A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages or other small goods to a customer after payment is made. A rudimentary coin-operated forerunner was built by the Greek engineer Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century AD, dispensing a measure of holy water when a coin was deposited, but the first modern vending machines emerged in England in the early 1880s, when the inventor Percival Everitt introduced coin-operated machines in London in 1883 that dispensed postcards, establishing the basic mechanism still used in vending machines today.
Facts
Patent or First-Use DateSourced to the subject's own account YearSourced to the subject's own accountEarlier coin-operated precedents exist: Hero of Alexandria's 1st-century AD coin-operated wine or holy-water dispenser, and Simon Denham's 1867 British Patent no. 706 for a stamp-dispensing machine, described as the first fully automatic vending machine; Everitt's 1883 postcard machine is recorded here as the first modern coin-operated vending machine. SignificanceSourced to the subject's own accountAutomated the sale of small goods without a shopkeeper present, becoming a fixture of railway stations and post offices and later of retail and public spaces worldwide. 1 FAQs
Was Percival Everitt's machine the first vending machine?
No. Hero of Alexandria and Simon Denham came earlier, and Everitt's 1883 machine is tied to the first modern coin-operated ones.
No. The earliest known reference to a vending machine is in the work of Hero of Alexandria, whose machine accepted a coin and dispensed wine or holy water. Simon Denham was awarded British Patent no. 706 in 1867 for a stamp dispensing machine, described as the first fully automatic vending machine. Percival Everitt's machine of 1883 is associated with the first modern coin-operated vending machines, which were introduced in London in the early 1880s and dispensed postcards.
Connections
Associated With
Source Percival Everitt (Grace's Guide)
In Field
Source Vending Machine (Wikipedia)
Invented By
Source Vending Machine (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Vending Machine (Wikipedia)
WikipediaModern vending machines section, Wikipedia article Vending machine
The machine was invented by Percival Everitt in 1883 and soon became a widespread feature at railway stations and post offices; it dispensed envelopes, postcards, and notepaper.
opening definition sentence, Wikipedia article Vending machine
A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise made.
History section, paragraph on coin-operated precedents, Wikipedia article Vending machine
Simon Denham was awarded British Patent no. 706 for his stamp dispensing machine in 1867, the first fully automatic vending machine.
In Field: Mechanical Engineering, Lead section
A vending machine is an automated machine that dispenses items such as snacks, beverages, cigarettes, and lottery tickets to consumers after cash, a credit card, or other forms of payment are inserted into the machine or payment is otherwise made.
Invented By: Percival Everitt, History section
The machine was invented by Percival Everitt in 1883 and soon became a widespread feature at railway stations and post offices; it dispensed envelopes, postcards, and notepaper.
View the Source Percival Everitt (Grace's Guide)
Associated With: Percival Everitt, BiographyQuote, Associated With: Percival Everitt, Biography
improved apparatus for delivering pre-paid goods
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