US1258384A - Drop-station for cable-carrier apparatus and the like. - Google Patents

Description

G. A. AMSDEN & R P. KIDDER. V DROP STATION FOR CABLE CARRIER APPARATUS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1. I913.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

G. A. AMSDEN 6: R. P. KIDDER. DROP STATION FOR CABLE CARRIER APPARATUS AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED OCT. I. I913.

1,258,384. Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

ITED STATES PATEN GEORGE A. AMSIDEN, 0F LITTLETCN, AND ROTI IESAY P. KIDIDER, OF LOWELL, MASSA- CHUSETTS. ASSIGNORS TO THE LAMSUN COMP ANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Application filed October 1, 1913. Serial No. 792,888.

I! '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Gnouon A. AMSDIIN and llo'rI-Insar P. Knmna, citizens of the United States, respectively residing at Littleton, in the county of Middlesex and State of li'lassachusetts, and Lowell, in the county of Middlescx, and said State, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop-Stations for Cable-Carrier Apparatus and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to carrier despatch apparatus and more especially to cable carrier systems in general; the preferred construetion lun'einafter described exemplifying the ii'ivention as applied to a drop-station in what is known in the art as a high-line "able carrier system; the terms drop or drop-line station being used in this particular connection substantially in the sense in which this term used in the granted patent to George A. Amsden Number 960,617, dated June 7, 1910. y

In certain of its aspects therefore our ywesent invention may be regarded as an iin n'o'vemeut upon the so patented inven tion of said George A. Amsden; such improvmnent residing in part in the provision of a cross-over or means for bridging the depending delivery track, or its equivalent, whether said track be looped or otherwise so as to permit carriers on route past a particular station to pass the station proper without passing: directly thercthrougli; and

furthermore. when desired, to pass said sta-c tion in a substantially straight line devoid of pronounced bends, which latter obviously tend to cause rattle and noise of operation beside wear and tear upon the apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to cnable the despateh of carriers from, for example, a clerks station, which may or may not be of the cable drop-station type, with the practiatl certainty of non-interference with carriers passing: said station and with a minimum of attention on the part ofthe operative 01' clerk.

o further aim to reducejmoving parts to a n'iinimum and in general to provide an apparatus so simple and effective in con struction as to be able to el'liciently meet the exacting requirements to whiclr, for example, store service apparatus is subyect.

These and other objects of our invention will be hereinafter referred to and the novel elements and combination of elements whereby said objects may be obtained will be more particularly set forth in the claims appended hereto.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and in which like reference characters designate like parts, we have exemplified a cable system drop-station in which are embodied preferred forms of the essential, together with certain relatively non-essential but useful features of our invention; but we are aware of various changes and modifications which may be made herein, and of various other ap1'ilications and embodiments of our invention in cable and other carrier despateh systems and hence do not desire to be limited in any Way other than by the scope of said claims as applied to what may properly be termed carrier systems in general, the term carrier systems 0bviously not being intended to apply to passengcr railways and the like, but being used in the sense in which this term is commonly used inithis art.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the pre ferred drop-station above referred to.

Fig. 2 is a s de elevation of the same, drawn to an enlarged scale; the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 being; viewed from the right.

Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation of the lower portion of the drop station or, in other words, of the station proper; a portion of the apparatus being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the grip opening and grip elosinp; cams located at the left of the station proper, as viewed in Fig. 3.

Fig- 5 is atop or plan view of the im proved cross-over drop-station.

Fig. (i is a detail rear elevation of the up per portion of the drop-station.

Fig. 7 of the bridge elements in the main and Fin. 8 is a detail section of said element together with certain of its associated parts;

'1' OFFICE.

is a perspective detailtiewof onia track;

thesect ou being taken on the line VIII-- vIII of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Fig. l, the main tracks, it will be here observed, are both preferably so disposed as to convey the carrier with its .made for the; removal of grip pointing down; and the outgoing track from the cashiers station, not shown, has been designated 1 and of course constitutes the delivery track to the way stations, while the incoming track 2 to said cashiers Station constitutes the receiving track for said way stations.

In the preferred form of our invention but a single endless cable 3 is provided which constitutes the means for elevating carriers from the way station or stations to the main receiving track 2; this cable being looped down through the station in much the same manner as is that shown in said Patent No. 960,617.

To do not desire, however, to be limited in any way to a single endless cable except where in certain of the claims such construction is specifically referredto, since it is obvious that other means may be employed for elevating or otherwise moving the carrier from the clerks station to the main track. We regard it as preferable, however, to employ but a single endless looped cable owing to the simplicity of construction which is rendered possible by the use of this propellingdevice.

The cable 3 propels the carriers along the main tracks in the directions of the arrows indicated adjacent thereto and the cable of the receiving track passes downwardly around the idler l to the pulley or idler 5 and thence up around the idler t3 and on to the neat way station or to the eashiers station as the case may be.

