US1255371A - Mail catching and delivering means. - Google Patents

Description

C. H. WHITE.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2T, 19x6.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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ATTORNEY C. H. WHITE MAIL CATCHING AND- DELIVERING MEANS.

APPLICATION men szrmzz. 191s. v

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;MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING IVIIEAIIIS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2?| 191,6.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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ATTORNEY 0.14. WHITE.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING MEANS. v

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2L IQIG. r

Patented Feb. 5, 19m.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNTTEU srnrns entrants oiernor.

CHARLES H. WHITE, 0F G-LENW'OGD SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD I FRANK W. vGGDDRIEH, 0F GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO.

MAIL CATCHING DELIVERING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 191m...

Application filed September 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that T, CHARLES H. WHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Glenwood Springs, in the county of Gar- .tield and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catching and Delivering Means, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail catching and delivering means, and more particularly to means for removing a bag of mail from a support or rack and for simultaneously delivering a bag of mail.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a receiving and delivering means of simple construction and operation. A. further object is to provide a rack and a hook, the hook and rack being provided with cooperating means for delivering a bag of mail to the rack and for simultaneously removing a bag of mail supported by the rack. A further object is to provide means of simple construction and operation for supporting a mail bag. A still further object is to provide simple and efficient means for delivering and receivinga mail bag. Further objects will appear from the detailed de scription.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the delivering and receiving rack,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the rack and the hook in operative position,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thereceiving and delivering hook,

Fig. 4 is a back view of the same, Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the modified form of hook,

Fig. 6 is the same partly in sectlon, Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 of Fig. 5, Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 3, Fig. 9 is a detail of the mail receiving hook supporting rod,

Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 5, V

Fig. 12 is a section on line 12l2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 13 is a detail of the mail bag receiving trough.

The front and back plates 1 and 2, respectively, are supported in parallelism by the corner posts 3. These plates are secured together and braced by crossbeams 4, 5, and

ably receive a block 12 provided with a snapple 13. Mounted on the back plate 2 there arethree U-members 14-, 15, and 16. These members each support a goose-neck 17. These goose-necks are secured in brackets 18 fastened on the upper face of a channel bar 19 similar to the bar 11 and serves to support this bar in vertical alinement with the same. The upper bar 19 is adapted to slidably support a block and Snapple similar to that mounted in the lower bar, and these two snapbles rcceive'the rings at the ends of the mail bag 20 so as to'removably support the same in the rack.

Mounted in back of the channel bars are two oppositely inclined tripping rods 21. These tripping rods are supported by end standards 22 secured to the intermediate cross beams 23, and by a central brace 24: secured through the central cross beam 5. The tripping rods have their inner ends connected by a T 26 secured thereto and to the upper end of the brace 24. This T is positioned at the longitudinal center of the channel bars, and the tripping rods are positioned in back of and between the channel bars, for the purpose to be later disclosed.

The goose-necks 17 are braced by hook members 27 passed about the same carried by a horizontal bar 28 which is'supported by standards 29 mounted on the intermediate cross bars 23, near the upper ends thereof which are extended beyond the back plate 5 2 for this purpose. The goose-necks are further braced and secured in. spaced relation by the horizontal brace'rods 28" which are secured in T-joints 28 secured at the center of the horizontal arms of the goosenecks and a four-armed joint 28 secured at the center of the horizontal arm of the cen tral goose-neck. This serves to securely brace and rigidly support the goose-necks so as to secure the upper channel bar 19 in proper position relatively to the lower bar 11.

At the front of the rack, below and in front of the channel bars, is mounted a reeeiving trough. or basket 30. This basket is supported by three U-brackets 31, each formed-with agoose-neck 32 which is secured through the front plate 1. Each side 5 wall of the basket is provided, near each end, with a vertical groove 31. These "grooves are in a'linement transversely of the basket and are adapted to slidably receive an end gate 33. This gate is mounted in one end of the trough or basket so as to re- ;tain the mail bag delivered into the same from apassing train, which end depending on the'direction of travel of the train.

' For convenience inplacing the bag in the rack so'as to be grasped by the hook of a passingtrain, the rack platform or base is provided, ateachlend, with sultable steps 34.

It will, of course, be evident that the base or support for the rack can'beconstructed in any suitable manner desired, the only requirement belng that there be means 'for -properly bracing and supporting the various uprights and braces for thegoose-necks and tripping rods, and the channel bars.

"F or use in'connection with this delivering and receiving rack, lhaveprovided a hook of special'c'onstruction adapted to cooperate with the'tripping rods'and' supporting channel'bars so asto recelveor remove'the m'ail bag from between the same, and to be simultaneously actuated by the trippmg rods so *aste deliver'a bag of'mail into the receiving trough orrbasket 30. This hook is illustrated in Figs. 3and of the drawings.

