US1036246A - Mail-crane. - Google Patents

Description

J. M. HOUGH.

MAIL CRANE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16, 1912.

1 ,O36,246, Patented Aug. 20, 1912.

WIT/v5 Es k James M. H003 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATEN T OFFICE.

JAMES MADISON HOUGH, OF WOODBINE, IOWA.

MAIL-CRANE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. Hoocn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of \Voodbine, in the county of Harrison and State of lowayhave invented a new and Improved Mail-Crane, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' My invention relates to cranes adapted to be erected at the side of a railway track and having means for so holding the mail bag as to permit the bag to be automatically taken up by a passing train.

. An object of my invention is to provide an improved crane of simple construction, and involving minimum cost in its manufacture.

The invention will be particularly explained in the specific description hereinafter to be given.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an elevation showing the crane and its appurtenances in the position of holding a mail bag; and Fig. 2 is a similar view with the elements in inoperative position.

In constructing a practical embodiment of my invention as illustrated, a postv or standard 10 is provided, which may have an anchor piece 11 at the lower end, the anchor being adapted to be inserted in the ground with the upper end projecting for the attachment of the standard. The anchor may have a concave face, and the standard may be round, as shown, bolts 12 being employed, or other expedients, to secure the standard to the anchor. An upper arm 13 is pivoted, as at 14, to a shackle or bracket 15 secured to the standard 10, and a lower arm 16 may besimilarly pivoted to a suitable bracket or shackle 17, secured to the standard below the upper arm, said arms being in vertical alinement, or approximately so. To raise the upper arm to the horizontal position, as inFig. 2, a pull rod 18' is provided, the upper end being connected by cord or other flexible'connection 19, which passes over a pulle or other guide surface; 26 in the stan ard above. the upper arm, the end of the cord or flexible element being connected with the upper arm near the outer end, as at 21. The lower end of the pull rod is provided with a suitable handle and said connection with the said retaining" the said trip being actuated by the lower rod'may have suitable guided movement in eyes 23, or othercxpedients, the arrange? ment bcinir such thatthe handle ofthe pull- On the standard 10 below the upper arm I there is supported a retaining device to engage the pull rod and thereby hold he up- Patented Aug. 20, 1912. Application filed ma 16, 1912. Serial No. 697.621.

per arm iaised, and a trip is provided in device,

arm when the latter drops to its lowered position. A pin 25 moves in a transverse hole 26 in the standard, and the outer end of the pin is pivoted to the lower end of a rocking lever 27, which is fulcrumed intermediate its ends in any suitable manner on the standard, as by a pin 28 which passes through said lever intermediate its ends and through a shackle or bracket 29. The upper end of the lever extends to a point within the path of movement of the lower bagholding arm when the latter drops to the lowered position.

The upper and lower arms are provided with any suitable catches 31, 32, for engaging the usual loops 33 in a mail hag, 34. In the form shown, the catches are of twisted wire, loosely connected to eyes 35, 36 re spectively on the mail bag, arm. It will be understood that any other form of fastener may be employed in practice.

With the described construction, the upper arm is raised to the horizontal position by drawing downward on the pull rod, and the said rod is engaged with the described retaining device, the lower arm is now raised, and the mail bag suitably held by the fastener. 'Upon the mail bag being taken up by the train, the lower arm will drop, and will strike the upper end of the trip lever, and thus the pin 25 will be with drawn from engagement with the pull rod, and allow the upper arm to drop.

Having thus described my inventionql claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent:

In a mail crarrt", the combination'witli a standard, of an upper arm pivoted to t he standard to rock in a vertical plane. a lower arm also pivoted to the standard to rock in the vertical plane, and devices on said arms for engaging a mail bag, a flexible element connected atone end with said upper arm, a pulley on the standard and over "which guiding said pull rod, sald pull rod ter minating in an eye at its lower end, a trans verse pin mounted to slide in the standard i v v naine-t'o this specification in and adapted to engage the eye on the said pull rod when the eye is in the lower position and the upper arm is raiSed astrap on said vstandard above the pin, and a vertically disposedlever fulcrumed between its ends on the said strap, the mentioned .pin

having the end adjacent to the lever con- .upper end of neeted with the lower'end of said lever, the

the lever being'iree and dis 15 posed in' the'path of movernent'of the lower bag-holding arm, to'be struck: by the said arm. I L In testimony whereof I have signed my the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES MADISONHOUGH.

Witnesses:

E. E. Mons'n, R. J. MORSE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five (units each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. Q.

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