Improved security container

Abstract: A safe, for example for an automated teller machine, (90) comprises a steel body (10) of open-floor construction and having horizontal mounting bars (22,24,26) welded to the inside of the body walls (12,14,16); either a detachable steel floor (30) or an open-top steel container (40) can be attached to the mounting bars by bolts (23) accessible only from inside the container. The volume of the safe can therefore be increased by an on-site modification to allow an additional cassette (102) to be provided.

Description: This invention relates to a security container, which may be a safe for an automated teller machine (ATM) which dispenses and/or receives cash, or a conventional safe. When an ATM is installed by a financial institution such as a bank, it is natural to use the smallest size of ATM considered likely to provide a required level of service. Often this will be an ATM having a single currency cassette for dispensing cash. Every ATM incorporates a security container or safe, which is also of the smallest required size. After installation, a financial institution may find that the demand is greater than expected, requiring two or more currency cassettes to meet the demand for cash withdrawals without over-frequent servicing, or may find that there is a different, unmet demand, such as the need to deposit cash as well as withdraw it. If the financial institution wishes to provide an additional cassette, the only current option is to replace the entire ATM, as the installed security container is not sufficiently large to permit the provision of a second or further cassette, so no upgrade is therefore possible. The safe in an ATM is of a similar construction to a conventional safe, i.e. a welded steel container with a hinged door. GB-A-2 081 335 discloses a vault constructed from pre-fabricated panels so that the vault can be constructed on site more quickly and with less mess than conventional vaults. It is an object of the invention to provide a security container capable of being increased in volume with minimum inconvenience. According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a security container comprising a steel body and a hinged door, the body being of open-floor construction and having a detachable floor securable to mounting means on the inside walls of the container by securing means accessible only from inside the container, wherein the secure volume of the container is extendable by replacing the detachable floor with a security extension comprising an open-top steel container having around the inside of upper edges of the container fixing bars securable to the mounting means by securing means accessible only from inside the container. The invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Figure 1 (a) is a view of the security container according to the invention provided with either a detachable floor as illustrated in Figure 1(b) or a security extension as illustrated in Figure 1(c); Figure 2 (a) shows a rear view and edge view of a door for a security container, and Figure 2 (b) shows similar views of a security extension for such a door; Figure 3 shows a vertical part section of an ATM having a safe according to the invention. In Figure 1 (a) a security container comprises a welded steel body 10 having sidewalls 12, 14, a rear wall 16 and a roof 18. Around the inside of the walls, placed horizontally close to their lower edges, are three steel mounting bars 22, 24, 26 of rectangular cross section. The bars are welded to the container walls and each bar is pierced by a number of vertical clearance holes 28. Referring now to Figure 1(b), a detachable container floor 30 comprises a flat steel plate 32 of such dimensions as just to fit within the sidewalls 12, 14 and rear wall 16 of the container body 10. The plate 32 is provided on its upper surface with blind threaded holes 34 around three edges, the holes being spaced to match the clearance holes 28 in the mounting bars 22, 24, 26. The container floor 30 can be bolted to the container body 10 by securing bolts, such as bolt 23 shown in Figure 1 (a), passing through the clearance holes 28 in the mounting bars 22, 24, 26 into the threaded holes 34 in the plate 32. It will be clear that the bolts 23 can be accessed only from the inside of the container body 10. Since the threaded holes 34 are blind, there is no easy access even if the container body 10 is jacked up or tilted. To further improve security, each threaded hole may contain a hard ball bearing (not shown) between its blind end and its bolt to yet further hinder access to the securing bolts 36 from below. The thickness t of the plate 32 is selected to equal the height h of the mounting bars 22, 24, 26 above the lower edges of the walls 14, 16, 18. The floor plate 32 then fits flush with the wall edges, making it yet more difficult to jack up or tilt the machine. The plate 32 is provided with anchoring holes 36 to anchor the whole container to the floor by anchoring bolts (not shown), giving further security against movement of the container. Referring now to Figure 1(c), a security extension 40 comprises an open-topped welded steel box having sidewalls 42, 44, rear wall 46, and floor 48. The floor is provided with anchoring holes 50 identical to the anchoring holes 36 in the detachable floor 30. Around the inside of the walls 42, 44, 46, placed horizontally, are three steel fixing bars 52, 54, 56, of rectangular cross section. The bars are welded to the container walls, and each bar is pierced by a number of blind threaded holes 58 corresponding to the clearance holes 28 shown in Figure 1(a). The bars 52, 54, 56 project above the upper edges of the walls 42, 44, 46 by a distance p which equals the height h shown in Figure 1 (a). If the detachable container floor 30 is unbolted from the container 10, and is replaced by the security extension 40 bolted by bolts 36 accessible only from inside the container, the secure volume has been increased without substantially reducing the security level. Referring again to Figure 1(a), the sidewalls 12 and 14 are provided with vertical welded rebate bars (only one bar 27 being shown) which carry part of the locking mechanism for the door (not shown). When the extension 40 is positioned below the container 10, the door must also be extended, as shown in Figure 2. In Figure 2(a) a steel door 60 is shown as if viewed from inside the security container 10. The door comprises a vertical steel plate 62 carrying adjacent one vertical edge a conventional locking blade 64, attached to the plate 62 by three fixing means 66. The lower edge of the door is provided with a number of blind threaded holes 68. Referring now to Figure 2(b), a door extension 70 comprises a vertical steel extension plate 72 having a steel mounting plate 74 welded at 76 to its upper edge. The mounting plate 74 is pierced by a number of mounting holes 78 which match the positions of the threaded holes 68 in the door 60 in Figure 2(a). When the extension 70 to the door is required, the mounting plate 74 is bolted by bolts (not shown) through holes 78 into threaded holes 68. It will be clear that the bolts are accessible only when the door 60 is open. Further, the operation of the locking blade 64 is unaffected. The principle of extending the secure volume of a safe illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 can be applied to a conventional safe, or to the safe in an ATM, allowing the addition of a second or further currency cassette. Upgrading of an ATM is therefore relatively easy, providing only that sufficient room is available to extend the safe by the volume of the extension. The upgrade can be carried out on site by a service engineer. An ATM 90 incorporating a safe according to the invention is shown in Figure 3. The ATM has a currency delivery slot 92 backed by a shutter 94 and adjacent a currency delivery mechanism 96. The slot 92 is formed in the rear wall 16 of the safe shown in Figure 1, so that side walls 12, 42 of the safe and the extension are visible. Within the ATM are upper and lower currency cassettes 100, 102 containing respective stacks of currency 104, 106. The upper cassette 100 is located just above the steel mounting bar 26 carried by the rear wall 16, and initially cassette 100 would be the only cassette in the ATM and would rest on the detachable container floor, reference 30 in Figure 1. When a second cassette 102 is required, the floor is removed and replaced by the security extension 40, with the fixing bar 56 on the wall 46 being attached to the mounting bar 26. In operation, the ATM 90 can deliver currency from either a single cassette 100, or from both cassettes 100, 102, to the currency delivery slot 92. Typically the container 10 and extension 40 will be made of ½ inch (1·27 cm) toughened steel (10,000 PSI tensile), and the detachable floor 30 may be of ½ inch (1·27 cm) toughened steel or of 1 inch mild steel. Typically the mounting bars 22, 24, 26 and fixing bars 52, 54, 56 will be 1 inch (2·54 cm) x ½ inch (1·27 cm) steel bars. An ATM security container in accordance with the invention and using the above-mentioned materials and thicknesses is capable of meeting the test requirements of the Underwriters Laboratories, Northbrook, Illinois for a UL 291 Level 1 safe label that is, the container can withstand an 8 minute equivalency test using common mechanical tools on the join between the container body and either the detachable floor or the secure extension. It is believed that the relevant European CEN safe and ATM standards will also be met.