Thehook 35'is of rectangular shapebelng provided withthe end bars 36 and 37 and a back bar 38, all integrally connected to form'a quadrilateral, the front of, whlch 1s open. An arm 39 is secured'to the front end of the end bar 36 of'the hook. The inner end jof this armi's securedto avertical bar 40 byrneans'of -a four-armedjoint 41; This bar issli'd able between sheaves 42 adapted to be secured to'the sidebeam of the door frame Ora m'ailcar in the usual'manner. The bar 4Oisprovided with spaced limiting'bolts 43 .threadedthereinadapted to engage with the slots'44 and 45 in thesleeves 42. By means of "a handle 46the bar 40 maybe adjusted so as to"secure thearm 39in a positionf at right angles to the side of the car, in the us'u'al manner- In'this position the hook 3'5 projectsf'from'the car A in a horizontal'pl'ane such'a distance as opasfs betweenthe channel'bjars '11 and19 of theraek so as to ensimilarly secured to the front end of the bar 36 by a shank 50. The gripping jaw 47 is further provided with a resilient spring member 51 of approximately S-shape which is secured thereto and to the inner face of the outer end bar 37. The gripping jaw 48 "is "similarly reinforced by a resilient member 52.

The space between the inner ends of the shanks 49 and 50 is of somewhat less width than the width of the restricted central portion of the mail bag 20. \Vhen the hook engages the mail bag the central portion of ithe bag is forced between the shanks 49 and 50 into an approximately elliptical space betogether So as to firmly grip the bag and hold it in the hook. lVhen the bag has been gripped in this manner by the hook it is forced longitudinally of the supporting channel bars 11 and 19 so as to be removed from the same, bythe forward travel of the train. As soon as the bag has been comp'letely'removed from the rack, the rod 40 is operated by means of the handle 46 so as to swing the hook and the bag carried thereby into the car door, in the usual manner. The mail bag 20 is supported at the ends of the channel bars in the direction in which the trainapproaclies the station. This will be clear from Fig. 1 of the drawmgs, in which it is assumed that the tram 1S traveling from the left hand 'end of the rack toward the right hand end, as viewedin the drawings. A lever arm 53. is pivotally mounted on the back bar 38 of the hook 35. This arm is providedwith a central polygonal aperture 54 which snugly receives the polygonal outer portion 55 of a pivot bolt 56 which is mounted in an aperture through an enlarged portion 38 of the back bar 38. The inner end of this bolt is threaded to receive a securing 'nut' 57 which is locked in position by a cotter pin 58passed through the bolt. An oil duct 59 communicates with the aperture which receives the bearingportion of the bolt 56 'so as to permit a suitable lubricant to be injected into the same, in the usual manner. v

The outer portion of the arm 53 is reduced and rounded, asat (i0, and a sleeve 61 is loosely mounted thereon. This sleeve is retained inposition by'a nut 62 secured on the outer threaded end of the reduced portion 60, of the arm. The inner end of the arm is reduced to form a flat inwardly extending me1nber,63. This member is apertured, as at 64, .The back member 38 of the hook is provided with a transversely extending recess 65 below the member 63. A T-bolt 66 is secured through the cross bar with its head in the recess 65. A rectangular plate 67 has its inner end bifurcated to form lateral arms 68 which are bent about the arms of the head 69 of the T-bolt so as to loosely connect the plate to the back bar 38 of the hook 35. The cuter end of this plate is similarly bifurcated to support a transverse pin 70. A link 71 is loosely mounted on the pivot pin and is inserted through an eye 72 which is loosely secured through the head of a tapered pin 73. This pin is adapted to extend across the aperture 64 of the reduced portion 63 of the arm '53. When in operative position the head of the pin rests on the outer bar of the member 63 and the point rests on top of the inner bar. This brings the eye 72 in engagement with the upper outer corner of the outer bar of member 63 so that, when the arm is rocked about its pivotal axis so as to raise the member 63, the pin 73 will be drawn off of the said member, by means of the plate 67, link 71, and eye 72.

The pin 73 is adapted to be inserted through a ring or loop74 on the end of the mail bag 75 which it is desired to deliver. As the hook 35 passes between the channel bars 11 and 19 of the delivering and receiving rack so as to engage the mail bag 20 supported thereby, the sleeve 61 of arm 53 engages one of the tripping rods 21 so asto rock the outer end of the arm downward and raise the inner end or reduced portion 63 thereof. This results in releasing the mail bag 75 which drops into the receiving trough 30, being retained therein by the end gate 33. The hook 35 removes the bag 20 from the rack and, simultaneously therewith, delivers the bag 75 into the receiving trough 30. B this means the receiving and delivering racli and hook coiiperate to remove a bag of mail from the rack and to simultaneously deliver a bag of mail.

