Charles Fey (born August Fey in Vhringen, Kingdom of Bavaria; September 9, 1862 November 10, 1944) was a San Francisco mechanic best known for inventing the slot machine.
Once the player deposited a nickel, he could pull the lever on the side of the machine and the reels would begin to spin, stopping on any random combination of symbols. If the same symbol appeared on all three reels a bell would ring and the player would be awarded with coins.