Security enclosure for an automatic teller machine

• US 4,497,261 A
• Filed: 06/27/1983
• Issued: 02/05/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Comerical Modular Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Commercial Modular Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Garman, James R., Ferris, Richard A., Hess, Roger M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hakomaki, James R.
• Application Number:
  US06/508,255
• Time in Patent Office: 589 Days
• Field of Search: 109/2, 109/10, 109/24.1, 109/71, 109/8, 109/58, 109/66, 109/53, 109/5, 109/11, 109/7, 109/14, 49/42, 52/29, 52/31, 52/65, 221/119, D99/28, D25/16
• US Class Current: 109/2
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/205 Housing aspects of ATMs

Abstract

A structural unit comprises a rectangular base and floor with vertical walls attached to form an enclosure, and with a roof assembled thereto to form a miniature building, for containing a banking transactional computer, designated an automatic teller machine (ATM), which allows customers to withdraw currency and make deposits. The enclosure is designed for installation on narrow drive-through traffic islands and pedestrian walkways and may be used in shopping malls and retail outlets. The enclosure has interior space for private and secure servicing and maintenance of the ATM by bank and computer maintenance personnel. Through the use of an indexing turntable mechanism the ATM may be moved and rotated within the enclosure in order to present the operating portions and electronics of the machine for access required by the bank and computer personnel, without exposing them to conditions which encourage interference by outside agents or bystanders. Service and maintenance of the ATM is accomplished without disrupting traffic outside the enclosure.

Claims

1. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking transactions with pedestrians and motorists, using an automated teller machine housed within a secured enclosure that is adapted for installation in narrow places comprising drive-through service islands, pedestrian walkways, malls, and retail outlets, said enclosure having an interior vault wherein a first volume of spaced occuped by said teller machine, as located for transactional operations responsive to said pedestrians and motorists, precludes access to the internal elements of said machine, and a second volume of space contiguous to said first volume, having a secured means of entry thereto, comprises working space for service personnel to service, test, and maintain said teller machine, wherein the improvement comprises:

a. turntable upon which said teller machine is mounted;

b. mechanical carriage supporting said turntable, operable by said service personnel for moving said teller machine from its operational location where transactions are performed by said pedestrians and motorists to an interior location within said secured enclosure interfacing said second volume of space comprising working space for visiting service personnel, and

c. means, responsive to said service personnel, for rotation of said turntable and said teller machine mounted thereto through a sector of azimuth angles about a vertical axis so as to permit access by said service personnel for their routine servicing, testing, and maintaining of said interior elements of said teller machine.

2. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking transctions with pedestrians and motorists, according to claim 1, wherein said enclosure occupies a minimum area of 4 to 8 feet, and accepts teller machines weighing in the range of 1000 to 3600 lbs. requiring cabinets as large as 28 inches wide, 36 inches deep, and 72 inches tall, with a first exterior wall at the front of said enclosure extending for a nominal length of 8 feet, said first wall having an aperture therein at said operational location through which customer-responsive elements and controls are positioned when said teller machine is located for said transactional operations;

means for securely closing said aperture when said teller machine is moved from said operational location; and

wherein said sector of azimuth angles for rotation of said platform and teller machine is at least 90 degrees.

3. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking transactions with customers comprising pedestrians and motorists, using an automated teller machine housed within a secured enclosure having four vertical walls, a roof, and a base subassembly adapted in a rectangular plan configuration for installation in narrow places comprising drive-through service island, pedestrian walkways, malls and retail outlets, a secured vault of said enclosure having protected working space therein adjacent to said teller machine for service personnel to service, test, and maintain said teller machine, said enclosure having means for minimizing variations of the interior ambient environment, wherein the improvement comprises:

a. a mechanical carriage, assembled in said base subassembly, for moving said teller machine from its operational location at a frontal wall of said enclsoure whereat said customers make said banking transactions to an internal location within said vault of the enclosure whereat said service personnel service, test, and maintain said teller machine, the motion of said carriage being reversible and responsive to the control of said service personnel;

b. a mechanical turntable assembled upon said carriage and operable at said internal vault location for the rotation of said teller machine about a vertical axis through a sector of azimuth angles thereby permitting the cabinet of said teller machine to be opened for access to the internal elements thereof by said service personnel to enable the servicing, testing, and maintenance of said teller machine, the rotation of said turntable being reversible and responsive to forces applied by said service personnel;

c. means for constraining the translational motion of said carriage to a defined path between said operational and internal locations;

d. means for limiting azimuth rotation of said turntable and teller machine;

e. a reversible electromechanical drive system, responsive to control by said service personnel, for propelling said carriage; and

f. means, operable by said service personnel, for manually securing said terminal under emergency conditions comprising loss of electrical power and equipment malfunctions to inhibit entry of said enclosure by unauthorized persons.

4. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking transactions with customers comprising pedestrians and motorists, according to claim 3, wherein said base subassembly comprising said carriage and said turntable still further comprises:

a. a main plate, upon which said teller machine is mounted, of truncated circular configuration having an integral extension of said main plate along the line of truncation forming a means for mechanical registry of said teller machine relative to said frotal wall of the enclosure, and a nut collar affixed to the underside of said main plate at the center of said truncated circular configuration for the application of translational forces;

b. a multiplicity of load transfer bearings, in excess of three, fixed to the upper surface of a base plate of said enclosure, said transfer bearings distributed in a pattern so as to engage and support said main plate with said teller machine mounted thereon, for reducing friction of said carriage and turntable;

c. said reversible electromechanical drive system for producing said translational motion further comprising;

a reversible electrical motor for generating mechanical power;

a speed reducer and right angle drive mechanism for transfer of said mechanical power;

a universal joint for coupling said drive mechanism to a threaded drive shaft;

a traveling nut for engaging said drive shaft so as to chase its threads thereby applying said translational forces to said main plate, said nut being assembled and retained within said nut collar; and

a three-position switch located on an inside surface of a wall enclosing said vault working space whereby said service personnel applies electrical power to operate said reversible electromechanical drive system for propelling said carriage.

5. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking tranactions with customers comprising pedestrians and motorists, according to claim 3, wherein said means for constraining the translational motion of said carriage to a defined path between said operational and internal locations further comprises:

a. a U-shaped retainer, affixed in orthogonal manner between said base plate of said enclosure and a parallel floor plate in said vault, said retainer for enabling a maximum distance of translational motion;

b. a pair of cooperating guide members, forming a channel, for containing a guie pin during translational motion, said guide members having an exit for said guide pin at the maximum point of inward translational motion thereby enabling rotational motion of said turntable, said cooperating guide members affixed orthogonally to said enclosure base plate in a direction parallel to and containing the rotational axis of said drive shaft;

c. said guide pin, fixed to said main plate near its circular edge located along the diameter bisecting said line of main plate truncation, for stabilizing the azimuth angle of said carriage and turntable throughout said translational motion, and for enabling a range of 90 degrees of rotational motion; and

d. a mechanical stop affixed between said enclosure base plate and said U-shaped retainer for enabling, in cooperation with said guide pin, azimuth rotation in a counterclockwise sense through 90 circular degrees, thereby locating said teller machine for maintenance servicing from the position of said vault working space.

6. A portable terminal for conducting remote electronic banking transactions with customers comprising pedestrians and motorists, according to claim 3, wherein said means, operable by said service personnel for manually securing said terminal under energency conditions comprising loss of electrical power and equipment malfunctions to inhibit entry of said enclosure by unauthorized persons, further comprises:

a. a hand tool in the nature of a cranking wrench, formed of a ratchet, extension rod, and a socket having female threads therein, for the manual application of force via said electromechanical drive system to said carriage which supports said teller machine;

b. a threaded end of a shaft of said drive system upon which said socket with female threads may be engaged for manual rotation of said shaft in the direction required to return said teller machine to said operational location;

a nut, assembled upon said shaft having threads thereon, said nut responsive to rotation of said shaft, for producing translational forces and resulting motion of said carriage;

d. a main support plate of said carriage and turntable assemblies having a nut collar affixed to its central point, said collar for containing said nut and for transfering the forces and resulting motion of said nut to said main support plate upon which said teller machine is mounted; and

e. an access port in said base subassembly of said enclosure through which said hand tool is inserted to engage said threaded shaft, said access port having a removable cover plate.

7. A base subassembly of a remote electronic banking terminal, of the type having a narrow rectangular floor plan for installation upon drive-up service islands and pedestrian walkways where customers make transactions through an unattended automated teller machine, comprising:

a. a rectangular plate forming a subfloor permanently attachable to the vertical walls of said terminal;

b. a pair of guide and framing rails, arranged in parallel and affixed to said plate in orthogonal directions relative to the sides having the larger dimension;

c. a support table, reversibly movable, having means for riding upon said guide an framing rails between a first location of said teller machine for operational transactions with said customers and a second location in the interior of said terminal where servicing of said machine is performed by service personnel;

d. a reversible electromechanical drive system, for propelling said support table upon said rails, responsive to commands of said service personnel that are entered by operation of a three-position electrical switch located within the interior working space of said terminal; and

e. a turntable, reversibly rotatable, when said teller machine is placed at its servicing location, responsive in rotation to manual forces applied by said service personnel, said turntable superimposed upon said support table.

8. a base subassembly of a remote electronic banking terminal, according to claim 7, still further comprising:

a. said support table, comprising;

a rectangular table plate in a plane parallel to said subfloor;

a pair of right angle members attached to and extending across opposite edges of said table plate, in a manner that locates the inside angle corners on the underside of said angle members;

a first multiplicity of ball-socket bearings, half of which are attached to the underside of each said angle member for distributing the load and reducing friction while engaging and moving on said guide and framing rails;

a multiplicity of triangular web elements for reinforcing the attachment of said rectangular table plate to each said angular member;

a second multiplicity of ball-socket bearings, distributed in a circular pattern and affixed to the upper surface of said table plate for distributing the load and reducing friction while engaging said turntable during rotation;

a circular flange, mounted to the upper surface of said table plate at the center of said circular pattern of ball-socket bearings, for containing, positioning, and guiding said turntable; and

a threaded nut, attached adjacent to said circular flange to the upper surface of said table plate, for coupling to a threaded shaft of said electromechanical drive system;

b. an electromechanical drive system for providing translational motion of said support table, comprising;

a reversible electrical motor for generating mechanical power;

a speed reducer and right angle drive mechanism for transfer of said mechanical power; and

a universal joint for coupling said drive mechanism to said threaded shaft for producing said translational motion through said threaded nut;

c. said turntable, comprising;

a flat turntable plate, having a truncated circular form, positioned in a plane parallel to said table plate and said subfloor engaging said second multiplicity of ball-socket bearings, for supporting said teller machine mounted thereon; and

a center post, affixed to the underside of said first turntable plate, for containment within said circular flange of said support table thereby controlling said rotary motion.