US1074890A - Pneumatic-carrier system. - Google Patents

Description

00 r; 1 o m w w H 1 1 +1 4 1% I L m 1.. 1% B mm 3 na 1% w 1w N a P M 011 MT F. W.1NELSON;

PNEUMATIU CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1911.

11 11 111 1 1 1 11 11 11 11 11 1 11 1 1111 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 11 1 1 111 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 111 1 1 1 1 1 1111 111111 1 1 1111111111 111 11 11 1 111 1 11 v1 111 11 11 1 1 R 1 Q11+ vuv 1 v 111 1 1 11 1 1 1 111 111 111 1 1111 11111 1 1 If II IIIill 11 1111 1 1 111 1111 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 11 1111 v 1 11111 1 1 1 111 11 1 1 1 11 111 1 1 111 .1 1 u 1 TR 11 a 1 1 1 5 11 1 11 QM COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60., WASHINGTON, D. c.

F. W. NELSON.

PNEUMATIC CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 17,1911.

Patented Oct. 7, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o o c o o o o o o o O COLUMD| A PLANDGRAPH C0..wAsmNu1'0N. D. c.

F. W. NELSON.

PNEUMATIC CARRIER SYSTEM.

APPLICATION IILED JULY 17,1911.

L074,890. Patented 0013.7,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Q v 61111 qg'bna COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH c0. WASHINGTON, D. c.

FIGIE.

Arnn

FRANK W. NELsoN, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

PNEUMATIC-CARRIER SYSTEM.

imaeao.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented ()ct. 7,1913.

Application filed July 17, 1911. Serial No. 638,973.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK WV. NnLsoN, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic- Carrier Systems, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic carrier systems, and concerns particularly improved construction, arrangement and operation at terminals of such systems where carrier units are received. These systems usually comprise a network of tubes or passageways through which the carrier units are pro pelled by compression or suction force and move at a high velocity.

Among the salient objects of my invention are to provide improved means for retarding the speed of units just before approaching a terminal, and to accomplish such retardation in an improved manner by closing a section of the tube or duct in advance of the carrier so that the air within said section will be compressed; to provide improved pneumatically operated mechanism for controlling a gate or valve for the compression trap; to provide improved valve mechanism for said pneumatically controlled mechanism; to provide improved mechanism for controlling said valve mechanism and operated by the pressure in the compression trap; to provide improved pneumatically controlled means for cushioning the operation of said pneumatically controlled mechanisms; and in general to provide improved terminal construct-ion in a system of the character referred to.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is fully illustrated, Figure 1 is a side elevational View of terminal mechanism, parts being in section and parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the operation and construction; Fig. 2 is a View looking from the entrance end of said mechanism; Fig. 3 is a view looking from the opposite end of said mechanism; Fig. A

is a plan view with the upper part of the inclosing casings removed; Fig. 5 is a sec- 7 tional view taken substantially on plane 5-5, Fig. A; Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken substantially on plane 6-6, Fig. 4, Fig. 7 is a perspective elevational view of certain valve controlling mechanism; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged elevational view of transmission mechanism.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a carrier trunk tube 10 to which my improved terminal mechanism is associated for receiving carriers 11 propelled through said trunk. 'Ihese carriers can be of any well-known construction to engage snugly with the trunk tube sides so as to be propelled by differences in pressure at the ends thereof. At the terminal end of this trunk the passageway therethrough is adapted to be closed by a gate 12 which is secured to a shaft 13 suitably journaled in bearing uprights 1A and 15, indicated best in Fig. A, the floor of the tube being out out to leave an abutment shoulder 12 for receiving the gate when closed. In advance of this gate a suction or exhaust pipe 16 communicates with the trunk tube and is connected with a suitable vacuum or suction creating device, not shown. In the arrangement as thus far described, when a carrier is in the trunk line it is subjected to vacuum or suction effect before it reaches the suction pipe 16, but immediately after the carrier has passed this suction pipe and the gate 12 is closed, the suction effect will be transferred to the rear end of the carrier, but the carrier having traveled at a high velocity will, on account of its momentum, continue its motion toward the gate and will compress the air between its front end and the gate. The section 17 of the trunk line between the gate and the suction pipe 16 I shall refer to as a compression trap. Mounted on the tube structure is a semi-spherical drum shell 18 centered about shaft 18, the shaft extending beyond the sides of the drum, and the gate 12 engaging snugly at its sides and end against the sides and end wall of the drum. Also secured to the shaft 13 and ext-ending radially therefrom is a piston disk 19 whose sides and end engage snugly against the drum sides and end, and this piston disk controls the movements of the gate 12, as will be described fully later. In front of the drum a rectangular shell 18 is supported on the carrier tube structure and forms a continuation of the drum.

