US1023202A - Mail-crane. - Google Patents

Description

e. L. GRAHAM.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED JAHA, 1912. 1,023,202, Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

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'ratus and more GEORGE L. GRAHAM, OF FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA.

MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Application filed January 4, 1912. Serial No. 669,305.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, GEORGE L. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Florence, in the county of Florence and State of South Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail- Cranes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a mail bag delivery appaparticularly to an improved mail crane, and my object is to provide a device of this character which, after delivering the mail bag to the moving train, will be ineffectively disposed to eliminate any possible danger which mi ht ordinarily occur from the positioning 0? the same permanently in its effective position.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a base member and a movable member, said movable member being capable of both vertical and rotative movement in said base member, and a still further object resides in providing a device which consists of few and simple parts which may be readily and easily adjusted.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device, the parts of which are interchangeable, whereby the same may be readily repaired should necessity require the same, and a still further object resides in providing a device which is extremely simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and onewhich is very efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which the same is designed.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists'in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter referred to and more particularly pointed out in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device set up for operation, and, Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the device showing the movable member in its lowered position and also showing in dotted lines the disposition of said movable member in its raised position.

In carrying out my invention, I shall refer to the drawing in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views and in which 1 indicates a tubular member formed preferably of metal, the lower portion of which is closed and adapted to be securely mounted in the ground adjacent the track, while the upper end thereof is open, the edges of the same being beveled or inclined to one side, as shown at 2, said inclined or beveled edges terminating at their lower ends in a vertical slot 3 in the side of the member 1. The upper edge of the member 1 at the highest point of elevation, is provided with a notch or the like 4, and slidably mounted in the member 1, is a standard 5, the diameter of which is smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular member 1, but which is provided at its extreme lower end and at a point intermediate of its length, with a collar 6 which properly guides the member 5 in the member 1 and permits friction between the members 1 and 5 at these two points only. The member 5 is tapered toward its free end, and said free end is bent or curved in one direction, as shown at 7, to form one arm of the mail delivering crane, and an additional arm 8 having a collar 9 at the one end thereof, is passed over the free end of the member 5 to be alincd below the curved arm 7 and against the retaining shoulder or the like 10.

It has been stated that the member 5 is slidably arranged in the tubular member 1, but it will also be appreciated that the same is rotatably disposed therein, and in order to retain said member raised so that the arms 7 and 8 will be disposed outwardly and in a position to retain a mail sack for delivery to a moving train, a lateral lug 11 is provided on said member 5 which is disposed in the same direction as and in alinement below the arms 7 and 8. Thus, it will be seen that the member may be raised and turned so that the lug 11 rests in the notch 4 at the highest point of elevation on the member 1, and this member 5 will be held in such position until such time as the lug is removed from said notch, whereupon said lug will be guided along one of the inclined surfaces 2 to the vertical slot 3, thereby permitting the arm 5 to be lowered and rotated simultaneously. In its raised position, the member 5 is adapted to carry a mail sack between the arms 7 and 8 thereof, and it will be appreciated that the moment the bag is grabbed by the arms from a moving train, the force will be sufficiently great to remove the lug 11 from its engagement with the notch and permit the member 5 to be simultaneously lowered and rotated, and in order to prevent any unnecessary jar and contact between the lower'end of the member 1 and the lower end of the member 5, a coil spring 12 is provided in the lower end of said member 1.

In practice, the base tubular member 1 is mounted in the ground adjacent a railway track so that the slot 3 is disposed away from the rails, thereby positioning the notch 4 in the highest point of elevation thereon to the side immediately adjacent said rails, and after a mail bag has been placed between the arms 7 and 8, which may be accomplished in any approved manner, the member or standard 5 may be raised by the operator. The raising act-ion may be accomplished by the operator merely grasping the lug 11 which projects through the slot 3 when the device is in its lowered position and guiding the same along the inclined surface 2 until said lug enters the notch 4. at which time, the member 5 will remain in its raised position and such action will dispose the arms 7 and 8 out \vardly toward the track and in a position whereby the moving train may readily grasp the mail bag held between the arms. It will be appreciated that this tubular base member 1 may be of such height as to permit the man of average height to readily dispose the member 5 in its raised position without the use of a ladder or other means for the purpose, and as the train passes by, the usual or any approved catching apparatus which it may have, will engage the mail bag between the arms 7 and 8 and remove the same therefrom, the force of the impact being sufficient to remove the lug 11 from its seat in the notch and causing the same to be guided along one of the inclined surfaces 2 into the slot 3. It is obvious that as the. lug 11 is guided along this surface to the slot, the member 5 will be lowered and simultaneously rotated, and as said member drops by gravity to its lowermost position, the lower end of the same will contact with the coil spring in the bottom of the member 1 to prevent the undue impact between the two, thus preserving the parts of the device against breakage and undue injury.

From the forcgoing. it will be seen that I have provided an improved mail crane which is adapted to be automatically disposed to an operative and ineffective position, after the mail bag has been once removed therefrom by a moving object, whereby all possible danger to passengers and workmen of the train from the pro jection of the arms of the crane, will be ob viated.

It will further be seen that I have provided a device which comprises a movable standard which is adapted to be rotated and lowered simultaneously after the mail bag has been removed therefrom by the moving train, and it will still further be seen that the device consists of few and simple parts easily adjusted and which may be readily removed for repair, when desired.

It will still further be seen that the device is one which is very simple and durable in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and one which is very efiicient and useful in operation.

While I have particularly described the elements which are most well adapted to perform the functions which are set forth, it is obvious that various changes in form, proportion and in the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe principles of the invention.

What I claim is 1. A mail crane, comprising a tubular member having descending upper edges thereon and provided with a vertical slot therein, said descending edges approaching the slot from opposite directions and terminating therein at the upper end of the same, an additional member slidably arranged in said tubular member and adapted to carry a mail bag, means carried on said additional member cooperating with said descending edges to raise and lower said additional member, and means to retain said additional member in its raised position.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tubular member having descending upper edges thereon which terminate in a vertical slot therein, the high est point of elevation on the upper edge of said member being provided with a notch; of an additional member slidably arranged in said tubular member, means carried on said additional member adapted to be guided along said descending edge of the tubular member to raise and lower said additional member, said lug being also adapted to cooperate with the notch to retain said additional member in its raised position. and a cushioning means carried in the bottom of said tubular member 3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a tubular member having descending upper edges thereon which tci minate in a vertical slot in the side thereof, the highest point of elevation on the upper edge of'said tubular member being provided with a notch; of a post slidably ar In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

GEORGE L. GRAHAM.

Witnesses J. W. CARY,

EDWIN STERNBERGER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0."

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