System and method for dispensing materials

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR THE DISPENSING OF MATERIAL FOR SALE WITH THE QUANTITIES OF SAID MATERIAL BEING CONTROLLED SO AS NOT TO EXCEED PRE-SET MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE TOTAL VALUES IN ANY PREDETERMINED TIME INTERVAL, SAID METHOD UTILIZING, IN COMBINATION, A COMPUTER HAVING A MEMORY DEVICE FOR STORING SAID PRE-SET MAXIMUM VALUES, SAID COMPUTER HAVING MEANS FOR DEDUCTING FROM SAID PRE-SET MAXIMUM VALUES INDIVIDUAL AMOUNTS CORRESPONDING TO INDIVIDUAL DELIVERIES OF MATERIAL TO CUSTOMERS, THEREBY MAINTAINING A CONTINUOUS BALANCE OF REMAINING ALLOWABLE VALUES OF MATERIALS WHICH MAY BE WITHDRAWN BY EACH INDIVIDUAL CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION CARD AND METER TICKET WHICH IS IMPRINTED PRIOR TO PRESENTATION WITH CUSTOMER IDENTIFYING MARKINGS WHICH ARE READABLE BY IDENTIFICATION READING MEANS IN THE DISPENSING SYSTEM, SAID COMBINATION CARDTICKET HAVING SPACE FOR ENTERING READABLE INDICIA OF THE QUANTITY OF MATERIALS DELIVERED; AN IDENTIFICATION READING DEVICE FOR READING SAID CUSTOMER IDENTIFYING MARKINGS FROM SAID COMBINATION CUSTOMER IDENTIFYING CARD-METER TICKET AND TRANSMITTING A SIGNAL INDICATIVE OF SAID IDENTIFICATION TO SAID COMPUTER; A METERING DEVICE FOR METERING SAID MATERIAL DURING DELIVERY TO SAID CUSTOMER, SAID METERING DEVICE HAVING MEANS FOR MARKING SAID COMBINATION IDENTIFICATION CARD-METER TICKET WITH POST-DELIVERY MARKINGS INDICATIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL DELIVERED AND FOR TRANSMITTING TO SAID COMPUTER SIGNALS INDICATIVE OF THE AMOUNT OF MATERIAL DELIVERED; DISPENSING CONTROL MEANS CONTROLLING THE DISPENSING OF SAID MATERIALS AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID COMPUTER TO OPEN IN RESPONSE TO A SIGNAL FROM SAID COMPUTER INDICATING THAT SAID CUSTOMER CONTINUES TO HAVE A BALANCE OF ALLOWABLE VALUES REMAINING IN THE MEMORY STORAGE OF SAID COMPUTER, SAID METHOD COMPRISING IN COMBINATION; RECEIVING SAID CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION CARD-METER TICKET IN SAID IDENTIFICATION READING DEVICE, READING THE CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION FROM SAID CARDTICKET IN SAID IDENTIFICATION READING DEVICE, TRANSMITTING A SIGNAL FROM SAID IDENTIFICATION READING DEVICE WHICH SIGNAL CAUSES SAID COMPUTER TO LOCATE IN ITS MEMORY, ANY BALANCE OF REMAINING ALLOWABLE MATERIALS WHICH CORRESPONDS TO SAID CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION, THEREAFTER EMITTING A SIGNAL FROM SAID COMPUTER TO OPEN SAID DISPENSING CONTROL MEANS ONLY WHEN A BALANCE CORRESPONDING TO SAID CUSTOMER IDENTIFICATION IS FOUND IN SAID COMPUTER MEMORY.