How Midway motorized score reels work (1965 to 1975)
From about Mystery Score (August 1965) until around 1975, Midway games moved their reels with two motors in the middle of the backbox, one spinning forward and one in reverse. On reset the reverse motor runs for a set time and each reel slips on a clutch once it locks at zero. To score, the forward motor runs while a latch relay on the lowest reel lets it turn, timed by the feature motor and read by wiper fingers on a bakelite disc; higher reels move only on a carry.
Systems
Related tips
- Score reels by maker
- How score reels come out, by maker
- Check a score reel mechanism
- How the score motor resets the reels
- Clean the score reel relays
- Bally score reel relays
- Find out if score reels are stopping the start-up
- Parts common to solenoid-driven score reels
Source: Repairing Electro-Mechanical (EM) Coin Operated Games to 1978, Part One, Clay Harrell (pinrepair.com)