US1022017A - Gravity carrier system. - Google Patents

Description

W. H. BICKFORD.

GRAVITY GRRIER SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 27, 1911. .Y

Patented Apr. 2, 1912.

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WILLIAM H. BICKFOB/D, OF WASHINGTON, IOWA.

GRAVITY CARRIER SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2,1912.

Application led June 27, 1911. Serial No. 635,678.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM I-I. BICK- rom), citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the county of Washington and State of Iowa, have invented certain new `and useful Improvements in Gravity Carrier Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a gravity carrier system, and while it is particularly designed for use in delivering mail on rural routes from the house to the road and from the road to the house, it may be adapted to other uses without departing from the spirit of the invention.

f The invention contemplates the use of a track wire supported at its ends by two members which are vertically movable up anddown upon support-s and are supported in elevated position by aclutch device which is designed to be rendered inoperative when engaged by a member upon the carrier, so

that when the carrier arrives at one or the other of the supports, that end of the track wire will be automatically lowered, and will remain in this positionuntil manually elevated, either by the occupant o-f the house to which the mail is to be delivered or by the mail carrier.

For a full understanding of the invention reference is to be hadl to the following description and accompanying drawing in which f Figure 1 is a Vview in side elevation of the apparatus embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewin detail of the carrier of the apparatus and one of the supports for the track wire.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the accompanying drawing by the same reference characters'.

In the drawing, there is shown a post 1k which is to be mounted at, the road side and a post 2 which is to be mounted at any convenient point near the house to which the mail is to be delivered. Brackets 3 and 4t are secured to and project laterally from the post 1, the bracketlB being located preferably near the upper end of the post and the bracket 4, a suitable-distance-above the lower end of the post. A wire 5 is secured lower end to an eye-bolt 6 inserted through the bracket 4 and having thereon an adjust-Y ing nut 7 by means of which the tension of the wire 5 maybe adjusted. A wire 8 corresponding to the wire 5 is secured at its `bracket 11 corresponding to the bracket 4 and also carried by the post 2. A nut 12 is threaded upon the eye-bolt 10 and may be turned to adjust the tension of the wire 8;

By. referring to Fig. 1 of the drawing it `will be observed that the Vwires 5 and 8 lare inclined upwardly away from each other and that the wire 8 is of greater length than the wire 5. The object in view in havat its upper end to the bracket 3 and atits ing the wires of different lengths will be presently explained.

The track wire is indicated by the numeral 13 and is supported at its ends by members which are movable upV and down upon the wires 5 and 8.

Each of the members above mentioned includes in its structure a yoke 14:, in which is journaled a small wheel 15 designed and proportioned to travel upon the respective wires 5 or 8. The track wire 18 is connected at its ends as at 16 to the ends of the yokes opposite the ends in which the wheels 15 are journaled. It is of course contemplated that the track wire shall be stretched taut between the members 14 so that the wheels 15 will be held firmly against the respective wires 5 or 8.. Each of the members further includes a clutch designed to coperate with Each of the clutch devices above referred to includes an arm 17 and an arm 18, these varms being pivoted as at 19 between the Ithe respective wire to hold the member at p dierent elevations thereon.

spaced portions of the yoke 14. The arnik 17 is considerably shorter than the arm 18 and the free end of the arm 17 andthe free lower end of the arm 18 lie respectively above and below the yoke 14 and are 'beveled and serrated as at 20 to clutch with the wire 5 or 8, as the case may be. The upper portion of the arm 18 extends above the yoke 14.-k

