MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

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MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby oldpinguy » Sun Jun 14, 2020 12:58 pm

Hi
Still working on the machine. I’m pretty sure Dick Bueschel had a page on this machine in one of the 100 Collectable Slot Machine volumes. Unfortunately, I am 500 miles from my books for the next few months.

I would sure appreciate it if someone could look it up and, if possible, do a photo or scan of the page and attach it to a reply, PM, or email (oldpinguy25@gmail.com) to me.

Thanks in advance.

Stan
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby nvmos2 » Sun Jun 14, 2020 2:50 pm

I looked in Volumes 1 to 4 and couldn't find it; does it go by another name?
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby oldpinguy » Sun Jun 14, 2020 3:17 pm

Thanks Very much for looking. I guess I was mistaken. I know I once saw an article on the Compulsory Skill that combines a a slot with that small pinball “skill shot”. Where? I can’t recall. Age related CRS I guess :?

I’ll have to wait a few months to search my library. Maybe Coin Slot, COCA ETC

Thanks again for trying to help

Stan
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby randyvw » Sun Jun 14, 2020 5:45 pm

the hoke snake comes to mind....it was a game of "skill".
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby nvmos2 » Sun Jun 14, 2020 6:08 pm

Are you referring to the side shooter?
(A small pinball type deal attached to the left side that had to be played before delivering the player's winnings.)
I think those were an after market add on for use in certain localities.
I've seen those on different make machines, but don't remember any articles in the books/mags.
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby oldpinguy » Sun Jun 14, 2020 8:04 pm

Here are a few pictures of the machine. It was made by Mills around 1940, and that is the copyright on the glass. Billboard listed used ones for sale in the 40s. Apparently a couple versions were made. Mine is in the “Jumbo Parade” format and at least one other is in a Horserace format. The horserace May have been the original since the reels are referred to as “first,second,and third” and the jackpot called “special purse”. Basically a Mills silent mechanism in a console format. However, to get around laws on games of “Chance”, they apparently went overboard and added the small pinball to make it a game of “Skill”. The mechanism is purely mechanical with conventional payout slides, not an electrical “coin slicer”. The payout fingers also close 6 volt leaf switches to indicate the winning combinations. The instructions say when you make a winning combination, you then have to make the , almost impossible to miss, “skill” shot. There is a 34 volt circuit connected to the pinball skill rollover that activates a solenoid on the mechanism frame, that ostensibly should have some some way of linking to, and preventing the payout, until you make the “skill” shot. The solenoid on my machine has a small arm that is not connected to anything and moves directly towards the mech frame. It is really hard to imagine what it could have been connected to or how it was supposed to keep the slides from activating across to the other side of the mech. So it currently pays all combos and jackpot with no need whatsoever for the “Skill Shot”. Very curious as how it’s supposed to work.
Thanks for your interest.
Stan



I remember it being seeing it described in some publication but can’t remember where.
Attachments
D6A87698-AA3B-447E-A4DD-4E140EAE82AF.jpeg
Solenoid that does nothing
A5ABCA6A-4440-451C-8E1D-7945AAE656F9.jpeg
Compulsory a Skill Glass
83353B2B-C81F-451C-A648-1207FF987F1A.jpeg
Skill Unit
CBA05E06-9724-4A29-B9FC-B3A73C73A13B.jpeg
Compulsory Skill Console
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby nvmos2 » Sun Jun 14, 2020 9:28 pm

Now I'm with you.
Below is a Pinball Side Shooter I was thinking of;
since I've not had much in the way of larger floor console slots, I did not recognize the name of your machine.
I'll have another look tomorrow.

00i0i_c40YsIUORgv_1200x900.jpg
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby Lol » Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:05 am

Sorry but i think that i posted my reply to the wrong thread. So here it is again;

I found the machine in Dick Bueschel's book "Mills Consoles". It is called the "Square Bell". There is a comprehensive 11 page article that includes various images - instructions - flyers. I have scanned the first page. There is a note by Roger H Weisensteiner "The manual that served the SQUARE BELL throughout its entire one year career. Manual D.S.4 12-7-38 1M was produced on December 7 1938 in a print run of 1,000. The relatively low quantity suggests a small machine population". Another note said "Making the skill shot on the SQUARE BELL was a snap. There was only one place for the ball to go. Hope this helps.
Laurence U.K.
Attachments
Mills Square Bell.PDF
(888.25 KiB) Downloaded 194 times
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby oldpinguy » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:12 am

Lol
Thank you so very much for the information and the pdf page. I will have to find a copy of "Mills Consoles" to be able to read all 11 pages. Do any of those page, by any chance, describe the internal mechanics of the skill payout (e.g. correct use of that solenoid and linkage to the slides) ?

Again, very kind of you to help me.

Stan

PS Nvmos. Now we know the confusion over the name. Apparently "Square Bell" not Compulsory Skill. Thanks for the photo of the side shooter. Never seen one of those either.
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Re: MILLS COMPULSORY SKILL INFO NEEDED

Postby Lol » Mon Jun 15, 2020 9:46 am

Glad to help Stan. Unfortunately there was not any schematics included in the 11 pages. Nothing at all on the detail of the solenoid and linkage to the slides. There was just one page that covered instructions and one page with a note how to set the machine for cash. I have attached these pages as they may be of further help. All the other pages were on history, images and flyers.
Laurence
Attachments
Square Bell Inst 2.PDF
(476.6 KiB) Downloaded 184 times
Square Bell Inst.PDF
(569.78 KiB) Downloaded 189 times
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