Mechanical Memories Magazine

describes just one lever, positioned at the front of the machine. This, in my view, would
constitute a mayor design change to the mechanism and rather begs the question:
Did Simplex produce two different machines? Or maybe there were certain elements
in the original patent that infringed Roovers' design, and thus caused Simplex to
think again? But then if that were the case, would the patent have been granted in
the first place? In solving one problem, we seem maybe, to have created another!
And what of the British Automatic Co. Ltd.? It seems odd that a company
that traded for half a century or more should just vanish into obscurity. It seems
they may have been a fairly large concern, as the front cover of the operating
manual for their later machines boasts branches in six major cities, including
Dublin and Brussels. So they were international! Were they only concerned with
metal label stamping machines, or were they involved with other types of coin-op
machines? One preliminary line of enquiry leads me to believe they may have dealt
in viewing machines. There is an obvious link here with Simplex, as Herman
Casler was not only the patentee of the Mutoscope but also one of the driving
forces behind the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company.
Anyway, I thought this would make an ideal subject as the next project for
the magazine. Let's see if between us we can unearth some information on this
hitherto unknown British coin-op company.
Whilst writing this article, I remembered I had this picture of an impressive
collection of cast iron machines at Broadstairs, Kent. I knew there was a
metal label stamper included in the line-up, and guess what? It's a Simplex!