US1082498A - Apparatus for receiving and delivering mail. - Google Patents

Description

J. A. CHAMBERS. APPARATUS POR RECEIVING AND DELIVBRING MAIL.

* APPLICATION FILED 00T. 21, 1913. 1,082,498.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

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J. A. CHAMBERS. APPARATUS PoR RECEIVING AND DBLIVPRING MAIL.

APPLIOATION FILED OCT. 21, 1913.

1.082,498. Patented Dee. 3o, 1913.

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J. A. CHAMBERS. i APPARATUS rop. RECEIVING AND DBLIVERING MAH..

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 21, 1913. 1082498 Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. CHAMBERS, OF NEWBURG, MISSOURI, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO CLAIR MOORE AND ONE-FOURTH TO RALPH DOWELL, BOTH OF NEWBURG, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING- AND DELIVERING MAIL.-

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN A. CHAMBERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newburg, in the county of Phelps and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful r-rpparatus for Receiving and Delivering` Mail, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for effecting the 'interchange of mail between moving trains and stations passed thereby, one of the objects of the invention being to provide means whereby mail holders or receptacles will be propelled from the car to the station receiver and vice versa while the car is passing the receiver, the power utilized for propelling the holders being derived from the moving car.

A further object is to provide throwing members at the stations, said members being so arranged and proportioned as to throw the mail containers into the car sub` stantially in the direction in which the car is moving so that, when the mail container lands within the car it will remain practiw cally stationary. A

Another object is to provide a receiver to be located at the station and which, after actuating the throwing member mounted on the car, will shift automatically away from the track so as to be spaced a sufficient distance from the train to avoid injuring passengers who might be leaning from the sides of the cars.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement o-f parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can -be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings z-Figure l is a plan view of the apparatus, a portion of the car Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led October 21, 1913.

Patented Een. 30, 1913. serial No. 796,495.

being shown in section and the various parts being illustrated in the positions occupied thereby immediately prio-r to their actuation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of a car having the present improvements combined therewith. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the receiver. Fig. A is a section through the receiver and a portion of the car and illustrating the relative positions of the parts immediately prior to the interchange of mail. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a mail container designed to be used in connection with the apparatus.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates a car structure having a door opening a and secured to the outer side of this structure adjacent opposite sides of the opening a are brackets l. A tripping arm 2 is adapted to be supported by these brackets at either side of the door, this arm being curved from end to end, as shown particularly in Fig. l and being for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

Arranged within the car structure and close to each side of the opening a is a bracket 3 in which is journaled the downwardly extending end 4 of an arcuate supporting arm 5. Each of these arms is adapted, when swung outwardly, to extend through the door opening o and to lap the outer side of the car wall. The arms 5 may be held in outwardly extended positions by buttons 6, or in any other suitable manner. The outer end of each arm 5 has an upwardly extending pintle 7. Pivotally mounted upon either of the pintles 7 is a throwing member 8 consisting of oppositely extending arms 9, said member being pivotally mounted at its center and being provided, adjacent its center, with an outwardly extended bail l0 which extends downwardly below the throwing member 8 and carries an anti-friction roller ll, as shown in Fig. 2. This bail is fixedly connected to the throwing member so that, when the bail is thrust in either direction, the throwing member will be correspondingly moved.

Mounted upon the outer side of each end portion of the throwing member 8 is a holder or seat 12 preferably angular as shown in Fig. 2 and which is so proportioned as to constitute an efficient supportfor a mail container such as shown, for example, in Fig. 5. This container may be in the form of a box 13 formed of leather or any other suitable material and provided with a closure 14 which can be fastened in closed position in any suitable manner. 1t is to be understood that when the throwing arm 8 is not in use the arcuate arm 5 supporting it can be swung into the car so as thus to support the throwing member in the position illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