at an angle to the arm 17 and the bail 21 is connected at its ends to the arm 17 near its free end and the arm 18 near its upper end. A pull-rope 22 is connected to the bail 21 and is led over pulleys 23 upon `the respective post 1 or 2. A spring 24 1s positioned between the arm 17 and the upper port-ion of the arm 18, as illustrated clearly in Fig. 2 of the drawing, and serves to spread the upper ends of the two arms and cause their serrated ends 2O to bear against the wire 5 or 8 above and below the point of engagement of the wheel 15 therewith. At this point it will be readily understood thatwhen it is desired to shift either one of the track wire supporting members to elevated posit-ion upon its respective wires 5 or 8, the corresponding pull-rope 22 is to be pulled, whereupon the flexing of the bail 21 will result in the upper ends of the arms 17 and 18 being swung toward each other and in the serrated ends 2O of the arms being moved out of clutch engagement with the wires 5 or 8. As soon as the pull rope is released, however, the spring 24: willl return the arms to clutch engagement with the wire and the member will be supported at the point to which it has been elevated. Each arm 18 is formed or provided, upon that edge which is presented toward the track wire 13, with a detent lug 25. y

The carrier of the apparatus is indicated by the numeral 26 and is in the form of a box of any suitable shape and size having a door 27 which may be opened for t-he introduction and removal of mail matter. Brackets 28 are secured upon the top of the carrier and in these brackets are carried wheels 29 which travel upon the track wire 13. Each` bracket has an extension 30 which is shouldered as at 31 and when the carrier reaches one or the other of the posts 1 or 2, one of the bracket extensions 30 will strike against the arm 18 of the corresponding clutch device and the detent lug 25 will engage with the shoulder 31. This engagement of the bracket extension with the arm of the clutch will result in the clutch being rendered inoperative to support the yoke 14 and wheel 15 and these partswill therefore be released to drop from their elevated posit-ion as will also the corresponding end ot the track wire and the carrier 26.

. The operation of the device is as fol lows z-It will first be assumed that both of the track wire supporting members are in lowered position upon their respective wires 5 and 8, and that the carrier 26 is at the road end of the track wire. The postman upon his arrival at the post 1, will place in the carrier 26 the mail matter to be delivered to the house at which the post 2 is located. I-Ie will then pull upon the pullerope 22 on the post 1, thereby elevating the supporting member for this end of the track wire until it assumes about the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The track wire will then be inclined at about the angle shown in full lines in Fig. 1, and the carrier 26 will travel by gravity from the post 1 to the post 2. After the mail matter has been removed from the carrier, the occupant of the house will place therein any mail which is to be delivered to the postman for mailing and will then pull upon the pull-rope 22 at the post 2 until the supporting member for this end of the track wire has been elevated to aboutthe position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The track wire will then be inclined at about the angle shown in dotted lines in the said ligure and the carrier 26 will travel by gravity from the post 2 to the post 1. As soon as the box arrives at the post 1, the bracket extension 30 at the adjacent end of the carrier 26 will engage with and render inoperative the clutch device, thereby allowing the supporting member for this end of the track wire to drop upon the wire 5. The occupant of the house may then give several quick pulls upon the pullrope 22 at his end of the apparatus which will allow the track wire supporting member at the post 2 to descend upon the wire 8. By oppositely inclining the wires 5 and 8, the track wire is kept tautwhile the supporting members therefor are being raised or lowered upon their respective wires 5 and 8.

It is preferable'that a cushioning spring 32 be arranged upon each of the wires 5 and 8, at the lower ends thereof to cushion the descent of the box.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is 1. In a gravity carrier system, supports, members movable up and down upon the supports, means upon each member arranged to clutch with the respective support whereby to support the member at diiierent elevations thereon, a rail extending between the said members and supported thereby, a carrier supported for travel along the rail, and means actuated by the carrier for releasing said clutch means.

2. In a gravity carrier system, supports, members movable up and down upon the supports, means upon each member arranged to clutch with the respective supports whereby to support the member at dierent elevations thereon, a rail extending between said members, a carrier supported for travel along the rail, and means upon the carrier arranged to engage with the clutch means to disengage the said clutch means from the support.

