US1234561A - Package-delivery car. - Google Patents

Description

R. G. PILKINGTON.

PACKAGE DELIVERY CAR.

APPLICATION FILED JA I\1.3.I$H6.w

Patented July 24, 1917.

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APPLICATION FILED JAN-3.1916.

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Patented July 24, 1917.

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ROBERT PILKINGTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOE TO DODGE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MIST-IAWAKA, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

PACKAGE-DELIVERY CAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 24, 191W.

Application filed January 3, 1916. Serial No. 69,760.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT G. PILKING- TON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Package-Delivery- Cars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in package delivery cars and it more especially appertains to the features pointed out in the annexed claims.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a light weight car of great strength, flexibility and endurance; that shall be compact, afford a large amount of space for packages within a removable compartment; that shall be economical in the use of fuel and make small demands for repairs; that shall give the greatest radius of action for the least fuel; rapid acceleration; positive braking action; a powerful drive proportionate to the weight of the car; that will afiord the greatest convenience to the deliveryman whether used by day or night, through a supervision of the steering from the pivotal point of the car, promoting speedy deliveries over a large area; attaining high efficiency in merchandizing; and securing the highest business assetspleased customers.

With these and other ends in view I illustrate in the accompanying drawings such an instance of adaptation as will disclose the fundamentally broad features without limiting myself to the specific details shown.

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view.

Fig. 8- is a front elevation.

Fig. lis a diagrammatic elevation of an internal and external brake.

Fig. 5 is a partially sectioned plan view, of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 shows a closure to the side openings of a package case used while loading the same.

Fig. 7- is an elevation of a means for holding a removable package case on a car.

Fig. 8 is an elevation of a hinged fender attached to the sides of package cases.

Fig. 9 is a cross section of a part of the main supporting frame.

In light weight cars it is desirable to have the chassis, wheels, etc., as elastic as possible without sacrificing the necessary rigidity to withstand the side strains to which such vehicles are subjected, in view of the many quick stops and sudden turns they are obliged to make. The entire structure must of course lend itself to these ends.

A suitable frame or chassis 1 that may be continuous or sectional rests on half elliptical springs 2 which at the rear are attached to corner brackets 3 by suitable links. At the front end brackets 15 connect springs 2 to the frame. On the frame an engine of suitable power is installed with the usual radiator, bonnet, clutches, etc. The steering wheel t may be placed as shown on the left or otherwise as desired. Sectional fenders 5 extend the full length on either side and may project fore and aft if needed.

The space to the rear of the bonnet is occupied by the covered removable package case 6 and the drivers compartment with seat 7. Above the usual sloping toe board 16 a round opening 8 is formed so that loitering packages can be pushed toward the large opening 17 at the right hand side. To facilitate late evening deliveries a universally supported protected lamp 9 may be placed on the dash board 10. It may be supplied with current from a suitable storage battery placed under the drivers seat. If the package case 6 is not made removable the steering wheel rod 18 may be continuous as shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1. When the case is made removable the steer ing wheel 4: may be attached to a short rod 19, vertical and horizontal rods 20, 21 geared to each other and suitably supported.

The floor 11 of the package compartment 6 is corrugated, sloping rearward so as to cause packages placed therein to gradually slide toward the large right hand opening 17 of the dashboard 10 making it easy for the driver to reach the same. A suitable stop 22 in front of this opening keeps the packages within bounds. The case 6 may be incloscd with covers 12 that may be hinged at the top of the compartment. Suitable stops may be placed on each side to hold the covers vertical while the case is being filled. Extra goods can be carried on the fenders without interfering with the package space within the case.

Above the drivers compartment, etc, a suitable top 23 may be placed supported by posts 24 and supplied with curtains on all sides if needed to protect the deliveryman in bad weather. Lamps may be attached at suitable places.

The chassis 1 and the wheels 13 may be formed of laminated wood fiber with or without a steel facing so as to give the required rigidity with maximum lightness and resiliency. The wheel fillers 14 may be composite in the sense that groups of laminae may be secured to each other.

In use the car is mounted from the rear through an opening 25 from step 26. Suitable tail lamps and head lights 60 are provided and should exigencies demand, a trailer may be attached so as to increase the capacity for certain deliveries.

Vithin the drivers compartment the fuel tank 27 is placed and the usual control levers for the clutch, brakes etc. In cars of this type it is necessary to make very sudden stops in order that many deliveries may be made within a given time. To effect the same without unnecessary strain on the mechanism of the car I provide two brake systems acting on the drum of each rear wheel. Brake drums 28 are suitably secured to the rear wheel 13. The stationary casing of the rear shaft supports castings 29 placed adjacent the brake drum 28. In these castings pins 30 are placed on which the brake segments 31 are supported. A. cam 32 is placed between the free ends of the segments and a lever 33 attached to the cam enables the driver to move the segments through foot treadle 34 and rod 35 against the tension of spring 36. The segments 31 are held under tension on cam 32 and pin 30 by means of springs 37" reachingfrom side to side (see Fig. 4). V

- The external brake comprises a band 37, a bell crank 38, a lever 39, a rod 40 and hand lever 41. The levers 41 and 34 may be made looking or free as desired@ In order that the action of these levers may be applied simultaneously to both rear wheels, a transverse shaft 42 leads. from one side to the other, and another shaft 43 connects both sides of the internal brake. The casting-29 has suitable hubs in which shafts 42 and 43 have bearing. 1

The package cases 6 may be made removable so that when a delivery is being made other cases may be receiving their contents for the next delivery so that idle time may be eliminated and greater efficiency attained. This may be facilitated by placing suitable rollers 44 under the cases near their corners so that the cases can be easily moved from counter to counter or to different departments without delay. When the covers 12 are closed they will indicate that such a case is loaded. To further facilitate these preliminaries a closure 45 to reach across openings 17 and 8 is used to prevent packages from passing through them while the case is being filled. As soon as the case is placed on the car such closure may be withdrawn and stored for subsequent use in other cases.

