Mills/Sega Lucky Horseshoe/Devil

[thndrr]

Hello all! I am new here, and recently acquired a machine that has been in the family for a while. The machine is a Sega Bell. I have found a few pics of the machine online, but nothing as far as how it operates and definitely not how to service it! There are very few markings inside the machine itself.

It has some electronics where most Mills machines have the jackpot assembly. The problem is no one knows or has seen how the machine is supposed to work as the cord was cut and removed many years ago. I talked to some local shops and even they had no idea.

I had some questions that maybe someone can help with.

1. How does the machine work?Does the devil light up on front randomly and any symbol on the middle reel in pay line trigger it? What's the payout? The card is vague on mystery payouts, jackpots (Bar Bar Bar), and whatever the 'Devil' feature is. Should there be a jackpot assembly? Otherwise not sure how it would pay out the jackpot. So I have answered this based on the thread aristomatic linked. The feature is triggered when a jackpot is hit, the devil lights as stated, and for what seems like a set duration of time all symbols in the first reel give 10 coins. The knob potentially adjust the duration of the feature.

2. Is this transformer likely 110v? Would like to replace the cable and plug it in! Might answer some of these questions, but didn't want to risk damaging it if its expecting a higher voltage. I was able to find a post of another device from around the same time period and it was not 110v, but nothing conclusive. I could always replace the transformer, but I don't know what its outputting.

3. What do the blue wires connect to? Is it possibly an aftermarket addition? They seem out of place.

4. I have not been able to find reel strips that match with the Devil in the middle reel, is there a source? I'm also still figuring out how to trace the reels and identify them properly. They are not correct and some of the strips are missing parts. I have determined the Devil is not even supposed to be on the middle reel, and likely all of my reels are misaligned and nowhere near correct.

5. What does the knob (potentiometer) on the brains do? Is it a volume adjustment, or some sort of jackpot adjustment? Likely an adjustment for the time that the jackpot feature stays on.

6. There has never been a back door/panel. It seems like some of the mechanism is possibly made to be actuated by the door being in place? This hasn't seemed to affect its operation, but just a curiosity. I am still tracing all the levers, etc.

Looking forward to talking to everyone! Thanks!

[aristomatic]

Hello and welcome.

There are others who have more knowledge and experience of working on the Lucky Devil and similar variants, so I am sure they will be along soon to get you sorted. In the meantime you can utilise the search function to filter similar threads over the years.

Just tap in 'Lucky Devil' in the search box top right and have a read through.

Here's one I picked out just to get you started but there are others!

Sega type Lucky Devil

[thndrr]

Excellent thanks! Just looking at that and thinking about it, the devil can't really be in the middle reel, as there would be no way for a finger to get to that wheel through the first wheel. Likely these reels are completely wrong. I will attempt to map them tonight.

[aristomatic]

From your pictures I think the rear casting (backbonnet) is also missing its backstrap. This strap runs along the flat section of the backbonnet and is attached by four rivets. The missing metal back door slides under this backstrap.

Here's an image to show. It's off a Mills version Hightop but shows the part missing regardless.

[coppinpr]

Welcome to the forum.
The history of this machine would be interesting. Sega "Lucky Devil" machines usually look like this one I restored a few years ago (sold now, so can't refer to it directly).

Either your machine was an earlier model using the same mech in an old style case (not really likley) or someone has put the mech from an LD in an old case and squeezed in the electrics.

From what we can see of the electrics they are the same as the standard LD. The standard way of starting the Lucky Devil type of feature on most machines was to use a cog system low down on the right side of the mech. A switch in the same area started the cog which moved on with each pull till it clicked off, ending the feature, but if I remember correctly, this machine replaced the cog with a timer which activated from the same switch low down on the right side.

Without being able to connect the electrics it's going to be hard to check out and if the transformer is indeed a 110v only it won't stand our 240v. If the machine was running on UK coins, chances are it's not 110v BUT you must be sure before connecting it up and beware of the danger. Even if the transformer is putting out low power to most of the machine it may well be putting out 240v to some areas.

You may be right about no Devil needed on the center reel but not because of the reason you give. Why can't a finger go through to the middle payout disc and beyond if needs be? I'm unclear on what you mean here.

Is the machine working and paying out correctly mechanically? Test all the payouts with the mech out of the machine (look up the fan stop method which can be found in many posts on this forum).

List the reel strips as they are, noting any operator added patches, and I'll try and look them up. I can make new ones to your requirements if you ever need any.

[aristomatic]

Here's some more background info on this pay out feature,
In this thread there is also a link to another thread too........

Looking for information about a Berkeley machine

I have seen a fair few Hitops with the additional lucky devil feature and award card fitted just like yours and there are others with a similar payout feature fitted but not actually lucky devil artwork.

Lucky Horseshoe Hightop for sale

It may also be beneficial to post pictures of the mechanism outside of the cabinet, in particular the handle side lower and upper, so members can see payout parts at the lower part of the sideframe and vertical fingers at the upper part of the sideframe.

As always, it's best to get loads of advice before starting to adjust or moving things. Take pictures of all parts before you start any project so you can see your start point.