The idlers 4 and 6 are suitably j ournaled in brackets 7+8 and the idler 5 is mounted in a casing which preferably completely in closes the same and thereby avoids possible injury to the person or garments of an operative.

As shown in Fig. 3, casing 9 is rigidly mounted upon an upright 10 and has laterally outstanding therefrom the brackets 11 and 12 to which are allixed the respective sides of the lower looped portion 13 of an independent track l l which delivers carriers to the station from a switch 15; the latter being adapted in a known manner to selectively remove carriers from the track 1 which are destined for a given. or predeten mined station.

The construction of the switch 15 is, it

may be here noted, substantially the same as that of the corresponding part in said Patent No. 960,617 as indeed is also the general arrangement of the independent track 14, save for certain features of relatively minor importance as compared with the im proved operationof the system as a whole.

It may be noted in connectionwiththe independent traclr, however, that provision is a carrier from eith'erside of the loop in the bottom thereof; since carri rs may be drawn upwardly and out of engagement with said trackat the extremity 16 thereof while they may also be removed through the aperture 17 provided therein upwardly to the right of easing 9 as in Fig. 3.

The descending limb of the loop in the cable passes through a tube 18 which protects the cable from possible injury at the station; the lower end of said tube being preferably sweated into the casing 9, as indicated.

A delivery track or guide 19 extends up from the opposite side of easing 9 substantially to the receiving track 2; a gap in the latter, normally closed by a bridge or bridge elements 20, serving to permit of the passage of a carrier from the delivery track to said receiving track.

The bridge preferably consists of two oppositely movable elements 20, which are respectively hinged at 521 as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8; each element 20 being of sheet metal, the longitudinal edges of which are curled and cut away as indicated in Fig. .7.

The curled outer edge of each bridge element is centrally recessed as at '22 for the reception of a coil spring 23, one end of which is in engagement with a suitable fixed point, e. g. on the corresponding hinge pin 21, and the other end Ql of which bears against said element, so that each of the latter normally tends to move toward the position in which it is shown in Figs. 5 and t3, and in which one of these elements is shown in Fig. 8.

The ascending carrier swings upwardly and apart the bridge elements; outward movement of the latter being limited by suih ble stops 25 which extend upwardly from the respective brackets 26 through ears of which are driven the hinge pins 21. The tips 25 of the stops may, if desired, be made of soft rubber to reduce noise.

Preferably also these stops are adapted to hold the elements 20 at the limit of their outward travel in such manner that gravity will aid the return of the latter to their horizontal positions if at any time the corresponding spring 23 should become inefl'ective; although the rebound from stops 25, when the bridge members are driven thereagainstalso tends to return said elements to their normal positions.

The inner edges of the plate-like elements 20 are curled into conformity with the diameter of the preferably round rods which con stitute the track, and the ends of these curled edges, or corners of the plates, are cut away below to provide for proper engagement of the upper sides thereof with the reduced ends Q 'L-Q'Tof the track members or rods 2 (see Figs. 6 and 7) the end 27 also being .ment of the carrier on the receiving track;

As shown in Fig. 6, sufficient clearance 28 tit) is provided between the upper ends 01' the track members 19 and the reduced ends 27 oil track 2, to permit of the free passage therebetween of the retaining lugs U? or like parts comn'ionto carriers 29 adapted for use in systems of this character (for a more complete description of such carriers soc Patent No. 960,617, which sl'iows the lugs in (piestion together with the carrier grip construction hercirniit'tor referred to). 0b viously, when the bridge is in its closed or normal position a through carrier on were along track 2 past the station shown will. traverse the gap in engagementwith the inner curled edges 01 the elements 20, while a carrier being delivercti from tho station to said. track will, li'l't the bridge the clearance spaces 238.

Track 19 is n'eiferably bent inwardly somewhat, as at 3.1, to 'lacilitate the emplacement thereon at the carriers being despatched; the track members being preferably spread to provide the usual carrienlug receiving a iacrtures 32. Above the apertures, o' as we may term it in conformity with the usage in the art, aperture 32, is a bracket; which carries a cillllltil" grip oponinncam 3i and a grip closing cam The purpose ol' the cam S t to open the ,e'rip oil a carrier which is being despatched it said grip has inadvertently become closed, thereby relieving the ope 'ative oi. the necessity for inspecting the grip before attemptingi; to despatch a carrier; this result'iingin a saving of time and rendering the apparatus even in this particular substai'itially automatic in character. Although grip opening cams have been known in the art, they have, to the best of our knowledge, never been applied to drop stations in operative rela tionship to the carrier admitting a )erture :tor the pin-poses in question.

The cam 35 is substantially immediately above the grip opening cam and serves to close the grip upon the cable as the carrier is raised by the hand of the operative.

Above the bracket 33 is a second bracket 36 which carries a cam 37, the purpose oil which will be hereinafter mentioned: while a. determined distance above cam 37 is a. movable gripopening cam 38 whichis movable into and out of its operative position bv means of the following n'iechanisni:

' To the left of Fig. 1 and. right of Fig. 2 is a rod or strip 39 whioln together with its sus 'iending arms 40, constitutes an actuating frame or member for said cam 38.

