US1056449A

US1056449A - Mail-bag catcher.

Info

Publication number: US1056449A
Application number: US72270212A
Authority: US
Inventors: Arthur Ponton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1912-09-27
Filing date: 1912-09-27
Publication date: 1913-03-18
Anticipated expiration: 1930-03-18

Description

A. PONTON.

MAIL BAG CATGHER. 'KPP-LICTION FILED SEPLZ'T, 1912.

1,056,449, Patented Mar. 18, i913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. PNTON.

MAIL BAG GATUHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-.27.1912

Patented Mar. 18, 1913.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET 2 lli ARTHUR YPONTON, OF MURBOCK, LLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG- CATCHEB.

Specification of Letters Estant. i ,Patented Biggi 185 19131 Application led September 27, l912. Serial No. 722,702.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it lmown that l, ARTHUR PoNrroN,

citizen of the United States, residing at Murdock, in the county of Douglas and State o illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in ltlail-'Bag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in mail bag catchers, and has 'for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies o whichl'will act in effective manner to receiver andgrip the mail bag. f

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

For a full understanding oi: the invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in whichz*g Figure l is a side elevation of a mail bag catcher constructed Ain accordance with the invention, tbe jaws being arranged in an open position. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mail bag catcher. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. Il is a side elevation ot the inner end ofthe catcher, showing the hinged connection between the movable jaw' and the base. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the position of the parts after a 'mail bag has been engaged. Fig, 6 is a similar View showing the mail beg catcher as swung; inwardly toward the side oli the car in an inoperative position, and 7 is a sectional viewI on the line 7-7' of Fig. ll. A

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

Specifically describing the present em-v bodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates the lined jaw of the mail ba., catcher, the outer or fre" end ot the tiren jaw being formed with the spaced and substantially parallel arms 1l which are connected at an intermediatepoint in their length by means of the cross bar 2. This `iaw l may be formed of sheet material and is integral with a shank 3, the said shankbeing pivotally mounted upon a vertical pivot bolt 4 which connects the two brackets 5 and 6 upon the side of the car. f rlhe shank 3 is preferably formed by returning the piece of sheet metal, and the movable jaw 7 is hinged to the extremity of this returned end of the sheet metal. Suitable springs 9 are applied to the hinged joint 8 at the inner end of the movable jaw 7, the said springs normally tending to swingthe movable jaw toward the fixed jaw. The free end of the movable jaw is constructed similar to the free end of the fixed jaw l, being formed with the spaced and substantially `parallel arms 7 a connected by the upright cross bar 2a.

In order to limit the outward swinging movement of the movable jaw 7, a link connection is provided between the two jaws at a point toward the inner end thereof, the' said link connection comprisin the two vertical plates 10 which have t eir adjacent edges connected by the links' 11, while the outer edges thereof are connected by the links l2 to the respective jaws. These plates l l() are adapted to swing inwardly to permit of the jaws coming' together, although they limit the outward swlnging movement ofA the movable jaw 7 and prevent the same from being swung too far away from. the ixed jaw 1. f

A swing trigger 13 lis pivoted upon the outer end of the movable jaw 7, the said trigger being adapted to be swung inwardly so as to be positioned between the two jaws v 1 and 7 as indicated by Fig. 2, so as'to hold the jaws in an open position. The jaws are in this position when the devicev 1s set t/o receive a mail bag, the mail bag striking against the triggerll and serving to lswing the same .inwardly and move it intov in- V'iperative position, thereby permittin lthe springs 9 to swing the movable jaw toward the Vfixed jaw l and securely grip the mail bag. The mail bag will thus be held ,ir'mly between the jaws until it can be swung toward the car and removed from Vposition by the operator.

The invention further contemplates the provision of means for locking the catch l 'either iny an opeilative or an inoperative pol sition. A latclgilil is pivotallyniounted .upon the lower bracket 6 by means of a pivot pin l'whieh passes through an intenl mediate portion` of the said latch. The latch is provided immediately above the pivot 'portion thereof with a V shaped notclrlti, and on opposite sides of' the J shaped notch with the notchcsl'? andlS respectively, the

le inner end of the latch being formed Awith a suitable handle ,19. A pair oi.- springs Q0 and 21 have intermediate portions thereof coiled about the pivot pin 15, one end of each of the springs engaging the bracket G,

.while the opposite end of each of the springs engages the latch 14. The spring' ZO engages the latch upon the handle side thereof so as to return the latch -tonormal position after the handle end thereof has been depressed.

'20 ln a similar manner the spring 2l engages the outer end of the latch le so as to return the latch to normal position when the said outer end ot the latch has been depressed. vWhen the shank S of the mail bag4 eateher is in an intermediate position, it is' received Within the -V shaped notch 16C It. can then position, orl inwardlvinto engagement with the notch 17 /whiclij willfhold it. inoperative position. or inw'ardljy into engagement. with 30 .the notch lwhich will hold it in inoperative position.- After the shank has en- 4gaged either ot the notches 1T or 18 the mail bag catcher will be held securclx7 in position until afterthelatch 14: shall have been manually manipulated to release the shank 3 fronrengagcmnt with either one of the notches and bringr it hack into the V shaped notch 16.

In the operation of the device the trigger 40 13 will be swung into engagement. with the 'fixed 'jaw 1 so as to hold the movable jaw in an open position, as indicated b v Fig. 2. The entire catcher will then be swung out- 'Wardly and brought into engagement with`r the notch 17 of the latch 14. Then the mail bag is engaged contact with the said mail bag will swing the trigger 13 inwardly so as t0. release the movable jaw 7 and permit lthe springs 9 to swing the movable jaw inwardly and 'grip the mail bag. The oper- 50 leter will then manipiilate the latch plate 14- i and swing the catcher into inoperative p0- sition, with the shank 3 in engagement with the notch 18 of the'lateh plate. The mail bag can then he manually moved 'from the catcher'and taken into the car.

Having thus described the invention, what ,l claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is :v 1. A mailbag catcher including a bracket, a shank hinged upon' the bracket., a fixed jaw carried by the shank, a hinged jaw carried by. the shank in coperative relation'to the fixed jaw, yielding means normally tending to swing the hinged jaw toward the fixed jaw, a pivoted trigger carried by the free end of one of the jaws and adaptedto engage the opposite jaw to hold the jaws in an open position, engagement with the mail bag serving to move the trigger into an in operative position to release the hinged jaw,- and a spring' latch pivoted upon the bracket and adapted to engage the shank to hold theratcher in predetermined positions.

2. A inail bag catcher including a bracket, a. shank pivoted upon the bracket, coperating` iXed and movable jaws carried by the shank, yielding means normally tending to close/che jaws, means for holding the jaws lin an Aopen position, the said means being 8.0

released by engagement with a mail bag, af, latch pivoted between its ends upon the bracket, said latch beine' provided' opppsitef the pivot point with a l! shaped note-blandl ARTHUR PONTON. Witnesses:

H. C. ENGLAND,-

W. W. Pon'rnnrmw.

upon opposite sides of the V shaped notelil'