Abstract:
Armoring for a light weight sheet metal enclosure of a vending machine is provided utilizing base plates on mounting bolts passing through the floor in combination, optionally, with L shaped internal wall and floor reinforcements which can mate with external reinforcing plates, sub-flooring reinforcements and vending tray armor, all of which can be combined in different manners to meet the needs of a specific machine.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present disclosure generally relates to systems, kits, and methods for installing armor that protects vending machines, and more particularly relates to pieces of adaptable armor that provide efficient protection for ATMs and other vending machines, and associated kits and methods for forming and installing such pieces of armor. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Manufacturers of ATMs typically offer two main options: choose from a heavy, strong, secure unit that is expensive or an inexpensive unit that is constructed of thinner sheet metal using cost-saving tactics such as inadequate welds. 
         [0003]    For inexpensive ATMs and other vending machines already installed in the field, their owners face a similar choice: to leave the unit as it is or to add an expensive, armored cabinet that enshrouds the entire unit in order to protect a handful of key weak points against attack. 
         [0004]    Given that ATMs are a ready target for theft and are often exposed to attack using vehicles and other tools, there is need in the art for improvements in vending machine armor that are affordable and effective for protecting ATMs made with thinner sheet metal and weak welding. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    A vending machine armor system, or a kit for installing the same, alleviates the cost of the expensive armor cabinet by providing an inexpensive product for reinforcing the weakest areas of the light weight ATM&#39;s and vending machines. The kit may be as simple as a plurality of reinforcing members designed to reinforce the area around the ATM anchor bolts or as complex as a combination of floor and wall reinforcement and cash tray reinforcements. 
         [0006]    Other systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages of the disclosed product and methods for forming and installing pieces of a vending machine armor system will be apparent or will become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. All such additional systems, devices, methods, features, and advantages are intended to be included within the description and to be protected by the accompanying claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    Referring to the drawings which are appended hereto and which form a portion of this disclosure, it may be seen that: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is perspective view of components of my improved vending machine armor system. 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a reinforcing member secured through a vending machine floor to a concrete floor; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an L-shaped reinforcing member secured around a door hinge bar and through a vending machine floor; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is an exploded view of a reinforcing member as secured to a wooden floor; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of an angle bracket and cooperating reinforcing member; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is an exploded view of the angle bracket of  FIG. 5  as installed inside a vending machine; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a front view of an installed armored vending tray or cash delivery tray; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a rear view of the installed armored vending tray of  FIG. 7 ; 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is an exploded front view of the vending tray of  FIG. 7 ; and 
           [0017]      FIG. 10  is an exploded rear view of the vending tray of  FIG. 7 . 
       
    
    
       [0018]    Corresponding reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the figures, and components in the figures are not necessarily to scale. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0019]    It will be appreciated that the drawings are provided for illustrative purposes and that the invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment. For clarity and in order to emphasize certain features, not all of the drawings depict all of the features that might be included with the depicted embodiment. The invention also encompasses embodiments that combine features illustrated in multiple different drawings; embodiments that omit, modify, or replace some of the features depicted; and embodiments that include features not illustrated in the drawings. Therefore, it should be understood that there is no restrictive one-to-one correspondence between any given embodiment of the invention and any of the drawings. 
         [0020]    In describing preferred and alternate embodiments of the technology described herein, specific terminology is employed for the sake of clarity. The technology described herein, however, is not intended to be limited to the specific terminology so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific element includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish similar functions. 
         [0021]    Described below are embodiments of armor designed to address the two most common fail points on ATMs, the cash tray and the base, including the welds that attach the base of the ATM to the walls. Standard cash trays can crumple, exposing the door of the ATM to further attack that may rend the sheet metal at the cash tray opening. Similarly, force exerted on thin sheet metal walls may cause stretching and tearing, premature breaking of welds, and ripping the base away from its anchoring system. 
         [0022]    As seen in  FIG. 1 , improvements of the present vending machine armor system  100  comprise several components that may be utilized separately or in conjunction with one another, including vending tray armor  110 , floor armor  210 , and wall armor  250 . These components are intended to reinforce the weaknesses found in conventional installations of ATMs and other vending machines. The structure of the parts and their functionality are designed for affordable, “universal fit” and allow for adaptation depending upon the construction of specific ATMs. We will first discuss improvements of the floor armor  210  and later return to discussion of the vending tray armor  110 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 2 and 3  illustrate reinforcing members  214  and  215  secured by a bolt  224  through the sheet metal floor  10  of a vending machine or ATM and into an underlying floor  30 , in this case a concrete slab. An ATM typically has sheet metal walls  14  having an exterior surface  16  and an interior surface  17 , and the intersections of the sheet metal walls  14  and floor  10  often feature welds. An installer&#39;s first thought may be to use larger, heavier grade bolts to strengthen the base of an ATM; however, that plan fails as the base will stretch and rip apart at the anchor points. Instead, reinforcing members  214  and  215  are used to increase the durability of the sheet metal floor  10  by better distributing the force of attack. Reinforcing members  214  and  215  are designed to be used with Grade 5 wedge bolts for superior performance in concrete and increased torque during installation. 