3. In a gravity carrier system, supports, a member movable up and down upon each support, means upon each member arranged to clutch with the respective supportwhereby to support the member at different elevations thereon, a rail extending between said members, al carrier supported for travel along the rail, and means to disengage the clutch means from ythe support and thereby allow the respective member to drop upon its respective support.

4. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support, means upon the member arranged to clutch with the respective support whereby to support the member in elevated position thereon, a rail supported at one end by the member, a carrier supported for travel along the rail, and means upon the carrier arranged to engage with the clutch means to disengage the same from the support and thereby allow the said member to drop from its elevated position.

5. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support, means for holding the member in elevated position upon the support, a rail supported at one end by the member, a carrier mounted for travel along the rail, and means upon the carrier engageable with the means for. supporting the member in elevated position, whereby to render the last mentioned means inoperative and thereby allow the said member to drop from its elevated position.

6. Ina gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support, a clutch upon the said member arranged to coperate with the support to hold the member in elevated position thereon, means connected with the clutch for elevating the said member, a rail supported at one end by the member, a carrier mounted for travel along the rail, and means upon the carrier engageable with the clutch to disengage the same from the support and allow the member to drop from its elevated position.

7. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support, a clutch carried by the member and coperating with the support to hold the member in elevated position upon the support, a pull rope connected with the clutch for moving the said member upwardly upon the support, a track supported at one end by the saidl member, a carrier mounted 'for travel along the track, and-means upon the carrier engageable with the clutch whereby to disengagethe same from the support and thereby allow the member to drop from its elevated position.

8. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member mounted for up and down movement upon the support, a clutch carried by the member and comprising arms pivoted for independent movement, a spring arranged between the arms and normally hold-v ing the same in clutch engagement with the support, a bail connecting the arms, a p-ullrope connected with the bail whereby the said member may be moved upwardly upon the support to elevated position, the pull upon the pull-rope serving to flex the bail and move the arms out of clutch engagement with the support, a track supported at one end by the said member, and a carrier mounted for travel along the track.

9. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a membermounted forup and down movement uponthe support, a clutch carried by the member and comprising arms pivoted for independent movement, a spring arranged between the arms and normally holding the same in clutch engagement with the support, a bail connecting the arms, a pullrope connected with theu bail whereby the said member may be moved upwardly upon the support to elevated position, the pull upon the pull-rope servin to flex the bail and move the arms out of c utch engagement with the support, a track supported at one end by the said member, a carrier mounted for travel along the track, and means upon the carrier engageable with one arm of the clutch to move the arms out of clutch engagement with the support and thereby allow the 'said member to drop from elevated position. l

10. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support and comprising a yoke, a wheel liournaled in the yoke and traveling upon the support, a clutch supported by the yoke normally engaging with the support at point-s above and below the point of engagement of the wheel therewith, a track supported at one end by the yoke, a carrier mounted for travel along the track, and means upon the carrier engageable with the clutch whereby to disengage the same from the support and allow the said member to drop from elevated position.

11. In a gravity carrier system, a support, a member movable up and down upon the support, a track wire supported at one end by the member, a clutch device comprising arms pivoted to the member and arranged to engage at their free ends with the support whereby to lsup-port the member in elevated position thereon, one of the said arms being provided with a detent lug, a carrier mounted for travel along the track wire, and a shouldered member upon the carrier arranged to engage with the detent lug whereby to hold the arms of the clutch device in position to render them inoperative to support the said track wire supporting member.

12. In a gravity carrier system, spaced supports, a wire stretched upon each support, the wire upon one of the supports beother support and having its upper end eX- In testimony whereof I affix my signature tending above the upper end of the said in presence of two Witnesses.

other Wire a member movable up and down upon each7 0f said Wires7 a track Wire sup- WILLIAM H" BIGKFORD' [Ih-Sil ported at its ends by the said members, and Witnesses: a carrier mounted for travel along the track F. P. RANDALL, Wire. E. A. BICKFORD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

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