Newark post., 1922-04-26
Discs To Replace
Girls In Stores
Electric Push Button Contriv-
spce with Chutes to Deliver
Goods Over Counter

The retail store Of the future where
noc,age goods are sold will be place
of push buttons, slot machines and
cbutes, according to DR.. Van Antwerp
Clark. engineer and inventor, who
had a considerable share in the de-
vaIopnent of the machine switching
anparatus for the automatic tele-
phone.
DR.. Clark recently demonstrated to
q few friends his latest invention,
machine that will deliver merchandise
| to customers by electricity, in New
! York City, says the Times. Operated
by salesgirls in large stores, he says
j. if will save the service Of 65 per cent
of the girls, and will do away with
shophfting.
The machinery is quite simple.
Imagine stacks Of goods lined up on
the wall of a store, something like
nackages of cigarettes are lined up in
the chain stores. Leading from these
stacks are chutes which end at the
salesgirl's or salesman's desk. At the
desk is laid around what appear
discs indicating each brand of cigar
cites or other goods sold in the place
There is push key to make the elec-
tric contact. Turn the dial to No. s.
meaning Jazzbo cigarettes, press the
kew and an electric pusher in front OF
The Jazzbo stack filings package OF
the cigarettes into the chute and
down it slides to the customers wait
ing hand.
Owing to the shape of the spiral
chute down which the package is pro-
heled the acceleration is retarded ir
such a way as to deliver the goods as
zero speed.
Now, suppose a customer wants
three or four kinds of cigarettes. Con
tact is made with each disc, the key
pressed and out come three or foul
packages. Customers are not KEEP
waiting and speed and efficiency arr
Increased.
Another form Of the same machine
lays DR.. Clark, is one in which tn
customer waits on himhelf dropping
bis coin into the opening provided ant
etting the discs for the goods desired
This machine provides sample coun
Ter where the goods that are on sal
may be viewed at the end of chail
% prevent shoplifting.
Bv means of an electric control, al
arrangement for coin valuation /
rovided in the automatic machine S
hat man making purchases of fort
ents may drop eight nickels, fou
ines or a quarter, dime and
ckel into the machine. If a bogu
bin of any magnetic or non-magne
ic nature is dropped into the machln
will be elected. All coins are ex
mined on a score of fifty points b
he machine before the goods are dc
vered. If a coin fails to correspon
b one of the points it is rejected
he coin must be fairly perfect an
proper weight.
Goods can be delivered at the rat
six customers a minute from on
bntrol desk. The inventor says tha
by goods that can be put into pack
be, from needles to oatmeal or car
ed food, can be sold by the automatl
ethod.
'When cigar store closes at nigh
e manager can put into place a
e door a separate vending machin
at may have several brands G
garettes or he may connect up
ntrivance at the door with the er
Re shop" said Mr.. Clark.
"Drop your coin into place, set tn
echanism and you get your cigar
tes. The delicatessen store may al
the idea to food Of all kinds an
E grocer to the many kinds of pacl
e goods he has for sale. Even dru
pres might sell, after hours, SON
the common household remedit
bit people are apt to need in a hurr
len some one in the family is il
e only limit Of the machine is tf
diligence of the individual buyer
ing the machine"