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Charles Ahrens
Without doubt, the name Charles Ahrens ranks among the highest in the echelon of
coin-op manufacturers. For over three decades he produced quality machines
revered by operators in his time, and by collectors today. Here is a brief account of
Charles Ahrens and some of the machines that have been enjoyed by generations.
Nothing is known of Ahrens' formative years, other than he was born in Germany in the
late 1860s. Having trained as a mechanical engineer, he emigrated to England at around
the turn of the century, and it was then that he adopted the name Charles, having grown
up in Germany as Klaus Ahrens. During his early years in this country, Ahrens was
employed in the automatic music machine business, but was soon engaged in the
automatics industry on his own account, setting up a small workshop at 35 High Street,
Kingsland, Hackney.
In the period leading up to the first World War, Ahrens' business was principally
concerned with subcontracting to larger suppliers, in particular the New Polyphon Supply
Company; a business originally engaged in the distribution of German and American
mechanical music machines, but who had diversified into the automatics industry.
Ahrens may possibly have had contact with this company when he first came to this
country, and if so, with an established relationship, may well have set up his small
business for the purpose of manufacturing machines for them. Unfortunately, as a
subcontractor, Ahrens machines were not labelled or sold as his own, so little is known of
his production in this period.
It is clear that from these early pre war years, Charles Ahrens was to become more
than a subcontractor. He was an innovator and inventor; a fact evidenced by two patents
in his name, from 1907 and 1910, for stamp vending machines, and a later patent granted
in 1915 for a revolutionary ball feed device (I shall discuss this patent in greater detail
next month, space permitting). Unfortunately, Ahrens automatics business was now
seriously interrupted due to the War. This could, of course, be said of everyone at that
time, but the situation was particularly difficult for Ahrens due to his German ancestry;
he, along with many other German ex-patriots, was interned for most of the duration of
the War.
After his release, Ahrens settled in Dalston, where he recommenced his business at
la Elizabeth Buildings, Boleyn Road. According to Nie Costa, in is Coin Slot articles in
the 1980s, Ahrens secured an order from the British American Novelty Company in 1919
for the manufacture and supply of Within the Maze. These were large coin return wall
machines, which I believe were originally produced by Haydon & Urry in the early
1900s. In December 1921, Ahrens was granted patent no. 173135, for an improved
mechanism for the Mills punch ball machines, which Ahrens would manufacture in
considerable numbers over the ensuing years. The business expanded quickly, and in
1922 new premises were established at 394 City Road.
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