AUTOMATIC AGE
October, 1939
A ge . It had a capacity for 250 drinks,
and was being offered by Otis A.
Roberts of Oklahoma.
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The National Candy Coated Prod
ucts Co. of Brooklyn was taken over
by the Flatbush Gum Company of
the same city after the former con
cern's factory was completely de
stroyed by fire.
units throughout leading railroad
systems since 1887.
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Operators were writing in to A uto
matic A ge to secure the name of a
manufacturer of bath towel dis
pensers to be used at pools, bathing
beaches and resorts.
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15
The Hartford, Conn., office of the
Internal Revenue office was investi
gating complaints that cigarette
vending machines were being used
to break the law regarding the show
ing of internal revenue stamps on the
packages. The government asked
that the revenue stamp be placed
towards the front of the machine
and not the end of the package that
has the name of the brand on it.
“Honest John,” a skill penny gum
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vendor was being advertised by the
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Alfred A. Drapkin Limited, of Y. & S. Vendors of Seattle, Wash
F.
J.
Lisman,
New York invest
England, tobacco chain system, con ington, who were the sole distribu
ment
banker,
accepted
temporarily
tracted for 5,000 automatic machines tors in the U. S.
the
presidency
of
Consolidated
Auto
on a royalty basis to dispense to
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matic Merchandising Corporation
bacco products throughout England.
The Automatic Retailing Corp. (CAMCO). It will be remembered
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(ARCO) of New York City was of that Franklin D. Roosevelt, now
Medicine was being dispensed by fering a large capacity penny paper president of the U. S., was a director
coin machines in London. When the cup dispenser. The mechanism was of CAMCO.
Londoner felt the need of something manufactured by Doehler Die Cast
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to cure a cold or to quiet his nerves ing and the cups were manufactured
An estate of $1,000,000 was left by
he dropped a coin in a slot machine exclusively by the U. S. Envelope Co. the late Herbert S. Mills, head of the
on the street corner and received the for ARCO.
Mills Novelty Company until his re
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needed “relief.*” It was reported that
cent death.
machines would soon be ready to
The Calvert Indian Shooter made
The estate included 50,000 shares
supply most any cure from pills to its appearance in a two-color display in the novelty company valued at
hair tonic.
ad. Manufactured by the Calvert $504,800 and real estate valued at
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Mfg. Co. of Baltimore, Md., it could more than $400,000.
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An automatic “dime-in-the-slot” be regulated to shoot an average
talking motion picture machine de from three to ten shots for a cent,
A very novel and practical use of
signed for the protection of talk and vended ball gum for each oper coin devices was found in the Giant’s
ing and singing films in daylight in ation.
Ball Park in New York City. Each
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an enclosed box-like apparatus was
seat was equipped with a coin slot in
demonstrated in New York by its
The Consolidated Automatic Me/ which a dime could be placed, then
inventor, Robert C. Belgau.
chandising Corporation (CAMCO) raising the seat, and a door was re
Mr. Belgau called his invention reported the installation of 431 ma leased which allowed the purchaser
“The Aerophone” and said it was de chines during June for a record to take out a seat cushion. The
signed for installation in any public month. Orders received for future cushions were attached to the seat in
place or private home. Five minutes delivery numbered 386 machines, in such a way that they could not be
were required to show a film.
cluding 308 units, seventy-two talk carried away.
According to the inventor, when a ing devices and six money-changers.
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coin was inserted tiny red and blue
“footlights” flashed on, a curtain
An announcement reported that
rises displaying a glazed glass screen Montgomery Ward stores were in
approximately 24 inches wide by 20 stalling Pack Shop automatic show
inches high, and after the footlights cases. The decision of the mail order
are automatically dimmed the pic chain to go into the business of sell
ture is flashed on the screen.
ing candy automatically through
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Pack Shop machines was reached
D. Robbins & Company of Brook after a three month’s trial of the
lyn were offering exclusive rights to show cases in the Chicago store,
operators in their territory for hand where the machines were in compe
kerchief dispensers and milk choco tition with other types. The com
late merchandising machines.
pany also reported that the machines
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were being installed in the Publix
Autosales Corp. installed more Theatres.
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than 8,000 five-and-ten-cent vending
George M. Stopper perfected a
machines over 401 principal railroad
means whereby inaccurate scales
systems since March 15, 1929.
These installations represented the scales could be checked by persons
first phase of a campaign to operate being weighed. Attached to the scale
the new type vending machines in was a mechanism which allowed a
20.000 waiting rooms and platforms fifty pound weight to descend upon
of the 165 railroads with which Auto the platform. If the scale read
“fifty-two” it meant that the person
sales made contracts.
Garment Factory Workers welcome
The company, which had more than seeking his weight would have to cool
refreshment from Bally Bever
subtract
two
pounds
from
his
reading
200.000 vending machines installed
age Vender in Jacob Seigel Com
over the country, operated its selling on the scale.
pany’s Philadelphia plant.
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