The arms ll-0 are fixedly mounted upon a. rock shaft ll journaled in brackets 4112- 1-5 id-15, and carrying an arm ll-6 whicln when said shaft is rotated counter-clockwise, as viewed in Fig. 2, raises and lifts a bent link il-7 which in turn litts the crank arm. as. controlling the cam 38, and thereby swinging the toe of said cam into its dotted and jump line position shown in Fig. 2. l'V hen so dis counters the downwardly sloping upper or operative surface of the cam 37, whereupon the carrier grip rcengages the cable and the carrier again travels upwardly toward the receivingtrack 2. its long as cam 38 ooouiiies its inner or operative position, so long will the carrier being despatchcd reciprocalc to and fro along traclc 19, the action being entirely automatic and the operative having practically no need to pay further attention to the despatched carrier once he has engaged it with this track and lifted sulticiently to cause its grip to be engaged with the cable through the instrumentality of cam 85. As soon as cam 38 moves out of the path of the carrier the latter immediately passes upwardly onto t 'aclr 2 and pursues its journey.

The frame which actuates earn 38 in n1anner aforesaid is controlled by the carriers traversing the main track 2 past the station; bar 39 being; normally held in the path of these carriers both by gravity and by a helical spring l9 suitably connected at one end to the bracket 4-3 and at the other to a collar 50 upon the rock shaft. The righthand extremity 39 of rod 39, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, is outwardly curved so that an approaching carrier may wipe this red aside and thereby swing cam 38 into its operative position as above described and as long as said carrier is in contact with rod 39, cam 38 will prevent the delivery of any carrier being; despatched from the way station to the main track.

This apparatus precludes the possibility of a collision between these two carriers while of course the engagement of the through carrier is scarcely more than. mementary and the retention of the carrier beingdos mtched upon its track 19 normally occasions no material loss of time.

The rod 39 is, however, of sufficient length and isso disposed as. to insure the stoppage oi. the ascending: carrier regardless of the relative remoteness or nearness of the through carrier to the clearance space 28 so loop; as there would otherwise be any possibility 0.1 a collision between the two.

The fact. however, that the carrier desmtcbcd from the station rer'piires no more attention whether it be heldup by the passage of a. through carrier past the station or not, is obviously of great importance. while the fact that collisions are absolutely prevented is. of even greater importance.

since the operation of the whole *system would be apt to be afieoted and the apparatus possibly damaged by the occurrence ofa collision at or adjacent the bridged gap.

Experiment has demonstrated the advantage of having the cam 38 rock or othercam is mounted for movement as shown the pivoted grip as it opens moves more fully into engagement with the cam and any ordinary wear at the toe of the latter becomes practically unimportant and negligible.

The bracket 43 carries a grip opening cam 51, the function of which is to free a through carrier from the cable before the portion of the latter with which the carrier grip is in engagement passes down over the idler 4c. The momentum of the carrier then carries it over the bridge and onto the sec tion-of track 2 therebeyond.

As shown in Fig. 6, a slight depression or dip 52 is provided in this section immediately beyond the extremity 27 thereof, the purpose of which is to lower the carrier mo mentarily toward the cable; the open jaws of the grip straddling the latter.

4 At substantially the lowermost point of this slight drop is a grip closing cam 53 which, as the pivoted jaw of the grip rides therealong, closes the latter in a known manner so that the carrier is thence propelled along the main track by the cable.

Cam51 of course only unlocks the grips of through carriers.

We particularly desire to direct attention to the fact that the through trackEZ, as well as the track 1, has the rails thereof so dis posed as to convey carriers with their covers up or, in other words, with the carriers horizontally disposed rather than edgewise as in the precedingsystem described in Patent 960,617, so as to reduce the chance, in the event of the covers becoming inadvertently opened while the carriers are in transit, of spilling their contents, while further the weightof the carrier and wear is distributed upon both rails rather than one, and the necessity for special bends in the tracks for turning the carrier through 90 degrees about its longitudinal axis. frequently encountered in practice in said former system is practieallyeliminated. This delivery of the carriersfromthe way station to the main track 2, a mannerwh'ieh' we may term flat-wise in eentradi-stinction to edge-wise, is hence of very grea't impert ancefrom' a practical and commercial standpoint and is something which has heretofore not been done, to the best of our knowledge, in drop-station con struction.

The bridge construction shown in the preferred embodiment of our invention is especially well adapted to a system of this description although we donot desire to be limited thereto except where specifically claimed. The provision of a pivoted bridge, such as shown, wherein the axis of rotation of a movable bridge element is substantially parallel to the track, and especially where two such elements or a two-part bridge is utilized, results in permitting the use of bridge members of light construction and moreover members no part of which is very remote from the pivotal axis, which hence for two reasons reduces the effect of inertia and thereby facilitates a rapid and easy opening and closingof the bridge, prefer ably by the ascending carrier itself.

