Fun With Pinball

The Restoration and Photographic Study of a 1934 Rock-Ola World's Series Pinball Machine (continued)

Other Parts

One of the things that makes World's Series notable is the extensive use of metal castings above and below the playfield.  All of the metal pieces in the game were cleaned with some combination of tumbling, polishing, tooth brushes, brass wire brushes and elbow grease.  Shown here are many of the castings and major metal components after they were cleaned and before reassembly.

RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough RWS1 Main Trough

RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough RWS2 Cover for Main Trough

The RWS1 Main Trough is the largest casting in the game.  It mounts under the playfield to catch the balls as they fall through the various holes and delivers them to the Elevator lift on the right side of the cabinet.  The RWS2 Cover for Main Trough mounts on top of the Main Trough and prevents the balls from escaping into the game cabinet.

Installing the bells Installing the spring

Bells and spring installed Bells and spring installed

The RWS1 Main Trough holds a pair of bells that are struck as balls fall through the Out holes on the playfield.  The bells are mounted with 8-32 x 3/8" round head slotted machine screws that fit into tapped holes in the Trough.  Initially I added thin lock washers as shown to minimize the area where the bell contacts the Trough hoping to minimize the dampening as the bell rings.  This seemed to create a gap in the trough however where balls would occasionally hang up instead of draining to the Elevator lift so I removed them in the end.

The Trough also holds the RWS25 RWS1 & 2 Casting Spring on a pair of hooks at one end.  The spring covers a small opening in the front of the Trough where the operator is meant to install the game balls without having to remove the playfield glass.

Joining the Main Trough and Cover Main Trough and Cover joined

Main Trough and Cover joined Main Trough and Cover joined

The RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough are joined together with three 8-32 x 3/8" flat head slotted machine screws that fit into tapped holes in the Cover.

Installing the RWS1 Main Trough RWS1 Main Trough installed RWS1 Main Trough installed

Installing the RWS1 Main Trough RWS1 Main Trough installed RWS1 Main Trough installed

The combined RWS1 Main Trough and RWS2 Cover for Main Trough mount to the underside of the playfield with four #6 x 1/2" flat head slotted wood screws.

603 Main Push Bracket 680 Stamping for Push Bracket Spring 603 Main Push Bracket

The 603 Main Push Bracket is mounted with four #6 x 1/2" round head slotted wood screws and three 3/16" ID x 7/16" OD .03" thick brass washers.  A 680 Stamping for Push Bracket Spring is used in place of the brass washer in the corner mounting point.  The bracket slides forward when the coin slide is pushed in to mechanically reset the game.  I used some paste wax on the bracket and on the wood below to reduce the friction between the two.

RWS12 Main Pushrod Spring RWS12 Main Pushrod Spring

The RWS12 Main Pushrod Spring returns the 603 Main Push Bracket to its resting position after the coin slide as pushed it forward to start a new game.  It mounts between the 680 Stamping for Push Bracket Spring and a hole in a lifted lever on the Main Push Bracket.

Parts Reference

World's Series Parts List World's Series Instructions

Rock-ola produced a Parts List and Instructions sheet for World's Series (available from Buckwerx.com) that identified many of the parts used.  Below is a modern recreation of that parts list, inspired by the original. Note that not all parts are shown on the illustration.

Annotated Parts List Annotated Parts List

Patent Illustration of Playfield from below

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