US886334A - Mail-pouch-delivering apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED APR. 28, 1908.

G. A. WILLIS. v MAIL POUCH DELIVERING APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION PI LED NOV. 16, 1907.

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8 0 9 om 2 P A D M 4 3 6 8 8 m N APPLICATION FILED NOV. 16, 1907.- I

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mewfaz f C /ZZI'Ze/PVZ. Willy;

vwam UNITE srrns raanr CHARLES A. WILLIS, OF WASHINGTON,

TWICE.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO CHARLES F. CREAGER, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND ONE-FOURTH TO ABRAM B. APPLER, OF ALBANY, NEW

YORK.

MAIL-POUCH-DELIVERING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 28, 1908.

Application filed November 16, 1907. Serial N 0. 402,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Cinemas A. I/VrLLIs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at I/Vashington, in the District of Columbia, United States of America, have invented certain new and useful Improve- 'ments in Mail-Poucl1-Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to mail pouch delivering apparatus, and the object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ,of this class for automatically delivering mail matter contained in pouches, sacks, or packages from postal cars while the latter are in motion, and to deliver such pouch, sack, or package at the proper moment, and at the desired point, and to effect the delivery of such pouch, sack, or package with sufficient force to insure its safe deposit into a receptacle or any other suitable receiving means located at a safe distance from the railway track, and to prevent such pouch, sack, or package 5 when delivered, from being drawn under the wheels of the car or train by the suction which is ordinarily created by a rapidly moving train.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means in connection with a mail pouch delivering apparatus whereby the delivery of the pouch, sack, or package from the holder thereof may be accelerated so as to insure its proper and desired delivery.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a type of apparatus which can be readily and quickly mounted within the car so as to deliver mail at either side of the car as may be desired.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a delivery device so mounted within the car as to be readily removed if desired and thus be entirely out of the way of the free use of the car doorways, to permit the use of the car without the attachment thereto of the delivering device, if so desired.

Although the device forming the subject matter of the invention to be hereinafter described in detail, is primarily adapted to be used for the automatic delivery of mail from a postal car, I would have it understood that the device involved is adapted for use for all purposes wherein it may be found applicable.

The invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described and then particularly claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and wherein is shown a practical and preferred form or embodiment of my invention, though I would have it understood that various changes and modifications can be resorted to without departing from the letter or spirit of the invention.

In the drawings 1-Figure 1 is a View in elevation, showing the device applied to a postal car, the latter being partly broken away,

' this view also showing the device located on the track by means of which the operating mechanism of the device is actuated. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of a part of a car, showing the device applied thereto, the support for the mail pouch being in longitudinal section. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the mail pouch support detached. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the mail pouch support showing in full lines the normal or inactive position of the mail pouch accelerator and in dotted lines the position of said accelerator when the mail pouch or sack has been delivered. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the mail pouch or sack support, and Fig. 6 is a detached detail perspective view of the accelerator.

Describing the drawings in detail, 1 denotes the postal car on the floor 2 of which,

within the car, the mail bag or pouch support is mounted, preferably as heretofore stated, being removably-mounted, in order that it can be changed from one side of the car to the other or removed entirely at any time desired.

As herein shown, there is provided in the floor of the car sockets 3, of a number e ual in number to the number of supporting egs 4 employed for supporting the mail bag or pouch support 5 at the desired inclination in the car. The legs 4 are preferably provided adjacent their lower ends with integral collars or annular flanges 6, which, in practice, rest on the top plates of the sockets 3 as clearly seen in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It will be understood that in practice, sockets 3 are provided adjacent each doorway of tom 7 of the pouch support.

form, and is supported by the legs 4 at an angle of approximately 45 directly in front of the car door. The side walls of this support need not necessarily be of greater height than is required for simply retaining the mail bag or pouch in the support until such time as the mechanism is operatedto deliver the same. The bottom 7 of said support is provided with a longitudinallyextending slot 8, which extends from a point near the upper end of said support to a point adjacent the lower end thereof in order to give a sufficient range of movement for the operation of an adjustable accelerator to be hereinafter more fully described.

