The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-01
AN ELECTRIC TABLE.
An Ingenious Continuance whiah Threatens
Waiterdom.

An Ingenious Continuance whish Threatens
Waiterdom.
San Francisco Chron icie.
The vocation of the waiter is imperiled. that
which threatens his livelihood in the lower ranks
of waiterdom being an invention styled the cleo
trio dining table The inventor of this machine
for it is much machine a table, is a Ger
man. and having put up one of his contrivances,
he has invited all those who are interested in
such matters to come and See it. On entering
the room in which the electric dining table has
been erected there is seen double row of small,
fat, desk like tables, set back to back aud
divided one from another by a brass railing.
The tables or conn artments do not touch each
other at the back, being separated by raised
shelf of about three feet wide. On sitting down
each diner finds himself given space of about
three feet square, with portion OF the raised
shelf on which to place his empty dishes,
bottles. etc. On sitting down, too the Gus
toner will notice a bill of fare, and a punch
like those used by railroad conductors The
bill of fare is divided into three columns-the
first containing the dish, the second the price and
the third series of blank spaces, across which
are printed the directions to please punch in
this space whatever you want to order" Giving
punches for plate of soup. a steak and glass
of wine, the customer next turns over" the bill
of fare, according to a foot note, and finds
further directions to put it, when punched, in
front of him and push the button to his right.
He does SO, electric bell is heard tinkling in
the kitchen, and then, as if by magic, the table
under the raised shelf and runs kitchenward.
The time for filling the order eapses, and then,
slipping out from in under the shelf, comes the
table once more, laden now with the soup, steak
and wine and settles itself in front of the Gus
TONER The bill of fare is there ALSO and, as the
customer knows exactly what he punched and
what he has eaten, he takes the bill of fare to
the courter as a check and pays the amount
due.
If the customer were allowed into the kitchen
he would find boy seated on a bench having in
front of him a spoked wheel like that of a rud-
der. Over the wheel is placed series of six
teen numbers covered with black shades, while
beside it are two handles like levers. Another
customer is heard entering the restaurant; he
seats himself at table, punches out what he
wants, and presses the electric button at his
side. Down falls the shade from No. over the
wheel. The boy at once pulls out a connecting
switch marked No. 2, gives haul at one of the
levers and turns his wheel. The haul at the
lever pulls the No 2 table under the shelf
and places it on a well-oiled tramway and the
turns of the wheel bring the table along the
tramway until it reaches the kitchen. On the
table the cook places the order. the boy re-
verses the wheel, this time keeping his eye
on pliable fiat wire which runs around the hub
of the wheel and which is marked with numbers
up to 16 AS soon as No. 2, marked on this band,
reaches an index, the wheel Is stopped, The lever
reversed and the customer is served. Ali the
tables can be moved at once by the transfer of
the switches, c. as many as orders come from.
What is claimed by the inventor is economy of
time to the customer, expense to the proprietor,
the avoidance of complaints, the absence of
noise and strict check on the kitchen. Several
restaurant-keepers have been to see the machine,
but all hesitate to it for fear it might prove
failure and of the boycottng by the discharged
walters. physician of the French hospital,
however, who has such fear before his eyes,
has given his approval to the continuance, and
will recommend its adoption in that institution.