US1201206A

US1201206A - Delivery apparatus.

Info

Publication number: US1201206A
Application number: US8001116A
Authority: US
Inventors: John A Lewis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1916-02-23
Filing date: 1916-02-23
Publication date: 1916-10-10
Anticipated expiration: 1933-10-10

Description

J. A. LEWIS.

DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. 1916.

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

OZ 6r chroma@ J. A. LEWIS.

DELIVERY APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23.11916.' v

Patented Oct. 10,1916.

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f lwuewco .JwmALemzg AAI JOHN A. LEWIS, 0F DARK, ARKANSAS.

nELIvEnY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Paten-t.

Patented oet. 1o, 191e.

Application sied February 23, 19'1'6. serial No. 80,011.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. LEWIS, citizen of the United States, residing at Oark, in the county of Johnson and State of Arkansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to delivery apparatus and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

The primary obj ect of the invention is to provide an apparatus of simple and durable structure especiallyadapted to be used for delivering mail although the apparatus may be used to advantage for delivering light articles as for instance merchandise, meals, household supplies and the like.

l/Vith this object in view the apparatus comprises a cable supported at an elevated position with relation to the ground and having bumper mechanisms located at the terminal ends thereof. A car or carrier mounted to travel upon the cable and may be operated by a spring motor o r an electric motor as desired. In the arrangement as shown in the drawings, the car is propelled by an el'ectric motor and two systems for moving the car along the cable are shown and described.

In one system, the source for generating the current is carried by the car and is transmitted to the motor which is also carried by the car. Means are provided for propelling the car from the motor. In the other system, the source of electric supply is connected with anv overhead wire and the cablejand the said source is located at a fixed point. A motor is carried by the car and the electric current is transmitted to the motor through a trolley arm and wheel in the usual manner. The motor is operatively connected with one of the supporting wheels of the car, the said wheel being mounted to travel along said cable.

As illustrated in the accompanying drawing: Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the arrangement of parts when the source of power is carried by the car. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arrangement of parts when the source of power is located at a fixed point. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the car shown in Fig. 1. 4 is a detailed sectional view of a pole changer used on the car. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion f th'e car shown in Fig. 2. F ig. '6 is a transverse sectional viewV of the same. f A

As illustrated in Fig. 1 'ofthe drawings, the system includes poles 1 whi'chare mount'- ed in the A'ground at suitable intervalsapart and which are provided at their upper portions with brackets 2. A track cable 8 is supported upon the brackets 2 in the usual manner. Bumper posts 4 are located at the ends of the cable 3 and the ends of the said cable are connected with the said posts in any suitable manner. Arms 5 are mounted at the upper ends of the posts 4 and bars 6 are pivotally connected at their upper ends with the said arms 5. Springs 7 are interposed between the intermediateportions of the bars 6 and the adjacent sides of the posts 4 and are under tension with a tendency to normally hold the lower or free ends of the bars 6 spaced from the adjacent sides of the posts 4. Loops 8 loosely surround the intermediate portions of the bars 6 and adja! cent posts 4 and serve to limit the swinging movement of the lower portion of the bars 6 in directions away from the intermediate portions of the posts. Keepers 9 are mounted at the lower end portions of the bars 6. Arms 10 are mounted upon the terminal poles 1 and are disposed at angles with relation-` to the same. Upstanding lugs 11 are carried at the outer ends of the arms 10.

The car or carrier 12 is in the form of a boX or receptacle whichvis divided at a point between its ends by a partition 13 into com partments. In one of these compartments the articles to be carried may be placed while the other compartment contains the motor and'source of electric supply. The motor 14 is of usual pattern and a pulley 15 is journaled upon the shaft thereof. A bracket 16 is connected with the top of the car or carrier 12 and wheels 17 are joui-- naled to the said brackets and are adapted to travel upon the track cable 3. y A pulley 1S is formed onjthe bracketand a belt 19 is trained around the

pulleys

15 and 18. A bar 20 is mounted upon the top ofthe car or carrier 12 and its end portions project beyond the ends of the body of the said car or carrier.v Spring catches 21 are mounted upon the upper side of the bar 20 at the 'ends thereof and are adapted to engage the in contact with the lower portions of the bars 6 as will be hereinafter explained. Batteries 22 are mounted upon the car or carrier 12 and electric wires 23 connect the batteries 22 with terminals positioned adjacent the path of movement of the upper end of a switch 24 located at the end of the car or carrier 12. The lugs 11 are located in the path of movement of the lower end of the switch 24 and when the switch comes in contact with the said lugs, the switch is moved whereby the upper end of the switch is carried out of engagement with Ythe terminals at the ends of the wires 23. l/Vires 25 are connected one with the motor 14 and the other with a spring terminal 25. They are also connected with terminals located adjacent the switch 24. A terminal 24 is located on the bar 20 below the free end of the terminal 25 and a wire 23 connects the terminal 24 with the motor 14. TWhen the switch 24 is in contact with all of the terminals at the ends of the

wires

23 and 25 and the terminal 25 is in contact with the terminal 24 an electric circuit is established from the batteries 22 to the motor 14 and when the motor is operated through the pulley 15 and belt 19 the pulley 18 is rotated. Trains of gear wheels 1S connect the shaft oi the pulley 18 with the wheels 17 whereby the said wheels are rotated to cause the car or carrier to move along the track 3. The switch 24 is of the pole changer type 1and hence the switch mayl be manipulated to cause the current to travel from the batteries 22 to the motor 14 in a desired manner to cause the motor to propel the car along the track cable 3 in either of two directions.