         [0024]    In a preferred embodiment, reinforcing member  214  is formed from an approximately 3″×3″ plate of ¼″ steel having at least one 11/16″ aperture  222  at its center, the plate then having ¼″ trimmed from one edge so that the final size is approximately 2¾″×3″, with the aperture  222  off center. This design allows an installer to place the reinforcing member  214  farther into a corner and closer to the walls  14  of the ATM. Alternatively, the reinforcing member  214  may have more than one aperture  222  and/or utilize an aperture  222  that is centered or placed in another position to accomplish its function. The reinforcing member  214  is not limited to the above dimensions. Further, one or more of the edges of the reinforcing member  214  may be curved or have additional angles, but the primary function is to maximize contact with the sheet metal floor  10  while keeping material weight and cost in mind. 
         [0025]    The L-shaped reinforcing member  215  of  FIG. 3  differs from the reinforcing member  214  of  FIG. 2  as it is notched to fit around an ATM&#39;s door&#39;s internal hinge bar  18  in order to provide maximum support for the sheet metal wall  14  on which the hinge bar  18  is installed. After removing a ⅝″×2⅜″ notch from a reinforcing member  215 , a resultant L-shaped reinforcing member  215  may have a bottom leg  225  with a 2⅛″ dimension and an upper leg  226  with a ⅝″ dimension. The latter nestles around the hinge bar  18 . The L-shaped reinforcing member  215  is not limited to the above dimensions, but must be measured and cut to fit within an ATM. 
         [0026]    In certain instances, an ATM or vending machine may be installed on an underlying floor  30  that is wooden or of another material that may be accessed from below. As shown in  FIG. 4 , a complementary reinforcing plate  230  may be placed under the floor  30  to provide resistance to pull-out. The reinforcing plate  230  has at least one aperture  232 , preferably square in order to accept a Grade 5 carriage bolt  240 , and preferably at least three apertures  232  spaced about the surfaces  236 / 237  of the reinforcing plate  230  to allow the installer to navigate around joists, pipes, wires, and other obstacles. The reinforcing plate  230  may be approximately 4″×4″ with a top surface  236  and a bottom surface  237 , but the reinforcing plate  230  may be of other shapes and dimensions that provide similar functionality. 
         [0027]    In use, a carriage bolt  240  is inserted through apertures  232 / 32 / 12 / 222  in the reinforcing plate  230 , underlying floor  30 , ATM sheet metal floor  10 , and reinforcing member  214 , respectively, and secured by a lock washer  242  and nut  243 . The carriage bolt  240  resists removal due to its low profile head and square interface with the reinforcing plate  230 . If a thief tries to remove the ATM by force, the bottom surface  217  of the reinforcing member  214  spreads the force exerted upon the ATM&#39;s sheet metal floor  10 . In similar fashion, the upper surface  236  of reinforcing member  230  spreads the force underneath supporting floor  30 . 
         [0028]    Turning our attention to  FIGS. 5 and 6 , we see a 3″ wide wall-reinforcing angle bracket  262  and cooperating wall-reinforcing member  252  formed of ¼″ steel and designed to help maintain the integrity of the intersections of the sheet metal wall  14  and floor  10 . The longer arm  271  of the angle bracket  262  may be about 12″ in height and preferably has three ½″ square apertures  266  centered about 1½″, 6″, and 10½″ from the bend in the bracket  262 , but the angle bracket  262  may have more or fewer than three apertures  266  that may also be placed differently on the bracket  262 . The shorter arm  270  may be about 3″ in length and may have at least one 9/16″×1¼″ slot aperture  272  centered on that arm  270 , with the slot aperture  272  running perpendicular to the longer arm  271 . Wall-reinforcing member  252  preferably has dimensions similar to the angle bracket&#39;s  262  longer arm  271  and has three square punched apertures  256 , but may have more or fewer than three apertures. Alternatively, the 3″ wide angle bracket may have two short arms, with at least one aperture  266 ′ centered in one 3″ tall arm  271 ′ and at least one slot aperture  272 ′ in the other 3″ arm  270 ′ as described above. A matching wall-reinforcing member, not shown, would also be cooperatively positioned relative to this wall-reinforcing member. 
