The state herald., 1897-12-10
THE SLOT MACHINE.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
Those Attached to London Street Lamps
Furnish Hot Water for Penny-Gas
Now Sold Through Penny-in-the-siot
sMeters-A Boon to the Poor.

A "slot" machine of nn exceedingly
novel and Ingenious nature is about TO
be introduced to London, as well AS to
several Of the important provincial
English cities. Hitherto the heat given
out from the ordinary street gas lamp
has been n waste product, but DR..
Mansfield Robinson has invented ap-
paratus to utilize this heat for the pur-
pose of boiling water, which will be
supplied ut the rate of half-penny
per gallon by means of an automatic
machine.
At the Crystal palace. where the ap-
paratus has been exhibited in working
order for months, 1t hns attracted no
small attention. Dr.. Robinson's inven-
ton is simplicity itself. In spiral coil
and heating chamber, plac e. about n
foot above the fiame. cold water, sup
piled from the water mains, is con-
verted by the heat into steam, which
is expelled through a safety valve
down pipe into an iron coil placed In
a tank without coming into contact
with 1t. and the fluid is ready for auto
matte delivery to any one who places
a half-penny In the slot. The presence
of the safety valve, and the abserce OF
any space In which steam can accumu-
late. insure safety in working. n mhtter
of no small Importance In apparatus
TO he erected In. the public street. The
hot water syndicate. which has taken
up the invention, Is convinced of Its
commercial value, and propose to pay
the half OF the gas bills OF the munich
pal bodies which permit the system to
be adapted to the street lamps In their
districts. This. of course, Is n strong
inducement. seeing that II will tend ap-
preclably to reduce local taxation. and
at the present moment II IL estimated
that the taxpayers OF London, who
are invctcrate grumhlers. are required
to foot a gas bill of 81, l,2J0,0O0 per an
mum.
1t is anticipated that the advantage
of being able to obtain for an eNpendi'
ture of n penny II day n gallon OF hot
water In the morning and another In
the evening will commend itself TO the
working class, and In the Industrial dis
trict. the promoters OF the enterprise
look for rich harvest. At public dem
onstrations OF the value of the inven'
tion slot machine adjoining the appa'
rntus supplied penny-worths OF tea,
coffee, cocoa and fluid beef. and cups
OF these beverages were made with
the aid of vessel attached by chain
to the tap of the hot water tank, while
n supply OF soap could he obtained for
the purpose of nblution. The expert
mcnt of placing the apparatus ON the
streets of London Will he watched with
interest. but whether the invention be
successful In this respect or not. there
are other directions In which II may
prove OF undoubted utility. seeing that
IL can be adapted to the ordinary gas
burners of public buildings and private
houses, and used either for boiling wa
ter, for heating or other purposes or
for supplying the motive power fof
machines The local administrative
body OF the parish OF 81. Martin In the
Fields, London. ms well ns the local au'
thori,Ies In Liverpool and Nottingham
have granted licenses for the erection
Of Dr. Robinson's apparatus In the
streets. so that before long eSpcrlenc,
will have been obtnlncd rs To the priic
ticai value Of what Is certainly re-
marknbic invention.
The Introduction Of the pcnny-lD-the
slot machine Into English households
has been attended Will results thn'
verge ON the marvellous. In London
the system of obtaining pennyworths
Of gas Is familiar TO the working porn'
lntIon. The officials of that great cor
porntion, the South Metropolitan Gas
Company. which supplies practically
the whole Of the south of London with