Umbrella-Vender for Showers (Jun, 1931)
Umbrella-Vender for Showers
WHAT to do when caught in a shower without an umbrella—that is one of the world’s greatest problems that has just been solved by the recent invention of an automatic umbrella vending machine which delivers an umbrella by the insertion of a coin in a slot. Devised by a noted German inventor, Herr Kreuger, the machine is placed on street corners, where it will be easily accessible in case of a sudden shower and drops an umbrella in a slot when the lever on the side is pulled down.
While the umbrella delivered by the machine is not particularly elegant, yet it sheds rain satisfactorily in an emergency and that is the chief purpose of the scheme.
It’s nice how one of the world’s greatest problems was solved that easy! Now let’s fix hunger!
Comment by galessa — January 26, 2010 @ 4:20 pm
galessa: Sure, eat something. Hunger fixed!
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 26, 2010 @ 5:11 pm
I’m sure glad that umbrella vending machines are more elegant now-a-days!
Comment by Don — January 26, 2010 @ 10:31 pm
That generic-sounding-german-inventor-name-along-with-generic-photo sounds a lot like it was invented to fill up some page space…
Comment by docca — January 30, 2010 @ 6:48 pm
docca: Not quite.
Popular Mechanics
Popular Science
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 30, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
I see. This photo here shows the machine with the factory’s name on it (Not-Schurm GMBH), “Oiled-paper umbrellas”.
Comment by docca — January 30, 2010 @ 9:31 pm
docca: Funny, I thought that I had posted the same link?
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 30, 2010 @ 11:16 pm
Firebrand38: Yes you did, I’m just pointing out the company name.
Comment by docca — January 31, 2010 @ 8:53 am
docca: Fair enough…carry on.
Notice that the machines in the other two articles don’t seem to bear any resemblance to the first photo. The umbrella however, is the same throughout.
And I agree with you, what’s up with that “Herr Kreuger” bit?
Comment by Firebrand38 — January 31, 2010 @ 9:02 am
You realize that Not Schirm translates to English from German as emergency screen?
Comment by K!P — February 8, 2010 @ 1:14 pm