The drop of a carrier which is stopped by cam 38 and thereupon falls into operative engagement witlrcam 37, may in some cases be made as small as three inches, that is, a three inch drop will suffice to close the grip of a carrier thepivoted grip element of which is not too stifl. In practice, however, we prefer to allowa greater fall in order to obviate-excessive reciprocation of the carrler on track 19. If cam 37 be "omitted, obviously the upper sideof cam 35 engaging the usual switch guides C upon the carrier which are preferably set up above the level of the lugs C" somedetermined distance corresponding to the particular stationat which they are to be delivered, in a known manner. a

The carrier selected for delivery is propelled up-the switch rails by the cable-a-nd is then disengaged from the latter by the grip opening cam 55 which pushes or wipes open the pivoted grip jaw and trees the cable;-a cord or cable releasing bracket 56 supported from the rails '14 aidingin freeing the cable from engagement with the'grip in a known manner.

No claim is made to the particular manner in which the rails are recessed or in dented adjacent the carrier receiving or releasing apertures therein, such indentation being commonly provided to facilitate the entrance or emergence, as thercase maybe, ofthe carrier lugs, C.

Themodie of operation (of the apparatus 01' exemplification is as folo'l. tack and dips down until. its grip can be recngaged by can1'53 with the cable, after which it is propelled on to the next way station where the successive disengagement and reengagclnent oi the cable is again cli'ected, and so on until it is delivered, let us say, to the cashier. a 1

As each way station is passed the through carrier swings aside the movable cam aetuat lug-trains thereof, which promptly resumes its position in the path of succeedingcarriers as soon as the passing carrier permits it to.

It now a carrier be clespatched from the way station shown, while cam .38 held in its operative position by apassing through carrier, so that its grip encounters cam 38 before the latter moves away. from the cable, the despatched carrier will be freed. from the cable and will fall by gravity until its grip is recloscd by earn 37. The cable then ire-lifts this carrier and unless a second through carrier should chance to be immediately behind the first, the despatched carrier will normally have an opportunity, after this one reciprocation thereof, to emerge onto the main track through or past the bridge, said carrier swinging apart the elements in so doing and the latter iniuiediately thereafter moving buckle their closed or normal positions.

It a second through carrier closely suecued the first, the despatchcd carrier may again he lira-cod to reciprocate also its traclr ill) a lid it will continue automatically so to do until service conditions pern'iit oil uninipcded delivery, whereupon it will be delivcred to track 2 by the action of thcpropel' ling cable; being subject to the propulsive atl'ru't of the latter even. while passing by or through the bridge.

1t carrier on route along track 1 and intcilnled tor the station shownwill. beseleclively removed. from said track by the 1-1\\'ll.0il, its grip will be opened by cam and the cable will be removed theretromby .il' v l r and by the action oi. bracket-o6, the carrier then descending track ll and. coming to rest in. the loop 13 ot the latter, whence it may be removed either backwardly through aperlt-ur-elfi, or "forwardly frointhe rail extremities 16, r

A carrier being despatched from the station will, in manner aloresaid, have its grlp unfailingly opened by earn get, if it be not already open, and the cam 35 will operatrvely engage said grip with the cable as the carrier is raised by the hand of the operator.

The system is hence practically automatic throughout, the only manual operations required, in so far as the sending or receiving oi. a carrier is concerned, being the insertion and initial lifting of the Clllllfil.'.l.l].tl the removal of the carriers arriving at the station; while together with this unfailing automatic .OlIlGltllZlOll, insurance against collision of carriers is provided.

l/Ve particularly direct attention to the fact that while the apparatus shown is of the drop station type ncvertl'ielcss the trackway for through carriers is practically tree from any pronounced bonds which would cause rattle and noise and result in wear and tear. on the apparatus.

. The small number of idlers or pulleys, z. 0., three, should also be obscrvcd,,sincc the arrangement oi the apparatus with this numher while permitting a continuously operated cable to move past or through the sta tion, also permits of the maintenance of the number and sharpness of the bends in this cable at a minimum; the said arrangement further being particularly well adapted to co-act with the cross-over provisions which permit of-the direct line travel of through carriers, especially when said carriers are traveling flatwise.

To the best of our knowledge it has never heretolt'ore been attempted to provide means for opcratively connecting the grip otan out bouud carrier with the flexible hoisting cle1nent or cable, by a free drop of said carrier.

This means, further, in combination. with the norn'ially inoperative means for discon nesting the carrier from the hoisting element permits, it will be noted, of the automatic checking ot the progress of the carrier while yet permitting further nuiveinent thereof, a. a, downwardly while the carrier is normally caused to resume its journey after the lapse of a usually slight but nevertheless sub stantially predetermined period of time. i

The releasing and engaging members or came 38 and act substantially independently oi each other; not being operatively connected other than by the auxiliary track.

