| Industry | slot machines, pinball and vending machines |
|---|---|
| Fate | Merger |
| Founded | 1906 (as Industry Novelty Company, Inc.) |
| Defunct | 1980s |
| Headquarters | Chicago |
| Ode D. Jennings (founder) |
Jennings & Company was a leading manufacturer of slot machines in the United States and also manufactured other coin-operated machines, including pinball machines, from 1906 to the 1980s. It was founded by Ode D. Jennings as Industry Novelty Company, Incorporated of Chicago. On the death of its founder in 1953, the company was succeeded by Jennings & Company.
A very rare and not often seen 50¢ Mills Chicago upright slot in excellent original condition. It is believed that this machine was made for the 1903 Paris World's fair. Original finish to the quartered oak case, original nickel plating to all the castings and coin head, and bright colorful lithographed wheel that loosely translates to 'Stop.
History[edit]
Ode D. Jennings was born in Kentucky on September 6, 1874.[1]
Ode D. Jennings worked for the Mills Novelty Company and ran The Spectatorium, a penny arcade, for that company at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, Missouri).[1][2]
In 1906, Ode Jennings established Industry Novelty Company, Incorporated. Itsbusiness was the refurbishment of slot machines manufactured by Mills.[2]
Ode Jennings acquired United Statespatent 1,403,933, granted on 17 January 1922, for an improved mechanical coin-selecting device. The improvement related to the ejection of coins that were too small.[3]
In July 1923, O. D. Jennings & Co. had purchased out of liquidation the business of the Garbell Typewriter Corporation of Chicago, which manufactured the GAR-BELL portable typewriter, invented by Max Garbell. Despite further improvements, which were protected by patents, the machine was a failure in the market.[4]
In 1925, Ode Jennings moved to a house at what would become known as 220 Civic Drive (originally Schaumburg Road) in the village of Schaumburg, Illinois. The house would remain his home until his death.[1]
On November 24, 1925, Ode Jennings was granted, as inventor, United Statespatent 1,562,771 for an improved mechanical coin-control apparatus. The improved apparatus was said to be more efficient and to prevent subsequent coins jamming the apparatus while the first coin was being accepted.[5]
Between 1935 and 1936, O. D. Jennings & Co. manufactured a payout pinball machine called the Sportsman. The device was a gambling device, more akin to a slot machine than a modern pinball table.[6] Some of the technology in the machine was protected by United Statespatent 2,003,349, granted to inventor Clifford R. Dumble.[7]
On November 21, 1953, aged 79, Ode Jennings died at home in Schaumburg, Illinois after 47 years at the helm of the company he had founded.[1][2] He left everything to his wife, Jeannette Isle Jennings; they had no children; on the condition that it was denoted to his church and local hospitals on her death.[1] On 19 March 1954 Jennings & Company was incorporated under the laws of Illinois and it purchased the assets of O. D. Jennings & Company from the estate of Ode Jennings.
On May 15, 1957 Jennings & Company was merged into Hershey Manufacturing Company of Illinois, a company that had been incorporated on April 27, 1939. Over 80% of the business of Hershey Manufacturing then comprised the manufacture and sale of slot machines through its Jennings division, although it also engaged in governmental subcontract work and the manufacture of vending machines and photoflash equipment.[8]
By the early 1960s, there were five major manufacturers of slot machines in the United States. The table below sets out their approximate comparative percentages of sales:[8]
| Manufacturer | Location | Share of market |
|---|---|---|
| Jennings & Co., a division of Hershey Manufacturing Co. | Chicago | 40% |
| Mills Bell-O-Matic Corp. | Chicago and Reno | 35% |
| Ace Manufacturing Co. | Maryland | 15% |
| Buckley Manufacturing Co. | Maryland | 5% |
| Las Vegas Coin Machine Co. | Las Vegas | 5% |
| 100% |
By the early 1960s, the business had been acquired by American Machine and Science Company (AMSC) owned by Wallace Carroll. AMSC also acquired Bell-O-Matic Corporation, and the two companies were merged to form TJM Corporation. TJM Corporation was run by two brothers, Tony Mills and John Mills. The merged company failed to compete successfully with the electro/mechanical models produced by Bally and also suffered because Bell-O-Matic had not protected its intellectual property rights in Japan. The company ceased trading in the 1980s.[9]
In 1963, after the death of Jeannette Isle Jennings, the Jennings family house and surrounding lands were donated to the village of Schaumburg, Illinois and were used as the village hall until 1971. A gift of US$500,000 was denoted to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital of Chicago in November 1963 (then called the Passavant Memorial Hospital) and used to fund part of the construction of the Ode D. Jennings Pavilion, which opened in May 1966.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdefRichard Bueschel (1995). 'How Could O. D. Jennings Be Forgotten?'. Retrieved 2006-09-03.
- ^ abcRichard Bueschel (1992-06-15). Jennings Slot Machines 1906-1990: Illustrated Historical, Maintenance and Repair Guide to Jennings Mechanical and Electromechanical 3-Reel Bell Machines.
- ^'US Patent 1,403,933'. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
- ^Will Davis (March 2006). 'The Victor Portable'(PDF). ETCetera Journal of the Early Typewriter Collectors' Association.
- ^'US Patent 1,562,771'. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
- ^Lynne and Michael Sands (October 2003). 'The Sands Mechanical Museum: Sportsman Restoration'. Retrieved 2006-09-03.
- ^'US Patent 2,003,349'. United States Patent and Trademark Office. Archived from the original on 2006-12-20. Retrieved 2006-09-02.
- ^ abUnited States. Congress. House. Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1962). Gambling Devices. U.S. Govt. Print. Off. p. 124.
- ^Feddy Bailey, quoted at 'Mécanique électrifiée ??'. Flippers-jukeboxes.net. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2006-08-30.
External links[edit]
- Garbell Typewriter photos & factory garbell.com
- Completely strip and polish castings to a mirror shine
- Paint castings to match original paint scheme(or any scheme you wish)
- Wood cabinet is disassembled, straitened, reassembled, stained and clear coated to match original
- Rusty old cabinet bolts replaced with new
- Complete disassembly, degrease, clean and reassembly of machanism
- All springs tension tested and replaced if necessary
- Nuts and bolts rethreaded or replaced where necessary(missing ones too!)
- Mechanism is then greased, lubed balanced and tuned to play as smoothly as day one.
Because of the unique nature of these machines the cost of these services can and will only be quoted once a machine is in our shop. Below though you can find a basic outline for restorations, full and partial. Any Mills, Watling or Jennings mechanical slot machine should fit into this pricing scheme. Any other machines please contact us for an estimate. Use our contact form to request service.
Mills Chicago Slot Machine Troubleshooting
Full Overhaul and Restoration (mechanism, cabinet and castings, the entire works!):
Basic price: $795.00 / Roll-a-Top: $850
each additional machine option (ie. future pay mech, mint vender, etc.): add $25.00
Internal Mechanism Restoration (everything inside the case):
Basic price: $450.00
each additional machine option (ie. future pay mech, etc.): add $25.00
External Restoration (case & castings):
Basic price: $475.00 / Roll-aTop $595.00
each additional machine option / extension (ie. horsehead bonus top, external mint vender etc.): add $50.00
**Replacement of major parts and plating of external parts will be extra and are quoted at time of restoration based upon market prices at the time.**