
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Super Steer-A-Ball

Post by Guest »

I am trying to find out about a slot machine called 'Super Steer a Ball' that we have in our Cotswold Motoring Museum collection. It is an upright machine with a steering wheel in front. You turn the wheel to release the ball and then steer it down a pathway and (hopefully) into the win hole and get another go. The game ends if you allow the ball to drop into the lose hole.

Can anyone supply some information about this machine?
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Post by pennymachines »

Steer-a-Balls were made by, amongst others, Stevenson and Lovett Ltd. of London, Hawtins Ltd. of Blackpool and most prolifically, the Jay Pee Manufacturing Company.
Although they were popular and numerous, at present very little seems to be known about the history of these games. Maybe someone can help us fill out some details. Many were made in the 1950s, but those pictured below are earlier and some were made later.

I think the Super Steer-a-Ball was made by the latter company and was probably their last model. The only other thing I know about the Jay Pee Manufacturing Co. is that they also made a version of the Sky Jump wall machine.

Does your machine have a microswitch coin mechanism, or the earlier all-mechanical ball release?
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Hawtins Steer-a-Balls
Hawtins Steer-a-Balls
Hawtins-Steer-a-Balls.jpg (39.17 KiB) Viewed 9116 times
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Mystery Steer-a-Ball bit

Post by Guest »

I am working on a JP Steer a Ball at the moment and found this mystery part in the cash compartment.
It looks as though it could be part of a winning ball return mech.
Did they have them?
Have you a clue on where/how it might fit?
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Post by pennymachines »

That's right, it is. I'm afraid I don't have a picture at the moment to show exactly how it fits together. Maybe someone else will oblige.

From memory, when you insert a coin it falls through a pivoted gate in the coin acceptor and comes to rest against a wire poking through a hole in the coin acceptor (the tip of the wire on your mystery part). The gate is now shut and redirects all subsequent coins to the cashbox. If you complete the course and drop the ball down the winning hole it falls onto the counter-weighted track (on your mystery part) causing it to tip and thereby retracting the wire which releases the coin to the return slot at the front of the machine. The ball is guided back to the start position and the coin gate rocks to its original position ready to capture the next one.

Hope this makes sense...

It takes a single 1 inch steel ball bearing.
Here's a scan of the JP Steer-a-Ball topflash (slightly vandalised).
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Post by Guest »

Our machine looks very much like the Roll a Road with the same style of cut-out for the back drop, but with Super Steer a Ball instead of Roll a Road. The graphics are quite simple and semi abstract, but with a traffic light roughly where the road sign is.

The coin release mechanism is all mechanical.
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Super Steer-a-Ball

Post by jimmycowman »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Don't know which one to put this in but... I'm restoring a Stevenson and Lovett Steer-a-Ball and I'm missing the top flash and looking in the Mechanical Memories Magazine (May 08) saw a man, Eugene Sloan, who paints fairground and artwork signs. After ringing him and having a very interesting conversation, he agreed to make me one after looking in the Arcades and Slot Machines book and the flick web site for info. Anyway, it came last weekend and what a fantastic job he's done! I would recommend his work to anyone. I'm very pleased. Take a look at the image:
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pennymachines
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by pennymachines »

Hi Jimmy,

Nice piece of artwork! Is it really a Stevenson & Lovett or a Jay Pee Manufacturing Co. Steer-a-Ball? The Stevenson & Lovett originally had a light up backglass like a pinball depicting a townscape and zebra crossing, plus traffic lights that changed when you turned the wheel.
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by Guest »

Not sure. What's the difference in the body of the machine? I'm happy either way.
Euge
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by Euge »

Hi,

Thanks for the nice comments, I painted the back board for Jimmy. Tried to keep close to the design on Page 29 of Arcades and Slot Machines, however changed the lettering style slighty to the type found on the signs that had traffic lights. Searching through the net, (not much about) however did find a few variations, including the townscape. I really enjoyed doing this backboard especially trying to keep the quirkiness of the design from this age of austerity.

Best Regards,

Euge.
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by pennymachines »

Guest wrote:Not sure. What's the difference in the body of the machine? I'm happy either way
The body of the S&L has a wooden frame with inset metal panels. The PJ has a painted plywood case.

If you want to take on more of this type of work Eugene, perhaps you have some contact details we could put on the Services page. I'm sure many other collectors could put your skills to good use. Do you have a website?
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badpenny
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by badpenny »

Very nice job, wish I could paint like that .......... actually, I just wish I could paint! :(
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by jimmycowman »

Hi,
I'm now at the point of getting my Steer-a-Ball to work. Does anyone know what I can use as a belt? (goes around the shaft and tilts the play field). What belt/band did they use before?
Thanks in advance.
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by coin-op »

It's basically a length of about 1/2" thick leather cord with a spring (about 1/2" dia, 3 inches long) attached at either end. I got some suitable leather from a local cobblers as they used it for the belt drive of one of their machines. The piece I got was an off-cut which they had no use for and he just gave it to me. The springs are attached by piercing the leather with the end of the spring. Then you hook the other end of the springs onto pins on either side of the the back plate in the machine. Obviously the overall length needs to allow the leather to grip the channel on the inner disc of the steering wheel column.
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john t peterson
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by john t peterson »

Folks, you could not BUY this information. Yet here it is, on the open forum offered up for free by Mr. Pennymachines and his generous friends. We are a lucky group. Merry Christmas, everyone!

J. Peterson
USA
jimmy
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by jimmy »

Hi,
Thanks for that. I will try using leather.
Just wondering, if it was made for a 1/2 inch belt, why was the wheel on the shaft only about 1/4inch?
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Re: penny steer-a-ball

Post by coinop »

I may have got the size wrong then :oops: I was going from memory as to thickness and maybe I was confusing it with a Conveyor (which also uses leather). I actually took the time to look at a Steer-a-Ball and it had a length of plastic coated wire between two springs... so I guess it can come down to plain just what does the trick.
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super steer a ball

Post by lourens »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Some folks out there that could tell me some more about this arcade machine?

Maker?
Age?

Any info would be very welcome.
Is there any repro artwork available for this machine?
Value?

Is it worth restoring?

Cheers, Lourens.
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treefrog
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Re: super steer a ball

Post by treefrog »

There is one on youtube from Wookey Hole Caves Penny Arcade, a Stevenson and Lovett Super Steer a Ball, early fifties I guess..... If you search the site there is another link on someone restoring artwork (merged - Site Admin.). Certainly looks worth restoring, especially if all there..

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steer-lovett.jpg
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Re: Super Steer-a-Ball

Post by lourens »

Tree-frog, good evening,

Thanks for your reply and thanks for the photo.
I'm considering restoring because I like the work that has to be done.
Mine has a small door on the right side and on both sides, holes for cooling the lamps, I think.
So photos of both sides would be nice so I can see if they belong there or not.

Also pic from the inside mechanism, etcetera would be appreciated!

So if anybody has a machine and would make some that would be great.

Cheers,
Lourens.
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Re: Super Steer-a-Ball

Post by pennymachines »

The door on the right side is for cash box access.
Usually I think there are metal grilles on both sides to vent hot air from the bulbs.
Pictured below, the inside of a Stevenson & Lovett Steer-A-Ball. It's more derelict than yours, but definitely worth restoring! Yours is the Jay Pee version, but the mechanism is very similar.
The steering wheel is off a 1940s Jowett Bradford van.
See nicely restored Hawtins version in the Museum.
Attachments
steeraball-int.jpg
48lorr_interior.jpg
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