Arcade Machines, Page 2

1920's Original Erie Digger. In 1896 a child's toy was modified to mechanically vend candy from a tray. The first digger machine! In the early 1900's, Erie Manufacturing company of Hartford Connecticut began producing Erie Diggers, taking the name from the highly publicized digging of the Erie Canal in New York. Early on, the machines were used exclusively to vend candy, however operators discovered that by placing money in the prize tray, the machines could be used for gambling. The Erie machines and others like them were ubiquitous at county fairs and penny arcade's, mostly for gambling until 1951 when the new Johnson Act law completely banned them. Diggers disappeared until 1953 when a compromise was reached and they reappeared without coin mechanism's, soley to vend novelty items. During the 1960's digger's slowly disappeared from the public. However, in the 1970's and 80's a new form of digger appeared using a claw to get stuffed animals or prizes. Claw machines are commonly seen in restaurants and arcades today. The above machine is a rare Model S Erie Mechanism, built sometime between 1924 and 1931. It sits on top of it's shipping crate as was common for traveling carnival's during that era. Work was done on this machine by Jim Roller who I consider to be the world's foremost expert on diggers. If you are interested in diggers, or would like to read more about their history, I suggest visiting Jim's website which is listed in the link's section of the main page of this website.

1958 Keeney Scramball. This nickle machine was used at bars and taverns for gambling purposes. After a coin is inserted, the colored ball's are dropped to a shooting lever in the lower right corner. Bets are placed on the order which the ball's will eventually end up at the color coded finish line. One by one the ball's are shot up to a ledge on the top of the playfield. A button on top is pushed and the ball's 'scram' down a wire maze, ending up at the color coded finish line. Winning bets were paid.

1905 Mill's Auto-Steroscope. This machine displays 15 stereo cards (Two side by side pictures on each giving a illusion of three dimensions) sequentially telling a story. Known as 'Drop Card' machines, different versions were produced by Caille, American Novelty, Exhibit Supply, Mills Novelty and others. The mechanism is entirely mechanical with a spring driven clockwork drive which switch's on a bulb and sequentially displays the stereoview cards. The cabinet is quite ornate with the brackets which hold the handles on the side being Mill's 'Owls' and the legs being very detailed 'Claws' holding roller balls. These machines were usually set to accept either a penny or a nickle. This one is set to accept a nickle. Drop card machines were extremely successful and were a staple of every penny arcade. They can still be found in some arcades today and modern reproductions are being produced for arcade use. This original machine contains a series of stereocards from the early 1900's depicting a story of courtship followed by marriage followed by old age.

1937 Watling Tom Thumb Penny Scale. These scales provide both weight and a fortune telling answer for one penny. The patron stands on the scale, rotates a knob on top to one of many pre-written questions and inserts a penny. A window is then opened up revealing the answer to the question. Simultaneously, the scale gives the patron their very precise weight. The scale also includes 'standard weights for given heights' for both men and woman. By todays standards, these weights are humorous. As a child, I remember seeing these scales at the front of almost every Woolworths 5+10 cent store I ever visited.

1949 Silver King National Hunter. These shooting gallery machines are usually known as 'Duck Hunt'. One places a penny in the gun and shoots the actual penny at the row of three ducks in the rear. Sucessful hits knock a duck over. (They can be reset by a knob on the side). A gumball is then dispensed by pulling the knob on the front.

1960's Big Strike Verticle Bowling Machine. This fun game accepts dimes and was used for many years at the arcade in Playland amusement park. After a coin is inserted, the lever on the side is turned and a small rubber ball is released. The ball is then shot using the lever on the front vertically. It then loops down and by gravity falls past the pin's knocking whatever pin it pass's down and exposing a numeric point value. Hitting already knocked over pin's does not increased point value. Knocking over all the pin's earns the player a free game. The same ball is used each time with a mechanical counter allowing ten shots per game.