1933 – Contometric display

History

Meanwhile another fundamental change was underway.

It was 1933 when the Wayne Tank and Pump Company proposed a new mechanism for indicating the quantity dispensed.

Instead of being connected to the sphere of the clock-face gauge, the spindle of the measuring chamber set in motion a complex system of clockworks which directed a series of numerated rollers.

But the novelty doesn’t end here: in addition to indicating the quantity of fuel dispensed, the apparatus also clearly indicated the unit price and the amount due.

The early life of the contometric display gauge was difficult: competitors boycotted it in every way, not wanting to pay the patent royalties, but in the end they had no choice but to accept it.

From that moment, the very way in which the motorist expressed himself changed: he no longer asked for ten gallons of gas, but for ten dollars worth.