Claims: A security container comprising a steel body (10) and a hinged door (60), the body (10) being of open-floor construction and having a detachable floor (30) securable to mounting means (22,24,26) on the inside walls of the container by securing means (23) accessible only from inside the container, characterized in that the secure volume of the container is extendable by replacing the detachable floor (30) with a security extension comprising an open-top steel container (40) having around the inside of upper edges of the container fixing bars (52,54, 56) securable to the mounting means (22,24,26) by securing means (23) accessible only from inside the container. A security container according to claim 1, wherein the mounting means comprises horizontal mounting bars (22,24,26) welded to the walls (12,14,16) of the body (10). A security container according to claim 2, wherein the securing means comprises bolts (23) co-operable with apertures 28 in the mounting bars (22,24,26) and threaded apertures in the detachable floor (30). A security container according to claim 2 or claim 3, wherein the horizontal mounting bars (22,24,26) are spaced above the lower edge of the container walls by a height (h) equal to the thickness (t) of the floor. A security container according to any preceding claim wherein the fixing bars (52, 54, 56) project above the upper edges of the open-topped container (40) by a distance (p) equal to the height (h) of the mounting means (22, 24,26) above the lower edges of the container walls (12, 14, 16). A security container according to any preceding claim, wherein the open-top container (40) is three sided having an open side beneath the hinged door (60). A security container according to claim 6, wherein the door (60) has a downwardly-extending extension (72) arranged to cover the open side of the three sided open-top container (40), said door extension (72) being attached to the lower part of the door by a mounting plate (74) welded to said door extension (72) and secured to the door (60) by securing means (80) accessible only when the door of the container is open

Inventors: FLOOD DENNIS, FLOOD, DENNIS
Applicants: NCR INT INC, NCR INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Application year: 1997
Main classification: G07F7
IPC codes: E05G1, B65D6, G07F19, G07D9, G07D11