To increase the speed of loading, etc., the car may run into its berth between guide rails 46 which will properly place it between the service platforms 47. Other guides 48 may be formed onthe platforms to properly direct full cases onto the car. To insure these fulfilling their purpose suitable front wheel stops 49 may be placed between guide rails 46 so as to stop the car in the right position. Bumpers 50 may be placed on the platform. To span the space between the car and the platform, hinged floor sections 51 may be used so as to be let down as soon as a car has come into position. Then an empty .case is removed from the car onto one platform and simultaneously a loaded one is substituted from the other platform. 7 v

The cases 6 are held in place on the car between the dash 10 and engine partition 52 on the floor 53 by hinged support-s 54 that have suitable bolts 55. adapted to slide into openings formed in dash 10 and partition 52, or any other form of fastening may be used. When the bolts 55' are drawn supports 54 drop out of the way of hinged platform sections 51 as shown in F igs.. 3 and 7. V

The continuous fenders 5 are desirable for the storage of long rolls of carpeting, rugs, etc. When the cases are made removable that portion. of the fenders which is attached to their sides should be hinged so that when the cases are being loaded they will not project sidewise their full width. They may be secured to brackets 56 pivoted at 57, being held up when on the car by hinged bolts 58 dropping into slots of the brackets. The other position is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. It is of course understood that a If desired-a steel facing 59 may be used onthe outside of laminated frame 1 so as to protect the same against damage from the bumps of sharp cornered projections, etc. I-Iead lights 60 may be placed in partitions 52 and the usual tail-lamp at the rear end;

It is of course'understood that the specific details instanced may be changed as needed without departing from the broad features of the invention. Since ease of control is a most desirable factor in vehicles of this type it is found very important to place the driver and steering wheel at about the pivotal point around which the car will swerve either to the right or the left so that every important moving part of the car is always in sight. The driver need never make allowance for parts to trail after which can not be seen, thus eliminating a fruitful source of delays and accidents.

What I claim is,

1. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a motor supported thereon, a drivers compartment to the rear of the motor, a portable package case located between such compartment and the motor the same being adapted to be Withdrawn from the chassis in a lateral direction when empty and a full case substituted therefor.

2. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a motor to drive the vehicle, wheels to support the same, lengthwise storage supports also serving as fenders located entirely above theiwheels on each side of the vehicle, and a package compartment placed with the motor between such supports.

3. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, a drivers space to the rear thereof, inclosing sides to the compartment, hinged covers therefor, a rear opening accessible to the driver, a suitable lamp placed adjacent such door so as to make visible the addresses, etc., of packages at any time.

A. In delivery vehicles a suitable chassis, a motor, a drivers box, a package compartment supported by the chassis, and a rearwardly sloping corrugated floor to the package compartment.

5. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, a rear opening therefor, a sloping floor thereto, and hinged covers thereover.

6. A suitable chassis, a motor supported thereon, a drivers compartment isolated from the motor, a suitable dash therefor, openings therein, a detachable package compartment adapted to be placed between the motor and dash, suitable openings in the compartment formed to register with the openings in the dash, and means for holding the parts in such assembled relation.

7 A suitable chassis, a motor supported at one end, a drivers compartment at the other end, a package case supported between the motor and drivers compartment, suitable driving and steering wheels beneath the chassis, and a steering mechanism therefor terminating within the drivers compartment approximately adjacent the pivotal point around which the driving wheels may lead to the right or left.

8. A suitable chassis, a motor thereon, a

drivers compartment carried by the chassis, a removable package case located between said compartment and the motor, limiting walls confining the location of the same on the chassis, a floor on the chassis, supporting wheels for the case, means for holding the case in position adapted to permit of the removal of an empty case from either side of the vehicle and the simultaneous loading of a full case from the other side.

9. In a motor car body, the combination of a delivery frame, a freight carrying compartment having a hinged top arranged to open in one or more parts, openings in the rear of the compartment to permit the passage of freight, a sloping floor adapted to deliver the freight at the openings, openings in the front to carry headlights, a cab situated at the rear of the freight carrying compartment having means for sheltering the driver, with means for controlling the motion of the car, an opening at the rear to permit the passage of the driver, a suitable seat, and fenders attached to the body extending in approximately a straight line over both wheels substantially parallel to the main frame of the car.

10. In delivery vehicles, a suitable chassis, a package compartment, a removable package case therein, a sloping floor to the case, rollers beneath the case, a runway for the rollers supported by the chassis, and a suitable protective cover for the package compartment.

11. In package delivery cars, a suitable chassis, wheels therefor, a drivers compartment thereon, a motor supported by the chassis, a removable package case carried by the chassis between the motor and said compartment, means admitting of a movement of the case on the chassis transversely thereof, whereby an empty case can be taken from one side and a full case loaded from the other side.

12. In package delivery cars, a suitable chassis, wheels therefor, a motor thereon, a drivers compartment to the rear of the motor, a package compartment between the drivers compartment and the motor, a removable package case therein adapted to be moved transversely of the chassis when being placed thereon or removed therefrom in loading and unloading the same, fender sections on the case, and coordinating fenders on the chassis above the wheels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT G. PILKINGTON.

Witnesses:

J. GUTHRIDGE, N. S. ARNS'IUTZ.

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

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