Mills old penny jackpot

[treefrog]

Apologies dragging a topic on, but struggling to understand how the old Mills Jackpot worked. I have seen a couple of pictures of 50c mechanisms where the trigger for the jackpot is not in place, so the trip lever that lifts up over the pin on the top slide. Never made any sense to me, and I have seen on “Mills” a member on here on his site a Roman Head with the same. So how does the jackpot trip, as without a trip all that will happen if the slide pulls away without triggering anything? Am I missing something?

Mills, copied your picture for explanation with a red arrow. Also what is the plate marked in Green for? Maybe to do with jackpot locking?
Thank you

[badpenny]

My early Horse's Head Bonus contains the Futurity Cheat mechanism. It also lacks the lever that trips the release on the JP.
However it works as I have dumped the bank on BAR-BAR-BAR.

The column on the corner of the top slide must be sufficient.

BP

[treefrog]

Yes I was wondering if it was down to height as the pins on the top slide on 1D/50c machines tend to be very tall, as such maybe high enough to lift the release lever when sliding forward.

I have a 3D setup below that had no trip lever and a short pin, but the height obvious is very high, also has a bar attached the top slide that I think resets the jackpot, although it has a reset bar as well.

I am less familiar with the mechanism at the top of thread, I assume these are on earlier machines and have different reel stops, rear operating bar and timing bar. I believe now the part I marked in green at the top maybe for the jackpot lock lever for when the mechanism is removed from cabinet and stops it dropping, not needed on later mechanisms as they have a bar in that position.....

[mills]

Mills, copied your picture for explanation with a red arrow. Also what is the plate marked in Green for? Maybe to do with jackpot locking?

Red arrow : Pin to release Jackpot when hit.
Green arrow : Disengages the lever to the right of the jackpot which prevents opening when the mechanics are removed.

[badpenny]

I've never seen the green arrowed plate ever.

BP

[treefrog]

I've never seen the green arrowed plate ever.

BP

One of the biggest issues in the U.K. or maybe they were just smart is that operators as you know stripped the bits they did not need or were hassle off machines and the jackpot lock lever to prevent release often was the case. Also most mechanisms are like the one below where the reel stops are located nearer the front, you can see the marks where it sits on below one. The other type of mechanism they needed the metal piece attached to a frame to do the same job. I always wonder if the designers made it up as they went along as some of these arrangements feel a little heath robinson......