Zipper Flippers

A Flippers configuration in which the two lower flippers can be mechanically drawn together to close the gap between them, temporarily eliminating the center drain. When activated — typically by completing a target sequence — the flippers slide inward on tracks until they meet or nearly meet, creating a solid wall that prevents the ball from draining between them. Bally introduced zipper flippers in the mid-1960s on titles like Bazaar (1966), and the feature appeared on approximately 22 IPDB-cataloged machines. The mechanic offered an extraordinary reward: the near-certainty that the ball would stay in play until the zipper effect expired.