Gumball machine
Encyclopedia
A gumball machine is a toy or commercial device, a type of bulk
vending machine
, which dispenses gumballs
, usually for a small fee.
Originally one penny, the standard cost of one gumball in the United States
is now one quarter.
as early as 1888, the first machines to carry actual gumballs were not seen until 1907 (probably released first by the Thomas Adams Gum Co. in the United States). Patented in 1923, the Norris Manufacturing Company produced their "Master" line of chrome gumball machines during the 1930s
. These machines could accept either pennies or nickels.
Founded in 1934, the Ford Gum and Machine Company of Akron, New York
was another early manufacturer of gum for gumball machines in the U.S. The Ford
brand of gumball machines had a distinct shiny chrome color; sales of gum from Ford gumball machines went to local service organizations such as the Lions Club and Kiwanis International.
, now most often plastic
) which is filled with gumballs, sitting on top of a metal base. It has a metal top on top of it with a keyhole in top of it so that the top can be removed and gumballs can be put in. The coin is inserted into the base and a handle is turned around clockwise 360 degrees, depositing the coin in the base of the machine and allowing a gumball or trinket to be dispensed into a chute at the bottom of the machine that is closed off by a little metal hanging flap.
Most gumball machines have a simple mechanism for dispensing the gumball, to the point of the actual dispensation being largely invisible (after turning the handle the gumball is deposited behind the door). However, some gumball machines have more elaborate methods. Most of them utilize the potential energy
of the gumball's location above the base, by, for instance, causing it to roll down a spiral ramp, or a set of diagonal disks (each one is tilted in an opposite) with holes in lowest point. The most elaborate mechanisms also use electricity
to power various forms of transit for the gumball on its way to dispensation (e.g. lifts and pulleys), as well as ramps and drops.
Bulk vending
Bulk vending is the sale of unsorted confections, nuts, gumballs, toys and novelties selected at random and dispensed generally through non-electrically operated vending machines. Bulk vending is a separate segment of the vending industry from full line vending — i.e., the snack and soda vending...
vending machine
Vending machine
A vending machine is a machine which dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, alcohol, cigarettes, lottery tickets, consumer products and even gold and gems to customers automatically, after the customer inserts currency or credit into the machine....
, which dispenses gumballs
Bubblegum
Bubblegum is a type of elastic chewing gum, designed to be blown out of the mouth as a bubble.-History:In 1928, Walter Diemer, an accountant for the Fleer Chewing Gum Company in Philadelphia, was experimenting with new gum recipes. One recipe was found to be less sticky than regular chewing gum,...
, usually for a small fee.
Originally one penny, the standard cost of one gumball in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is now one quarter.
History
Although there were vending machines for stick or block shaped gumChewing gum
Chewing gum is a type of gum traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, or synthetic rubber known as polyisobutylene. For economical and quality reasons, many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle...
as early as 1888, the first machines to carry actual gumballs were not seen until 1907 (probably released first by the Thomas Adams Gum Co. in the United States). Patented in 1923, the Norris Manufacturing Company produced their "Master" line of chrome gumball machines during the 1930s
1930s
File:1930s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: Dorothea Lange's photo of the homeless Florence Thompson show the effects of the Great Depression; Due to the economic collapse, the farms become dry and the Dust Bowl spreads through America; The Battle of Wuhan during the Second Sino-Japanese...
. These machines could accept either pennies or nickels.
Founded in 1934, the Ford Gum and Machine Company of Akron, New York
Akron, New York
Akron, New York is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was listed as 3,085 in the 2000 census. The name means a high place. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
was another early manufacturer of gum for gumball machines in the U.S. The Ford
Ford Gum
Ford Gum is a brand of bubble gum and chewing gum often found in gum machines. It is produced by Ford Gum & Machine Co. The history of the company goes back to 1913, when Ford Mason leased 102 machines and placed them in stores and shops in New York...
brand of gumball machines had a distinct shiny chrome color; sales of gum from Ford gumball machines went to local service organizations such as the Lions Club and Kiwanis International.
Description
Generally, a gumball machine consists of a clear sphere (originally glassGlass
Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...
, now most often plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
) which is filled with gumballs, sitting on top of a metal base. It has a metal top on top of it with a keyhole in top of it so that the top can be removed and gumballs can be put in. The coin is inserted into the base and a handle is turned around clockwise 360 degrees, depositing the coin in the base of the machine and allowing a gumball or trinket to be dispensed into a chute at the bottom of the machine that is closed off by a little metal hanging flap.
Most gumball machines have a simple mechanism for dispensing the gumball, to the point of the actual dispensation being largely invisible (after turning the handle the gumball is deposited behind the door). However, some gumball machines have more elaborate methods. Most of them utilize the potential energy
Potential energy
In physics, potential energy is the energy stored in a body or in a system due to its position in a force field or due to its configuration. The SI unit of measure for energy and work is the Joule...
of the gumball's location above the base, by, for instance, causing it to roll down a spiral ramp, or a set of diagonal disks (each one is tilted in an opposite) with holes in lowest point. The most elaborate mechanisms also use electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
to power various forms of transit for the gumball on its way to dispensation (e.g. lifts and pulleys), as well as ramps and drops.