         [0029]    In use, holes  12  are drilled in the ATM&#39;s sheet metal wall  14  to match the placement of the angle bracket  262  inside the ATM with the slotted arm  270  oriented horizontally. Carriage bolts  280  are inserted through apertures  256 / 12 / 266  in the cooperating wall-reinforcing member  252 , sheet metal wall  14 , and angle bracket  262 , respectively, and secured by a lock washer  242  [or  282 ] and nut  243  [or  283 ]. The angle bracket  262  may be installed in conjunction with a reinforcing member  214  or  215  (shown as optional in dashed lines), and alignment is facilitated by the slot  272  in the angle bracket  262 . As described previously, a bolt  224  or  240  (with reinforcing plate  230  under a wooden floor  30 ) may be used for mounting to the underlying floor  30 . When force is exerted on the sheet metal walls  14 , the angle bracket  262  and wall-reinforcing member  252  (which may be referred to as straps) grip the walls  14  to spread the force. By using substantially less material, with no locks or guards, than existing armors, this lighter weight design may be installed by a simple handyman, and the materials do not interfere with appearance, operation, or servicing of the ATM. 
         [0030]    One of skill in the art will recognize that the parts described thus far are not limited to the exact shapes and dimensions described, yet the present design impacts functionality on several fronts. The parts preferably are large enough and sturdy enough to absorb and spread the force associated with breaking into ATM machines, yet the parts also are preferably small enough and lightweight enough to fit the limited space inside the ATM and to remain affordable in terms of materials and shipping. 
         [0031]    Returning now to the vending tray armor  110 , as best seen in the exploded views of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , an ATM or vending machine cabinet has a steel wall  14  (which may be a door) with an exterior surface  16  and an interior surface  17  through which a tray opening  20  with inner surface  21  is formed. The tray opening  20  is a weakness during attacks of brute force, which may cause the sheet metal wall  14  to pucker and/or to give way at the corners, rending the material. The present solution is to provide a vending tray armor  110 , also referred to as an armored vending tray, having a two-part mounting frame  114 / 154  comprising steel plates or brackets that sandwich and tightly clamp over the entire tray opening  20 . An inside mounting frame  114  is attached to a cash delivery tray or vending tray  130  by welds on the back surface  117  of the inside frame  114 , which may be referred to as the cash tray frame or vending tray frame. Welds are not limited to this area, but may be made in other areas that provide sufficient strength. 
         [0032]    To install the vending tray armor  110 , the original delivery tray is removed, and studs  19  from the original installation may remain on the interior surface  17 . Then an outside portion  132  of the vending tray  130  is inserted from inside the vending machine cabinet through the tray opening  20 , and the approximately ¼″ apertures  119  in the inside mounting frame  114  allow the installer to negotiate around the existing studs  19  such that the front surface  116  of the inside mounting frame  114  may rest against the interior surface  17  of the sheet metal wall  14 . A matching outside frame  154  of similar dimensions, preferably with square punched apertures  162 , is placed on the exterior surface  16  of the sheet metal wall  14  opposite the inside mounting frame  114 . The inner surface  161  of the outside frame opening  160  surrounds the vending tray  130 . 
         [0033]      FIG. 7  is a front view of the installed vending tray  130  showing the outside portion  132  projecting through the outside frame opening  160  of the outside frame  154 .  FIG. 8  is a rear view of the installed vending tray  130  showing the inside portion  134  projecting through the inside frame opening  120  of the inside frame  154 . In a preferred embodiment, six carriage bolts  240  [or  190 ] are inserted through the outside frame  154 , the sheet metal wall  14 , and the inside mounting frame  114  via apertures  162 / 12 / 122 , respectively, and secured by a lock washer  242  and nut  243 . Apertures  162 / 122  may be located about the four corners and center of the frame openings  160 / 120 , with three on top and three on the bottom, or otherwise positioned to resist damage during attack. The frames  114 / 154  are not limited to six apertures, but may have more or fewer apertures and corresponding connectors, and the vending tray armor  110  is not limited to carriage bolts  240 . 
         [0034]    By employing stronger and/or heftier materials than that used for the sheet metal wall  14  and clamping the wall  14  in a two-part frame  114 / 154 , the tray opening  20  in the ATM is dramatically reinforced against being ripped apart, whether a criminal tries to crush or extract the vending tray  130 . 