Referring to Figs. ft and 6, the shell or housing 18 is bisected by the vertical intermediatewall 20 extending fro-m the top to the bottom of the shell and dividing this housing into an atmosphere passageway 21 and a vacuum or suction passageway 22, the end of the suction passageway 22 being connected by a pipe 23 with the vacuum or suction pipe 16, as best indicated in Fig. l.

J ournaled the intermediate wall 20 and in the side walls of the housing 18 are the transverse horizontal shafts. 24, and the axially alined shaft sections 25 and 25. Within passageway 21 shaft 24 carries a rectangular valvedisk or damper 26 (Fig. 5) and shaft section 25" carries a similar valve disk or damper 27 these valve disks being shown as at an angle of 60 degrees with each'ot-her. In passageway 21 the upper and lower walls of the housing 18 have the inward extensions 28 and 29 respectively which form arcuate seats 30 and 31 respectively of 60 degrees extent for the valve disk 27. In passageway 22 are similar extensions 32 and 33 forming arcuate seats 34 and 35 for the valve disk 27. Adjacent the housing 18 is mounted a housing 36 having sidewalls 37 and 38 and an arcuate top wall 39 centered about the valve shaft 24 which extends through the housing side walls and is there Journaled in suitable bearings 40. Within this housing rigidly secured to the shaft is a piston disk 41 whose sides and end extend to the side and top walls of the housings The outer end of this housing is open at 42 to atmosphere, while the opposite end communicates through a pipe 43 with the carrier duct and with the compression trap between the gate 12 and suction pipe 16, so that compression or suction in this trap will cause swing of the piston disk 41either outwardly or inwardly. Shaft-.13 carrying gate 12 and the piston disk 19 has secured to each end outside of the drum 18 a double crank lever 44 having at its ends crank pins 45 and 46 (Fig. 8); Loosely mounted on each end of this shaft is a gear disk 47 whose web has two opposite arcuate slots 48 and 49 through which pins 45 and 46 respectively extend, so that 1 there can be relative movement between the crank levers and the gear disks to the ex tent of such arcs. Each gear disk is connected by a chain or belt 50 with a sprocket pinion 51 secured to the corresponding ends of the shaft sections 25 and 25 carrying the valve disks 27 and 27.

The operation can now be clearly understood. When the carrier is outside of the compression trap there will be vacuum in this trap, and the gate 12 will be closed, and the controlling piston disk 19 therefor will be down against stop 52, as indicated by the full lines. Piston disk 41 is in position to the left against stop 53, as indicated .by full lines. Valve disk or damper 26 is in hori zontalopen position, while valve disk or damper 26 is in closed or vertical position.

Valve disk or damper 27 is in closed position, and valve disk or damper 27 is T11 horizontal or open position Both atmosphere and vacuum passageways 21 and 22 respectively are therefore closed. As the carrier rapidly approaches the Vacuum or suction pipe 16 and passes the outlet of this pipe the rear end thereof will be subjected to suction efiect, but owing to the great in ertia of the carrier the air in advance thereof and between the gate 12 will be put under compression. Piston disk 41 being now relieved of suction will, by force ofthis compression, be thrown forwardly 90 'degrees against stop 54, thus rotating shaft 24 ninety degrees to carry valve disk 26 to ver tical or closed position and to'carry valve disk 26 to horizontal or open position. Atmosphere passageway 21 then still remains closed, but suction passageway 22 is open and in communication with suction pipe 16 through pipe 23, and this suction effect is transmitted to chamber 55, and the piston disk 19 is swung forwardly to carry gate 12 upwardly, and if valves 27 and 27 were not present the piston disk would swing imv mediately against its front stop 56 to, carry 7 gate 12 to its uppermost position against stop 57. Then as soon as the carrier passed throughthe. gate and cleared the lower outlet of pipe 43 there would again be vacuum effect in the compression trap and in housing 36, and piston disk 41 would be swung back to normal position against stop 53,