At the inner endof the back bar 38 of the hook 35, at the top and bottom thereof,

are secured buffer springs 76 and 77 of laminated construction, respectively. These springs are adapted to be engaged by the reduced portion 63 of the arm 53 when it is rocked about its pivotal axis so as to limit movement of the same. The recess 65 of the back bar 38 is of such depth that the head of the T-bolt 66 does not project beyond the outer face of the bar. By this arrangement the plate 67 and the elements carried thereby can be placed in operative position about the member 63 of the arm 53 from either side of the arm. This renders it possible to releasably suspend a mail bag from the hook 35 regardless of the direction of travel of the train. Also, by providing two oppositely inclined tripping rods 21, the arms 53 will be tripped with the train traveling in either direction so that the v hook and rack are adapted to coiiperate so as to simultaneously receive a mail bag from, and deliver a mail bag to, a train traveling in either direction.

In the modified form of hook shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 11 of the drawings, the gripping jaw 48 is replaced by a resilient jaw. 48 connected by the shank 50 to the head 50" of a T-bar 78. This bar is slidable in a casing 79 secured on an integral extension 80 of the inner end bar 81 of the head. A coil spring 82 is mounted in the casing 79 and acts to normally force the T-bar 78 inward. A spring pressed latch 83 is mounted on the end bar 81 and engages a recess in the T-bar so as to normally hold the same in outward position. This latch is connected by a chain 84 whichpasses through eyes 85 to a block 86 fixedly secured on the inner end of the pivot Tbolt 56 which is rotatably mounted in the bearing strap 56 secured to the top of the back bar 38 of the head. When the arm 53 is rocked about its pivotal axis, the pivot bolt 56 is rotated and acts, by means of chain 8i, to retract the latch 83 so as to release the T-bar 78. The T-bar is forced inward by means of the coil spring 82 so as to firmly grasp the mail bag and hold the same in the hook. WVhen it is desired to release the mail bag the T-bar 78 is forced outward, by means of the knob 87 secured therein and projecting through the slot 88 in the casing 79. When withdrawn into inoperative position, the T-bar is held in this position by the latch member 83, as in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The operation of this hook in receiving and delivering a bag of mail is the same as that of the hook shown and described above, and the hook shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 11 of the drawings, ismerely intended to illustrate a modification or variation thereof.

It will be evident that certain changes can be made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts of my invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim, is

1. In a mail delivering and receiving means, a hook adapted to engagea bag of mail, an arm pivotally mounted on the hook and having its outer end projecting beyond the hook and adapted to engage tripping means, a pin engaging the inner end of said arm and adapted to support a bag of mail, and means for moving the pin into inoperative position when the arm engages tripping means so as to cause it to be rocked about its pivotal axis.

2. In a mail delivering and receiving means, a hook adapted to engage a bag of mail, an arm pivotally mounted on the hook and having its outer end projecting beyond beyond the hook, a pin engaging the inner end ofsaid-arm and adapted to support a bag of mail, and means for removing the pin into inoperative position when the arm is rocked about its pivotal axis.

4, In mail bag receiving and delivering means, a rectangular hook, a pair of opposed inwardly directed gripping jaws mounted on said hook in spaced relation and provided with resilient shanks secured to the front of said hook at each side thereof whereby said jaws may be forced apart so as to receive and grip a mail bag, and a resilient reinforcing member interposed between each of said gripping jaws and the adj acent arm of the hook so as to reinforce said jaws and hold the same in tight gripping engagement with a mail bag forced therebetween.

5. In mail bag receiving anddelivering means, a rectangular hook having a back bar and a side bar at each end thereof and disposed substantially at a right angle to the back bar, opposed approximately semielliptical inwardly directed'gripping jaws mounted on said hook and each provided. with anintegral resilient shank secured to the forward end of the adjacent end bar of said hook, an arm rockably mounted intermediate-its ends on the back bar of the hook on a horizontal axis and extending beyond the outerside bar of the hook, the said arm being vertically apertured adjacent its in ner end, a pin adapted to extend across said aperture so as to be supported on the upper face of said arm, and connections between saidpin and hook for withdrawing the pin from the arm when the outer end of said arm is depressed.

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

CHARLES H. WHITE.

Witnesses: V

CLINTON P. PRICE, J. C. GUDGEL.

Copies of'thi s patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.- 0.

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