User access compartment for an automated teller machine

• US 3,957,173 A
• Filed: 06/26/1974
• Issued: 05/18/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1974
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Roudebush, Melvin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reeves, Robert B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bartuska, Francis J.
• Application Number:
  US05/483,472
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 109/19, 109/66-68, 232/44, 232/43.1-43.4, 232/1 E, 194/DIG. 9, 194/DIG. 6, 194/4, 194/DIG. 26, 221/15
• US Class Current: 221/15
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

A user access compartment for an automated teller machine which dispenses currency and/or receipts through an opening in the protective cabinet of the machine. The compartment is generally cylindrical in shape having an access opening therein, and the compartment is pivotally mounted on a frame located in the machine. A currency dispenser located in the machine dispenses currency into the compartment upon command from a valid customer of the machine. An arcuately shaped door panel normally closes the opening in the cabinet. To dispense the currency requested by a valid customer, the compartment with the currency therein is unlocked and is rotated to align the access opening of the compartment with the opening in the protective cabinet, and the compartment is locked in the dispensing position, and thereafter, the door panel is unlocked and is rotated to an open position permitting the customer to reach into the access opening of the compartment to withdraw the currency he requested along with an associated transaction receipt. After a predetermined amount of elapsed time, the user access compartment is closed by first closing and locking the door panel in the closed position, and thereafter, the compartment is rotated in the opposite direction to dump any contents remaining therein into a special collecting bin located within the machine.

Claims

1. In an automated teller machine having a protective cabinet means having an opening therein through which items like cash and receipts can be dispensed, the improvement comprising:

a dispensing module positioned in said machine adjacent to said opening;

said module having a compartment means pivotally mounted therein, for receiving and dispensing said items, and having means for rotating said compartment means between a receiving position and dispensing position relative to said opening in response to a control means;

a protective door means pivotally mounted in said dispensing module and having means for rotating said door means between closed and opened positions which close and open said opening respectively in response to said control means so as to enable a user of said machine to gain access to said items when said door means is in said opened position and said compartment means is in said dispensing position;

said means for rotating said compartment means including first latch means for selectively locking said compartment means in said receiving and dispensing positions and first drive means;

said means for rotating said door means including second latch means for selectively locking said door means in said closed position and for resiliently holding said door means in said opened position and second drive means;

said compartment means and said door means having a common axis of rotation, and said door means being arcuately shaped;

said first latch means and said first drive means being effective to unlatch said compartment means and rotate the compartment means for the receiving position to said dispensing position where the compartment means is locked prior to the second latch means unlocking said door means and the second drive means rotating said door means to said open position in response to said control means; and

said second latch means and second drive means being effective to rotate said door means from said second position to said first position where it is locked prior to said first latch means and first drive means respectively unlocking said compartment means and rotating said compartment means from said dispensing position to said receiving position in response to said control means.

2. In an automated teller machine having a protective cabinet means having an opening therein through which items like cash means having an opening therein through which items like cash and receipts can be dispensed, the improvement comprises:

a dispensing module positioned in said machine adjacent to said opening;

said module having a compartment means pivotally mounted therein, for receiving and dispensing said items, and having means for rotating said compartment means between a receiving position and dispensing position relative to said opening in response to a control

a protective door means pivotally mounted in said dispensing module and having means for rotating said door means between closed and opened positions which close and open said opening respectively in response to said control means so as to enable a user of said machine to gain access to said items when said door means is in said opened position and said compartment means is in said dispensing position;

said means for rotating said door means enabling said door means to remain in said opened position for a predetermined amount of elasped time prior to automatically closing said door means upon the expiration of said elapsed time, and for enabling a user of said machine to selectively initiate closing said door means prior to the expiration of said elapsed time.

3. The improvement as claimed in claim 2 in which said means for rotating said compartment means enable said compartment means to be also rotated to a dumping position whereby items in said compartment means may be dumped into a bin located within said machine upon command from said control means.

4. The improvement as claimed in claim 3 further comprising means for monitoring the various said positions of said compartment means and said door means.

5. A cash dispensing system comprising:

a protective cabinet means having an opening therein through which cash is dispensed;

cash authorization means;

compartment means pivotally mounted in said cabinet means for receiving and dispensing cash and having means for rotating said compartment means between a receiving position and a dispensing position relative to said opening;

a protective door means pivotally mounted in said cabinet means and having means for rotating said door means between closed and opened positions which close and open said opening, respectively;

control means;

cash dispensing means in said cabinet means for dispensing an amount of cash into said compartment means when in said receiving position in response to a signal derived from said cash authorization means and said control means;

said means for rotating said compartment means being effective to rotate said compartment means to said dispensing position in response to said control means, and said means for rotating said door means being effective to rotate said door means to said opened position in response to said control means to enable a user of said system to gain access to said amount of cash in said compartment means;

said means for rotating said compartment means including first latch means for selectively locking said compartment means in said receiving and dispensing positions;

said means for rotating said door means including second latch means for selectively locking said door means in said closed position and for resiliently holding said door means in said opened position; and

said means for rotating said door means enabling said door means to remain in said opened position for a predetermined amount of elapsed time prior to automatically closing said door means upon the expiration of said elapsed time, and to enable a user of said system to selectively initiate closing said door means prior to the expiration of said elapsed time by manually moving said door means toward said closed position.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5 further including a printer means positioned in said cabinet means for printing a transaction receipt in response to said cash authorization means and said control means and for dispensing said receipt into said compartment means when said compartment means is in said receiving position.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for monitoring the various said positions of said compartment means and said door means.