Secured to the underneath face of the bottom 7 of the pouch support 5 is one or more keepers 9 in which is arranged for sliding movement an actuating-bar 1O lying directly underneath the longitudinal slot 8 in the bot- This actuating-bar 10 besides carrying the accelerating means for imparting the desired impetus of force to the mail bag as it is discharged, also acts in its operation to open the hinged doors carried by said support, and which normally retain the bag or pouch in the support. The said actuating-bar in the present instance is shown as being substantially T-shape in cross section, the keepers 9, of course being grooved to correspond to the cross sectional shape of said bar. Adjustablyanounted on this bar 10 so as to move therewith when the bar is moved, is a pouch or bag accelerator herein shown as comprising a keeper 11 mounted for sliding movement on the bar 10 and provided with an upright post or standard 12 which carries a bag engaging plate 14. The post or standard 12 is provided with lugs 15 and in these lugs is pivotally-mounted a pawl 16 normally held in engagement with teeth 17 on the u per face of the bar 10 by a spring 18 securec to the post or standard 12 and bearing a ainst the pawl 16. It is preferable that a s ight curvature be given to the plate 14 as herein shown, though this is not essential to the successful operation of the device. The teeth 17 on the actuating-bar 10 extend throughout a sufficient part of the bar to give a considerable range of adjustment to the accelerator, as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The purpose of having this accelerator adjustable is that it may be moved towards or away from the discharge end of the mail bag or pouch support and thus be placed in engagement with the upper end of such mail bag or pouch, irrespective of the size thereof. At its lower or forward end, the said actuating-bar 10 is provided with laterally-extending arms 19, to the outer ends of which are pivotally-secured the inner ends of links 20 the outer ends of these links being pivoted to the free ends of levers 20, connected at their outer ends with pintles 21 which carry the doors 22 constituting the means which holds the mail bag or pouch normally within its support. These doors 22 as shown in the present illustration, may be, and preferably are compara tively short in length, all that is required being that they form a support for the lower end of the mail bag or pouch. By making the doors comparatively short, a shorter radius of swing is required for the outer ends of these doors than would be necessary if the doors were of a length so that their ends would meet on the central longitudinal line of the support. Thus, the doors are more quickly moved out of the way of the mail bag or pouch being discharged, and any danger of the doors offering any obstruction to the free discharge of the mail bag or pouch is obviated. These doors may be hinged to the support in any desirable manner, a practical embodiment being herein shown, in which the sides of the support 5 are provided with straps 23 apertured to receive the pintles 21, which pintles also engage in the eyes 24 carried by the doors, the lower ends of the pintles 21 being extended down below the bottom 7 of the support 5 in order to permit connecting the levers 20 with the ends of said pintles.

The actuating-bar 10 is provided on its underneath face, intermediate the ends thereof with a depending slotted lug 25 of a length suflicient to permit considerable range of movement being imparted to the bar 10, without disengaging a pin 26 from the slot in said lug 25. This pin 26 is carried in the upper end of the longer arm 27 by a' bellcrank pivotally-mounted as at 28 in a socket bearing 29. This bearing 29 is preferably socketed in the car floor 2, so as to be bodily removable therefrom along with the pouch support and the bell-crank, thus obviating the necessity of removing pivot pin 28. T o the shorter arm 30 of said bell-crank is pivotally-connected the upper end of a rod 31 eX- tending through an opening 32 in the car floor 2. The said opening 32 is of sufficient size to permit the required lateral movement which must be had by the rod 31 when it is actuated. The lower end of said rod 31 is pivotally-connected to the inner end of a lever 33 pivotally-suspended from a bracket or support 34 attached to the car floor 2. The outer end of said lever 33 is provided with a slot 35 to receive a pin 36 carried in the up per end of a vertically-extending trip bar 37. This trip bar 37 is suspended from the bottom of the car through the medium of combined hangers and brace members 38 having guides 89 for said trip bar, the latter being provided on its lower end with a roller 40 adapted to ride over the inclined track 41, which, with the arrangement of the device herein shown, is positioried'on the track ties 42, outside the rails 43.

