Bajazzo Clown wall machines

[nobby.pennytoy]

Can you help me identify the maker/manufacturer, age and why the Union Jack motif on the ball? There are no markings on the cabinet i.e. letters or numbers stamped on it. However, it is stamped THIS MACHINE IS THE PROPERTY OF (can't read) BIRMINGHAM on the inside of the front door. Any information you may have about this game will be great.
Many thanks

[nobby.pennytoy]

My own research has revealed that this rare 'Clown Catcher' was infact produced by Phoenix Manufacturing Company of Birmingham cica 1920's. I believe the Union Jack was added as a symbol of victory following World War 1.

[pennymachines]

Nice!
We're back to William Thompson and the Phoenix Works again.
They started copying German clowns in 1913 and had an injunction served upon them for patent infringement which was nullified by the outbreak of WWI. Putting a Union Jack on the ball was like a two-finger gesture of victory.

There must be many unidentified machines produced by the Coin Operating Company - I wonder why they were so coy about putting their name on the games. Maybe they were happy to pass them off as German (at least until the War), trading on that country's engineering reputation. Many so called Saxony Allwin Deluxes were actually Birmingham-made Phoenix or Harwood copies. Birmingham was a hive of slot machine manufacturing but information is scarce.

[badpenny]

Great Stuff ....... Could Pennymachines gaze at his crystal balls and advise me if the Allwin Deluxe I bought from a gentleman in the Black Country kind of direction (known to us both) nearly a year ago I think, is of Brummagem fame as well?

I only enquire out of interest, as it is a super machine and I felt guilty at the time for getting it so cheaply!

Badpenny

[john t peterson]

How about a picture, Badpenny, so that we all may share your guilt?

[pennymachines]

This is the machine Badpenny was referring to. It may have been made in Birmingham but I'm not sure how to tell. One theory is that every so-called Allwin Deluxe produced in Germany started life as an Allwin Reserve but the vast majority were downgraded to "Deluxe" by British distributors because they were considered too generous. If this theory is correct (and I'm not at all sure it is), British Allwin Deluxes might be distinguished by the absence of evidence of a removed reserve mechanism. Maybe some of our German collector friends could help us here.
Actually, looking more closely at the picture, I notice a hole in the metal flash, roughly middle left, between the runners. There would have been a small ball blocking gate there - part of the reserve mech. So, going on my theory that British manufacturers didn't copy the reserve mechanism (because the operators didn't want it), I reckon it's a German model.

[ninecup]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Is there any way you can repair (what looks like some kind gas strut) on the left hand side of the mech, which is used to dampen the ball release after the ball has been put into play?
Thanks for all the help in my earlier post about the whales nestle backflash.
it's has now been restored. If anyone would like to have the jpg. file, please email.

[badpenny]

I take it that it's all there but just doesn't dampen the ball lift when it returns?

If so, try spreading the washer inside (it's probably only leather) and repacking with grease. Also ensure the breather hole isn't blocked or you'll get a compression lock.

badpenny

[ninecup]

Thanks for that. I removed the piston and managed to pull it apart. On inspection the washer had completely disintegrated. I cut a circle out of a rubber door mat and packed the plunger with grease. Wow perfect!
The wife will kill me . Off to buy a new door mat.

[fredslilja]

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Hi
It is me again with all the pictures . Well it seems to be the best way for me to ask questions with pictures. After all my english is not that good and sometimes I don´t find the right words to explain my questions.

Anyway, I have some particular questions about my clown machine.

The lock
The machine had no lock when I bought it. Now I have bought a lock that fits perfectly with the carved hole of the back of the door. The thing I wonder about is the hole for the lock cylinder in the door. That seems to have been drilled bigger sometime in the past. What I don´t get is, if the hole has been drilled bigger, why isn't the carved hole also bigger???

I have seen another machine on the eBay (see picture) there is a ring around the cylinder hole. Is this something that was common to place around the hole. If I look closely around my cylinder hole I can see marks of a ring like that and also two holes where the screws has been. Can someone explain this to me??

The topflash
If I look on the top of my machine I can see two holes that i presume is for a topflash. I have only seen one with a topflash on ebay (see picture). Could this be an original topflash or is it made later on??

The number in the wood

L.M.O 103
SAMC660
Does someone knows what that stands for??

The text over the coin-rale and the instruction card
The text ”the clown nr 103B licensed under patent 23 431/1900” I don´t know how to read this information, could someone explain it to me?

On the instruction card a small paper is glued over i think the word ”coin”. Has this machine been working with some kind of tokens??

I have been told that the machine is from the year 1912-1913. Could this be a correct information?

Other than my particular questions I am pleased with any information about this machine.

fredslilja