thus restoring valves 26 and 26 to normal position to re-open the atmosphere passageway and to re-close the suction passageway. Also, as soon as the carrier passes gate 12 vacuum effect will be present behind the piston disk 19, and the chamber 55 being open to atmosphere through the re-opened atmosphere passageway 21, the piston disk will swing'back to normal position against stop 52, and gate 12 will be re-closed and normal conditions reestablished. However, valves 27 and 27 and the lost motion connection between the shafts13 and 25 and 25 are provided'to cushion the movements of the piston disk 19 and the gate 12 against their stops. v The arcuate extension of the slots 48 and 49 is approximately sixty-four degrees, so that piston disk 19 may freely swing forwardly about sixty-four degrees before movement is communicated through the. chains from shaft 13 to valve shafts 25 and 25. The gearing ratio between these shafts is such that when the piston disk, 19 moves forwardly fart-her about twenty and onehalf degrees, valve disk 27 inthe suction. passageway 22 will rotate clockwise about sixty degrees into engagement with the op-' posite ends of the arcuate seats 34 and 35, thus closing chamber 55 and thus cushioning further movement of the valve disk 19.

During this twenty and one-half degree movement of the valve disk 19 valve 27' rotated clockwise about sixty degrees, but after such movement the valve disk will still be in engagement with its valve seats to keep the atmosphere passageway closed. During the final twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk 19 the valve disk 27 rotates clockwise sixty degrees to the other ends of its valve seats to keep the chamber 55 closed, so that during the final twenty and one-half degrees the piston disk 19 must more or less compress the air in chamber 55, so the seating of this valve disk against its stop 56 is cushioned. During this final twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk valve disk 27 rotates another sixty degrees and into horizontal or open position to open the atmosphere passageway 21 to atmosphere. All the above movements took place while the carrier was traveling through the compression trap and before the carrier cleared the pipe 43. As before stated, when the carrier passes through the now open gateway and exposes and clears pipe 43, we will again have vacuum back of piston disk 41, and this disk will be restored to its normal position to rotate valves 26 and 26 back to normal into open and closed positions respectively. The vacuum passageway is now closed, but the atmosphere passageway is open to chamber 55, so that the suction effect now behind the piston disk 19 will swing this piston disk in counterclockwise direction to cause swinging of the gate toward closing position. During the first sixty-four degrees the piston disk can swing freely on accountof the pin and slot connection, and during such movement the valves 27 and 27 will not be affected. During the next twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk 19, valve 27 will rotate counterclockwise sixty degrees into engagement with the ends of its seats and to close the atmosphere passageway and chamber 55, so that further movement of the piston disk 19 will be retarded. During such twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk 19 valve 27 will rotate counterclockwise sixty degrees to the other ends of its seats to still keep the atmosphere passageway closed. In the final twenty and one-half degrees movement of the piston disk 19 valve 27 will rotate sixty degrees to the other ends of its seats, and during such movement the piston disk is creating vacuum effect in chambers 55 and 21 and is retarded and its engagement with its normal seat cushioned. During this final twenty and one-half degrees movement valve disk 27 will rotate sixty degrees back to its horizontal normal position. The gate 12 is now again closed and normal conditions prevail.

The length of the compression trap is suflicient so that during the passage of the carrier therethrough the piston disk 19 will have ample time to control the valves and to fully open the gate. Immediately after the car clears pipe 43 the piston disk 19 will be actuated to re-close the valve, and when the car travels toward the left in duct section 61 toward its receiving apparatus,

the section 61 between the gate and the rear end of the carrier will be closed and there will be suction effect therein caused by the leaving carrier, and this suction effect also further retards the carrier so that all its energy will practically be spent when it reaches its receiving mechanism. Such suction effect in the section 61 acting on gate 12 acts in opposition to the suction effect in the main duct. However, this suction effect in section 61 is also effective on the rear side of the piston disk 19, and this piston disk 19 having the same area or perhaps greater area than the gate, this suction effect on the gate by the leaving carrier is fully neutralized and the gate remains closed.

In order to hold the piston disks and valves in any position to which they have been moved I provide springs 58 for press ing against shaft 18, springs 59 for pressing against shaft ea, and springs 60 and 60 for pressing against shafts 25 and 25, these springs in no way retarding the movements of the various disks and valves but serving to hold the valves in the position to which they have been moved at any time.

I thus provide very simple and eflicient terminal construction and operation for pneumatic carrier systems. The various valves and controlling pistons therefor are actuated entirely by air pressure conditions. Such actuation thereof is rapid and exact, and at the same time air pressures are adjusted to soften and cushion the seating of the valve disks so that the apparatus is noiseless and the various valve disks and valves protected.

