If you have never owned a pinball machine before, then a lot of the terminology frequently used to describe the various parts of may be confusing. Some of these terms are self explanatory, such as flippers or bumpers. Some however are slightly less obvious. This guide will take you through some basic pinball terms and expressions that will make this incredible machines easier to understand.
Pinball Machines at a Glance
- Backbox - The backbox is the large vertical part at the back of the pinball machine, and it contains all the main circuitry that helps to run the game and keep the scores.
- Display - The display is what shows your scores, and other relevant information whilst you play. it can either be a D.M.D (Dot-Matrix Display) or an alphanumerical display.
- Backglass - The backglass is easy to recognise with its characteristic artwork. It’s also in place to help protect the internal backbox circuitry
- Cabinet - The cabinet is the main body of the game. It contains all of the essential components for playing the game, from the mechanics to the playfield itself.
- Playfield - The pinball machine’s playfield is where all gameplay takes place. It’s where you will find all your flippers, ramps, bumpers and other toys to interact with.
- Lockdown bar - The lockdown bar is a horizontal metal strip that covers the top-front edge of the machine. The lockdown bar is what keeps the playfield glass in place.
- Coin Door - The coin door on a pinball machine is where you can access internal parts of the cabinet including the lockdown bar release and service switches. This is also what you would open to collect takings.
Inside the Coin Door
- Service Switches - The service switches are a bank of 3 or (usually) 4 push-switches On most pinball machines, there are usually 4 (sometimes 3) service switches for navigating through any game’s operator menus.
- Tilt Bob - The tilt bob is a very simple mechanism inside the cabinet (usually on the left). It’s comprised of a hanging rod with a conical weight attached to it, and surrounded by a metal ring. This mechanism detects when the game is shaken or moved during a game, and what causes the table to tilt when shaken too much.
Playfield Features
- Trough - The trough is found at the bottom of the playfield, and is where balls will end up once lost from the playfield.
- Shooter Lane - The shooter lane is a long, wooden chute where a ball will be delivered to at the start of each ball, almost always at the bottom right of the playfield.
- Slingshots - Slingshots are the obtuse triangle shaped bumpers placed above the flippers.
- Coils - Coils are essential components to any pinball machine. They are small but powerful electromagnetic plungers that are responsible for making all kinds of playfield mechanisms work from bumpers, flippers, diverters and countless other things. Caution - Coils are powerful, high-voltage components. Do not touch these especially whilst a game is switched on.
- Switches - Switches are another important component on a pinball machine playfield. Switches are used to detect where a ball is currently is at any given time on the playfield and to tell the game when a certain shot is made. If a game isn’t responding as you’d expect or certain shots aren’t rewarded, then there is a chance that the switch responsible for that shot may not be working.
Need More Help?
Naturally, there are many, many more components to find on a pinball machine, but thankfully you don't need to have an encyclopedic knowledge in order to enjoy the game. If you're curious about any other parts of a pinball machine, then just get in touch. We'll be happy to help where we can! Call us on 0800 622 6464.