It has further, to our knowledge, never been attempted to deliver carriersto a main traelr through a vertically opening gap in said track, by propelling said carriers up :lt'ronra drop-station by power driven means.

Finally the advantageous disposition oi. the :nntiliary. and. independent rip-looped trackgwvith respect to each other and to the cable an -lithe idler located at the stasaid position onl tion should be noted, since by reason of this arrangement a material economy of space is effected and the station rendered most sightly.

Having thus described our inventionvvhat We Claim iSt- 1. In cable carrier despatch apparatus, a main track, a station, carriers, means,- ineluding a continuously driven cable running in adjacency to a part oi": said station, for conveying carriers from said station to, and thereafter propelling said carriers along, said main track, said carriers having parts whereby they may engage said cable to be thereby conveyed toward. said main track, and mechanism for preventing collisions involving a carrier despatched from said station and acarrier en route over said main track past said station, said mechanism including a device located along thepath of travel of one of Sflld carriers and adapted to be operatively disposed in said path-to engage and check the progress of a earner rapidly moving along said path, and means automatically controlled by the other of said carriers for actuating said device.

2. In carrier despatch apparatus, a main track, a station, carriers, an auxiliary track leading from said station to a point in said main track, a bridge in one of said tracks, disposed substantially at said point and means, including a cable which extends in adjacency to a part of said station, for con veying carriers from said stationto, and thereafter propelling said carriers along said main track, said carriers having parts normally operativelyin engagement with said cable when being conveyed thereby toward said main track and out of operative en-.

gagement with said cable when traversing said bridge.

3. In carrier despatch apparatus, a main track, a station, an auxiliary track leading from said station to said main track, a bridge in one of said tracks, and power driven means for conveying carriers from said station to, and thereafter propelling said carriers along, said main track, said bridge having a tendency for a determined position and being normally movable out of by a carrier traversing one of said trac 's.

4. In a cable carrier system, a main track having the rails thereof disposed in the same horizontal plane to support carriers horizontally thereon, a Way station below said main track, an auxiliary track directly engaged by carriers traveling from said station to said main track, and power actuated means, including a. continuously driven cable, for conveying carriers up rom said station to and thereafter propelling said carriers along, said main track, said auxiliary track having the rails thereof disposed to deliver carriers to said main track in their horizontal position, and ross-over means co-acting with said main track for guiding carriers, en route along said main track past said station, over said station out of engagement avith said auxiliary track.

5. In a cable carrier system, a main track, means, including a cable, for propelling carriers along said track and for delivering an out-bound carrier to said track at a redetermined point therein, means, opera le, in part at least, by a second carriereu route over said track past said point, for temporarily stopping said out-bound carrier, and means operating substantially with certainty to positively and automatically .re-despatch said outbound carrier thereafter.

6. Cable. carrier despatch apparatus comprising a main track, a station, an auxiliary track leading from said station substantially to a point in said main track, a bridge in one of said tracks. disposed sub stantially at said point, the trackin which is disposed said bridge comprising a plurality of rails having gaps-therein and said bridge adapted to complete said plurality of rails across said gaps, and means, including a cable, for conveying carriers from. said station to, and thereafter propelling said carriers along said main track, parts of said bridge being mounted for movement in a substantially vertical plane and said station bein in a d-iflerent plane, horizontally, from tat of saidmain track at said point.

7. Cable carrier despatch apparatus comprising a main track, a station, an aux iliary track leading tromsaid station substantially to a pointin said main track, a bridge in one of said tracks disposed substantially at said point, and movable into an inoperative position to permit the passage of a carrier-"thereby, and means, in cluding a cable, for conveying carriers from said station to, and thereafter propelling said carriers along said track, said means adapted to exercise a substantially continuous propulsive efi'ort upon said carrier While t-helatter is passing by said bridge When the bridge is inoperatively disposed.

8. Carrier despatch apparatus comprising a main traclnan auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers thereto, power driven means for propelling carriers along said tracks, means for stopping the forward movement of a carrier en route along said auxiliarytrack at a determined point therein Whenever normal service conditions in said main track fail to permit of an unimpeded delivery of said carrier thereto, and means co-acting with said power driven means for thereafter automatically and surely delivering said carrier to said main track When such unimpeded delivery is possible.

9. Carrier despatch apparatus comprising a main track, an auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers thereto, a carrier adapted for direct openitive engagement successively With said tracks, power driven ping the forward movement of a carrier on route along. said auxiliary track at a predetermined point and :for substantially flrr-zeing said carrier from the power driven means Whenever normal. service conditions in said main track tail to permit oi. an unimpeded delivery of said carrier thereto.

10. In carrierdespatch apparatus, a inain track, an auxiliary taclr adapted to deliver carriers thereto, and rhesus for causing a despatched carrier about to be delivered from said auxiliary track to said main track to automatically reciprocate to and fro upon said auxiliary track until service conditions upon said main track permit 0:]? proper delivery of said carrier thereto.