         [0035]    The cash delivery tray or vending tray  130  itself has a base  136  that measures about 4″ wide by 7¾″ long with walls  144 / 140 / 142  rising substantially vertically from the base  136 , preferably with rounded corners in the transitions between base  136  and walls  144 / 140 / 142 . Depending upon the thickness of the inside mounting frame  114 , about 64% of the base  136  resides in front of the inside frame  114  and about 30% of the base  136  resides behind the inside frame  114 . (Given a ¼″ inside frame  114  thickness, the front portion  132  is about 2 19/32″ wide and the back portion  134  is about 1 3/16″ wide.) Two front wall sections  144  with a height of about 2″ have a gap between them sized for a human hand to retrieve paper money from the front portion  132  of the vending tray  130 , each front wall section  144  adjoining a respective side wall  140 , the transition between walls  144  and  140  preferably rounded for strength. The side walls  140  are continuous and taper upward about ½″ from the top of the front wall sections  144  to level out toward the inside frame  114  at about 2 15/32″ high, perhaps going beyond the frame  114 , then step down to the height of the back wall  142 , which is lower than the front wall sections  144 . The back wall  142  is discontinuous, with a series of buttresses and intervening gaps, and configured to interface with a cash dispenser (not shown). 
         [0036]    Extending from the top of one side wall  140  to the top of the other side wall  140  is a stabilizing member  146  that strengthens the side walls  140  and reaches beyond the outside frame  154  when installed to partially block entrance to the back portion  134  of the vending tray  130 . This stabilizing member  146  abuts the top of the inside frame opening  120  and may be welded thereto and/or may be one piece with a flap-like member  148  that reaches behind the inside frame  114  and angles upward to resist pull-out of the vending tray  130  from the inside frame  114 . The flap-like member  148  is configured to avoid any bolts  240  and nuts  243  on the back surface  117  of the inside frame  114 . 
         [0037]    In a preferred embodiment, each frame  114 / 154  is formed of ¼″ steel, and the perimeter or each frame  114 / 154  measures about 5 1/16″×9¾″. Each frame opening  160 / 120  may be centered on its respective frame  114 / 154  and measure slightly larger than 2 15/32″×7¾″ in order to accommodate the vending tray  130  with some clearance. The stabilizing member  146  at the top of the vending tray  130  is intended to fit within this clearance. The frame openings  160 / 120  may be shaped to accommodate straight or curved portions of the vending tray  130 . 
         [0038]    One of skill in the art will understand that the specific sizes and configuration described for the vending tray  130  and frames  114 / 154  may be altered and to some degree and perform the functionality required, provided the vending tray  130  is able to interface with a cash dispenser, output currency onto into the vending tray  130 , enable a person to retrieve said currency, and to do so securely as part of a two-frame vending tray armor  110  system. The vending tray  130  and frame  114 / 154  components may be stamped, break formed, or cut and welded, or any combination of those and other manufacturing methods. 
         [0039]    Materials in this specification are not limited to sheet metal, steel plate or other types of steel, but may also include carbon fiber materials, high-strength plastics, and/or a variety of composite materials that are able to fulfill the intended purposes. Additionally, reference is made to particular bolts, as well as square apertures; however, other connectors and shapes may be used to achieve the same function. 
         [0040]    A kit for improving the security of an ATM or vending machine may include vending tray armor  110 , floor armor  210 , and wall armor  250 , as well as connectors, tools, and instructions necessary to install the armor. Other kits may include subsets of the total vending machine armor system  100 . A vending tray armor  110  kit may include and inside mounting frame  114  with vending tray  130 , an outside frame  154 , a gasket or other weatherization and sealing material (not shown), and an appropriate complement of carriage bolts  240  [or  190 ], washers  242  [or  192 ], and nuts  243  [or  193 ]. A floor armor  210  kit for installation on a concrete underlying floor  30  may include at least one reinforcing member  214 , at least one L-shaped reinforcing member  215 , and at least one screw  224 —with a typical kit including three reinforcing members  214 , one L-shaped reinforcing member  215 , and four screws  224 . A floor armor  210  kit for installation on a wooden underlying floor  30  may substitute carriage bolts  240  for the screws  224  of the previously described kit, along with an appropriate complement of washers  242  and nuts, and add at least one (typically four) reinforcing plates  230 . A wall armor  250  kit may include at least one angle bracket  262  and at least one wall-reinforcing member  252 , with appropriate connectors. A kit may include multiple sets of angle brackets  262  and wall-reinforcing members  252  of the same or different size. Other kits may be combinations of the above kits; for example, a combination of floor armor  210  plus wall armor  250 . 
         [0041]    Methods of installing and using the various armor have been described throughout this specification. It is understood that steps of installation and use may be performed in different order and that some steps may be omitted or added while achieving the same functionality. 
         [0042]    While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain embodiments thereof, and many details have been put forth for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.