Silver Skates

Silver Skates, designed by Harry Williams with artwork by George Molentin, was manufactured by Williams in February 1953. By this point electro-mechanical pinball had been established for roughly two decades, so rather than being an early EM pioneer, Silver Skates represents a mature, well-refined example of the format, built around a hockey theme.

Its standout mechanical feature is a set of automatic flippers that activate on their own when a ball lands in the pockets positioned in front of them, working alongside two conventional impulse flippers to give players two distinct ways to interact with the ball. Two pop bumpers, three passive bumpers, and five trap holes round out the scoring layout, creating a varied and responsive playfield for a single-player game.

The automatic-flipper mechanism was a relatively unusual design choice for its time, and combined with its hockey-themed artwork, makes Silver Skates a distinctive entry in Williams' early-1950s lineup -- an interesting example of manufacturers experimenting with flipper mechanics beyond the standard player-operated pair.