8. A cash dispensing system comprising:

a protective cabinet means having an opening therein through which cash is dispensed;

cash authorization means;

compartment means and first support means for pivotally mounting said compartment means on an axis located in said cabinet means;

first drive means for rotating said compartment means between a cash receiving position and a cash dispensing position; and

first latch means for selectively locking said compartment means in said two positions;

a protective door and second support means for pivotally mounting said door on said axis;

second drive means for rotating said door between first and second positions which respectively close and open said opening in said cabinet means; and

section latch means for locking said door in said first position;

control means; and

cash dispensing means for dispensing an amount of cash into said compartment means in response to a signal derived from said cash authorization means and said control means;

said first latch means and said first drive means being effective to unlatch said compartment means and rotate the compartment means from the cash receiving position to said cash dispensing position where the compartment means is locked prior to the second latch means unlocking said door and the second drive means rotating said door to said open position in response to said control means;

said second latch means and second drive means being effective to rotate said door from said second position to said first position where it is locked prior to said first latch means and first drive means respectively unlocking said compartment means and rotating said compartment means from said cash dispensing position to said cash receiving position in response to said control means;

said second drive means and said second latch means being effective to enable said door to remain in said second position for a predetermined amount of elapsed time prior to automatically closing said door upon the expiration of said elapsed time, and to enable a user of said system to selectively initiate closing of said door prior to the expiration of said elapsed time by simply moving said door a short distance in the direction of said first position.

9. the cash dispensing system as claimed in claim 8 in which said container means is generally U-shaped in cross section and said door is generally arcuately-shaped having a radius of curvature which intersects said axis;

said door, when in said open position relative to said opening, being located between said container means and said cash dispensing means to close off access to said cash dispensing means from said opening.

10. The system as claimed in claim 8 further including a receipt issuing means positioned in said cabinet means for printing a transaction receipt in response to said cash authorization means and said control means, and for dispensing said receipt into said compartment when said compartment means is in said cash receiving position.

11. A user access compartment module for an automated teller machine having:

a panel with a dispensing opening therein;

transaction entry means, cash authorization means, receipt printing means, cash dispensing means and control means;

said module comprising;

frame means with connection means for securing said frame means inside said machine near said opening;

a compartment means having a container means and first support means for pivotally mounting said container means on said frame means on a longitudinal axis therein;

first drive means for rotating said compartment means between a cash receiving position and a cash dispensing position;

first latch means for selectively locking said compartment means in said two positions;

a protective door having second support means for pivotally mounting said door in said frame means for rotation on said axis;

second drive means for rotating said door between first and second positions which respectively close and open said opening in said panel;

second latch means for selectively locking said door in said first position and for permitting it to be moved to said second position;

said cash dispensing means dispensing a predetermined amount of cash into said compartment means when in said cash receiving position in response to said amount being entered on said transaction entry means and to a signal derived from said cash authorization means and said control means;

said first latch means and said first drive means being effective to respectively unlock said compartment means and rotate it to said cash dispensing position where the compartment means is locked prior to the second latch means unlocking said door and the second drive means rotating said door to said open position, in response to said control means, whereby the cash within the container means may be manually withdrawn through said opening;

said second drive means for rotating said protective door enabling said protective door to remain in said second position for a predetermined amount of elapsed time prior to automatically closing said protective door upon the expiration of said elapsed time, and for enabling a user of said machine to selectively initiate closing said protective door prior to the expiration of said elapsed time.

12. The module as claimed in claim 11 in which said first support means includes first and second axially aligned shafts extending from opposed sides of said compartment means with means for rotatably mounting said shafts in said frame means;

said shafts having longitudinal axes which are coincident with said first named axis; and

said door being shaped in the form of a section of a cylindrical wall with said setion being large enough to close said opening and having a longitudinal axis which is coincident with said first named axis;

said door also having first and second ends;

said second support means comprising;

a first lever means which has one end fixed to said first end of said door and has the remaining end rotatably mounted on said first shaft; and

a second lever means which has one end fixed to said second end of said door and has the remaining end rotatably mounted on said second shaft to enable said door to rotate concentrically with respect to said compartment means.

13. The module as claimed in claim 11 in which said container means is generally U-shaped in cross section and said door is arcuately-shaped having a radius of curvature which intersects said axis;

said door, when in said open position relative to said opening, being located between said compartment means and said cash dispensing means to close off access to said cash dispensing means from said opening.

14. The module as claimed in claim 11 in which said first latch means comprises:

a first disc fixed to said first shaft to rotate therewith and having first and second notches therein;

a first solenoid means having a plunger which cooperates with said notches on said first disc to lock said compartment means respectively in said first and second positions upon command from said control means.

15. The module as claimed in claim 14 in which said second latch means comprises:

a second disc fixed to said second shaft to rotate therewith and having a notch therein and a shoulder thereon;

second solenoid means having a plunger which cooperates with said notch and said shoulder on said second disc to respectively lock said door in said first position and stop said door at said second position.

16. The module as claimed in claim 15 in which said first disc has a third notch therein to cooperate with said first solenoid means to enable said compartment means to be locked in a third position from which any items remaining in said compartment means will be dumped into a bin located inside said machine.

17. The module as claimed in claim 16 further comprising monitoring means cooperating with said first and second latch means to indicate to said control means the various said positions of said compartment means and said protective door.