US392339A - Nings - Google Patents

Description

' (N0Mbdel.) W. H. JENNINGS.

MAIL GRAB. I No. 392,339, latented Nov. 6 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM HUBBARD assumes, OF nonna'rs, FLORIDA.

MAIL- GRAB.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,339, dated November 6,1888.

Application filed May 31, 1888.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that LVVILLIAM HUBBARD JEN- NINGS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roberts, in the-county of Escambia and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mail-Grabs, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in attachments for railway cars for collecting mail bags as the train passes the stations, whereby the mail may be collected without stopping the train; and my invention consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-grab embodying my improvements, showing the same arranged 011 one side of a railway mail-car. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of a mail'g'rab embodying my improvements, a portion of the curved guide being broken away.

A represents a longitudinal horizontal arm, which is arranged on'onc side of a mail'car at a suitable height.

13 represents a frame or casting, which has a sleeve, 0, pivoted on the arm A, and has a forward and outward extending inclined arm, D, the inner end of which is curved and forms an arc of a circle. Onthe outer side of the sleeve 0 is a curved guideway, E,which is concentric with the inner end of arm D, and in the said gnideway is arranged a curved bolt, G. The said bolt is provided on its outer side, at a suitable distance from its front end, with a recess, H, (shown in Fig. 2,) and has an arm, I, at its opposite end, the said arm being engaged by a curved spring, K, which spring has one end secured firmly to the tubular guide E.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the boltis adapted to be moved longitudinally through the guide,so as to cause the front end of the bolt to engage the arm D and close the space between the tubular guide and the said arm or to move the said front end of the curved bolt from the said arm. When the said front end of the bolt is moved from the arm, the spring is extended.

On the front side of the sleeve is secured a Serial No. 275,608. (No model.)

springdetent, L, the free end of which is adapted'to engage the notch H in the bolt. The sleeve 0 is secured on the arm A at any desired inclination by means of a set-screw, N, and said sleeve is further provided with a handlc, O, by means of which it may be turned on said arm.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The mail-bag is arranged on a suitable support on the platform of a railway-station,and is sus pended at a suitable height. Before the train reaches the said station an attendant turns the grabbing apparatus so that the arm D is in the same plane with the mailbag. The curved bolt G is normally held by the spring K in the position illustrated. by full lines in Fig. 2. As the train passes the station, the arm D slips through the loop or handle of the bag, and as said loop or handle passes rearward on the said arm it engages the arm I at the rear end of the bolt, and thereby turns the said bolt so that thefront end thereof comes in engagement with the arm D and is locked by the spring-detent, thus securing the mail-bag to the arm, so that the same cannot become accidentally displaced, as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination of the arm D, the 10010 ing-bolt movable in suitable guideways and having the arm I at one end, and the spring bearing on the said bolt, for the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the supporting-arm A, the frame pivoted thereon and adapted to be secured at any desired angle,the said frame having arms D and the curved guideway,and

' the curved bolt movable longitudinally in said guideway and having recess H, the spring to move the said bolt in one direction, and the detent'to engage the recess and thereby lock the bolt when the said bolt is closed. against the arm, substantially as described.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

Wl'l'ihllllll HUBBARD JENNINGS.

Witnesses:

.I. M. MOALLISTER, J OHN DE LA Run.

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