11. In cable carrier despatch appa atus, a main track, a station out of the line of said track, an endless cable for propelling carriers along said track, said cable being looped away from said track toward and through said station, guides (reacting with the looped portion of said cable .to delivercarriers from saidstatioii to said track, and

provisions whereby carriers on route alongsaid track past said station may pass by the latter substantially regardless of the loop in said cable.

12. In cable carrier despateh amiaratus, a main track, a drop station, an endlessczhle for propelling carriers along said track, said cable being looped dovvn from said track at.

said drep-station, means fro-acting with the looped portion of said cable todeliver can riers from said station up to said track, and

' cross-over and operative provisions whereby carriers on route along said track past said station may pass by the latter substaiuialiy regardless of the loop in said cable; I

18. In cable carrier despatch apparatus, a .ulain track. a station out oi the line oi. said track, a cable for propelling carriers along said track, said cable being looped aviary from said traclr toward and through said station, carriers having provisions for e:n-

gaging said cable, guides co-acting' avith the looped portion or said cable to deliver carriers from said station to said track, .n'ieans :tor disengaging carriers on route along said 11min. track past said station 'oin said cable substantially upon arriving at the loop therein, and means for automatically rei ngaging said carriers With said. cable after passing); said loop. v

141-. A. cable carrier despatch apparatus having a drop-station, said. apparatus comprising a receiving track toconvey carriers horizontally flat-Wise and at asubstantially constant level over said drop-stat1on, said track having a gap therein through which carriers despatched from said drop-station enter said receiviug' track horizontally fiat- Wise, power driven traction means for propelling a carrier from said station up to said track, and guides to deliver said carrier through said gap horizontally flat-Wise to said track,

A cable carrier despatch apparatus having a dro i-station,said apparatus comprising a receiving track to convey carriers horizontally flat-Wise thereover past said.

drop-station, said track having a substantially vertically opening); gap therein, power driven traction means for propelling a carrier from said. station up to said track, and guides to deliver said carrier up through said gap to said track.

16. A cable carrier despatch apparatus having a drop-station, said apparatusconiprising a track to convey carriers horizontally flat-Wise thercover past said drop-station, said track having a substantially vertically openinggap therein, power driven traction means for propelling a carrier from said'station up to said. track, guides to deliver said carriers up through said gap to said track and means for bridging said gap :tor sold first mentioned carriers.

17. A. cable carrier (lespatch apparatus lniving' a drop-station, said apparatus coin prising a multiple-rail receiving track to support carriers traversing the track over said. station horizontally flat-Wise While so doing, said track having a gap therein in two oi the rails thereof, and means includ ing a continuously driven. cable, for elevating a carrier from the station through said gap to said track.

18. A. cable carrier despatch apparatus hav ing a drop-station, said apparatus co1nprising a 1nultiple-rail receiving track to support carriers traversing the track over said'station horizontally lat-Wise While so doiitig, said track having a gap therein in two oi? the rails tl'lereoit', means including a continuously driven cable. for elevating a carrier from. the station through said gap to said. track and means for bridging; said gap for carriers passing said station.

19; A cable carrier despatch apparatus havin a Way station, said anaratus coini Q prising a 1ru1lt1plerail receiving track er;- tendinc' ast said station. and bein free from pronounced bends at said station, said track having; the rails thereof disposed to convey carriers horizontally fiat-avian over said station. said track havlng a gap therein intwo of the rails thereof and means ineluding a continuously driven cable torpropolling; carriers from said station throne-h said gap.

said station, said track havinga gap therein in two of the rails thereof and being free from. pronounced bends in the immediate vicinity of said station, and means including a continuously driven cable for propelling carriers from said station through said 21. A cable carrier despatch apparatus, having a drop-station, said apparatus comprising a track, the rails of which lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, to convey carriers horizontally flat-wise thereover past the station proper, said station being materially below the level of said track adjacent said station, continuously operating means for propelling a carrier from the station up to said. track, and guides curved around in parallel and substantially vertical planes from below said rails and toward the under sides of the latter to deliver said carrier substantially horizontally fiat-wise to said track.

22. A cable carrier despatch apparatus having a drop-station, said apparatus con1- prising a track, the rails of which lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, to convey carriers horizontally flat-wiseithere over past said drop-station, a flexible hoisting element for propelling a carrier in operative relationship therewith from the station up to said track, and guides curved around in parallel and substantially vertical planes from below said rails and toward the under sides of the latter to deliver said carrier substantially horizontally flat-wise to said track.

23. A cable carrier despatch apparatus having a drop-station, said apparatus comprising a track, the rails of which lie in substantially the same horizontal plane, to convey carriers horizontally flat-wise thereover past said drop-station, a flexible hoisting element for propelling a carrier from the station up to said track, and guides curved around in parallel and substantially vertical planes from below said rails and toward the under sides of the latter to deliver said carrier substantially horizontally flat-wise to said track, said flexible element moving in substantially the path of said last mentioned carrier when delivering said carrier.

