US3771338A

US3771338A - Office machine anti-theft locking apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3771338A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Raskin
Original assignee: COMPONENTRY RES AND DEV ENTERPRISES Inc
Current assignee: COMPONENTRY RES AND DEV ENTERPRISES Inc
Priority date: 1970-09-21
Filing date: 1972-05-22
Publication date: 1973-11-13
Anticipated expiration: 1990-11-13

Abstract

Office machine anti-theft locking apparatus for preventing the illicit removal of an office machine such as a typewriter or an adding machine. The apparatus includes means to which the office machine is secured by bolts with said means being designed so that there is no access to the bolts which secure the office machine.

Description

United States Patent Raskin Nov. 13, 1973 [54] OFFICE MACHINE ANTI-THEFT LOCKING 1,520,902 12/1924 Junkunc .1 70/49 APPARATUS 2,996,909 8/1961 Raye 70/57 2,708,989 5/1955 Bogdenski... 70/58 X Inventor: Archie Raskm, g wood, NJ. 3,526,110 9/1970 Foote 70/258 Assigneez componentry Research and 3,664,616 5/1972 Raskm 248/25 Development Enterprises, Inc., Great Neck, NY. Primary ExammerRobert L. Wolfe Flledi y 1972 AttorneyMorris Kirschstein et a1.

[21] App]. No.: 255,624

Related U.S. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 73,881, Sept. 21, [57] ABSTRACT 1970, Pat. No. 3,664,616.

[52] U.S. Cl 70/58, 70/DIG. 57 Office machine anti-theft locking apparatus P [51] Int. Cl .1 E05b 73/00 venting the illicit removal of an officve machine Such as 58 Field of Search 70/15, 14, 16, 18, a typewriter or an adding machine- The apparatus 70/30 49 57 5 59 19 60 61 2 mg cludes means to which the office machine is secured 57 234 25 243/203; 211/4 by bolts with said means being designed so that there is no access to the bolts which secure the office ma- [56] References Cited Chine UNITED STATES PATENTS Jensen 70/DIG. 57

14 Claims, 20 Drawing Figures PATENTEU NOV 13 I973 FIG. 4

SHEET 2 BF 5 Pmim uunmlsn 3.771 338 sum sur 5 I Pmtminnnmms 3,771,338

' SHEET BF 5 OFFICE MACHINE ANTI-THEFT LOCKING APPARATUS CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application entitled OFFICE MACHINE AN- Tl-TI-IEFT LOCKING APPARATUS, filed Sept. 21, 1970 and bearing Ser. No. 73,881 and now US. Pat. No. 3,664,616.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Office machine anti-theft securing apparatus.

2. Description of the Prior Art With the recent upsurge of lawlessness, there has been a great deal of pilferage of office equipment. More specifically, typewriters, cash registers, comptometers, calculators, billing machines, etc., have been taken from many offices during the evening hours. As these machines are costly, this pilferage can be very expensive for a particular office over a given period of time.

Many different devices have been designed to prevent such pilferage but most have not been satisfactory. Some of these prior art devices utilize means for securing an office machine to a surface. As an example, one type of prior art locking device was utilized to secure a typewriter to a desk surface. However, many of these prior art locking devices were not strong enough to withstand the determined efforts of a thief utilizing implements such as a crowbar. A further drawback of many of these prior art devices was that they were not suitable for securing the wide variety of office machines described above andwere time-consuming to install. An additional drawback of some of the prior art locking devices was that they did not allow the office machine they were securing to be moved within a limited area, such as along a desk top, so that maximum use could be made of the office machine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Purposes of the Invention It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved office machine anti-theft locking means.

More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved office machine anti-theft locking means which is tamper proof and pry proof.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft locking means for securing an office machine to a furniture surface and which can be readily placed in operation.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft locking means for securing an office machine to furniture wherein the office machine can move within limited confines relative to the furniture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an anti-theft locking means for securing an office machine to furniture which can be utilized with a variety of different types of office machines.

In one aspect of the present invention an anti-theft locking apparatus is provided which consists of an H- shaped member. Located on the parallel legs of the H- shaped member are a series of slots and when the member is placed on a surface flanges on the legs contact the surface preventing access to the bottoms of the slots. A bolt is secured to tee cross piece of the member and projects downwardly therefrom. A nut can be placed in engagement with the bolt and locking means are provided for preventing removal of the nut from the bolt.