It will of course be understood that the inclined track 41 may be positioned at any de sired point in the track or outside thereof, the actuating mechanism being arranged to accord with the position in which the inclined track 41 is placed.

In practice, the mail bag or pouch is placed in the support 5, and the accelerator is adjusted on the actuating bar.10, so that the plate 14 will rest against the upper end of the bag or pouch. WVhen the car reaches the point where the inclined track 41 is placed, which is presumably at a station where it is desired to deliver mail from .the car, the roller 40 will ride up the inclined face of the track 41, and by reason of the trip bar 37, being elevated, will impart movement to the actuating-bar 10 through the connections 33, 31, 30 and 27 heretofore described, moving the bar 10 forwardly and causing said bar through its connections by means of links 20 and levers 20 to rotate pintles 21 and thereby swing open the doors 22 which have retained the mail bag or pouch within the support 5. The said bar 10 in operation has a comparatively rapid movement, and owing to the plate 14 of the accelerator having been adjusted into position against the upper end of the mail bag or pouch, the latter in its movement from the support is materially ace celerated, or in other words, sufficient force or impetus is im arted to the bag or pouch to insure the de ivery thereof into a receptacle suitably placed to receive the same.

In order to insure the return of the doors 22 to their closed position after the mail bag or pouch has been delivered, I preferably provide auxiliary means herein shown as embodying a leaf spring 44 attached to the underneath face of the car floor and having its outer end connected by a link or other loose connection 45 with the lever 33 as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The resistance offered by this spring to the operation of the parts when the roller 40 engages the inclined track 41 is comparatively slight whereas the pull of the spring on the longer end of the lever 33 will materially assist the parts in returning to their normal position after each actuation thereof.

It is to be observed that the pouch support is so arranged as to permit of the mail pouch being automatically delivered therefrom as soon as the doors 22 are actuated so as to be swung out of the way of the pouch. That is, as soon as the doors 22 are actuated, the pouch is free to gravitate from the inclined support, and, owing to the fact that the doors 22 when in the closed position, constitute the means for retaining the mail pouch within the inclined pouch support, it will be evident that as soon as the doors 22 swing open, the pouch is free to drop from the support without the necessity of employing ejecting means for discharging the pouch from the support. Under ordinary conditions, that is, with railway trains traveling at a moderate rate of speed, the pouch would be thus automatically delivered from the support at the proper point, and, due to the fact that it gathers considerable momentum just after being released owing to the inclination at which it was supported, will be delivered a sufficient distance away from the train to assure its safety. However, it is a desideratum with devices of this nature to assure their adaptability and. use on all railway mail trains, and one of the serious obstacles heretofore encountered has been to provide a device which could be used on high speed railway mail trains to deliver the pouch in such a manner as to insure against danger of the pouch, after discharge from the car, being drawn under the wheels of the train by the suction created by such rapidly moving train. The loss of mail matter due to this cause alone has heretofore been a great inconvenience to the Government and the ublic, and has been as well, a great financial oss to the railroads acting as the carriers. In order, therefore, that the device shown and described may be applicable for use 011 railway mail trains operated at high rates of speed, it is preferable to impart an accelerating movement to the pouch at the very moment that it is free to automatically discharge itself, and for this reason, I employ the accelerator 14 on the actuating bar 10. This accelerator having been adjusted on the bar 10 so that it will rest against the upper end of the pouch in the pouch support, it will be evident that simu taneously with the o ening of the doors 22, due to the actuation o the bar 10, the accelerator will act against the pouch so as to accelerate the discharge movement of the latter and insure the ouch being projected from the car with suf cient force to deliver the pouch at a point out of train-created suction.

With the arrangement and construction shown, it will be observed that the device can be readily shifted so as to be operated to discharge the mail bag or pouch from either side of the car, and to so change the device from one side of the car to the other, it is only necessary to remove the pin or bolt which connects the upper end of rod 31 to range of any the arm 30 all of the mechanism above the car floor may then be shifted to the other side of the car, it being understood that sockets are provided in front of both of the car doorways. The mechanism underneath the car can also be shifted to the other side thereof, or the two sets of mechanism may be provided underneath the car, as may be desired.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support mounted above the floor of a car at an inclination thereto, swinging doors carried by said support and constituting means to re nation thereto, movable-means carried by said support and acting normally to retain the pouch within the support, and means for automatically a'ctuatingsaid movable-means to permit the delivery of the pouch from the support.

3. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a pouch support removablymounted in the floor of a car and remaining stationary during the delivery of the pouch therefrom, movable-means carried by said support and acting normally to retain the pouch in the support, and means for automatically operating said movable-means to permit the delivery of the pouch from the support 4. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support mounted within a car above the floor thereof and at an inclination to said floor, movablemeans carried by the lower end of said support acting to normally retain the pouch within the support, and means for automatically actuating said movable-means to permit the delivery of the pouch from the support.

5. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support mounted within a car above the floor thereof and at an inclination to said floor, movablemeans carried by the lower end of the support acting to normally retain the pouch within the support, means for automatically operating said movable-means to permit the delivery of the pouch from the support, and

means for accelerating the movement of the pouch during its'delivery.

6. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a removably mounted stationary pouch support arranged within a car at an incline to the floor thereof, movable means at the lower end of the support acting to normally retain the pouch within said sup port, and means for automatically operating said movable-means to permit the delivery of the pouch.

7. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support arranged within a car above the floor thereof and at an inclination to said floor, swingingdoors carried by said support at the lower end thereof for retaining the pouch within the support, an actuating-bar connected to said doors, and means forautomatically operating the bar to open the doors and permit the discharge of the pouch from said suport. p 8. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support arranged within a car at an inclination to the floor thereof, swinging-doors carried by said support at the lower end thereof for retaining the pouch Within the support, an actuating-bar connected to said doors, means for automatically operating the bar to open the doors and permit the discharge of the pouch from said support, and means carried by said bar for. accelerating the movement of the pouch during its discharge from the support.

9. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support ar ranged within a car above the floor thereof and at an inclination to said floor, a swingingdoor carried by said pouch support at the lower end thereof for retaining the pouch within the support, an actuating-bar connected to said door, and means for automatically operating the bar to open the door and permit the discharge of the pouch from said support.

10. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising a stationary pouch support arranged within a car at an inclination to the floor thereof, a swinging-door carried by said pouch support at the lower end thereof for normally retaining the pouch within the support, an actuating-bar connected to said door, means for automatically actuating the bar to open the door and permit the discharge of the pouch from said support, and means carried by said bar for imparting impetus to the movement of the pouch as it is being discharged.

11. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a stationary pouch support arranged Within a car at an incline to the horizontal, movable means carried by the lower end of the support for normally retaining the pouch within the support, means embodying an actuating-bar for automatically operating said movable-means to permit the discharge of the pouch from said inclined support, and means carried. by said. actuating-bar for imparting impetus to the pouch during the dis charge thereof.

12. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, an inclined pouch support arranged wholly within the car, said support being mounted on and supported above the floor of the car in which the support is arranged, as and for the purpose described.

13. In a mail bag delivering apparatus, the combination with an inclined pouch support, of a movable-rest for normally retaining the pouch in the support, an actuatingbar-connected to said movable rest, means positioned below the floor of the car in which the support is mounted for operating said bar to actuate the movable-rest and permit the discharge of the pouch from its support, and means carried by the bar to accelerate the movement of the bag during its discharge.

14. In a mail-pouch delivering apparatus, the combination with a stationary pouchsupport, of a movable-rest for normally retalning the pouch in the support, an actuating member connected to said movable-rest, means for actuating said member to operate the movable-rest and permit the discharge of the pouch from said support, and means adjustably-mounted on said member for accelerating the movement of the pouch during its discharge.

15. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, an inclined stationary pouch-support removably mounted within a car, and movable means at the lower end of said support acting to normally retain the pouch within the suport. p 16. A mail pouch delivering apparatus comprising a stationary pouch support, an ejector within the pouch support, and means for actuating said ejector, the said ejector being adjustable towards each end of the support independently of the actuating means and positively held in its adjusted position.

17. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a stationary pouch support provided with a slot in the bottom thereof, a slidable bar arranged underneath said slot, means connected with said bar for operating the same, an ejector carried by the bar, the ejector being adjustable on the bar, and means for securing the ejector in adjusted position.

18. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising an inclined pouch support, movable-means connected to the lower end of said support for normally retaining a mail pouch therein, an accelerator within the sup port for accelerating the discharge movement of the pouch, connections between said accelerator and the movable-means whereby the latter is operated simultaneously with the actuation of the accelerator, and means for operating said accelerator.

19. A mail pouch delivering apparatus, comprising an inclined pouch support, a swinging door carried by said support at its lower end, an accelerator within the support accelerating the discharge movement of the pouch from the support, connections between the accelerator and the swinging door for simultaneously opening the latter as the former is actuated, and means for operating said accelerator.

20. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a pouch support wholly arranged within a car above the floor thereof and so disposed with relation to said floor of the car that a pouch in the support will have a natural tendency to gravitate from the support and be discharged through the car door, means carried by the support to normally retain the pouch therein, and means for actuating the first named means for liberating the pouch to permit same discharging from the support.

21. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a pouch support arranged wholly within a car above the floor thereof and so disposed with relation to said floor of the car that a pouch in the support will have a natural tendency to gravitate from the support, means arranged with respect to the support to normally retain the pouch therein, means operated from below the floor of the car for actuating the first named means for liberating the pouch to permit same discharging from the support, a trip located adjacent the track for operating the last named means, and means embodying an adjustably-mounted pouch-engaging plate for accelerating the movement of the pouch during its discharge movement.

22. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a removably-mounted pouch support arranged within a car above the floor thereof and so disposed that a pouch supported therein will have a natural tendency to discharge from the support, means arranged to be engaged by the pouch whereby the latter is normally restrained from discharge movement, and

means for operating said restraining means whereby the pouch is rendered free to auto matically discharge itself from the support.

23. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a pouch support arranged wholly within a car above the floor thereof and so disposed that a pouch supported therein will have a natural tendency to discharge from the support, means arranged to be engaged by the pouch whereby the latter .is normally restrained from discharge movement, means arranged for operation from below the car floor for operating said restraining means whereby the pouch is rendered free to automatically discharge itself from the support, a track-trip arranged to engage and actuate the last named means, and means for accelerating the movement of the pouch during its discharge movement.

24. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, an inclined pouch support, a swinging door carried thereby and acting to normally retain the pouch in the support, an accelerator arranged to move longitudinally of the support in the same plane with respect to the support throughout the movement of the accelerator, connections between the swinging door and the accelerator, and means for simultaneously operating the door and the accelerator.

25. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, an inclined pouch support, means carried by the support for normally retaining the pouch therein, an accelerator movable in a plane parallel With the bottom of the support throughout its movement, connections betWeen said means and the accelerator, and means for simultaneously actuating the pouch retaining means and the accelerator.

26. In a mail pouch delivering apparatus, a remoVably-mounted inclined pouch support, pouch retaining means carried thereby, and an accelerator also carried by the support, the support, the retaining means and the accelerator movable bodily as a unitary structure When removed.

'27. An inclined stationary pouch support arranged to discharge the pouch therefrom, means carried by the support for normally retaining the'pouch therein, and means movable longitudinally of the support for accelerating the discharge of the pouch during the discharge movement, the said pouch-accelerating means being connected to the pouch retaining means and movable in unison therewithv 28. A stationary pouch support arranged to discharge the pouch therefrom, pouchretaining means at the mouth of the support for normally retaining a pouch therein, means operated from below the plane of the car body and movable longitudinally ofthe support for accelerating the discharge of the pouch during the discharge movement, bar connecting the pouch-retaining means and the pouch-accelerating means whereby they are caused to move in unison, and actuating means connected With said bar.

In testimony whereof I afiiX my signature in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

CHARLES A. WILLIS.

Witnesses IVAN HEIDEMAN, MARY S. HARRINGTON.

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