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The shape (and size) of things to come


ToddWebb

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blog-0409447001334752922.jpgHaving no experience with vending machines, my mind was a vacuum - a black void that needed to be filled. [color=#0000ff][i]How big are these machines? How much space do they take up? What rack systems are available? Are they freestanding? Are they heavy?[/i][/color]

I have - of course - walked past gumball machines thousands of times. But I never paid them much attention. I hadn't put money into one in decades (except for my recent test purchase - and even then I paid little attention to the machine size).

[color=#0000ff][i]How high must the first machine sit above the ground so a kid can get their hand under it? How many machines can I pack in per square foot? Can machines abut each other? Or must there be space between them?[/i][/color]

So many questions.

I googled for machines, and found many. Fortunately for the newcomer, the bulk vending industry is a fairly small but widely known community, where everyone seems to know everyone, and mostly agree on the basic knowledgebase. So the top machine makers were quickly identified. Alas, photos and descriptions of rack setups seemed to specify the size (height) of the rack, but not necessarily the overall height with machines sitting atop the rack. And certainly no specifics of the height of shelf one versus the height of shelf two, etc.

[color=#0000ff][i]How high must the upper units be above the lower units for a kid to get his hands underneath the spout? Must the upper unit sit back behind the front unit? Or can it overhang the front unit? If it does overhang, can I refill product?[/i][/color]

And here's a better one: [color=#0000ff][i]How far (across the lower machine) can a kid reach to get to the upper machine? If I build my own rack, and set the upper machine too far back, will this be a hazard for kids to reach across?[/i][/color] I really needed to get a sense this.

Another visit to grocers revealed they had the same rack setup. [color=#0000ff][i]Did I read online somewhere that Safeway operates its own bulk vending?[/i][/color] That would explain the identical machines. With measuring tape in hand, I wqrote down dimensions. I wonder how odd I looked? I was glad nobody questioned me - I just didn't want to deal with it.

So I finally wrapped my mind around the size. What about shipping? Unlike these "normal" setups, mine needs to travel to various shows.

[color=#0000ff][i]How would I move a rack of machines with breaking anything? Can I disassemble the racks and detach the machines? Would this take too long to setup and tear down?[/i][/color] (keeping in mind that I also must run the show itself, with 1,000 exhibitors in attendance)

Next challenge: packing, moving and storing.

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