In normal operation, the I-I-shaped member is secured to the bottom of an office machine. This is done by having the shanks of bolts extend through the slots in the member legs and threadly engage tapped openings in the bottom of the office machine. The H-shaped member is then placed on a furniture surface with the flanges which depend from the legs in contact with the surface and preventing access to the heads of the bolts which secure the office machine. The bolt which depends from the cross piece extends through the surface and is secured by a nut below said surface and locking means are secured to the nut to prevent removal of the nut from the bolt and the H-shaped member and the office machine from the surface.

In a second embodiment of the present invention office machine anti-theft locking apparatus consists of two. box-shaped members. The first box-shaped member includes a flat section and four flanges which extend perpendicularly downwardly therefrom. Locking holes extend through the first member flat section. The second box member includes a flat section and four flanges which extend perpendicularly upwardly therefrom. The flanges of the second box member are arranged so as to be telescopically received within the flanges of the first box member.

Bolt holes extend through opposed flanges'of the first and second box members and when the box members telescope with each other, the bolt holes are in registry with each other.

A bolt is provided of sufficient length to extend through the registered bolt holes in the flanges of the first and second box members when said members telescope. A steel cable is secured to the head of the bolt. A nut is provided for securing the free end of the bolt and locking means prevent unauthorized removal of the nut from the bolt.

In using the second embodiment of the present invention bolts are placed so as to extend through the locking holes in the first member flat section and are threaded into the tapped openings on the bottom of an office machine. The box members are then placed in telescopic relation with each other and the bolt having the cable secured thereto is passed through the registered bolt holes in the flanges. The nut secures the free end of the bolt and the locking means prevents removal of the nut. The remaining end of the cable is secured to the leg of a desk or some other secure portion of office furniture.

Other embodiments of the invention are described hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the office machine anti-theft locking apparatus hereinafter and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view showing how an embodiment of the present invention may be utilized;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a front plan view illustrating how the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1 may be used;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exploded view of the means for securing the embodiment of the present invention to a furniture.

surface;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating how the embodiment of the invention of FIG. 7 may be utilized;

FIG. 9 is an exploded view of a still further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a view illustrating how the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 9 may be utilized;

FIG. 11 is an exploded view of still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 12 illustrates an application of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view ofa still further embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 14--l4 of FIG. 13;

FIG. 15 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line l5--l5 of FIG. 13; I

FIG. 16 is an exploded view of the box members of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 17 is a sectional view of a locking ring according to the present invention;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 1919 of FIG. 14; and

FIG. 20 is a sectional view showing a still further embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS ln FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, an anti-theft office machine locking device according to the present invention is illustrated and includes an H-frame 10. H-

' frame 10 includes

parallel legs

12 and 14 which are separated from each other by a cross piece 16. The different legs of H-frame 10 are identical to each other, are in registry with each other and together with cross piece 16 are made from cold rolled steel. Since the legs are identical to each other a description of one leg will suffice for an understanding of the present invention with like parts on the legs having the same reference numerals.

As can be seen in FIG. 2, leg 14 includes flat surface 17 having a plurality of slots 18. While four slots are shown in the drawings at the opposed portions of leg 14, it is to be understood that this is for illustrative purposes only and the number of slots on each leg can be varied without departing from the scope of the present invention. As can be seen from the FIGS., the slots are parallel to each other, perpendicular to the major axis of the legs of the I-l-frame and parallel to the cross piece.

Flange 20 depends perpendicularly away from surface 17 at one edge of the leg. Turned down

flanges

22 and 24 extend from the narrow edges of leg 14 and each includes portions which are parallel to surface 17. A flange 26 depends perpendicularly away from the remaining edge of surface 17 and is parallel to flange 20. The flanges which depend from the different edges of surface 17 all are perpendicular thereto and all extend the same distance away therefrom with the turned over portions of

flanges

22 and 24 being the same vertical distance away from surface 17 as are the free edges of

flanges

20 and 26.

