What innovation distinguished Charles Fey’s machines like the Liberty Bell from earlier models?

Pioneering the apparatus that delivered automatic payouts

The critical differentiator for Charles August Fey's contribution to slot machine history was the introduction of automatic payouts. While earlier devices, such as those from Sittman and Pitt, accepted currency via slots, they necessitated manual intervention by the house staff to settle any winnings. Fey's engineering breakthrough involved creating a self-contained entertainment unit that could autonomously handle the entire transaction—accepting the wager, processing the result, and dispensing the prize without constant human intervention. This self-sufficiency in settling the transaction—often referred to as the machine 'self-settling'—streamlined the operation, making the machines far more attractive to both operators and patrons, thus elevating the device into a true, modern gambling staple.