C.O.C.A. Times
Issue: 2011-July - Vol 16 Num 2 - Page 4
The Nuts and Bolts of the
Simplest Vendor
.
;
I
I
~.' .·, 11
t-
a.a ···
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Roger Smith
The Story of the Gravity Vendor
All collectors have had a 'frozen' machine whose vending wheel has become rusted and inoperable or a
coin mechanism that refuses to recognize a coin and release the chain of events that leads to vending the
product. Over the many years that vendors have vied for the loose change of shoppers, a myriad of mecha-
nisms have been invented, patented, and produced to detect a coin and deliver a product. These have ranged
from simple mechanisms where the coin provides a missing link in the chain of forces or events to free the de-
vice, to those that use other elements to detect the presence of the required coin and unlock the prize. It
seems the more complex the mechanism, the more opportunities for problems. While many of these vendors
use the forces of gravity, no vendor has ever harnessed this force in the same or more elegantly simple way
than the vendor that has no moving parts; the Gravity Vendor.
The story of the Gravity Vendor and its inventor leads us to an inventing polymath from Chicago, Illinois, and
the turn of the last century when vending and chewing gum were undergoing dramatic changes in popularity
and form.
An Era for Invention
any level of com-
mercial adoption
The turn of the last century was a time of almost
was
the British
explosive innovation, invention and optimism. Chi-
Honor Box. This
cago's White City created for the 1893 World's Co-
early
vendor made
lumbian Exposition had demonstrated that America
its appearance in the
could compete with
pubs of England and was the first vendor to enjoy
Europe in industrial
both wide distribution and a degree of longevity.
strength, artistic
Designed
to dispense pipe tobacco, this brass ven-
expression and
dor relied on the "honor" of the patron to take only
originality. Opti-
the amount paid for, to re-close the access door un-
mism and a robust
locked by the coin and to pass it to the next patron.
economy had re-
In the United States, the early vending industry is
sulted in disposable
often
traced to the vendors introduced to the ele-
income, creating
vated railroads of New York City to sell Adams' new
the first real "con-
chicle-based chewing gum and to the grow-
sumers." Vending machines flt nicely
DON'T FAIL,
ing number of cigar vendors that made
into this era of optimism providing nov-
~
their
appearance in shops across the coun-
elty, convenience and commodities on
·"';
=
Am■anc
Cuwi,a-lu■
IICIII(,
try.
Novel,
always on duty, and guaranteed
demand, and were featured novelties at
mnl,rne C
fairs and exhibitions around the country.
Arguably, the first vendor to achieve
::::.:~:;;::.:~~:::.~:~·:n:::~~-= not to steal the proceeds of a sale from
:.:.: ::~:::;; .. :°'.::.:::;:mKhl.... the store owner, vending machines caught
4
Simplest Vendor
.
;
I
I
~.' .·, 11
t-
a.a ···
~
Roger Smith
The Story of the Gravity Vendor
All collectors have had a 'frozen' machine whose vending wheel has become rusted and inoperable or a
coin mechanism that refuses to recognize a coin and release the chain of events that leads to vending the
product. Over the many years that vendors have vied for the loose change of shoppers, a myriad of mecha-
nisms have been invented, patented, and produced to detect a coin and deliver a product. These have ranged
from simple mechanisms where the coin provides a missing link in the chain of forces or events to free the de-
vice, to those that use other elements to detect the presence of the required coin and unlock the prize. It
seems the more complex the mechanism, the more opportunities for problems. While many of these vendors
use the forces of gravity, no vendor has ever harnessed this force in the same or more elegantly simple way
than the vendor that has no moving parts; the Gravity Vendor.
The story of the Gravity Vendor and its inventor leads us to an inventing polymath from Chicago, Illinois, and
the turn of the last century when vending and chewing gum were undergoing dramatic changes in popularity
and form.
An Era for Invention
any level of com-
mercial adoption
The turn of the last century was a time of almost
was
the British
explosive innovation, invention and optimism. Chi-
Honor Box. This
cago's White City created for the 1893 World's Co-
early
vendor made
lumbian Exposition had demonstrated that America
its appearance in the
could compete with
pubs of England and was the first vendor to enjoy
Europe in industrial
both wide distribution and a degree of longevity.
strength, artistic
Designed
to dispense pipe tobacco, this brass ven-
expression and
dor relied on the "honor" of the patron to take only
originality. Opti-
the amount paid for, to re-close the access door un-
mism and a robust
locked by the coin and to pass it to the next patron.
economy had re-
In the United States, the early vending industry is
sulted in disposable
often
traced to the vendors introduced to the ele-
income, creating
vated railroads of New York City to sell Adams' new
the first real "con-
chicle-based chewing gum and to the grow-
sumers." Vending machines flt nicely
DON'T FAIL,
ing number of cigar vendors that made
into this era of optimism providing nov-
~
their
appearance in shops across the coun-
elty, convenience and commodities on
·"';
=
Am■anc
Cuwi,a-lu■
IICIII(,
try.
Novel,
always on duty, and guaranteed
demand, and were featured novelties at
mnl,rne C
fairs and exhibitions around the country.
Arguably, the first vendor to achieve
::::.:~:;;::.:~~:::.~:~·:n:::~~-= not to steal the proceeds of a sale from
:.:.: ::~:::;; .. :°'.::.:::;:mKhl.... the store owner, vending machines caught
4
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