- description
- Player-controlled paddles mounted near the bottom of the playfield, operated by buttons on the sides of the cabinet. Harry Mabs designed the first flipper mechanism for [[manufacturer:gottlieb]]'s *[[title:humpty-dumpty]]* in 1947, and the invention transformed pinball from a game of aim into a game of reflexes and timing. Early machines used six flippers scattered across the playfield; by the early 1950s, the layout had consolidated to two flippers at the bottom — the configuration that became universal. Three-flipper and four-flipper layouts appear periodically when designers want additional shot options from the upper playfield.