The Exhibitor (Nov 1938-May 1939)

BM-8 BETTER MANAGEMENT “MAGIC DOORS" GIVE THEATRES NEW LATCHSTRING When a large part of America consisted of frontiers, doors of many houses were equipped with a leather thong, attached to a latch on the inside. By passing the thong through a hole in the door, it became possible to raise the latch from the outside. A latch string hanging outside was a symbol of hospitality, signifying that the occupants of the house were "at home” to whoever might choose to call. From this custom, the saying "the latch string is always out” came to mean, in effect, "You’re always welcome.” The modern counterpart of the latchstring is the "Magic Door,” a mechanical marvel which extends an indubitable welcome to everyone by automatically opening for all who approach within a certain range of it. Although not exactly new, having been introduced in 19}0, this type of portal is still a novelty to millions of persons, and even in the larger centers of population, the uncanniness of its never-failing operation continues to fascinate the imagination and excite the curiosity. Probably few people know that compressed air is the invisible hand that opens the door, although in most installations there is a tell-tale "swish” which reveals the character of the operating force. The magic door is a product of the Stanley Works, of New Britain, Connecticut. The functioning of the door is dependent upon the interception of a beam of light which is projected between a pair of posts set up a few feet in front of the door. One post contains the light source and the other one a photo-electric relay which, in turn, causes compressed air to be released through the valve that is controlled by a solenoid in the pneumatic operator, that is normally placed across the top of one door or a pair of them. The air enters a cylinder and moves a piston to which is attached a metallic arm which opens the door. At the limit of the operating stroke, a cam closes the air valve and the door is then pulled shut by springs which are housed in the operator. The compressor, which is hidden from view, is a small, self-contained, electrically driven unit mounted on a receiver of several cubic feet capacity. The company standardizes on IngersollRand machines, using several sizes of air-cooled units, according to the number of doors to be operated. On an average two-door installation, a two and three-quarter horsepower compressor suffices. Air at a constant pressure of approximately 50 pounds to the square inch is required to operate a door of average weight. At a busy entrance, the air consumption is about one cubic foot a minute for each door. The magic door was developed by an engineer of The Stanley Works in 1930, and, although it was tested to the point that its reliability of operation was unquestionable, d.ificulty was met in finding customers for it. Most of those who were approached were interested in purely spectacular features of the innovation, but were skeptical regarding its practical benefits. After several months of ineffectual efforts with various prospects, the Frank Wilcox Company was induced to install four of the doors between the dining room and the kitchen of its Pier Restaurant at West Ffaven, Connecticut. The Stanley Works believed that the novelty of the doors would attract so much attention to them that they would receive widespread free advertising which would quickly lead to additional sales, and this was proved to be a correct surmise. The first installation was seen and commented on by thousands of persons, and soon began producing inquiries. Up to the present time, more than 3 000 installations have been made extending to virtually all parts of the country and even beyond its borders. In some cases, the chief value of the doors to the concern that installs them is in the feature of advertising. Particularly where the installation is the first in that city, throngs are attracted to view and marvel over the robot operator, with resultant benefit in sales through free publicity which is obtained. This has proved true in the case of such establishments as theatres and retail stores. A Boston cafeteria, which normally served 3,000 persons a day, found its patronage jump to between 6,000 and 7,000 shortly after installing a set of these doors at its entrance. The increased profits paid for the equipment in six weeks. A Dallas, Texas, department store placed one of the doors at the entrance to its men’s shop in 1932 and considered that it paid for itself in one month. In other types of establishments, the doors render direct service of a utilitarian nature in addition to possessing advertising potentialities. A leading example of this is their installation between restaurant or hotel dining rooms and the kitchens. With both hands free to transport food and dishes to and from the kitchen, waiters can move faster and carry heavier loads, thereby speeding up service. There is also a monetary saving in decreased breakage of dishes, between 50 and 75 per cent of which normally results from accidents at doors. This breakage is so great that it forms one of the important items of operating expense in the case of national chains of restaurants. It has also been found that personal injuries to employees are materially lessened. Ordinary doors are pushed open with the hands or feet, and must be regularly repaired and periodically replaced. As the automatic doors are never touched, they last indefinitely. They also are kept free from grease that is normally transferred from hands which have handled food, and this, together with the decrease in accidents, improves sanitation. Another type of installation in which the doors give practical results is in railway stations. Passengers and porters do not have to put down luggage to open them and the flow of traffic is perceptibly increased. Eight of the doors are installed between the main waiting room and the train shed of the Pennsylvania Station in New York, New York, for use during the cold-weather months. These doors undoubtedly hold the record for the number of persons that use them each day, as they are in one of the world’s busiest terminals and are in service day and night. Still, another strict practical use of the doors and one which promises to become increasingly popular is in manufacturing plants, where interbuilding haulage of material or products in process is generally handled by storage-battery trucks. In some instances, rolling or sliding doors are provided with operating mechanisms controlled by push buttons placed several feet away from them. More often, however, swinging doors are installed and are opened by the simple expedient of running the truck against them. In either case, there is a considerable expense item for replacing and repairing doors. Lighter and less costly doors can be used where the electric-eye control is used and the traffic is materially speeded up‘ Somewhat akin to the service just described is the use of doors in hospitals, where the handling of wheel chairs and wagons containing trays of food becomes very awkward if ordinary doors are used. The first installation of magic doors in an establishment of this sort was at the infantile paralysis hospital in Warm Springs, Georgia, which has attained national publicity because of the association President Roosevelt has with it. An installation of four of the doors also has been made at a railroad hospital in Mexico City. A growing use of the doors is being made in buildings that are air conditioned. It is essential that doors be closed as quickly as possible, and this is accomplished with the new system, thereby minimizing the escape of cool air in summer and warm air in winter. Merchants have traditionally liked to keep their front entrances open in seasonal weather as an invitation to trade and the (Continued on page 18) MODLRN " OPEN SESAME.” Ali Baba learned by accident that the secret to entering Elassan's cave was "Open, sesame,” but modern theatre operators do not oblige prospective customers even to think such words: they install magic doors, portals which automatically open at the patron’s approach. Seen here in operation is an installation in the Alvin, Pittsburgh. Note the light controls on the posts near the doorman. Another installation of magic doors will be seen on the front cover of this section, ivhere is pictured the entrance to the Senate, Elarrisburg, Pennsylvania. February 1 5, 19)9