C.O.C.A. Times

There were also exposed mechanism models in
early trade stimulator SEAMs, like the exciting
Clawson Dice and Weston "Tilt Tray" machines.
Their hypnotic, automatic "action" inspired a sense
of rhythm and fair play to the gambler. Many other
trade stimulator models took advantage of the pop-
ular clockwork drive too, and are testament to the
success of this form, especially "arrow" type
"Eclipse" styles. An outstanding SEAM payout
machine, The Clawson Bee Hive, was a brilliant
mechanical device that could automatically deliver
one to forty nickels on a win. The buzz of the
clockwork motor on a payout represented the sound
of bees, while the case resembled a beehive.
Making money with honey?
The most popular use of clockwork motors in
arcade machines was in "drop card" picture
machines.
The efficiency of the card mechanisms united
with long-lasting clockworks permitted many plays
on one winding. Caille's Cail-O-Scopes, Mill's
Auto-Stereoscopes, and Rosenfields were the most
popular SEAMs. Another benefit for the operator
was the clockwork controlled time limit for each
play. Time is money, and a fixed, short amount of
time for viewing a set of cards was to the operator's
advantage. Not allowing the customer to control
the pictures' advance or sharing the pictures with
non-paying guests was a definite improvement over
earlier models. Other picture viewers, like the Mills
Quartoscope and the Caille Auto-Muto, were not
automatic stored energy machines but still
employed clockwork motors as timing devices for
the same purpose.
Clockworks were regularly used as mechanism
components in many other non-SEAMS. The Mills
Lion Lung Tester employed one to drive the "roar-
ing" contraption. In Exhibit's Grandfather Clock
strength tester it was used to ring a mechanical bell.
The Caille Simplex Electric Shocker used one to
time out the "juice" after a minute. Almost all slot
machines used clockworks to time the various
mechanical sequences from stopping spinning reels
to the payout of jackpots. Phonographs and record
players required clockworks to play the music
while controlling the playback speed. And clocks
themselves were found in several scales, music
boxes and vending machines (see Stollwerck).
In expensive and delicate coin-op disk music
boxes, such as Reginas, pre-storing the energy was
a means to prevent machine damage by not allow-
ing the customer himself to wind the spring. The
heavy-duty clockwork motor built into business-
grade SEAMs was a boon to operators. It permitted
them to place these machines in commercial loca-
tions and made it practical for the operator to fill the
machines with the latest tunes.
Early coin-op machines were seen as labor sav-
ing devices in a land short on workers. It would be
logical to think that SEAMs were not especially
suitable for "high traffic" locations such as New
York City subways, penny arcades, street corners,
and railway stations. Frequent winding of a well-
patronized machine might require many visits by an
attendant. But labor was much cheaper in earlier
years and the profits from the machines easily cov-
ered the expense of the workers. Besides, the best-
built SEAMs were able to vend a full machine's
worth of product on a single winding. The Buffalo
Gum machine contained 160 tabs of gum and a typ-
ical Pulver had 90 pieces.
A respectable part of the millions of dollars col-
lected each year, in pennies, nickels, and dimes,
from coin-op machines was taken in by stored ener-
gy automatic machines. The most successful
SEAMs ever produced were vending machines.
The champions of all were the Automatic Clerk
(more than 102,000 sold), the wood and steel Zenos
(over 150,000 sold), and especially Pulvers (much
more than 500,000 sold of all styles).
Many factors account for their great success:
1) high profits made by the owners of the machines
2) customers' satisfaction on all levels,
3) low wholesale cost to dealers,
4) operating precision,
5) marketing acumen by the manufacturers produc-
ing premium give-a-ways, and, of course,
6) the product's automatic delivery. All added up to
making the SEAM vending machines exception-
al winners.
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