Zipper

The Zipper, manufactured by Stoner Manufacturing Company of Aurora, Illinois in November 1938, is an early example of a one-ball payout machine from the dawn of the pinball industry. It was available in ticket, cash, or check payout models, reflecting the coin-operated payout games common in the era.

The Zipper features a single compression spring bumper, a design element typical of early payout-style machines, and is housed in a console cabinet -- a furniture-style format popular for machines placed in bars and clubs of the period. As a one-ball game, each play centered on a single, high-stakes shot rather than a multi-ball sequence.

Little is documented about the Zipper's original theme or artwork, as this information has been lost to time. Its age and status as an early payout machine make it a notable piece of pre-war coin-op history, though claims about exact survival numbers today can't be confirmed.