Coin Slot Magazine - #059 - 1980 - January [International Arcade Museum]
The Incredible Hoke And His Patented Snakes
By Stephen P. Alpert
There has been a lot of interest lately in the un
window of Figure 1.
usual snake-theme slot machines made by Harry
In the patent Hoke states that the machine is for
H.
vending purposes, and is a refinement over earlier
Hoke, Jr.
several
following the recent discovery of
of his
machines.
Two distinctly Hoke
SNAKE machines are known.
One is a conver
patented
machines with
the
addition
of a ball
throwing device which controls the final operation
sion of earlier machines, with three snakes adorn
before a payout is awarded. He states "The object
ing the metal on the cabinet front and top (see
throwing device involves the representation of an
cover of March
animated thing, for example, a snake with an open
1979 Loose Change).
This ma
chine has 2 snake symbol decals put on the first
mouth for the catching of the object . . . which
reel; if one came up the player didn't win anything,
lends
but he could pull the handle again for a free play.
chine."
The largest jackpot is 50 nickels for 3 bars, 3 bells,
amusement
and
attractiveness to the ma
The three-dimensional snake head at the top could
or 2 bells and a bar.
be rotated using a knob (72 on Fig. 1) on the ex
The other Hoke SNAKE is a (so far) unique ma
terior.
chine in Harrah's collection in Reno (see page 22
to throw the ball toward the snake's open mouth
A finger-operated trigger (75) is depressed
of April 1978 Loose Change), which probably pre
(see Figure 15).
dates
a treadle (79) which allows the payout to be made.
the above machine.
This fascinating ma
The weight of the ball depresses
chine pictures two large very impressive snakes on
Hoke said the ball is intentionally made to swerve
the front, with the statements "Feed The Snake,"
when thrown so that the head has to be adjusted
"Trap The Snake," and "Try Your Skill." Snakes
either left or right by the player before the ball
are also pictured on the reels.
can enter the snake's mouth.
After
many gamblers.)
I discovered a few tokens reading HOKE
(This could frustrate
"PATENTED" SNAKES I decided to research the
Notice the skill plunger button (93) in the form
U. S. Patent Office publications to see if Hoke
of a snake's tail (Figures 1 and 2) projecting out
actually patented his machine and learn which of
from the front of the machine.
the two machines used the tokens.
searched
this is a "manually operated device for stopping
through the yearly index to patents for the 1930's
the legend-displaying reels from rotation at the will
and found three patents granted to Hoke - for a
of the operator . . . thereby enhancing the chances
pistol shooting gallery machine, a juke box mech
of a payout."
anism, and the machine in question (patent num
The payout table as given in Figure 1 is as follows:
I
ber 2,102,532). Harry H. Hoke, Jr. of Washington,
2 cherries - 2
D.C. applied for this patent of his "Coin Controlled
2 cherries and bell — 4
Machine" on Nov. 25, 1936, and it was granted
2 cherries and orange — 4
on
Dec.
14,
1937.
(It was reissued to him on
May 3f 1938, Reissue No. 20,713.)
2 oranges and bar - 8
3 oranges — 8
I ordered a copy of this patent and discovered
2 plums and bar - 12
that
3 plums - 12
the
machine
described
Hoke states that
is very
similar
to
Harrah's SNAKE machine, although the machine
2 bells and bar — 50
illustrated in the patent by drawings is significantly
3 bells - 50
different in appearance (see Figure 1 of the patent,
3 bars - 50
com
machine, you will note the following
major dis- m. The lowest two in conjunction gives 4 tokens; the
:
u
lowest 3 gives 8; the lowest 4 gives 12; all five
ferences. The reels and reel windows
lowered
use
from were
m
d
-
e
e
d
slides together deliver 50 tokens. The tokens could
from the awkwardly high
position
shown
in
the
d
a
lo
rca
be played back in the machine.
figure. The "feed
was cen
.a mechanism
own the snake"
w
D
w
The
patent also mentions a vending mechanism
tered and the 5c coin
slot
was
moved
to
the
left
w
p:// played are visible horizontally
which I believe refers to the token payout itself,
side. The coins
htt last
reproduced here). Comparing Figure 1 to Harrah's
The lowermost slide delivers a payout of 2 tokens.
as
with the machine vending tokens and not a pro
part
of
one
shake's
midsection
on
Harrah's
machine, not vertically as in Figure 1.
duct.
Tokens are mentioned in the patent and are illus
machines could be patented under the guise of a
trated
vending machine.
in
the jackpot window and coin played
© The International Arcade Museum
This is one example to show that gambling
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