beverage dispenser (Spacarb 4-D-51) after
it arrives from New York?" I asked of
Higgins service man, Dale Fisher, as Bill
and Pete Higgins showed me through their
warehouse and syrup factQry rooms_
The first thing that happens, he ex-
plained, is the un crating of the 66" x 30"
x 25" dispenser after its arrivaL Then it is
loaded, connected and run for a week or so
in the sholJ to be sure it's in perfect run-
ning condition_ About 300 to 400 drinks
are taken out of the new machine before
it is installed in a location. This usually
shows up any trouble and the machine
reaches its location ready to serve the public
with trouble-free operation.
The 4-drink Spacarb has a 1000 cup
capacity, 7-ounce size. In areas where the
price is higher, the 4-D-5l can be adjusted
to dispense 600 10-ounce cups. The machine,
itself, can be loaded to a capacity of 2200
cups, saving the operator the work of re-
filling when it is in use and runs out of
cups. Mme cups are quickly put in the
dispenser and the machine is ready to go
tor another 1000 drinks, all in a matter of
seconds.
Some of the things checked in the Hig-
gins shops (before installation) are syrup
throw, carbonation, electrical circuits, cup
drop and coin chutes. Carbonation is very
important as dirt in that Qr the water line
can throw the whole machine off and leave
the drink flat.
"We've had new machines give drinks
that were flat . . . no carbonation • . .
just because of a few specks of dirt," said
serviceman Lee Bauscher.
"Sterilclor," a sterilization and cleaning
product is usually flushed through the lines
if the carbonation is not good.
After the machine has completed its trial
run in the shQP, it is ready for installation
in a location. Four kinds of drinks, likely
to prove most popular for that particular
location (and season of the year) , are
selected and plastic-lettered signs (Coca-
Cola, Root Beer, HQt ChoCQlate, etc. ) are
slipped under the glass display panel.s on
the upper part of the cabinet. They become
illuminated flavor selector signs as soon as
the electricity is connected.
The cups (the Higginses use the Lily-
Tulip 7Y2 ounce size with the Spacarb em-
blem on them) come in boxes of one hun-
dred each. The machine has ten circular
CQntainers, each holding one hundred cups.
Loading the cups is done in a jiffy with
sanitation coming first.
Demonstrating this, Bill Higgins tore
one end of the 100 cup carton off, being
careful not to touch the cups. Then, hold-
ing the outside of the carton, he placed the
open end over the empty cylinder in the
Spacarb. A slight shake Qf the carton and
the cups slid into the cylinder without a
hand touching them.
Repeating this nine times, he had the
machine loaded with 1000 cups in a few
moments. Then the cylinders which hold
th~ liquids were removed from the inside
of the beverage dispenser and loaded with
the machine on one of the Higgins' trucks.
At the location (the first one of the new
4-drinkers went to Fort Lewis), the ma-
chine is carefully unlQaded and assembled.
Water and electricity are connected to the
machine (by the Higginses unless local
laws forbid it).
Next the machine is loaded with what-
ever kind of drinks have been selected.
They may be hot and cold and carbonated
and non-carbonated with any combination.
Hot and cold drinks are dispensed in the
same cups, arriving there through acid and
corrosion resistant stainless steel or plastic
parts.
When they first went into business, the
Higginses bought many different kinds of
concentrates, experimenting with different
types and formulas until they found the
ones they liked the best. Now all their con-
centrates are made to their order at a local
supplier. They make their own extracts
except Coca-Cola and choCQlate syrup.
At present they are using the following
flavors: Coca-Cola, Lemon-Lime, Cherry,
Grape, Root Beer as well as Hot ChoCQlate.
.Should any syrup flavor start to slump in
a location they immediately substitute an-
other.
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Dept.CMR
PENNY K.ING
415 Neptune Street,
28
~O.
Pittsburgh 20, Pa.
The coin changer is a late, improved
model automatic coin changer. Installing
it or' replacing one unit with another can
be done in a few minutes by anyone that
can remove four screws. It is usually loaded
when the machine is serviced. Canadian
nickels sometimes cause trouble, some of
them sticking due to pull from the slug
ejectQr's magnetic field on their high steel
content.
A handy container for empty cups is
placed alongside the machine and the oper-
ator is through.
The ~ustomer drops his nickel in the
chute, beginning a process that gives him
one of the freshest and most delightful
drinks possible. If it is a cold drink, it is
properly chilled no matter how long the
machine has been idle, and the same holds
true for a hot drink.
The drink is actually manufactured as
you wait. The nickel in the chute starts the
water through the carbonator and starts
the flow of syrup, as well as dropping the
cup. The flavor is selected and the syrup
and water drop into the cup. The water is
obtained from the regular water supply
and put under CO, pressure. There is al-
ways a reservoir of carbonated water. As
it is forced out, the pump forces more water
in.
After you press the button selecting your
drink, it is pumped into your cup for three
seconds. During that time you can mix
flavors by pressing other buttons which
start the flow of other flavors into the cup.
It is possible tQ mix all four flavors this
way, should you so desire.
Repairing the machine, according to
Fisher, is simplified by the machine's con-
struction. Major electrical units can be
removed simply by disconnecting the Jones
plug and new units are easily installed.
Valves are the most improved models and
can be taken apart and cleaned in a minute.
Any part of the Qperating mechanism can
be reached in a few moments.
It takes men like the Higginses to operate
successfully a high class enterprise like
cup vending. Business sense and financial
wisdom coupled with the highest degree
of personal integrity, as personified by the
Higginses, are necessary to sell the vending
industry to the public.
Lots of capital (cold hard cash) plus
technical schooling and trained technicians
for servicemen are other necessities for
the prospective cup venders, without which
failure in business and discredit . to the
American Vending Industry will undoubted-
ly follow.
Sells Cig. Vendors
To Stick To Candy
BOISE, Idaho - Sale of the Fitzwater
Cigarette Service Co. to the Boise Cigarette
Service Co. was announced recently by
D. T. Fitzwater of Boise. The 25 year old
firm's machines (National and Rowe ciga-
rette vendors) were included in the Boise
Cigarette Service purchase. The new com-
pany will be a subsidiary Qf Reeves Whole-
sale Co., Boise tobacco jobbers.
D. T. Fitzwater and I. M. Fitzwater, his
father, are not retiring from the vending
field. They are forming a new company,
Fitzwater Vending Machine Co., and will
continue their candy vending business.
The Fitzwatt;rs are operating Co an's
. .I}-SeLect-It candy vendors in Boise. They
like the machines and have very li~le
trouble with them. The 74 trays in the
V-Select-It make it possible to have up
to that number of different candy offerings.
~t present, Hershey's Babe Ruth (Cur-
tiss), Love Nest (Euclid) and Smooth
Sailin (Hollywood) are the best candy
sellers in the Boise vending machines.
CO IN MACHINE REVIEW