Bally Reserve
About This Machine
The Bally Reserve, manufactured by Bally Manufacturing Corporation in May 1938, is an interesting example of pre-flipper electro-mechanical (EM) pinball technology. This single-player, flipperless game reused the same playfield as Bally's 1937 'Daily Dozen', a common practice in an era when manufacturers turned out new titles at a rapid pace.
Gameplay on the Reserve centers on twelve spring bumpers scattered across the playfield. The machine is associated with two patents granted to inventor Frank K. Maitland - one for a vending machine and control mechanism, and one for a check or coin selector - reflecting the coin-op engineering of the period.
The game has a curious origin story: in the August 1940 issue of Automatic Age, Bally president Ray Moloney stated that Bally Reserve was an operator-designed game, though he did not name the operator. He also announced that production would soon increase to a 500-a-day schedule, a sign of the game's commercial momentum. Today the Reserve offers a glimpse into the fledgling industry's experimentation during the late 1930s.
Images (12)
Technical Details
- Model Number:
- 213
- Notable Features:
- Spring bumpers (12). Patent No. 2,063,108 [VENDING MACHINE AND CONTROL MECHANISM THEREFOR] filed June 8, 1936. Granted December 8, 1936 to Frank K. Maitland, Inventor. Patent No. 2,082,708 [CHECK OR COIN SELECTOR] filed September 26, 1936. Granted June 1, 1937 to Frank K. Maitland, Inventor.