Importance

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Abstract

A vending machine in the style of a slot machine has a slot machine function, with an internal slot machine mechanism of typical construction and a series of symbol reels which display symbols through a window. When a coin is inserted in the vending machine, a vending device in the housing is activated to dispense an article from a storage hopper to an outlet, and the coin insertion is also effective to switch off an 'insert coin' indicator light, switch on a 'pull handle' indicator light, de-activate a normally-activated lever lock which normally prevents a slot machine handle on the housing from being pulled, and activate a coin lockout so that any further coins inserted during the operation of the machine will be rejected to a coin return. The article is vended to the dispensing outlet within a predetermined time interval after coin insertion; meanwhile the operator pulls the slot machine handle, the reels are rotated, and the slot machine mechanism successively stops the reels in the normal manner. When all reels have stopped, a limit switch de-activates the coin lockout, re-activates the handle lock, switches the 'insert coin' indicator light back on and switches off the 'pull handle' indicator light. The predetermined time interval for vending is longer than the time ordinarily required for a user to pull the slot machine handle and for all the symbol reels to come to a stop. Preferably the vended articles are in the form of openable capsules, so that different types of product may be dispensed within the capsules without any modification to the vending machine.

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First Claim