Flanges

28 and 30 depend perpendicularly away from the opposed free edges of cross piece 16 in the opposite directions as the flanges which depend from the legs of I-I-frame 10 (FIG. 2). An opening extends symmetrically through cross piece 16 and a washer 32 can be secured to the bottom of said cross piece as shown in FIG. 3 about the opening.

In normal use, an office machine such as a calculator, comptometer, typewriter, etc., is secured to I-I-frame 10 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. It is to be understood that while a typewriter is shown in the figures and reference is made to a typewriter hereinafter, this is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended in any way to limit the scope of the invention. The H-frame is selected so that slots are located beneath the four threaded (tapped) openings which are beneath the bottom of conventional electric typewriters. Bolts 34project through slots 18 on

legs

12 and 14 into the threaded openings on the bottom of the typewriter and are engaged therewith. The bolts are tightened until their heads contact the bottom of legs 12 and 14 (FIG. 1).

A bolt 36 extends through the aperture in the center of cross piece 16, and through the desk or table surface S (FIG. 4) to which the office machine is to be secured and has its head on the top of the cross piece. A nut 38 (FIG. 6) is in engagement with the threads of bolt 36 and the nut is tightened so that the bolt pulls the I-I-frame tightly against the surface. Nut 38 includes conventional threads which are in engagement with the threads of bolt 36 as well as parallel grooves 40 at its uppermost portion. Preferably, nut 38 is hexagonally shaped and includes a taper 42 which surrounds grooves 40.

A locking barrel 44 which includes an upper tapered portion 46 and a lower hexagonally shaped portion 48 surrounds the nut 38 with the hexagonal portion of the locking barrel encompassing the hexagonal portion of the nut and tapered portion of the locking barrel encompassing the tapered portion of the nut. A lock 50 having a key 52 and a rim 54 is normally positioned within locking barrel 44 and when the key is rotated and removed, locking pins 56 engage grooves 40. As a result, rotation of locking barrel 44 does not result in rotation of nut 36 so as to move axially relative to bolt 36. Further, since the locking barrel encompasses nut 38 and may not be removed therefrom by virtue of rim 54 engaging the top of barrel 44 there is no way to rotate nut 38 to remove bolt 36 from the I-I-frame. With bolt 36 extending through a surface and secured as just described, it is impossible to illicitly remove the nut therefrom and the I-I-frame from the surface. The

In FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings a further embodiment of the invention is shown and includes a locking structure 200 having a bolt 202. Extending from one end of the bolt 202 is an extension 204 with a hook 206 being located at the upper end thereof. A nut 208, similar to nut 38, and a locking barrel 210, similar to barrel 44, are provided. In a still similar fashion, a lock 212 similar to lock 50 and a key 214 are provided.

The embodiment of the invention just described is particularly suited for office machines having openings on their opposed sides, as is quite conventional, and can be used to secure said machines to a table or desk surface. As can be seen in FIG. 10, a piece of office machinery 216 is shown and includes openings on its opposed sides. Hooks 206 or two locking structures extend into said openings and the extensions thereof project through openings in the member to which the office machine is to be secured to the bolts are below the member. The member is shown in FIG. 10 as being a table top. Nuts, locking barrels and locks secure the bolts in the same manner as described in FIG. 1 and thus the office machine is secured from illicit removal since the use of locking barrels prevents access to the nuts to free the bolts. The hooks are drawn sharply against the openings in the office machinery and cannot be removed therefrom unless the bolts are released from the nuts.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 13 through 19 there is disclosed apparatus 300 for securing an office machine such as an adding machine, comptometer, etc. Apparatus 300 includes a first box member 302 having a flat section 304 which is rectangular in plan. Depending downwardly and perpendicularly from each of the edges of flat section 304 are

flanges

306, 308, 310 and 312. The flanges are of the same height with

flanges

308 and 312 being parallel to each other, the same configuration and in registry with each other. Additionally,

flanges

308 and 312 are perpendicular to

flanges

306 and 310.

Flanges

306 and 310 have the same configuration, are parallel and in registry with each other while being perpendicular to

flanges

308 and 312.