24. Cable carrier despatch apparatus comprising a track, a cable for propelling carriers therealong, a carrier adapted to traverse said track and provided with a grip for operatively engaging said cable, a member relatively movable into. the path of said carrier for freeing said cable from said grip, a second track, one of: said tracks being disposed for delivery of carriers to the other, and means controlled by a carrier traveling along said second track for moving said member into the path of the carrier traversing said first track.

25. Cable carrier despatch apparatus comprising a. track, a cable for propelling can riers therealong, a carrier adapted to traverse said track and provided with a grip for operatively engaging said cable, a. device for freeing said cable from said grip, a second track, one of said tracks being disposed for delivery of carriers to the other, and means, controlled by a carrier traveling along said second track for actuating said device to disengage a carrier traversing said firsttraclr from said cable. l

26. Cable carrier despatch apparatus co1nprising a first track, a'second track adapted to direct carriers toward said first track, a flexible element for propelling carriers along at least one of said tracks, carriers provided with parts adapted for operative engagement with said flexible element, whereby to propel said carriers, and means controlled by acarrier traversing one of said tracks for disengaging a carrier traversing the other of said tracks from said flexible element.

27. A cable carrier way drop-station having an upwardly extending lTlllltlPlG-l'itll carrier despatching track and a pulley ad jacent the lower end of and to one side of said track, in combination with a cable and a carrier havingnieans for engaging said cablewhen operatively disposed upon the rails of said track, said track having an opening-therein for the operative insertion of a part of said carrier from the side of said track which is directed toward said pulley, and means upon the opposite side of said track for engaging the cable engaging means of said carrier with said cable, the plane of said despatching track being substantially parallel to the axis of said pulley.

28. A cable carrier waydrop-station having an upwardly extendin multiple-rail carrier despatching track and a pulleyadjacent the lower end of and to one side of said track, in combination with a cable and a carrier having means forengaging said cable when operatively disposed upon the rails of said track, said track having an opening therein for the operative insertion of a part of said carrier from the side of said track which is directed toward said pulley, and

means upon the opposite side of said track main track having an ascending auxiliary their to deliver carriers horizontally fiatwise to said main track, said auxiliary track having an opening therein for the operative insertion of a part oi a carrier from the side of the track which faces substantially opposite the said determined direction.

80. A cable carrier apparatus comprising a receiving and adelivery track, an independent track adapted to receive carriers from said delivery track, means for selectively delivering carriers, traversing said delivery track, to said independent track, an auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers to said receiving track, power means for propelling carriers along some off said tracks, and means for subjecting a carrier downwardly travcrsiug a part at least of one of said tracks, to the action of saidpower means by the substantially unaided action of gravity upon said carrier alone. i

31. A cable carrier apparatus Comprising a receiving anda delivery track, an independent track adapted to receive carriers from said delivery track, means for selectively delivering carriers, traversing said dolivery traclc, to said independent track, an auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers to said receiving track, power means for propelling carriers along some of said tracks, and means for subjecting a carrier downwardly traversing a part at least of one of said tracks, to the action of said power means by the substantially unaided action of gravity upon said carrier alone to thereby inversely actuate said carrier by said means.

32. A cable carrier apparatus comprising a a way, a portion at least of which is set at an angle departing wi d clyl'roin a horizontal plane, a cable, a carrier having a grip for engaging said cable, and means for operatively connecting said gripf vith said cable by a free drop of said carrier abruptly downward along said wayunder the action oi. gravity. a

A cable carrier apparatus comprising a way, a portionrat least of which is set at an angle departing widely from a horizontal plane, a cable, a carrier having a grip for engaging said cable, and means for operatively connecting said grip with said cable by a downward. movementof: said carrier along said portion ofsaidway, said cable moving in substantially a reverse direction to that taken by thecairrier when moving downwardlyalong said way. i

34:. A cable carrier apparatus comprising a cable, a drop-station having a pulley around which passes said. cable substantially at the station proper, main tracks, one having a gap therein, for receiving carriers from said dropstation and the other for delivering carriers to saiddrop-station, said. dropstation having an auxiliary track adjacent said cable for delivering carriers to said, re

ceiving main track and having also means including an independent track for selectively receivingcarriers from said delivery main track, said independent track extending downwardly lronrsaid delivery main track and being looped directly around and in the plane of said pulley, and means to bridge said gap for the conveyance therepast of carriers on route over said station along said receiving main track.

A cable carrier apparatus comprising a cable, a station having a pulley around which passes said cable, main tracks above the level of said. station, one of which re ceives carriers from said station and the other oil which delivers carriers toward said station, means including an independent track adapted to selectively receive carriers lrom said delivering main track, and an auxiliary track comprising two rails curved around in parallel and substantially vertical planes from below said receiving main track and directly toward the under side oi. the latter for delivering carrir-n's from said station substantially horizontally fiat-wise to said receiving main track.