As it's holidays some members who may be best placed to help you may be away, so bear this in mind. It's always easier if someone has the same model and or machine
layout or has recently gone through the same process as it's fresh in their minds and they may have pictures to run through the process with you.

If you want parts to complete the machine, there is a wanted section within the Market on the site. See top left on homepage. Just a nominal charge to list for parts wanted.

Good Luck

Here's another hitop image.

[thndrr]

I have attached some photos of the mechanism. It does not seem to be paying out properly at all. I get 2 coins occasionally randomly, nothing more. The reels definitely are incorrect, and i'm still unsure if the payout system is also partly to blame. I've tried manually lining the reel holes to trigger a 10 coin pay out without success.

I should have noted I am in the USA. The machine has lived most of its live in the US, however the only non numeric identifier on the machine is on the backbonnet, two decals that say Brighton, England. If I put 110v into the transformer, nothing comes out. There are zero identifying marking on the transformer, so I am unsure of its input/output. Anyone have specs on the Lucky Devil (or the variations) electronic requirements?

The escalator assembly has been jamming quite a bit (almost 75% of the pulls) when I put the mechanism back in during testing, it worked flawlessly before I removed the mechanism. The machine has run off of US 10c pieces (dimes) as long as its been in the family, and never skipped a beat unless one of us as kids put something else in it, then it would jam. Whether that is what its setup for (dimes) or just a fluke I dont know.

[coppinpr]

Although your machine clearly has electrical problems most problems are caused by dirt and old grease. If the two things are going on at the same time it can really complicate the matter.

We can now see the right side of the machine and that starts to clarify some of the electrics. It looks from what we can see as if the switch down low by the horizontal fingers switches the electric feature ON when the correct finger is released. This would be pretty much normal for this feature. I'm guessing from one of the other photos that the feature is switched OFF by one of the vertical fingers being released up near the payout discs cutting the circuit through the switch we can just see there. Of course nothing will work if the transformer is not putting any power out to the mech. It looks as if the solenoid mounted on the vertical fingers is engaged by the on switch (down low right) and stays on till the circuit is broken by the off switch (top near the payout disc), so to get an idea of the transformer needed you need to know the voltage of the solenoid. Hopefully, it's written on it although they are notorious for burning off their paper covers. You also need to check the power for the lighting goes through the transformer. If it does, then check the voltage of the bulbs. This too will help in getting details of the transformer. As you are in the US, you know what input power is needed (110v, I suspect). Once you know the output needed you can replace the transformer.

I assume all other payouts are provided by the normal slide method. We need to see photos of this area please. You say when you set up a payout nothing happens. Unless you have a very unusual problem, I bet something happens... just not all of the process. So set up a winner and track it back from the payout disc and let us know at what point it fails (do not test using the feature of course). The sequence should be:

1. the correct vertical finger falls through the payout disc,
2. at this point the slides should be held back from the horizontal fingers by the clock operated slide brake,
3. the movement of the vertical finger going through the payout disc causes the correct horizontal finger down low on the right side to retreat away from the slides that are going to make the payout,
4. the clock moves on the releases the slide brake,
5. the master slide shoots back into its starting place letting the slides fall back to be restrained by the horizontal fingers, all except the ones mentioned in (3.) which continue on to make the payout.

The escalator may well be just dirt. They do suffer from wear more than almost any other part, so that is a concern. It may be you are running the wrong coin which might have worked fine just by luck but is causing extra wear especially to the escalator. Remove it, clean it, check for wear and any signs it used to run another coin.

I'm sorry this is long winded but I'm not sure how much you know about the payout cycle.

[treefrog]

I can confirm that your 1st and second reels are the wrong way around, either just the reel strips or the actual reel tins. To confirm you will need to go through a complete payout check with the clock stopped and poking a long screwdriver through each of the holes writing down each of the awards. I often use sticky bits of post it notes on each to mark what they are. If the reel bundle has been swapped, would explain why payouts not happening when expected.

I would focus on this as electrics are only for the special award. I have the same machine somewhere, but buried... Also, why do you think the transformer is 110v, it may have never been changed from the U.K. 240v as this is obviously a machine from here and probably runs on sixpence similar to 10c, but not the same? In terms of jams from coins, you will need to take off the coin tube - easy - a single screw on the side, remove, check tube and coin slides....

[thndrr]

It's definitely grimy, it probably hasn't been cleaned in 40 years.

The transformer feeds the box with the potentiometer on it, from there everything else is powered. The solenoid actually does have writing on it, this is the (albeit it much more modern looking) solenoid from the same company. All I can make out on it are "BAC 3" "50 CY" and "Cont RTG". I can't read the voltage.
http://www.hebsbenson.co.uk/wp-content/ ... 3-Data.pdf

The bulbs are fairly nondescript, Edison miniature screw bulbs like you would find in a flash-light. Two of them, in small holders.

Lo and behold, the reel strips actually are labelled by pencil "Left" and "Center", and flipped. The disc themselves are stamped, the left most SG-1, middle SG-2, and no markings oddly on the third reel. No actually print markings on the strips themselves.

Mapping the reels looks pretty straightforward, however how do I know which payout finger goes to which symbol? Or is that part of the fun as well? Most of the payouts on this machine are 10 coin, so it may be problematic.

Thanks everyone for your input, it's nice having some experts to lean on!