I've recently acquired a late 20's early 30's H.C. Evans "Deluxe" Roulette wheel. It was purchased in Omaha NE. The antique store doesn't know its provenance. I'm currently in the process of restoration. Upon disassembly, I discovered that it was a gaffed wheel.
There are two mechanisms on different locations of the outer wheel that are hidden underneath the laminate. I assume the table had hidden electromagnets that would activate these devices. Small pins pop out to make the ball drop after winning numbers pass dropping the ball in a safe location for the house.
I started my research and was only able to find one wheel that used the same type of pins. There are a lot of articles written about "Al Capones Roulette Wheel." The pin system was very similar. I'm just missing the table.
I'm here for information, Does anyone out there know what I got my hands on? Is this piece extremely rare or is there just a lack of information on the web? I found this wheel in a catalog image. It's hard to read. It's a long shot but I'm hoping to find an old image of a casino or speakeasy that had used this type of wheel. I'm searching for "prominence" The Goddess of Chance is pretty rare. Hopefully, someone will come across this forum and recognize it. Thanks