I do not of course desire to be limited to the precise construction and operation described, as changes are possible which would still come within the scope of the invention, and I therefore claim the following:

1. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct, means for normally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmospheric pressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, a gate adapted for opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted for connection with atmosphere and with said duct, a piston within said piston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closing thereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressed between said gate and the carrier approaching said gate, valve mechanism normally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct, and means controlled by the compressed air between said carrier and gate for causing actuation of said valve mechanism to connect said piston chamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by the re duced pressure to cause opening or" said gate to allow the carrier to pass.

2. In a vacuum pressure system, the com-' bination of a duct, means for normally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmospheric pressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, a gate adapted for opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted for connection 1 with atmosphere and with said duct, a piston within said piston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closing thereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressed between said gate and the carrier approaching said gate, valve mechanism normally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct, means controlled by the compressed air between said carrier and gate for causing actuation oi said valve mechanism to connect said piston chamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by the reduced pressure to cause opening of said gate to allow the carrier to pass, and additional valve mechanism controlled'by the movements of said piston for causingclosure of said connection bet-ween the duct and piston chamber after an initial movement of said piston whereby further movement of said piston will be retarded.

3. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct,means for reducing the pressure within said duct whereby carriers will be propelled therethrough, gate mechanism for normally closing one end of said duct whereby the. air between said gate and an approaching carrier will be compressed I n actuating mechanism responslve to such compressed air, a piston chamber having an at- I final movement of said piston is retarded.

4. In a pneumatic carrier system, the combination of a carrier duct through which carriers pass, a gate at the end of said duct, a suction connection with said duct in advance of said gate, the section of said duct between said gate and suction connection being normally subjected to suction eifect but the air in said section being compressed upon entrance therein of the carrier, a housing open to atmosphere at one end and connected at its other end with said duct section in which the air is compressed by the moving carrier, a piston disk within said housing, a semi-cylindrical drum, a piston disk within said drum connected with said gate, a valve housing extension from said drum, a partition dividing said valve housing into a vacu um passageway and an atmosphere passageway, a pipe connecting said vacuum passageway with said suction connection with the main duct, a valve in said atmosphere passageway and a valve in said suction passageway, said valves being operatively connected with the first mentioned piston disk, said first mentioned piston disk being normally in position to cause opening of the valve in the atmosphere compartment and closure of the valve in the suction compartment, compression in said first mentioned piston disk housing upon passage of the carrier through the duct section between the gate and suction connection causing move ment of the piston disk toward the atmosphere passagewayand closure of the valve in the atmosphere passageway and openingof the valve in the suction passageway whereby the second mentioned piston disk is subjected to suction efiect to cause opening of said gate to allow the carrier'to pass.

5. In a vacuum pressure system, the combination of a duct, means for normally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmospheric pressure whereby carrierswill be propelled in said duct, agate adapted for opening and closing said duct, a piston chamber adapted for connection with atmosphere and with said duct, a pistonwithin said piston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closing thereof, said gate being normally closed whereby air will be compressed between said gate and the car rier approaching said gate, valve mechanism normally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct, means controlled by the compressed air between said carrier and gate for causing actuation of said valve mechanism to connect said piston chamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by the reduced pressure to cause opening of said gate to allow the carrier to pass, and means controlled by the piston during the latter part of its movement to effect closure of said connection between the duct and piston chamberwhereby further movement of said piston will be retarded.

6. In a vacuum pressure system, the'combination of a duct, means for normally maintaining the pressure within said duct below atmospheric pressure whereby carriers will be propelled in said duct, agate adapted for opening and closing said duct, a

piston chamber adapted for connectionwith atmosphere and with said duct,-a piston within said piston chamber connected with said gate to control opening and closing thereof, said gate being normlly closed whereby air will be compressed between said gate and the carrier approaching said gate, valve mechanism normally closing the connection between said piston chamber and duct, means for actuating said valve mechanism controlled by the suction within said duct and by the compressed air between said carrier and gate, said means being controlled by said compressed air to cause actuation of said valve mechanism to connect said piston chamber with the duct whereby said piston is operated by the reduced pressure to cause opening of said gate to allow the carrier to pass, said means being controlled by the suction within the duct after passage of the car rier to cause actuation of the valve mechanism to connect said duct with atmosphere whereby said piston is restored to normal position, and valve mechanism in said duct controlled by the movements of the piston to close said duct after primary movement of said piston in either direction whereby further movement of said piston will be retarded.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 12th day of July, A. D., 1911.

FRANK WV. NELSON.

Witnesses:

CHARLES J. SCHMIDT, NELLIE B. DEARBORN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

Images