(Topic ID: 110969)

Exhibit Supply had retrofit flipper kits for older machines

By KenLayton

9 years ago


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  • 11 posts
  • 6 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 4 years ago by robertmee
  • Topic is favorited by 2 Pinsiders

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    #1 9 years ago

    Just found this link to a Billboard Magazine article. Evidently, back in the early flipper days, Exhibit Supply (also known as ESCO) did release flipper retrofit kits to add flippers to any previous Exhibit Supply machine that was flipperless.

    http://books.google.com/books?id=gPUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA100&lpg=PA100&dq=%22exhibit+supply+company%22+coils&source=bl&ots=OO22nrg-ga&sig=PUQM_B9Qdiv5yAl77rDSfBOZEkQ&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5j55VNe0G6r-iAKDgYGYBQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=%22exhibit%20supply%20company%22%20coils&f=false

    #2 9 years ago

    On occasion you will see a pre-flipper game with retrofit flippers on them. It was a way for operators to try to squeeze a few more years out of a game by making them more "modern." Often times the flipper placement is odd and doesn't really add much value to gameplay. It's also interesting to see the flipper buttons are often mounted in an awkwardly low position.

    I never realized ESCO was the company producing these kits. That is interesting.

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    #3 9 years ago

    On the 1949 "Swanee" I'm working on, it has impulse flippers. I wonder if the retrofit kit was impulse flippers or if they were conventional end-of-stroke 3 terminal flipper coils?

    #4 9 years ago

    What are impulse flippers?

    #5 9 years ago

    Impulse flippers don't hold in the up position. So no cradling. Basically you push the button and they flip up and back down. It makes things even more challenging. I would suspect if Swanee is using impulse flippers in 1949 their retrofit kits were as well. I think all the manufacturers except Gottlieb used impulse flippers in the late 40s, early 50s games.

    #6 9 years ago

    Ken,

    Are you going to fit conventional flippers or leave as is?

    Steve J.

    #7 9 years ago

    Steve J:

    I'm just starting to work on this "Swanee" machine. The man who owns it drove it all the way from Wenatchee, Washington to me here in Olympia, Washington. He's got a budget of $1,500 to restore it. Right now I have NO schematic (and one relay wiring has been hacked, the coil is missing too) to this machine and the backglass is completely shot (poor condition). It's missing the lockdown bar so we will have a cabinet maker fabricate one.

    Anyway, I have not even plugged this machine in yet. Been slowly working on the steppers cleaning & oiling. So I don't know yet how much money will be into the machine. Personally, I would love to convert this to standard flippers. The good old reliable Gottlieb A-5141 flipper coil would be a perfect choice for this machine (coils are all 24 volts) and so would changing all the flipper assemblies to Gottlieb. So depending on the budget, it might have to remain on impulse flippers.

    By the way, I'm compiling a list of Exhibit Supply coils and relay coils for this machine. Pretty soon I should have all the specifications of the coils and it looks like some coils can directly interchange with Gottlieb and Chicago Coin ones.

    #8 9 years ago
    Quoted from jfh:

    What are impulse flippers?

    Impulse flippers use a two terminal coil just like a slingshot kicker or pop bumper would use. Because these two terminal coils cannot be "held" on, there is a flipper relay operated by an end-of-stroke switch on the flipper. The combination of this normally open EOS switch and flipper relay provides a quick pulse to the "flipper" coil so it does not burn up. Also, both flipper button switches on the cabinet are tied together so pressing either flipper button operates ALL the flippers.

    Takes getting used to, but properly working impulse flippers can be a real challenge. Personally though in my opinion, they suck.

    #9 9 years ago

    Exhibit Supply used their # E20-23 coil for the impulse flipper coil. This crosses to a Gottlieb # A-1496 (2.95 ohms) or if you want a stronger coil, a Gottlieb A-4893 (2.1 ohms) will work.

    4 years later
    #10 4 years ago

    I stumbled across this thread while looking for some more information about my ‘48 Exhibit Supply ‘New Contact’. This game was originally produced without flippers, but the installation was done so well that I often wondered whether it was a factory kit. The link provided above is the first acknowledgment of this practice that I’ve seen. Note the decals stating “Flipper Button Here” on the lower apron. The flipper buttons are also the same pearloid red as the shooter beehive. I do believe that the wiring was cleaned up at some point later in its life.

    I have attached photos for reference. The flippers add a lot to the game play, even in their backhand configuration.

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    4 months later
    #11 4 years ago

    I just found an ESCO Jeanie playfield in a bulk buy. Looks like two flippers in the middle weren't enough, they added 2 more.

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