History of Vending Machines
The earliest vending machines are believed to have been created by Hero of Alexandria, a first-century inventor. His machine accepted a coin and then dispensed a specific amount of holy water for the buyer. Once the coin was deposited it fell into a pan attached to a lever. The lever opened up a valve, allowed some of the holy water to flow from the machine. The pan continued to tilt with the coin’s weight until the coin fell off, causing a counter-weight to snap. After this, the lever would back up and turn off the valve, stopping the flow of water. The first modern coin operated vending machines were introduced in London, England during the early 1880’s, and they dispensed postcards. Today, the vending machine is a common sight in public areas all over the world.
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admin @ June 8, 2008
