1930

Tokheim Volumeter Pump

The Tokheim Manufacturing Company was moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa to a small factory in Fort Wayne in 1918. It expanded during the 1920s to become a leading producer of gasoline pumps. In 1927, the Tokheim Corporation was the first company to market a gas pump featuring a bell that sounded with each gallon dispensed. The company expanded further during World War II, producing shells and shot for the U.S. and British governments. This Volumeter Pump from 1930 could pump up to fifteen gallons a minute. Total gallons were measured by the black hands on the 14-inch diameter dial with the red hands measuring the current gallon being pumped. Painted fire engine red with a lighted crown-shaped top and standing eight feet tall, this pump would be difficult for drivers to miss. Financial difficulties lead to the company's demise in 2003.