Vending

Vending machines and supplies

Vending Machine, machine that dispenses food, drinks, chewing gum, toiletries, or some other type of merchandise in exchange for money or tokens. The earliest vending machine was described by Hero of Alexandria in the 1st century AD. A coin dropped into this machine struck a lever, causing a valve to open, allowing holy water to flow out of the machine. During the 18th century, vending machines were used in England and the American colonies to dispense snuff and tobacco.
An important component of vending machines is the mechanism that accepts and determines the value of inserted money. When coins or tokens are inserted a series of tests determines the dimensions, weight, electric properties, and magnetic properties of the money. One type of mechanism used to check paper money uses a magnetic-sensing device to scan the length of the paper money. Ink used to print dollar bills has a small amount of metal in it; the sensing device records the magnetic signature of the bill as the bill passes across it

Vend \Vend\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Vended; p. pr. & vb. n. Vending.] [F. vendre, L. vendere, from venum dare; venus sale + dare to give. See 2d Venal, Date, time.] To transfer to another person for a pecuniary equivalent; to make an object of trade; to dispose of by sale; to sell; as, to vend goods; to vend vegetables. Note: Vend differs from barter. We vend for money; we barter for commodities. Vend is used chiefly of wares, merchandise, or other small articles, not of lands and tenements. Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. vending n : selling goods for a living [syn: peddling, hawking, vendition] Source: WordNet ¨ 1.6, © 1997 Princeton University