Self-service apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR RETURNING AN ITEM OR ARTICLE, LEFT FOR PROCESSING, TO A CUSTOMER AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE THE ARTICLE BY VIRTUE OF POSSESSION OF A PARTICULAR TOKEN, COMPRISING SUPPORT MEANS HAVING A PLURALITY OF LOCATIONS EACH ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN ARTICLE TO BE RETURNED TO A CUSTOMER, EACH LOCATION HAVING A CODE PERCULIAR THERETO, A SUPPLY OF REUSABLE TOKENS, EQUAL IN NUMBER TO THE NUMBER OF LOCATIONS AND EACH CARRYING IDENTICAL CODED INFORMATION IDENTIFYING THE TOKEN AS APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN THE APPARATUS, AND AN IDENTIFICATION CODE, EXCLUSIVE TO EACH TOKEN AND RENDERING EACH TOKEN SPECIFIC TO ONE OF SAID LOCATIONS, MEANS FOR SUPPLYING EACH CUSTOMER DEPOSITING AN ARTICLE FOR PROCESSING WITH A TOKEN FOR USE WHEN RETRIEVING THE ARTICLE AFTER PROCESSING, SENSING MEANS FOR SENSING WHETHER THE CODED INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOKEN FED THERETO AT THE TIME THE ARTICLE IS RETURNED TO THE CUSTOMER RENDERS THE TOKEN APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN THE APPARATUS, AND FOR SENSING THE CODE ON SAID PARTICULAR TOKEN TO DETERMINE WHICH OF SAID LOCATIONS IS SPECIFIC TO THE CODE ON SAID PARTICULAR TOKEN, MEANS FOR DELIVERING, FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO A PLACE AT WHICH ARTICLES ARE RETURNED TO THE CUSTOMERS, THE ARTICLE AT THE SPECIFIC LOCATION IDENTIFIED BY THE CODE ON THE TOKEN FED TO THE SENSING MEANS, AND SELECTING MEANS, ACTUATED BY THE SENSING MEANS UPON PRESENTATION OF AN APPROPRIATE TOKEN, FOR BRINGING THE DELIVERING MEANS AND SAID SPECIFIC LOCATION INTO CO-OPERATING RELATIONSHIP THEREBY TO PERMIT TRANSFER OF SAID SPECIFIC ARTICLE FROM SAID SUPPORTING MEANS TO THE DELIVERING MEANS FOR TRANSFER TO SAID PLACE, AND MEANS FOR RETAINING IN THE APPARATUS THE TOKEN WHEN IT IS PRESENTED TO THE APPARATUS TO RETRIEVE A DEPOSITED ARTICLE.