At each station where the interchange of mail is to be effected, a novel form of receiving and delivering mechanism is employed. Rails 15 are arranged close to and at right angles to the track on which the car is mounted and these rails are engaged by wheels 16 which serve to support a truck 17 on which is arranged an elongated frame 18 upstanding therefrom. The said frame is inclosed at its back, sides and top with canvas or other suitable durable fabric such as indicated -at 19 or by any other preferred material, thus to form a hood or receiver. That face of the receiver nearest the track on which the car is mounted is open. A holding rail 20 is arranged between and parallel with the rails 15 and has a notch or opening 21 therein. This notch is adapted to receive a. locking pin 22 connected to one end of a lever 23 which is fulcrumed, as at 241, upon the bot-tom of the truck 17. r1`hat end of lever 23 remote from the pin 22 projects beyond the open face of the hood or receiver and into the path of a tripping cam 25 which is connected to the bottom of the car A so that. when the receiver is in active position, this cam will strike and ride over lever 23 as the car passes the station, thereby lifting pin 22 out of the notch. One or more springs 2G are connected to the truck and to a structure back of the truck so that, as soon as the pin 22 is disengaged from notch 21, these springs will shift the truck backwardly away from the track on which the car is traveling.

A hanger 27 is suspended from the centerof the open face of the hood or receiver and this hanger engages the middle portion of a throwing member 2S consisting of oppositely extending similar arms 29 each of which is provided upon the end portion of its outer face with a supporting bracket or seat 30 similar to the seat 12 hereinbefore described. A bail 31 is extended outwardly from the middle portion of the throwing member 28 and is preferably provided with an anti-friction roller 32 adapted to be engaged by the tripping arm 2 on the car A. The bail 31 is ixedly connected to the throwing member 2S so as to move therewith.

Brackets 33 are connected to the end portions of the truck 17 beyond the ends of the open side of the receiver thereon and a tripping arm 34 similar to the arm 2 is adapted to be connected to the brackets at either end of the truck.

Then it is desired to effect the interchange of mail at a station, a container such as shown in Fig. 5 and in which the mail has first been placed, is mounted on the seat 30 nearest the approaching train and the throwing member 28 is shifted so that said seat will be extended partly or entirely into the receiver made up of frame 18 and covering 19. The truck 17 is pushed toward the track on which the car A is traveling, thus placing the springs 26 under stress. Pin 22 will engage in the notch 21 and lock the truck in the position to which it has been shifted. r1`he mail to be delivered to the station is placed in a receiver such as shown in Fig. 5 and said container is placed on the throwing member' 8 and said member is swung outwardly to position bevond the side of the car wherev it is held by the button 6 engaging the arcuate arm 5 on which the throwing member is mounted.

The container 13 is adapted to be arranged on the seat 12 nearest the station being approached and, when the throwing member 8 is in set position, the seat on which the container is mounted is preferably located within the door opening, as shown in Fig. 1. Furthermore, the arm 341 is disposed at that side of truck 17 nearest the approaching car while the ar1n2is placed at that side of the door opening a nearest the station being approached. lith the parts thus set it will be seen that, when the car A passes the station the arm 2 will strike the roller 32 and thus cause the throwing member 2S to swing suddenly about its pivot, thus causing that end thereof on which the container 13 is mounted, to move quickly toward the opening a so as thus to throw the container 13 into the car and substantially in the direction in which the car is traveling, the parts being so proportioned that the velocity of the container while being discharged into the car will be substantially equal to the speed at which the car is travcling so that, when the container falls onto the floor of the car, it will remain practically stationary. While the discharge of the container 13 into the car is taking place, the arm 34 is striking the roller 11 on bail 10 and causing the throwing member 8 to shift so as to discharge the container 13 thereon into the hood or receiver 18-19 at the station. Simultaneously with the interchange of the mail above described, cam 25 comes in contact with lever 23 thus depressing the outer end of the lever and causing pin 22 to withdraw from notch 21. The truck 17 is therefore shifted by the springs 26 away from the car A so that none of the parts projecting from the truck will cause injury to the following cars or to passengers leaning therefrom.

lVlien the train is traveling in the opposite direction the throwing member S can be shifted to the other arm 5 and the positions of the tripping arms 2 and 34 can be reversed, as will be obvious. The operation of the parts will then be the same as hereinbefore described.

