01/01/08:


   

Bonzin & Sopransi

redemption machine


Late December 2007, some friends i met on an arcade forum (I sometimes refer to them as imaginary internet friends) and myself met for real in Sydney, Australia. As well as spending time drinking drinking and playing MAME on the hosts awesome cab we went on a little day trip to the Blue Mountains . Which was cool, especially the train ride down the side of a cliff! But even cooler for a bunch of guys (and gal) who've gotten together for the love of arcade machines is the redemtion machine we discovered in the cable car station thingo.

A placard on the machine tells us it was manufactured in France by Bonzin & Sopransi in 1936. And it still works! Inserting 20c gets it started. the crane is positioned over a rotating tray of sweets. there are two controls, which are cast metal turn wheels. The left one rotates the table to get the most favourable position for the crane. The right one moves the crane backwards and forwards. A timer kicks in to let the crane lower its 3 jawed scoop, raise it and then take it to the center of the sweet tray. it then drops the sweets (if you picked up any). Of course with my consummate skill i was the only one in the group NOT to pick up any sweets :(

   bonzin
      & sopransi redemption machine 1936

             
crane

machine in use


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