Automat

The Automat, manufactured by Bally Manufacturing Corporation in 1936, is a single-player electro-mechanical (EM) machine (Model 72) that was built as a payout machine -- a coin-operated amusement device that awarded payouts based on where the ball landed, a common category for Bally's output in this period. This predates flippers by more than a decade; flippers were not introduced until 1947, so play relied on a plunger-launched ball, bumpers, and targets tied to mechanical relays and switches.

The Automat's existence highlights the development of pinball and payout amusement machines during the mid-1930s, a period when Bally was rapidly iterating on new models.

Without further information on the Automat's design, art, or theme, it's difficult to comment on these aspects in detail. It remains a piece of Bally's early production history, notable mainly for its rarity and age.