reciprocating ratchet that is
~
used on so many machines
to insure that the lever is
:~-
taken all the way through
~
its motion before being
a
~
~ - - ~ ~ - - ~ allowed to return. This
Figures 11 & 12
ratchet also insures that the
lever will complete its return without the possibility
of tampering. As can be seen in "Fig 5" and again
in "Fig 8", "Fig 9", and "Fig 1 0", of the patent draw-
ing shown (Figures 11, 12), this ratchet was first
introduced in the Advance Match Vendor.
How many other machines enjoyed the inventive
innovations or decorative touches of B.M. Davis? I
for one don't know. We can say, however, that he
did give us two of the most elegant machines from
an elegant era. The next time you notice a similari-
ty between machines, remember it may be more
than coincidence. They may have common roots
like B.M. Davis of Chicago.
~~
MARVINS MARVELOUS
MECHANICAL MUSEUM
f ft
VISIT US NEXT TIME YOU ARE
IN THE DETROIT AREA
ARCADE LOADED WITH ANTIQUE
ARCADE MACHINES, VIDEOS, PINBALLS
AND CRAZY, CRAZY ITEMS.
MARVIN YAGODA
31005 Orchard Lake Road
Farmington Hills, Michigan 48334
248-626-5020
TRASH BOX FIND
by J oho Carini
I enjoy reading the Auction News, and attending a few auctions each month. There was one in particular
I wanted to attend, but it was kind of far, and I was busy. They had listed 2 match machines that I was inter-
ested in - one was a Hawkeye and the other a Pix Matches. I decided to call and proxy bid. The auctioneer
was rather new to the business - he told me this was only his 6th auction. We had a rather long discussion.
First I entered a proxy on the machines, then he told me about a third one that was so rusted they just threw
it away. I asked him to describe it. He gave me a brief description - it had a rust cast
iron mechanism and a carousel that said "Safety matches 1 cent a box." I told him I
would pay him to retrieve it and send it to me as a parts machine.
He did retrieve it and e-mailed me photos. As I suspected it was an Ideal Safety
Matches machine, or what was left of it, in rather rough condition (see photo). I
thought he would just sell it to me, but instead he put it in his next auction. Again, I
entered a proxy. I had lost the first two machines, and was determined to win this one.
Finally, the auctioneer called back to let me know I won it for
$150.
When I received the machine I knew I had my work cut
out for me. A friend who is a master woodworker and millwright helped me to do the
restoration. He used 80 year old Oak wood to create the base. We soaked the mech-
anism for 5 days in an acidic solution to remove the rust. After adding a few springs
and bolts, the machine worked perfectly. He was able to do all this work using a pho-
tograph from Silent Salesman. I then located a dome. I still have a few more things
to finish, but overall, can't believe the transformation (see photo).
6