A bolt hole 314 extends through flange 308 and is preferably symmetrically positioned with respect to

flanges

306 and 310. A further bolt hole 316 is located on flange 312 and is the same size as bolt hole 314 while being in registry therewith. Four bolt holes 318, 320, 322 and 324 extend through flat section 304. It is to be appreciated that whilebolt holes 318, 320, 322 and 324 are shown having a particular location on box member 302 that the location of the bolt holes is determined by the location of the tapped openings in the bottom of an office machine, such as an adding ma than flat section 304 for a reason which will soon be readily apparent. Extending upwardly from flat section 328 are

flanges

330, 332, 334 and 336. The flanges are all the same height, with

flanges

330 and 334 being identical in plan and parallel and in registry with each other. In addition,

flanges

330 and 334 are perpendicular to both

flanges

332 and 336.

Flanges

332 and 336 have the same configuration, are parallel to each other and in registry with each other while being perpendicular to

flanges

330 and 334. Box member 326 is of a configuration so that it can be telescopically received in box member 302 with the flanges of box member 302 outside the corresponding flanges of box member 326. It is to be appreciated that the height of the different flanges of each of the box member is approximately the same.

A bolt hole 338 extends through flange 332 and is symmetrically positioned with respect to

flanges

330 and 334. In a similar fashion, a bolt hole 340 extends through flange 336 and is in registry with bolt hole 338. When box member 326 is telescopically received in box member 302, bolt holes 314, 338, 340 and 316 are in registry with each other.

A bolt 342 is provided and includes a head 344. A central opening 346 is drilled from head 344 to the interior of the shank of bolt 342. A cable 348 extends through central opening 346. Lock screws 350 and 351 are provided and extend to central opening 346 which includes depressions beneath the lock screws. The lock screws are tightened and force the cable into the depressions so as to securely hold the cable relative to bolt 342.

The remaining end of cable 348 is secured to a bolt 352 having a head 354 and the means of securing said bolt to said cable can be the same as is used to secure the cable to bolt 342.

An elongated nut 370 is provided to engage the threads on bolt 342. Nut 370 is identical to nut 38 which is described above, supra. A locking barrel 376 identical to locking barrel 44 is provided for cooperation with nut 370. A lock 378 identical to lock 50 is provided with a key 380 being supplied for operation of the lock.

A nut382, a locking barrel 384 and a lock 386. are provided to cooperate with bolt 352."Nut 382.is identical to nut 38, locking barrel 384 is identical to locking barrel 44 and lock 386 is identical to lock 50.

In utilizing apparatus 300 bolts having heads below the bottom of flat section 304 of box member 302 have their shanks project through

openings

318, 320, 322

and 324. The free ends of the bolts are threaded into the tapped openings at the bottom of the office machine which is to be secured (see FIGS. 14 and 19). Box member 326 is then telescop'ed into box member 302 so that the flanges of box member 302 surround the flanges of box member 326.

Bolt 342 is passed through bolt holes 314, 338, 340 and 316. Nut 370 is placed in engagement with the free end of bolt 342 and locking barrel 376 is placed thereover. Locking barrel 376 cooperates with lock 378 as described in the first embodiment of the present invention to prevent removal of nut 370. Lock screws 350 and 351 are within

box members

302 and 326 to prevent removal of cable 348.

' Bolt 352 is passed through a bolt opening in a desk leg (FIG. 15) or the leg of the piece of furniture upon which the office machine is secured. The end of bolt 352 which extends through the desk leg is secured by nut 382, barrel 384 and lock 386 as previously described so that head 354 is flush against the leg. Consequently, apparatus 300 is secured to the leg and the office machine attached thereto cannot be illicitly removed. The set screws for the cable are inside the furniture and thus cannot be reached.

A locking ring 356 (FIGS. 17 and 18) is provided and includes an opening 358 large enough to receive a bolt 390. Opening 358 is assymmetrically positioned with respect to the periphery of locking ring 356. A screwdriver bore 360 extends through the periphery of locking ring 356 and is in communication with opening 358. Bore 360 need not be threaded as will soon be readily apparent. Extending from the interior of locking ring 356 to the periphery of the opening 358 is tapped opening 362. A set screw 364 is located therein and opening 362 is in registry with bore 360. It is noted that opening 362 does not extend to the periphery of locking ring 356. Extending inwardly from the periphery of locking ring 356 is a cable bore 366. Cable bore 366 extends to opening 362 and slightly therepast. It is to be appreciated that the angle formed between the axis of cable bore 366 and the axis of opening 362 can be varied from the approximately 120 shown in the drawings. The portion of cable bore 366 directly beneath set screw opening 362 includes a slight depression for a reason that will soon be readily apparent.

