TURN HANDLE SLOWLY
Cover Story by Alan Sax
The first payout coin operated machines and also greatly reducing the THE CRACKERJACK
appeared in the 1890's. Charles T. Maley manufac- chance for manipulation (cheat-
tured a machine which paid 3 coins for 1 when the ing.)
Other versions of the
player was lucky. A coin was dropped into the top CARLO were licensed by the
of the machine, it bounced down a playfield of steel Cowper Manufacturing Company
pins, bouncing right and left, again and again, until in Chicago, and were named
it finally settled at the bottom. If you were lucky, THE CRACKERJACK. These
the machine paid out three coins. If unlucky, machines were all operated on ~-{~;E:.:.~
1~~:;:;';"'
well ... try again. John Lighton, famous for his nickels, and were operated into the first decade of
"Lifter" strength tester also had a 3 for 1. Players the 20th Century. The popularity faded quickly
soon wanted more than just a 3 for 1 payoff. "More after the introduction and widespread distribution of
is Better" cried the gamblers who followed the gam- the 3 reel slot machine.
bler's credo that "Money won is better than money
Later on in the 1920's, the
earned!"
JACK concept was reintro-
The Clawson Machine duced by slot inventor Charles
THE THREE JACK POT. Company took the challenge
Fey. Fey introduced an ornate-
in 1894. They devised a ly decorated machine with alu-
machine with 3 jackpots, minum castings which was a
called, not surprisingly, the penny operated machine in
THREE JACK POT. This 1924. He called the machine 3
·~~=~"~:;t~~~~:~,: machine featured 3 large JACKS .
The penny was ~ - - - - - ~
k
h • h
1
JaC pots, eac Wit a S Ot inserted in the side of the machine and flipped
:;~;!;:'~"~ .. :::·::;;:.~c:um~~,t~:!.•,:-::;~:: above the center of the jack- across the playfield with a tap of the finger. The
To • ...::~;;;,.!;,LAWSON MAC HINE co..
pot. If the coin played fell penny would bounce from pin to pin on the play-
~
,._,,., , into the opening above a field which was covered with steel pins to make the
coins randomly bounce as they worked their way to
jackpot, that jackpot would be won.
The THREE JACK POT idea was soon copied the bottom of the machine. The lucky penny would
trip the jackpot it fell into and the player would
and further developed. Maley,
and others made a five pocket
TURN HANDLE SLOWLY to empty the contents
of the jackpot into the money bowl.
machine
called
THE
In 1926 Fey
INVESTOR. It was larger and
made a 5 Jacks
more elaborate than the
machine in 1 cent
THREE JACK POT. It fea-
and 5 cent mod-
tured sharp spikes on the sides
els. As an added
of the cabinet to discourage
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feature, some of
players from slapping the sides 1·;:.--:::'."'::.:::-.:.
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the 1 cent models
of the cabinet to change the .. . - ... . -·--·
--~~-- ... -· ---
had a side gum-
destiny of the dropping coin.
Clawson also had a four jackpot machine called ball vender. The machine used a wheel depicting 2
THE CARLO. The machine featured a plunger on children on a teeter-totter that rocked back and forth
top, and a spinning disc which rocked right and left before releasing the coin into the playfield. Fey
to give an exciting spin to the coin being dropped, patented this as a game of skill, and named it THE
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