estim ated at 76. Of this number, about 14
firms lire manufacturing shuffleboards or
accessories for this expanding amusement
device.
As explained in the February issue of
THE REVIEW, the western territory has not
only contributed ideas in shuffleboards but
it has also demonstrated to the operating
world that th e boards can be made to 'pay
a profit to th e location and the operator.
A casual check of the products of the
manufacturing firms in the area shows that
shuffleboard is not the only device ' bein g
made, but th at a total of at least 40 dif-
ferent types of coin·operated devices are
being made, or are n ow in the testin g
stage, and this does not include .the wide
variety of accessory items.
By checki ng over the complete alpha-
betical list of coin machines and accessories
in THE SOURCE BOOK, it is possible to get
,a, very complete picture of the rich variety
of machines used by the Industry and also
the proportionate number of which are
made by western firms. Th e variety of these
products, made in the West, will be con-
sidered more specifically in a separa t~ ar-
ticle, but for this review the object is to
consider some of the outstanding contribu-
tion s of the area to coin machine progress.
Since the spotlight is currently on shuffle-
board, it is now a matter of record that
the West has contributed most to rescuing
this popular amusement device from a rou-
tine diversion in taverns to make it a
national pastime. This has largely been
accomplished by leadin'g the way in th e
use of coin operation, in development of
new ideas in tables an d accessories, and in
making full use of tournaments and other
pIa y promotion ideas.
Very recent evidence of the in genuity of
western manufacturers in contributing to
the progress of th e Industry is seen in some
of the ideas now in the testing stage. These
new developments include machines for
vending hot chocolate, hot dog sandwiches,
hot doughnuts, cut flowers, photographic
machines, etc. Manufacturers have requested
that details on some of the newer ideas be
withheld until tests are completed, but it
can be said that some of these ideas may
prove unusual within a year.
The area has its hot co ffee machines and
now the hot food services are being car-
ried still further to provide hot chocolate.
At least two manufacturers will have offer-
•
Mr. Employer:
Why do you not give your em-
ployees the consideration they de-
serve, since it costs you nothing?
The 1% State Unemp loyment deduction
that you take from their salaries and
send to the State does not buy them
as much unemployment Disability Bene-
fit as ' you can obtain by purchasing a
regular insurance plan with a Private
Insurance Carrier.
This is not sales talk, but a fact-since
the law provides that no private' insur·
ance company plan complies with the ,
law unless it gives better protection than
the state lit the same cost.
The Association and Group Insurance
Bureau will gladly assist you to make
the chaDge over without charge by tele-
phoning them or dropping them a note
at
ZEIGLER INS. AGENCY, Inc.
compels grea ter attention to anything new
that comes out of the West, for who knows
when one of th ese new ideas may set the
pace for the Industry over the nation.
Using the SOURCE BOOK roster again,
western manufacturers have definitely played
a leading part in the historic advances made
in such types of machines as apple ven-
dors, bell-fruit machines, cigarette vendors,
coin radio, ice cream vendors, movie ma-
chines, pop corn vendors, pin ball games,
shoe shiners, tooth brush vendors, vitamin
ven dors, and etc. Western firms have also
played a leading part in some of the ac-
cessory fields, such as wired music, mir or
cabinets, cable, scoreboards, etc.
Some' of the contribution s made by west-
ern firms toward advancement of these
staple machines have been noteworthy
enough to be featured by newspapers and
magazines as of general interest. Certainly,
many of th em form outstanding chapters in
the 60-year record of the Coin Machine
Industry.
Apple vendors have had their ups and
downs for several years, but in every step
forward ,i n perfecting such machines it has
been western firms that lead the way. The
ultimate success in this type of machine
has depended somewhat on developments
in a national system of refrigeration and
warehousing outside the vending trade it-
self. Apple growers in Washington and
other western states have been steady
boosters of the machines and very success-
ful operations have been set up in military
camps and other loca tions. The Kold Krisp
machine is probably best known at the
present time; the most recent report is
th at this machine is being revamped and
new market plans made.
The real classic stories of western de-
velopment, of course, revolve around such
machines as bell-fruit am usement deyices,
ciga rette vendors and pin ball.
ings of this type of machine, according to
present reports. One firm offers a combina-
tion of hot coffee and hot chocolate in a
dual vendor. A firm with a name in the
homogenizer field has in th e testing stage
a development that promises to be an in-
novation in serving a new quality in hot
chocolate.
As many as three firms have hot dog
vendors on the way. The vendin g trade has
lon g dreamed of serving the ever popular
American favorite-hot dogs-through mod-
ern vending machines, and that day seems
to be here. Western manufacturers are
playing their part in getting such machines
onto the market. In this field must be in-
cluded the Dog-In-A-Kennel vendor which
will include hot dog sandwiches among the
hot food items it can dispense. This ma-
ch ine also brings Denver into the spotlight
as a city in which coin machines are made.
Some of the leaders in the vending
trade who have seen a new hot doughnut
vendor under test consider that it will be
unusual in the vending field: It h as been
developed by a Long Beach, Calif., manu-
facturer an d is noteworthy because it makes
and cooks doughnuts an d also vends th em
in a fully automatic operation, upon de-
posit of a coin. The whole process con-
stitutes a show right before the custom er's
eyes.
Newspapers considered the Flower O-Mat
a worthy news subject because of the
novelty of vending cut flowers on the de-
posit of coins. An Oakland firm has this
unusual idea ready for the market, con-
sidered the only machine of its type in the
field. It has refrigeration and vends pack-
aged corsages for 50 cents.
Coin-operated photo'graphic machines are
not new to th e trade, but it is well to con-
sider that a Los Angeles manufacturer has
one on test on some of the husy streets
of the city, a machine for which he claims
many simplifications in the photographic
process an d also in the pictures vended to
customers.
So much for the spectacularly new. It
is the many contributions to some of th e
more staple types of machines, through
many years past, that makes th e true storv
of western manufacturing, and also iJ{-
spires confidence in the future growth of
manufacturing in this entire area. It also
•
Charlie Fey
Perhaps the outstanding chapter of all
in contributions of the West to coi n ma-
chine progress is th e story of Charlie Fey
and of his first bell machine, the Liberty
Bell. San Francisc,o newspapers years ago,
before his death, paid him special honor
in telling the public about his many in-
ventions and especially the "slot machine."
(See WESTERN FIR MS, page 29)
The l1eltJ EXTRA AWARD
C;:RISS CROSS
JACKPOT BELLE
This outstandinC] bell features EXTRA·AWARDS in addition
to the conventional payouts.
CRISS CROSS is desiC]ned for clubs preferrinC] liberal
payout machines.
4223 WES1 LAKEST-REET
•
CHICAGO 24, ILLINOIS
541 South Spring street
Los An\leles. Calif.
MichIgan 0961
ALL INSURANCE and BOND LINES
6
PHONES: VAN BUREN 6636·6637·6638·6533
COIN M ACHINE REVIEW