Instead of using nut 382, barrel 384 and lock 386, the end of cable 348 not secured to bolt 342 can be passed through cable bore 366. A screwdriver can be passed through bore 360 to rotate lock screw 364 to secure cable 348 in bore 366. By having a depression located at the bottom of cable bore 366 lock screw 364 will urge a portion of the cable upon being rotated into said depression to firmly hold the cable.

Locking ring 356 is utilized as shown in FIG. 17 with bolt 390 passing through opening 358 and the leg of the desk. The locking ring can be located on the same side of the desk leg as the bolt head provided the head of the bolt is larger than opening 358 or on the opposite side. A washer 383 is shown in FIG. 17 and can be utilized as desired. The free end of the bolt can be secured by a nut, a locking barrel and a lock as previously de' scribed. By using the locking ring as just described, it is impossible to remove the cable from cable bore 366. This is because the bolt which passes through opening 358 prevents access to lock screw 364. In this embodiment cable 348 is not permanently attached to a bolt which may sometimes be undesirable.

In a third embodiment of the present invention apparatus 400 is disclosed for securing an office machine 402 to a piece of furniture. The office machine 402 includes a housing 404 having an opening 406. A bolt 408 has its shank passed through opening 406 and the bolt head is in contact with the inside surface of housing 404. A central bore is drilled through the shank and head of bolt 408 and a cable extends therethrough. The cable is brazed or welded while inside the bore of bolt 408 to the bolt. A nut 410 is tightened about the threads of bolt 406 which are external of housing 404 to prevent bolt 408 from freely moving about. The

other end of the cable is secured to the leg of a piece of furniture by using the locking ring, nut, barrel and lock arrangement hereinbefore described. Alternatively, the cable can be secured to a bolt which is welded as previously described.

The third embodiment of the present invention is particularly useful when the office machine does not include tapped openings on its bottom.

While I have disclosed utilizing a desk leg for my invention, it is, of course, to be appreciated that other portions of furniture could be used.

It thus will be seen that there are provided an office machine anti-theft locking apparatus which achieves the various objects of the invention and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention there is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent:

1. A system for preventing an office machine from being illicitly removed from a horizontal surface, said office machine including a plurality of tapped openings extending through its bottom, a generally horizontal support element having opposed first and second surfaces, the bottom of said office machine being in close proximity to said element first surface, a steel locking member having a plurality of openings, said member including opposed first and second surfaces with said first surface of said member adjacent said element first surface, said office machine resting on said member second surface'and said member openings-arranged so that at least certain of said member'openings are directly beneath certain of the tapped openings extending through the bottom of the office machine, a plurality of bolts with each bolt including an enlarged head, each bolt extending through a different member opening and into a different tapped opening on the bottom of the office machine with said bolt heads adjacent said member first surface, means integral with said member for preventing access to each of the bolt heads so as to prevent the bolts from being rotated and said office machine being illicitly removed, a fastening means secured to said member and extending through the element and past said element second surface, and locking means adjacent the element second surface for selectively engaging said fastening means to hold the member tight against the. element first surface to prevent said member and the office machine secured thereto from being illicitly removed.

2. Office machine anti-theft locking apparatus comprising a first member, said first member including-a flat section having a plurality of locking holes, first means depending away from said flat section and including first and second registered bolt holes, a second member, said second member having a surface, second means dependingaway from said surface and including first and second registered bolt holes, said first and second members mateable with each other with said flat section, said surface and first and second means defining enclosed volume with said members bolt holes being in registry with each other, a first bolt with two ends and having an elongated shank of a sufficient length to extend through said registered bolt holes of said first and second members when said members mate, means for securing and locking the second end of the bolt when the bolt extends through the register bolt holes of the mated numbers, a cable having two ends with one end secured to said first bolt first end and means for securing the second end of the cable to a piece of furniture.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said first means includes a plurality of flanges extending perpendicularly away from said flat section, said second means including a plurality of flanges extending perpendicularly away from said second member surface, said flanges of one member being telescopically received within said other member flanges when said first and second members mate with each other.

