US1185043A - Mail-catcher. - Google Patents

Description

W. N. AUCLAIR.

MAIL CATCHER.

APPLICATION F1LED APR.20, 1915.

43, Patented May 30,1916.

2 SHEETS--SHEET I.

W. N. AUCLAIR.

MAIL CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.20, I9Is.

Patented May 30, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WALTER N. AUCLAIR, F DENTS, OREGON.

MAIL-CATCHER.

Application filed April 20, 1915. Serial No. 22,697.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, WALTER N. AUCLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lente, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon, have invented certainv new and useful Improvements in Mail-Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved mail catcher and the principal object of the invention is to provide a mail catcher so constructed that a mail bag may be taken from a car while in motion, the sack being suspended from a bar releasably held in an operative position beneath the carrying crane and dropped into a receptacle mounted adjacent the track as the train passes the station.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for releasably holding the carrying bars in an operative position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of receptacle for catching the sack after the trigger has been moved to the position to release the carrying bar.

Another object of the invention is to so mount the receptacle that it may rotate when the sack is dropped into the same.

Another object of the invention is t0 so construct this receptacle that it may be placed between the track for use in connection with trains going in opposite directions or may be used in connection with a single. track line for taking mail sacks from trains going in both directions.

Another object of the invention is to provide the receptacle with improved means for causing the receptacle to rotate when the means is struck by the mail sack.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of crane arm for carrying the supporting bar and to provide improved means for guiding the movement of the crane into and out of the car.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view showing the mail transferring mechanism in elevation with the car shown in rear elevation and having one wall broken away to show the manner of mounting the crane in the car. Fig. 2 is a view showing the receptacle or bowl in vertical section with its standard in elevation. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the receiving device shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the crane together with its carrying standard and guiding track.

In describing this invention reference will first be had to the carrying mechanism mounted in the mail car 10 so that the sack 1l can be connected with the carrying bar 12 while the crane arm 13 is still within the car and the crane arm then swung outwardly through the doorway of the car to a position in which the handle 14 of the trigger 15 can be engaged by the receiving mechanism to be hereinafter described. This crane arm 13 is pivotally mounted upon the bearing nger 16 of the standard 17 and is provided at its inner end portion with an extension 18 terminating in the harp 19 in which the flanged roller 20 is rotatably mounted. This roller 2O is flanged so that the flanges may be positioned above and below the track 21 which track is connected with the wall of the car by fasteners 21 as shown in Fig. 1 and. supported from the roof of the car by means of the hanger 22. Therefore when the roller 20 is in place the crane arm will be guided in its swinging movement and have its inner end portion supported so that the strain will be removed from the pivot pin 23 passing through the crane arm 13 and thus the pivot pin prevented from being bent or broken and the crane arm prevented from binding upon the bearing finger 26 which binding would tend to prevent the crane arm from moving easily.

The carrying bar 12 when in an operative position extends horizontally beneath the outer end portion of the crane arm 13 and has its inner end portion connected with the crane arm by means of the link 13 and its outer end portion positioned upon the trigger 15 between the lips 24 of the latch 25. Therefore the carrying bar will be prevented from slipping'off of the trigger plate 15 and will be releasably held in the elevated position until the trigger is moved to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4. When this trigger is moved to the dotted line position the carrying bar will be released and will drop to the position indicated by the dotted lines thus releasing the mail bag and permitting it to drop into the receptacle The receiving mechanism which is shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3 will now be described. The standard 26 of this receiving mecha- Vnism is embedded in the ground adjacent the track and is provided with an enlarged base 27 providing a firmer foundation and also providing a support for the bearing collar 28 upon which the bearing balls 29 are positioned. It is of course obvious that if desired the bearing 28 could be cast integral with the base 27'of the standard thus providing a more rigid structure. Upon this standard26 there is rotatably mounted afsleeve 30 which carries the bowl or receptacle 31 and has its lower end portion formed into a bearing collarl 32 having a track formed therein to receive the bearing balls 29.. vTherefore there-will be no bindingat the lower end portion of the receptacle and the receptacle will turn freely. The. upper end portionaof thissleeve is also providediwith a bearing collar v33 which carriesxthe bearingV balls 34 positioned between Vthe bearing collar 33 of the sleeve and the bearing collarV 35 adjustably mounted upon the standard above the sleeve and releasably held in an adjusted position by means of the set screw 36. By moving `the bearing collar 35 upon the standard the amount of pressure placed upon the bearing balls can be regulated and through this vmeans the Jfreedom with which the bowl or receptacle is rotated may be controlled. VIt is desired to have the bowl rotate when the mail bags drop into the same `and in order to accomy VtentsV oflthe mail.V sack from being injured plishV this there has been provided abutment plates `37.' extending from the bearing collar Y 33.to the bottom of the bowl. As the train passes the track device the handle 14 of the trigger will strike one of the releasing rods 38 carried by the rod39 and the trigger will thus be moved to-a position to release the carrying bar 12 and permit the sack to drop into the bowl. In doing so :the sackwill strike one vof the Vabutment plates 37 thus causing the receptacle to 'rotate upon the standard 26 and takeup the force of the blow received. This will prevent the Vconand'will also prevent danger of the mail bags Vbeing deflected andfdropping upon the ground instead of into the receptacle.

From theabove description the operation ofthe device will be readily understood, the mail clerk of course first vplacing the sack j upon the carrying 'bar12 and then swinging `the crane armoutwardly `to af position in Gopiesjdt this Vpatent may be obtained for which the Vtrigger may be moved to a released position by one of the rods 38. The crane arm is of course then swung back into the mail car after the sack has been delivered.

In order to permit a sack to be taken from the station a suitable collecting hook i0 of any desired type may be mounted in the doorway of the mail car and provided with a handle l1 so that it may be moved into an operative position as shown in Fig. 1.

' Vhat is claimed is 1. In a mail handling apparatus a track device comprising a standard, a sleeve rota* tably mounted upon said standard, a receptacle carried by said sleeve, abutment plates carried by said sleeve and extending to the outer Aedge of said receptacle and above the receptacle, and trigger actuating means carried by said standard.

2. In a mail handling apparatus a track device comprising a standard, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said standard, a rcceptacle carried by said sleeve, abutment plates carried by said sleeve and extending to the outer edge of said receptacle and means carried by said standard for actuating the trigger of a train device.

3. In a mail handling apparatus a track device comprising a standard, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said standard, a receptacle carried by said sleeve and 'being of less height than said sleeve, abutment plates carried by said sleeve and extending the full height thereof and from said sleeve to the outer edge of said receptacle, and means carried by said standard for actuating a trigger forming part of a train device.

4. A mail catcher including a track device comprising a standard, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon said standard, a receptacle carried by said 'sleeve and of less height than the sleeve, abutment plates carried byl in Vpresence of two witnesses.

WALTER N. AUCLAIR.

Witnesses 2' i l CHESTER H. MoNNroH, NELLIE A. LINKEY.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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