Assuming the apparatus described is intended to transport mail from a residence to a point at the side of the route over which the mail carrier travels, the mail is placed in the compartment of thel car or carrier 12 at the opposite side of the partition 13 from that side at which the motor 14 and batteries 22 are located. An operator then adjusts the switch 24 whereby the current is caused to travel from the batteries 22 over the

wires

23 and 25 to the motor 14 in the proper direction and the motor through the connecting pulleys and belt propels the car or carrier 12 from the residence to the point adjacent the side of the route along which the mail carrier travels. When the mail carrier arrives at the car or carrier he removes the mail therefrom and places in the car or carrier any mail which is intended to be delivered at the said residence. W'hen the car arrives at the side of the mail route, the lower portion of the switch 24 strikes the upstanding lug 11 whereby the switch is turned and the electric circuit from the batteries 22 to the motor 14 is broken. The car then continues to move toward the terminal posts 4 under the momentum that it has gained and when the end of the bar 20 strikes the lower end of the bar 6, the spring' 7 is compressed whereby the car is cushioned as it is brought to a state of rest. J ust after the end of the bar 20 strikes the lower end of the bar 6 the spring catch 21 at the upper side of the bar 20 engages over the keeper 9 and the car or carrier 12 is held adjacent the terminal post toward which it has been traveling. After the mail carrier removes the mail from the car or carrier 12 and deposits the mail therein which is to be delivered he manipulates the switch 24 to cause the current to travel in a proper manner from the batteries 22 to the motor 14 then releases the catch 21 from the keeper 9 and the car moves back toward the residence. lhen the Car arrives at the resid-ence one end of the bar 20 strikes the lower end of the bar 6, the catch engages the keeper 9 and the switch 24 is turned as hereinbefore described and the car comes to a state of rest at the point where the mail is to be delivered.

1n the arrangement of parts as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, a current wire 26 is supported above the track cable 3, and batteries 27 are located at a liXed point instead of being carried by the car or carrier as hereinbefore described. Wires 28 connect the batteries 27 with the wire 26 and the track cable 3. A trolley arm 29 is mounted upon the car or carrier 12 in the usual manner and a trolley wheel 30 is journaled at the upper end thereof and is adapted to.

travel along and in contact with the current wire 2G in the usual manner. A wire 31 is connected at one end with the wheel 30 and at its other end with the motor 14. A wire 32 is connected at one end withthe motor 14 and at its other end with the bracket 1G which through the supporting wheels 17 is electrically connected with the track or cable 3, when the terminal 25 is in contact with the terminal 24. The switch 24 is adapted to cooperate with terminals provided at the end wires 31 and 32 in a manner similar to the switch shown and described in the arrangement shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. 1n this form of the invention it will be seen that the car'or carrier 12 may be propelled in either of two directions along the track or cable 3 and an operator may disconnect either one of the wires 2S from the battery 27 whereby the said car or carrier .1.2 may be caused to come toa state of rest at a. point between the terminal posts of the system. Also by reversing the connection between the wires 2S with the poles of the batteries 27, the said poles may be changed whereby the car or carrier 12 may be caused to move in either direction of two directions along the track or cable 3.

While the two systems hereinbefore described employ electric motors for propelling the car or carrier it is to be understood that these motors may be substituted by spring motors which are operatively connected with the propelling wheels in amanner the same as that described in connection with the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In both forms of the invention a governor 40 is mounted on the shaft of the pulley 18 and the weighted arms 41 of the said governor bear against a piece 42 slidably mounted on the governor 40. A lever 43 'is fulcrumed i-n a yoke 44 mounted on the bar 20 and one end of the said lever is attached to the terminal 25 while the other end bears against the piece 42. A spring 45 connected at one end with the lever 43 and at its other end with the'yoke 44 serves to hold the lever in contact with the piece 42. Brake levers 46 are pivoted on the shafts of some of the wheels 18 and have ends adapted to engage the perpheries of the wheels 17. Links 47 connect the inner ends of the levers 46 with the lower end of the lever 43. In the event that the rate of speed of travel of the car becomes excessive the arms 41 are swung in an outward direction under centrifugal force and the piece 42 is moved in an outward direction whereby the lever 43 is swung and the contact 25 is lifted out of engagement with the terminal 24 and the electric circuit to the motor is broken. At the same time the links 47 swing the levers 46 whereby their ends come in Contact with the peripheries of the wheels 17 and serve as brakes to bring the car to a state-of rest.

From the above description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing it will be seen that an apparatus for delivering articles is provided and the structural arrangement of the apparatus is simple and durable and may be easily and quickly manipulated for causing the car or carrier which contains the articles to move in either of two directions along the supporting track or cable. v

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A delivery apparatus comprising a cable supported in elevated position, posts mount* ed at the ends of the cable and connected to the same, bars pivotally connected with the JOHN A. LEWIS. Titnesses A. N. RAGON, R. M. DUNLAP, J r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for` five cents each, by addressing the commissioner of Ia'temts, Washington, D. C.