4. Apparatus according to claim3 wherein said first member flat section is rectangular in plan and four flanges depend from the edges thereof, said second member surface being a flat surface rectangular in plan and four flanges depending perpendicularly away therefrom and telescopically received within said first member flanges.

5. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said cable securing means includes a second bolt, said cable attached to said second bolt, and locking means for said second bolt to prevent said bolt from being illicitly removed after extending through a piece of furniture.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said locking means includes a nut engageable with said bolt, a locking barrel for said nut and a lock for said locking barrel.

7. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said securing means includes a second bolt, a locking element, said locking element including an opening through which the second bolt is adapted extend, a first bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said opening, a second bore extending from the interior of said locking element to said opening and in registry with said first bore, a cable bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said second bore, the second end of said cable extending through said cable bore and means in said second bore for securing the second end of said cable.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the securing means in said second bore includes a lock screw and a depression in said cable bore immediately beneath said lock screw for receiving a portion of said cable as said lock screw is rotated to move towards said cable bore to lock and cable therein.

9. Apparatus for fixing the range of movement of an office machine relative to a piece of furniture comprising an office machine having a housing, said housing having an opening, a first bolt extending through said opening with the head adjacent the inside surface thereof, a cable having two ends with one end secured to said first bolt, and means for securing the second end of said cable to furniture.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said securing means includes a second bolt adapted to extend through a segment of furniture, and means for preventing said second bolt from moving relative to the segment of furniture.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 wherein said preventing means includes a nut for said second bolt, a locking barrel for said nut and a lock for said locking barrel.

12. Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said securing means includes a locking element having an opening, a second bolt adapted to extend through said opening and through a segment of furniture, a first bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said opening, a second bore extending from the interior of said locking ring to said opening and in registry with said firt bore, a third bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said second bore with the second end of said cable extending therethrough and locking means in said second bore for maintaining the second end of said cable in said third bore.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 wherein said locking means includes a set screw, a depression located in said third bore in registry with said second bore for receiving a portion of said second end of said cable as said set screw is rotated to move towards said third bore.

14. Apparatus for securing an end of a cable comprising a locking element having an opening, a first bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said opening; a second bore extending from the interior of said locking element to said opening and in registry with said first bore, a third bore extending from the periphery of said locking element to said second bore for receiving an end of a cable and locking means in the second bore for maintaining a cable end in said third bore.

Claims

1. A system for preventing an office machine from being illicitly removed from a horizontal surface, said office machine including a plurality of tapped openings extending through its bottom, a generally horizontal support element having opposed first and second surfaces, the bottom of said office machine being in close proximity to said element first surface, a steel locking member having a plurality of openings, said member including opposed first and second surfaces with said first surface of said member adjacent said element first surface, said office machine resting on said member second surface and said member openings arranged so that at least certain of said member openings are directly beneath certain of the tapped openings extending through the bottom of the office machine, a plurality of bolts with each bolt including an enlarged head, each bolt extending through a different member opening and into a different tapped opening on the bottom of the office machine with said bolt heads adjacent said member first surface, means integral with said member for preventing access to each of the bolt heads so as to prevent the bolts from being rotated and said office machine being illicitly removed, a fastening means secured to said member and extending through the element and past said element second surface, and locking means adjacent the element second surface for selectively engaging said fastening means to hold the member tight against the element first surface to prevent said member and the office machine secured thereto from being illicitly removed.

2. Office machine anti-theft locking apparatus comprising a first member, said first member including a flat section having a plurality of locking holes, first means depending away from said flat section and including first and second registered bolt holes, a second member, said second member having a surface, second means depending away from said surface and including first and second registered bolt holes, said first and second members mateable with each other with said flat section, said surface and first and second means defining enclosed volume with said members'' bolt holes being in registry with each other, a first bolt with two ends and having an elongated shank of a sufficient length to extend through said registered bolt holes of said first and second members when said members mate, means for securing and locking the second end of the bolt when the bolt extends through the register bolt holes of the mated numbers, a cable having two ends with one end secured to said first bolt first end and means for securing the second end of the cable to a piece of furniture.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 wherein said first member flat section is rectangular in plan and four flanges depend from the edges thereof, said second member surface being a flat surface rectangular in plan and four flanges depending perpendicularly away therefrom and telescopically received within said first member flanges.