Vhat is claimed is l. In apparatus of the class described, a centrally pivoted throwing member having oppositely extending arms, a seat arranged atthe outer end of each arm for supporting a mail container, an outstanding element Xedly connected to the center of the throwing member, and means for engagement with said element to swing the member to propel the container therefrom.

2. The combination with a car structure having a door opening, of an arm mounted to swing through the opening and having a pintle at its free end, a throwing member adapted to be mounted at its center on said pintle, a seat adjacent each free end of the throwing member for supporting a mail container, an outstanding element fixedly connected to the center of the throwing member, and means adapted to engage the said element for swinging the throwing member about its pivot during the movement of the car structure past the point of delivery.

3. The combination with a car structure having a door opening, of an arm mounted to swing through the opening and having a pintle at its free end, a throwing member adapted to be mounted at its center on said pintle, a seat adjacent each free end of the throwing member for supporting a mail container, an outstanding element iixedly connected to the center of the throwing member, and means adapted to engage the said element for swinging the throwing member about its pivot during the movement of the car structure past the point of delivery, the throwing member and its supporting arm being shiftable through the door opening into or out of active position.

4. The combination with a car structure having a door opening, of an arm mounted to swing through the opening and having a pintle at its free end, a throwing member adapted to be mounted at its center on said pintle, a seat adjacent each free end of the throwing member for supporting a mail container, an outstanding element fixedly connected to the center of the throwing member, means adapted to engage the said element for swinging the throwing member about its pivot during the movement of the car structure past the point 0f delivery, the throwing member and its supporting arm being shiftable through the door opening into or out of act-ive position, and means for securing said supporting arm in outwardly extended or active position.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a car structure, a centrally pivoted throwing member carried thereby, means adjacent each end of said member for supporting a mail container, and an outstanding element at the center of the member, of a receiver adjacent and parallel to the path of the car, and means outstanding from the receiver for engaging the said outstanding element to shift the throwing member and directing the supportedmail container into the receiver during the movement of the car past the receiver.

6. The combination with a car structure, a throwing member pivotally mounted beyond one side thereof, means adjacent each end of said member for supporting a mail container, and an outstanding element at the cent-er of the member, 0f a receiver adjacent and parallel with the path of the car, that face of the receiver nearest the car being open, means movable with the receiver for engaging said outstanding element to shift the throwing member and direct the supported container into the receiver, during the movement of the car past the receiver, means for locking the receiver in a predetermined position relative to the path of the car, means for automatically shifting the receiver away from said path when unlocked, and means upon the car for unlocking the receiver during the movement of the car past said receiver.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a car structure and a throwing arm pivotally mounted beyond one side of the structure, of a receiver having an open face in parallel with the path of the car, means for locking the receiver close t0 said path, means for automatically shifting the receiver away from the path of the car when unlocked, means movable with the receiver for engaging the throwing member to actuate it and direct a supported mail container into the receiver from the throwing member, and means carried by the car for unlocking the receiver during the movement of the car past the receiver.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a car structure and a throwing arm pivotally mounted beyond one side of the structure, of a receiver having an open face in parallel with the path of the car, means for locking the receiver close to said path, means for automatically shifting the receiver away from the path of the car when unlocked, means movable with the receiver for engaging the throwing member to actuate it and direct a supported mail Container into the receiver from the throw- In testimony that I claim the foregoing mg member, means carried by the car for as my oivn I have hereto afixed my slgnal0 unlocking the receiver during the movement ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

of the car past the receiver, a throwing mem- T 4 ber carried by the receiver, and means upon JOHB A' CHAMBERS the car for actuating said throwing member NTitnesses:

to direct a supported mail container into the FRANK SPRADLINE, car While passing the receiver. NoRT SrRADLIm.

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

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