What on earth is this for??!!??

[Mfresh]

Just spending a relaxing Wednesday afternoon stripping down a Whirlwind and I noticed this.

There is a lock on the front of the cab (not the one on the door), and a lock cam and switch on the other. Clearly turning the key on the outside makes the switch close on the inside, although the switch is not connected to anything. But what would it have been for? Is it some way for an operator to control switching the power on and off using a key? Or part of some weird religious ritual? Any one know the truth??

 

[strobey]

Seen this before. To add coins and credit it up

 

[David retro]

most likely a credit switch to allow for free games with out opening up the door seen a couple come in with those fitted mainly from old operator routes

 

[Mfresh]

most likely a credit switch to allow for free games with out opening up the door seen a couple come in with those fitted mainly from old operator routes

Aha. But why would an operator want to give away free games? Anyway, surely if you are going to get a key out you might as well open the door and add a credit rather than installing this contraption?

 

[JustLikeMe]

Aha. But why would an operator want to give away free games? Anyway, surely if you are going to key out you might as well open the door and add a credit rather than installing this contraption?

I'd imagine it was so that the arcade staff could add credits without having access to the cashbox...

 

[Mfresh]

I'd imagine it was so that the arcade staff could add credits without having access to the cashbox...

That makes sense.

 

[David_Vi]

Claire's Diner has a contraption identical to that but on the underside

Also turns a microswitch that was hooked up to the coin switch

 

[David retro]

That makes sense.

as mentioned above a vast amount of arcades restrict the staff that have access to certain parts of the machine