Wine Dispenser: John Gerhin Thomas, a physician and British army chaplain, started the Thomas Communion Service Company in 1893.  John Thomas was the originator of the individual communion cup, (patented 1894).  The creation of individual wine cups for church usage came in response to a controversy over the public health risk of communicants sharing one cup.  The invention was embraced by health conscious churchgoers and the Lima, Ohio based business distributed their products through the world.  Thomas’ children and grandchildren operated the business until it was sold to the Sweet Publishing Company of Austin, Texas in 1972.