Autobank

Autobank, released in February 1934 by the A.B.T. Manufacturing Company of Chicago, is a Depression-era electro-mechanical game with some genuinely clever engineering. Its signature feature is the 'rubber banking cushion': a rotating handle on the front of the cabinet lets the player pivot a small section of the playfield side wall, adjusting the angle at which the ball leaves the shooter lane and banks into the playfield. Because it takes many rotations to adjust, players would set their angle before shooting, aiming the banked ball toward a desired area of the 41 gobble holes. Four of those score holes are guarded by rubber housings so balls can only enter by rebounding from below, a difficult feat on this flipperless game.

The machine is full of operator-minded details. A ball falling through any hole rolls down a drainboard over up to five rollovers, each advancing the score reel 200 points. The score mechanism records each game's final score in ink on a paper tape reel, advertised by A.B.T. as a way to settle disputes over award payouts, and a coin view window lets the operator check for slugs. It also carries a curious electric tilt mechanism that displays the word 'TILTED' when triggered; its internal workings are sealed in a box with no visible access, and it resets when the coin slide is pushed in.

Autobank shared an interchangeable cabinet with A.B.T.'s Autocount and Autowhirl, allowing an operator to buy a new playfield and refresh an existing machine. Measuring about 40.5 inches long and 20 inches wide, it is a compact but mechanically rich artifact of pinball's pre-flipper years.