FORUM

Not sure where to post this, so thought I'd start here..........

I have a wooden cabinet LocWil Paper Hand Towels vending machine, works by 1d in the slot.

Does anyone know its age? I'm guessing from the style of writing on the front that it could be sometime in the 1950s or 60s.

I can't find anything about it via Mr Google, LocWil were bought out/taken over a few years ago by Secure Vending Systems (SVS); I emailed them in mid January asking if they could identify it and if they had any details of the style of hand towel and its packaging (so that I could try to emulate it), but replies came there none.

I have found that a pocket-sized pack of 10 x paper hankies (about 73mm L x 55mm W x 24mm H) bought in France fits the pull-out tray OK, but that the pack is a little snug (maybe 1mm all around) to drop smoothly down the hopper and into the tray once the first pack has been dispensed.

If anyone has one of these machines or any info, particularly the packaging that would have been used on each towel, I'd love to hear it.

Many thanks

More famous for coin-op lavatory door bolts.

The Tipton Civic Society website shows four sheets advertising two earlier versions of Lockerbie & Wilkinson's towel dispensers. Unlike yours, they vended cloth towels (15 X 12 inches), with or without soap.

Also, currently on eBay:

Fascinating.
Thanks for sharing the Tipton Society pages; I suspect that those machines featured pre-date mine.

Interesting prices of both the machines and the contents.

I'd still like to hear from any other forum members who have one of my style of machine or has any information about the packaging used for the towels.

Identical to yours but dispensing sanitary towels.

That's great, where did you find those photos? Any more info about them?

Before BP says otherwise, they weren't from nursey's boudoir.

The little image featuring your machine is from Vending International - Locwil celebrates

One of the others is at http://www.smallvintagevending.com/third/southalls.html

The owner has taken the product label to mean it was made by Southalls, but we know better...

Here's the factory at Tipton:



Impressively, metal cased, all-mechanical Locwil towel vendors are still available.

Good morning..

I have been fortunate to have a number of these machines over the years. Mainly Southalls but have seen this type of machine vend cigarettes too.

I accidentally left one down the side of my shed one winter and when I realised in the spring it had completely fallen apart. There's not much holding them together.

I'm having a good old root through everything and if I find another I'll give you a shout..

Dave

There is a 1931 Locwil catalogue which includes the 'Locwil Clean Towel machine' here. Perhaps by registering you can view it.

As Brigham mentioned, we know the company for its patent penny-in-the-slot toilet door lock...



But they made a vast range of products, including horrible devices for the butchery trade and wonderful decorative cast iron urinals.

Oldguy, looks late '30s to me. The lettering has a definite late Deco styling to it and the case appears to be solid oak. The whole thing has that sombre look of the time. While something '50s or '60s would have become more colourful I think.

Someone who visits this site?
Locwil Coin Operated Toilet Turnstiles Etc Catalogue

A bit late with my thanks, , but many thanks to:

pennymachines for your very interesting and informative research and the eBay link, I'm watching.

ilovemyjukebox Dave, if you find anything whilst rooting, that would be good to know.

gameswat, thanks for your thoughts on age, I guess the lettering could fit in with that time and yes, I think it is oak; the cabinet has been carefully made, as has the drawer and coin mechanism.

I really appreciate the time that people have taken to answer my original enquiry

If you buy the catalogue, maybe you could scan the coin-op stuff and upload here?

It's a deal

Well it's not going to happen.

I was away from home and had to rely on bidding using my phone. eBay loaded ok, I was standing there with a 4g signal, three bars of signal strength, my bid was in and ready to be confirmed.

At 10 seconds, pressed confirm bid, then a really really really helpful response "Network Connection Lost - Reload".

No chance of course, totally gutted, it sold for £4.71, I was going to bid much more.

I've almost finished swearing; not sure if it was a Three Network issue or an eBay issue, either way

That's a sickener.
I was second bidder. I was sure you would get it, so I dropped out, expecting to see it loaded onto the Forum.
This wireless technology is far from perfected!

Bidding live on the internet can be hairy I know, having done it a few times on high value items - too much to go wrong. Snipe bidding may not be 'cricket' but it alleviates the stress.