Patent Document

BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    Embodiments of the invention relate to automatic teller machines and installation thereof. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a system and installation method to reduce the risk of ATM theft. 
         [0003]    2. Background 
         [0004]    Automatic teller machines (ATM) are ubiquitous in today&#39;s commercial environment. While some ATMs exist within structures, such as shopping malls and supermarkets, ATMs are also commonly installed as free-standing units in parking lots and other outdoor areas. These free-standing units are sometimes referred to as “island” ATMs because they are often installed in an island for drive-up use, for example. 
         [0005]    Currently ATMs are manufactured by a number of manufacturers including NCR, Diebold and others. Each ATM typically has a plurality of attachment points defined by that vendor. Different vendors have different patterns of attachment points. Banks purchase ATMs from these vendors and deploy them as part of their network of ATMs. But between deployments, any particular bank may switch venders or may buy from more than one vender in different concurrent orders. 
         [0006]    When an island ATM is to be installed, first, the island is built typically of concrete and cured until it is solid. Often the island is equipped with a number of bollards to protect the ATM from accidental or intentional damage. Thereafter, the ATM is put in place on the island. Holes are drilled from inside the ATM into the concrete consistent with the attachment points defined by the ATM. This drilling often results in dust and particulates potentially contaminating the internals of the ATM. Once the holes are drilled, red head anchors are sunk into the concrete to hold the machine in place. 
         [0007]    Unfortunately, this system fails to provide sufficient security for the ATM. Thefts of entire ATM machines have become increasingly common. One common tactic is to dislodge the machine from its platform using e.g. a truck with a log chain, a tractor, or other such vehicle. The thieves then make off with the entire ATM machine to break it open at a more secure location. These incidents cost the ATM owner hundreds of thousands of dollars per incident. It therefore would be desirable to mitigate the risk of ATM theft and improve the security of free-standing ATMs. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that different references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the system of one embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an overhead view of one embodiment of the invention prior to ATM installation. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a bottom view of an attachment plate of one embodiment of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of the system of one embodiment of the invention. An ATM  100  is installed on an attachment plate  104  embedded within a platform  102 . A number of bollards  106  may also be installed in platform  102  to protect the ATM  100  from unintentional damage. Attachment plate  104  has an attachment surface  110  that is exposed through an upper surface of platform  102 . Platform  102  includes a curb  122  which rises above the ground level and underlying concrete  120  that forms a base for the curb  122 . 
         [0013]    Attachment plate  104  includes a pair of side panels  114  coupled to the attachment surface  110 . In one embodiment, this coupling is at a generally right angle. The distal end of side panels  114  couples to retention panels  116 . As can be seen in  FIG. 1 , side panels  114  effectively vertically displace retention panels  116  relative to attachment surface  110 . In some embodiments, this displacement is selected to be greater than the height of curb  122 . Typically, the curb  122  will be eight inches in height. Thus, side panels  114  will generally provide a vertical displacement in excess of nine inches and, in one embodiment, twelve inches has been found to be a desirable vertical displacement. 
         [0014]    Generally, platform  102  will be formed from rebar reinforced concrete. In some embodiments, attachment plate  104  includes rebar tie-ins to tie into the rebar reinforcement in the concrete. Additionally, because the retention panels  116  are embedded beneath a significant volume of concrete, the attachment plate is generally resistant to being pulled from the ground. As an additional measure, in some embodiments, steel set rod bolts  118  may be driven deeper into the concrete  120  and engage retention panels  116  to increase the stability of the attachment plate within platform  102 . In one embodiment, rod bolts  118  are eighteen inches long. 
         [0015]    Attachment plate  104  also includes a plurality of sleeves  112  coupled below attachment surface  110 . The plurality of sleeves are arranged to align with attachment points defined by ATM  100 . In some embodiments, only sleeves to accommodate a particular manufacturer&#39;s ATM may be provided. In alternative embodiments, sleeves are provided for configurations of all or a subset of existing commercially available ATMs such that for any installation only a portion of the sleeves will actually be used. In one embodiment, all the sleeves are dimensionally the same. In one embodiment, the sleeves are threaded to receive attachment bolts. Typically, the sleeves are greater than eight inches in length. In one embodiment the sleeves are nine inches long. It is generally desired that the sleeves be greater than ½ inch in diameter and sleeves to receive ¾ inch grade 8 or grade 9 bolts are used in one embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment, ¾ inch grade 8 bolts 6″ long have been found satisfactory. Such bolts resist up to 250,000 pounds of pressure before shearing. In one embodiment the sleeves are nine inches long. 
