Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22
EVOLUTION OF THE SLOT MACHINE

NyHE decision of the postoffice depart
ment to make use of the slot machine
Il for the vending of stamps is the first,
official recognition Of the coin-in-the-slot
machine by the government. Yet 20
numerous are the patents that have been
issued on such devices that the patent
office has separate division for them.
There have been 21O0 patents taken out on
vending machines controlled by coins Or
checks. One may now drop coin in .he
slot and get in return a cigar, cigarette,
a piece. of even box of candy. He may
have his boots blacked, see panoramic
exhibition, game of baseball, or horse
race He may get glass Of soda or a
quick lunch, have spray of perfume put
message, get an electric shock, get
weighed or have his fortune told. with
piece of music thrown in for good
measure. He may have his picture taken
or may get an original package" and
after he is in Europe he may drop his
coin in the slot and get as much illuminat-
ing gas as he wishes for an hour, day
or a week If he has not the proper
change he can have 1t. BY dropping
nickel in the slot he can get five pennies.
BY putting in a quarter he can get five
nickels, and so on.
In the field of innovation there is con-
stant proof of the truth in the wise mans
saying that there is nothing new under
the sun. More than two thousand years
ago the priests of Alexandria were using
the coin-in-the-slo machine to sell
.lustral water" to their people. 1t was
trn ic5f frtIa hfIf
the fact that it did not very well safe
guard itself against the fellow who would
beat 1t 1t served it's purposes in every par
ticular. 1t consisted of vessel contain
ing the water and a little slide valve
balanced on a lever. Dropping the coin
on one end of the lever would raise the
valve on the other end, seesaw fashion.
and this would allow the water to run.
When the lever was depressed as far as
1t should be by the coins they would slip
off and the valve would slide shut again.
The first slot machine ever made in
America was patented in 1889. But the
ways that the ingenious small boys
found to beat 1t made it an improbable
salesman From that day to this there
has been a perpetual warfare between
the fellow who would beat the slot ma
chine and the fellow who would pre-
vent it. There were thirty-eight separ-
ate and distinct ways to beat the first
one that came out. But gradually the
inventor has overcome these, until the
machines of today have been so per-
fected that even the genius OF the small
boy cannot outwit them. 1t used to be
that a vigorous shaking would take the
place Of the coin But that was eliminat-
ed by balance that nothing but coin
would operate. Then, again, in the oiden
times wire could throw the trigger that
would release the candy, or whatever
prize the machine held zigzag chan
mel and star wheel cut that trick out.
Then they got dummy coins and buttons
to throw the springs. The inventor went
them one better again and put in the
magnet, which would draw out any me-
tallic dummy before 1t could throw the
trigger releasing the article. Then the
beater got things the magnet would not
attract, and the inventor put a size and
weight testing laboratory in the ma
chine. Now the man who finds some
thing that will go down the zigzag way,
run the gauntlet of the magnet and pass
muster with the size and weight tester
is entitled to a reward
But the most remarkable of all inyen-
tions for the prevention of fraud Is the
vending machine with the rogues' gal
ery apparatus. used in Paris and other
European cities 1t is so arranged that
If man drops in the proper coin lit
comes out to him again. But If he drops
in a dummy piece it stays and a picture
OF him is taken, developed and placed on
view, there TO remain until some one
else tries to get in crooked work with
the machine
The coin-in- lle-slot gas meter has
proved popular innovation in Europe.
1t is stated in the technical journals that
1t has resulted in the wider use of gas.
and that the elimination of the deposit
system OF securing a gas meter has
brought 1t into the reach of hundreds
- Cc5r ramn.-s VINO might otherwise
nave to use oil. 1t has been introduced
in America, but not to any large extent
Some few restaurants In this country