US1113451A - Rural-mail-delivery apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

U. G. LEVASSEUR & D. M. MORRIS. RURAL MAIL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED, MAR. 26. 1914.

1,113,451. Patented 0013.13. 1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO PHOTO LITHO" WASHINGTON. D. C.

UNITEDSTATES rAT N'r OFFICE. I

CLEMENT c. LnvAssnun AND DANIEL ivnraonnis, or MASTELLE, IOWA.

To all 107mm it may concern.

Be it known that we, CLEMENT C. LnvAs- SEUR and DANIEL M. Monnis, citizens of the United States, residing at Mastelle, in the county of Jones and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rural-l/lail-Delivery Apparatus; and we do hereby dec larethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 1

This invention relates to the delivery of mail on rural mail routes; and has for its object to provide convenient means whereby mail may be transported from the place of deposit at the roadside to the house more or less remote therefrom.

The nature of the invention is fully disclosed in the description and claim following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a general view of a mail-carrier embodying our invention, as seen in perspective. Fig. 2 illustrates in perspective the manner of mounting and supporting the trolley and draft wires at intermediate posts. Fig. 3 is afragmentary elevation,

showing the mounting of the sheave and ad j acent parts in the bracket shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 shows the terminal apparatus at the roadside. Fig. 5 shows the terminal and pulling apparatus at the house. Fig. 6 shows the mounting of the mail boXand its connection with the pull-wire.

In the drawing, 1 designates apost set at the road-side, convenient to the man who collects and delivers mail on rural routes. 2 is a similar post set at the house, which in many cases is remote from the mail-route road. These posts are of a suitable height to make the mail-box easily accessible when mounted in the manner to be described presently. Between these terminal posts are set intermediate posts 3, which should be high enough to give head clearance under thewires strung thereon. Cross-arms 4 are attached to the terminal posts, the upstanding members 5 being designed merely to bring the trolley-wires 5 connected therewith to about the level of the draft-wire -6. The connection of the trolley-wires at the other terminal is best made with a spool 7 mounted to turn on a bracket 8, and provided with a ratchet 9 and pawl 10, of a simple and well known construction, by, which means the RURAL -MAIL-DELIVERY AFPARATUS.

a 1 Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed March 26, 191.4.- fiei'gial No. 827,325.

Patented ea. 13, 1914.

trolley-wires maybe drawn taut. The intermediate posts are provided withbrackets ll, which in practice are formedof bar steel bent to the angular form shown. An up-.

right portion 12 is adapted to be bolted to the post. The lower end of this forms a loop 13, with a diagonal terminal 145 springing therefrom. In the loop is mounted a small sheave 15 to carry the draft wire, which is lifted therefrom asthe mail-box passes it. The diagonal extension is for the purpose of catching the wire and returning it to normal position. To prevent any possible catching of the wire between the sheave and the bracket the extension is provided with a guide-plate 16, the lower end of which lies close over the outer flange of the sheave, and this carries the wire back to the,

groove of the sheave. From the horizontal upper arm of the bracket depends a clownhorizontal arm 18 terminating in an upturned lug 19. To this lug is pivoted a stirrup 20 having terminal eyes 21 to take the body of the trolley wire. The purpose in wardly bent member 17, having a shorter pivoting the stirrup is to permit it to rock a little as the mail-box passes alon it. This allows the wire, which necessarily sags somewhat between posts, to accommodate itself to t-he weight and movement of the box, so that in approaching the stirrups the box is carried all the way along a smooth and slight curve, instead of meeting an ab-' rupt curve or hump where the wire oins the stirrup, as would bethe case, to some extent, if the stirrup were rigid. The eifect is.

to permit the box totravel on the trolley under with no'obstruction at any point, and with no tendency to jump as it passes the points of support at the posts.

To the mail-box 22 is attached ahanger 23 termed with a loop at 241 containing a pair of small sheaves 25 adapted to run on the trolley wire. In practice a pair of boxes is used, so that one may always be at the road and another at the house. To bracket 26 is attached theends of a draft-wire 6.

In practiceit is found that if said wire is connected directly to the bracket the vibration tends to break the connection. To

avoid this the draft-wire is connected to loose rings 2?, which yield under the v1bra-.

bolted to the roadside post. The other sheave is attached to a shaft mounted in the bearing 32, and at the lower end is provided with a bevel gear 88 meshing with a similar gear 24 on a shaft 35. To this shaft is at tached a crank 36. By the turning of this crank the mail boxes may be alternately transported from the roadside to the house, and to any desired distance, in a manner so evident as to need no explanation.

The apparatus makes it'possible for those living at a considerable distance from the regular mail-route road'to have the advantage of free delivery, even in cases where the houses are not otherwise accessible from the mail road.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

Combined with supporting posts and trolley and draft-wires, substantially as dey CLEMENT o. LEVASSEUR. DANIEL M. MORRIS.

WVitnesses:

C. H. BROWN, EVELYN A. BROWN.

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

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