Did You Know...
...that the video game, Pong, was invented by a guy who graduated at the bottom of his engineering class? Nolan Bushnell spent more time running the games at a local amusement park than he did on his studies at the University of Utah. His dreams of working for Disney's amusement empire were dashed when the company wouldn't hire him. Taking a boring job, Nolan daydreamed about electronic versions of popular games. He invented Pong, the first video game, and went on to found Atari Co.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7357239 | Vending machine tracking system A tracking system counts events in the operation of multiple machines or devices over a wide geographic area. For example, for bulk venders the system counts each vend responsive to rotation through a cycle of the coin mechanism, and preferably records the date and ... | 04/15/2008 |
| 7290146 | Managed credential issuance In a method of issuing a credential, a request for issuance of the credential is received. Next, a unique identification for the requested credential is assigned and data elements corresponding to the credential are provided. A credential production data collection ... | 10/30/2007 |
| 7270225 | Dual coin actuation mechanism with angularly and axially offset coin slots and recesses A dual coin mechanism for a vending machine includes a cover plate having a peripheral flange with first and second coin slots defined therein angularly and axially offset from one another about and along an axis defined by the cover plate, and first and second coin... | 09/18/2007 |
| 7222711 | Multiple coin actuation mechanism A multiple coin actuation mechanism has a carrier wheel with angularly spaced first and second coin recesses aligned with first and second coin slots of a front cover plate when the carrier wheel is in an initial home position at which a user initially deposits firs... | 05/29/2007 |
| 7007820 | Dental hygiene vending machine A dental hygiene vending machine comprises a housing having multiple dispensing compartments. A dispensing coil is rotatably connected to the housing and is capable of actuation. A cover is hingedly connected to the housing. The cover has multiple cutouts that subst... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6964328 | Antitheft design for rotary coin mechanisms A method and apparatus for an improved rotary coin mechanism that prevents the theft of vending machine items by preventing the maintained presence of a theft tool used by a thief to interfere with the operation of a coin detector so that a coin slot without a coin ... | 11/15/2005 |
| 6932527 | Card cartridge A card cartridge includes a housing having a pair of opposing side walls, a top, a front wall, a back wall opposite the front wall, and a base. The housing includes an interior cavity that is sized to accommodate a stack of cards, a card access, and a card output sl... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6902050 | Coin mechanism of simplified construction and method of coin validity testing and vending machine operation The validity of a coin is tested in a coin mechanism typically used for vending products. A test arm which is integrally and resiliently connected to a back plate contacts a coin when the coin wheel is rotated, and the test arm resiliently deflects in response to co... | 06/07/2005 |
| 6253900 | Coin sorting device, commodity discharging device, and game device The coin sorting device comprises: a body (1); a coin put-in port (4) for putting a coin in; a coin sorting handle (5) which can be rotated; a coin turn table (7) which can be rotated according to a rotation of the coin sorting handle (5) and comprises a ... | 07/03/2001 |
| 6186309 | Coin discriminating device A coin discriminating device for discriminating put-in coins into a normal coin and a smaller coin, in which the maximum number of normal coins to be put-in can be easily changed. The coin discriminating device includes a turn plate having a cut-out porti... | 02/13/2001 |
| 5950793 | Coin mechanism with improved coin conveyor A coin mechanism includes a coin conveyor provided with a hub on its front face, which rotates in a recess formed in the rear face of the cover plate. The hub reinforces the structural integrity of the coin conveyor, allowing the mechanism to accommodate ... | 09/14/1999 |
| 5924542 | Coin mechanism A coin mechanism capable of accepting two coins simultaneously is provided with generally opposed coin slots with mechanisms for measuring each of the two coins immediately adjacent thereto. The measuring mechanisms includes detente cooperating with front... | 07/20/1999 |
| 5657848 | Double coin mechanism A coin mechanism capable for simultaneously accepting two coins in generally opposed coin slots measures the diameter and thickness of each coin at the commencement of the actuation of the coin mechanism and includes a rocking blade to obstruct one of the... | 08/19/1997 |
| 5383545 | Coin mechanism In a coin mechanism for a vending machine, the inner face of the coin mechanism body is provided with a raised edge over which the coin projects slightly. As the coin mechanism is rotated, the coin travels along this raised edge. A portion of the raised e... | 01/24/1995 |
| 5337876 | Counter-top vending machine A vending machine has an outer housing with a hollow interior and a manual retrieval opening. At least one tray is removably supported by the housing inside the interior thereof. The tray has a plurality of storage bins, each bin being dimensioned for rec... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5188207 | Vending machine coin mechanism A coin mechanism for a vending machine comprises a cylinder rotatable in a passageway within a housing to release vended product to a purchaser. Operation of the mechanism requires insertion of purchase coins into coin slots accessible when the cylinder p... | 02/23/1993 |
| 5174427 | Disk-enabled actuator Disclosed herein is a coin rejector for accepting multiple coins. Upon sequential insertion of two coins of the desired size, a customer can rotate a handle to operate a vending machine. The device employs a rotatable wheel which accepts the disks, positi... | 12/29/1992 |
| 5018614 | Ticket vending machine An outer housing encloses an inner panel separating a money accepting and ticket dispensing apparatus. The money accepting apparatus releases an internal lever upon insertion of the correct money. This internal lever disengages from a toothed plate which ... | 05/28/1991 |
| 4673074 | Multi-coin operated dispensing mechanism Disclose is a coin-operated dispensing mechanism, a basic element of which is a disc-like, coin-receiving wheel having at least a first perimetrical coin-receiving receptacle, the thickness of which is substantially equal to a plural multiple of the thick... | 06/16/1987 |
| 4350239 | Coin assorting device for a vending machine A coin assorting device for a vending machine which mainly applies to children, whereby goods put in a plastic capsule can be obtained by throwing predetermined coins into a coin slot and then turning a handle by hand, is disclosed. The device is characte... | 09/21/1982 |
| 4332315 | Coin operated lock mechanism A coin operated lock mechanism used for securing a cabinet or similarly lockable door, highlighted by a coin chamber and coin follower assemblage adapted to adjustably accommodate for different denominations of coins or tokens, as well as for differing pl... | 06/01/1982 |
| 4055243 | Coin operated timer A coin responsive device actuates a motor driven time only if a pair of predetermined coins have been deposited. The device comprises a manually rotatable disk containing first and second circumferentially arranged coin receiving slots. The disk is secure... | 10/25/1977 |