         [0016]    Finally, attachment plate  104  includes a pull box defining a chamber  130  to retain power and ground connections for the ATM  100 . Chamber  130  is watertight to prevent damage to the electrical equipment contained therein. In one embodiment, attachment plate  104  is fabricated in, for example, a machine shop and shipped to the installation location. In one embodiment, a ½ inch steel plate is bent to form attachment surface  110 , side panels  114  and retention panels  116 . Alternatively, the different panels may be joined by welding. In both cases the panels are deem “coupled” together as the term is used herein. The entire plate  104  may be powder coated to prevent corrosion. In one embodiment, the chamber  130  is formed from ⅛″ steal panels welded to a ½ plate. 
         [0017]    Cylindrical sleeves are then welded to the underside of attachment surface  110 . The sleeves may be drilled and tapped to thread them for the receipt of appropriate bolts. The arrangement of sleeves on the underside is selected to be consistent with the attachment points defined by existing commercially available ATMs. The pull box defining chamber  130  may also be welded to the underside of attachment surface  104  in a location not occupied by the sleeves  112 . 
         [0018]      FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of an overhead view of one embodiment of the invention prior to ATM installation. Attachment surface  110  is exposed through platform  102 . Retention panels  116  are vertically displaced by side panels  114  from attachment surface  104  and embedded within platform  102 . Steel rod bolts  118  further engage retention panels  116  to hold the plate within the platform. Sleeve openings  202 , which correspond to a Diebold ATM, are shown as one representation. Other sleeve openings  200 , which correspond to other ATM vender attachment point schemes, are shown as a different representation in this figure. However, this is merely for illustration as in most embodiments the opening  200 ,  202  will be dimensionally identical. In this example, 21 sleeve openings in total are shown. Different embodiments may have more or fewer sleeves depending on the number of ATM models to be accommodated by the particular embodiments. 
         [0019]    In some embodiments, a pressure sensitive alarm switch  230  may be exposed on the attachment surface. The switch  230  will trigger a security alert or alarm responsive to pressure changes such as the removal or attempted removal of the ATM once the alarm is armed. Also represented schematically is a conduit  232  for power, a conduit  234  for data and a conduit  236  for the security system are shown running to chamber  130 . In one embodiment, the power conduit  232  is 2″ in diameter and the other two conduits  234 ,  236  are 1″ in diameter. 
         [0020]    Once attachment plate  104  is embedded in platform  102 , the installation of an ATM thereon is relatively simple. By way of example, installing a Diebold ATM on attachment plate, one would align the attachment points of the Diebold machine with the sleeve openings  202  and drive four bolts, one into each sleeve to secure the machine  100  to the plate  104 . Thereafter, it is a matter of connecting power, data and security. Optionally, the ATM may also be welded to expose metal of the attachment surface  110 . 
         [0021]      FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram of a bottom view of an attachment plate of one embodiment of the invention. The box defining chamber  130  defines an opening  332  for attachment of a power conduit and opening  334  for attachment of a data conduit. Internally, the chamber may be divided to separate the power and data components such that noise on the power line does not interfere with data interchange. 
         [0022]    In one embodiment, side panels  114  define rebar tie-ins  312 , such as through perforations in the side panel  114  such that rebar  310  can pass there through in its integration with the concrete. Additionally, the rebar  310  may be tied  314  in to one or more of the sleeves  112 , such as by welding thereto. Alternatively, in some embodiments, the sleeves may be manufactured to include an eyelet to receive the rebar. By tying into the rebar embedded within the concrete, the attachment plate is further secured therein. 
         [0023]    Generally, for a particular site, the platform is formed and the attachment plate embedded prior to cure of the concrete. Then the ATM may be bolted and optionally welded thereto. Should it become desirable to switch out the ATM, no reinstallation of the plate is required. The old ATM is merely unbolted, and the new one aligned and bolted in place. In some embodiments, the plate can be retrofitted for anew ATM configuration. In Such embodiment, a 2″×2″ square is cure in the installed plate at the location of the attachment points. Then after coring the concrete with a 3″ drill bit a new threaded shaft is inserted and welded in place. The shaft may then be back filled with epoxy to complete the retrofit. Once installed as described it has been found that dislodging the ATM is nearly impossible using the tactic that have been employ in the rash of ATM thefts in recent years. 
         [0024]    In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to the specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Technology Category: 3