Purchase-change device

Claim 1

A CHANGE MAKING MECHANISM OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED COMPRISING IN COMBINATION A COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM, A COIN PAYOUT MECHANISM, A TOTALIZER, A COMPUTER, AND A CONTROL CIRCUIT, SAID TOTALIZER CONNECTED TO SAID COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM SO THAT IT RESPONDS IN PROPORTION TO THE VALUE OF THE COINAGE INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM, A GROUP OF CONTACTS CONNECTED TO THE TOTALIZER, AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID CONTACTS CORRESPONDING TO PARTICULAR PRICES AND CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POWER ONLY WHEN COINAGE AT LEAST EQUAL IN VALUE TO ITS PRICE IS INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM, CERTAIN OF SAID CONTACTS ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO VENDING MACHINES THROUGH SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT WHEREBY WHEN A PARTICULAR CONTACT IS CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POWER ANY VENDING MACHINE CONNECTED THERETO CAN BE OPERATED TO VEND ITS PRODUCT, SAID COMPUTER CONNECTED TO SAID TOTALIZER SO THAT IT INITIALLY RESPONDS IN PROPORTION TO THE VALUE OF THE COINAGE INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM, A PLURALITY OF CONTACTS CONNECTED TO SAID COMPUTER, AT LEAST CERTAIN OF SAID COMPUTER CONTACTS CORRESPONDING TO PARTICULAR PRICES AND CONNECTED TO A SOURCE OF POWER THROUGH SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT ONLY WHEN ONE OF SAID VENDING MACHINES WHICH VENDS A PRODUCT FOR LESS THAN THE VALUE OF THE COINAGE INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM IS OPERATED, FIRST MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID CONTROL CIRCUIT AND TO SAID COMPUTER FOR CAUSING SAID COMPUTER TO RESPOND TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VALUE OF THE COINAGE INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM AND THE PRICE OF SAID PRODUCT IN THE OPERATED VENDING MACHINE, SECOND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COMPUTER AND TO SAID COIN PAYOUT MECHANISM AND OPERABLE WHEN THE COMPUTER RESPONDS TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE VALUE OF THE COINAGE INSERTED IN THE COIN ACCEPTING MECHANISM AND THE PRICE OF SAID PRODUCT IN THE OPERATED VENDING MACHINE TO CAUSE SAID COIN PAYOUT MECHANISM TO DISPENSE COINAGE IN THE VALUE OF THIS DIFFERENCE.