Single Selection Devices
A number of inventors seem to have hit upon the idea of a public, coin operated phonograph at roughly the same time in the late 1880's and 1890's. The spur for this innovation was the popularity of coin operated machines which had existed prior for the viewing of images as well as player pianos. Albert K. Keller's US Patent 518191 describes a device designed for the purpose of activating a phonograph once a coin has been dropped into a slot "after the manner of what are known as vending machines."
The first public demonstration of the coin operated phonograph was a device created by Louis T. Glass. On the evening of November 23rd, 1889 at the Palais Royal saloon, Glass unveiled his device for operating phonographs to excellent reception. The device consisted of an Edison Model M phonograph with a custom device for accepting coins and activating the phonograph. The device was patented the following year as the Coin Actuating Attachment for Phonographs.
"The object of our invention is to provide a suitable device by which the phonograph may be exhibited and heard by any one upon the deposit of a suitable coin."
Describing his demonstration at the First Annual Convention of Local Phonograph Companies, Glass immediately recognized the economic possibilities of the device. “Nevertheless, gentlemen, there is money in the nickel-in-the-slot phonograph. There is an immediate result for every company in the United States.” From his first 15 machines, Glass had earned a gross profit of $4,000, over $100,000 in today's dollars.
Glass' device was hampered, however, by reliability issues inherent to the early spring driven devices. The first device which was deemed fairly reliable was created by Albert K. Keller, who filed his patent in 1891, but claimed to have been developing the concept as early as 1887. In 1893, a better spring motor was invented which allowed for greater spread of the device into rural areas, where more reliable devices could function longer without the need for a repair man to travel to the location. The main limitation then, of these early coin-operated phonographs was that they could only really be used by a patron one or two times, until they were tired of the recording on offer. Several inventors set about developing a coin-operated machine which could offer multiple selections. |