Abstract: A changegiver having: an acceptor for accepting coins for payment; a number of coin stores each for storing coins; a control circuit; a dispense outlet; and a dispenser for dispensing coins from the stores into the dispense outlet, under control of the control circuit, in which, in a single payout operation involving the payout of multiple coins, the control circuit is arranged to pay out a first number of coins, and to pause until the occurrence of a predetermined condition before paying out a second number of coins. The first number may be sufficient to occupy a substantial portion of the payout tray but not to overfill it. The predetermined condition may be the elapsing of a predetermined time, or the entry of a predetermined command.

Abstract: The invention relates to a coin dispenser for use in vending machines for giving out change when the value of money inserted into the machine exceeds the price of the merchandise purchased. The aim of the invention is to simplify the design of such a dispenser so that different sets of coins can be catered for from a small range of parts.The dispenser comprises vertical coin tubes (12,13,14), one for each denomination of coin dispensed, and respective channels (15,16,17) extending horizontally beneath each tube. Each channel has an aperture (21,22,23) in its lower wall offset from the axis of the tube, (12,13,14) and an apertured slide plate (24,25,26) is movable in the channel (15,16,17) from below the coin tube (12,13,14) to over the aperture (21,22,23) in the lower wall so as to dispense the coins singly from the stacks in the coin tubes.