36. A. cable carrier apparatus comprising a cable, a station having a pulley around which passes said cable, main tracks above the level of said station, one of which receives carriers substantially horizontally l'latnvise from said station and the other of which delivers carriers toward said station, means including an independent track adapted to selectively receive carriers from said delivering main track, and an auxiliary track to deliver carriers l'lOll'l said station substantially horizontally flat-wise to said receiving main track, the plane of said auxiliary track being substantially parallelto that of said independent track and both of said planes intersecting the plane of said receiving main track.

37. In cable carrier apparatus, a main track, an auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers to said main track, a cable for propelling carriers along said auxiliary track,

and means mounted for movement into and out of the path of a carrier traversing said auxiliary track for from said cable. y p

38 In cable carrier apparatus, a track, a cable for propelling carriers over saidtrack,

disengaging said carrier a carrier having a part for engaging said cable, means for stopping said carrier on roam oversaid track and disengaging it irom said cable in accordance with service conditions in said apparatus, and means for thereafter automatically reengaging said part withsaid cable by the action of gravity when said conditions permit.

39. In cable carrier apparatus, a track, a cable, a carrier adapted for operative engagement with said cable, movably mounted means for disengaging said carrier fr m said cable and means, rendered operative by the action of gravity upon said carrier, for engaging said carrier with said cable.

40. In cable carrier appautus, a track, a cable, a carrier adapted for maerative engagement with said cable, movably mounted means for disengaging said carrier from said cable and means, renderedoperative by the action of gravity, for engaging said carrier With said cable.

41. In cable carrier ap mratus, a track, a cable, a carrier adapted for operative engagement with said, cable, means for disengaging said cable from said carrier, means for engaging said cable and carrier thereafter Within a substantially predetermined time, one 01" said means being movably mounted, and mechanism for actuating said movably mounted means.

42. In cable carrier apparatus, a track, a cable, a carrier adapted for operative engagement with said cable, means for disengaging [aid cable from said carrier, means for engaging said cable and carrier thereafter Within a substantially predetermined time one of said means being movably mounted and said means bein substantially independent of each other in their respective actions, and mechanism for actuating said movably mounted means.

43. A cable carrier despatch apparatus comprising a Way, a cable for propelling carriers along said Way, automatic means for checking a carrier in operative engagement With said cable at a determined point in said Way while permitting a further movement of said carrier, and means for automatically causingsaid carrier to resume itsprogress along said Way by the propulsive action of said cable at substantially full speed.

44. A cable carrier despatch apparatus comprising a Way, a cable for propelling carriers along said Way, a carrier in operative engagement With said cable, and automatic, means for causing a reversal of the direction of travel of said carrier along said Way, whereby to return said carrier to a point in said ay from which it may be redespatched, and means for despatching said 7 carrier from said point.

45. A cable carrier drop-station, continu ously drivenmeans for despatching carriers fromrsaidstation to said track, and means for preventing collisions involving carriers being despatched from said drop-station and carriers traversing said main track, said means having provisions for releasing the carrier being despatched thereby from the action thereof.

46. The combination of a main track with a cable carrier drop-station, continuously driven means for despatching carriers from said station to said track, normally inoperative meansadapted, when operative, to pre vent the despatch of a carrier to said track by said continuously driven means, and means for rendering saidmeans operative.

d7. The combination of a main track with a cable carrier drop-station, said track having cross-over provisions at said station, and a cablerunning through said station to propel a' carrier up to and thereafter along said main track.

48. In a cable carrier despatch apparatus, a main track, an auxiliarytrac adapted to guide carriers up from a station at a lower level than said main track unto the latter, said main track having a gap therein through which carriers from said station are introduced and having movable means for substantially bridging said gap whereby carriers traversing said main track past said station may ride safely past said gap, and power means. including a cable, for positively propelling carriers along said main and auxiliary tracks, said bridging means being movable to its gap uncovering position by a carrier traversing said auxiliary track;

49. Cable carrier apparatus comprising a track, a station, an auxiliary Way leading up from said station substantially to a point in said track, means, including a cable, "for propelling carriers along said track and up said auxiliary Way, carriers having means for operatively' engaging said cable, and means for engaging the said last mentioned means With said cable when said carrier has dropped at least a determined distance along said Way under the action of gravity.

50. In cable carrier apparatus, a main track, an auxiliary track adapted to deliver carriers to said main track, a cableforpropolling carriers along said auxiliary track, means, a relative movement between Which and the path of travel of a carrier travers' ing said auxiliary track, efiects at (3118611 gagement of said carrier from said cable when said carrier encounters said means, and mechanism for effecting said relative movement between said means and the path.

51. In cable carrier apparatus, carriers,

'des'patchingand receiving main tracks having stationstherealong ata lower level than said main tracks, drop tracks leading down. from said desp'atching main track to said stations, auxiliary tracks leading up. from said stations to'said main receivin track, means, including a continuously drivencable, for propelling carriers upsaid auxiliary tracks and alongsaidmain tracks, parts"0f said means extending, down at each station in adjacency to said auxiliary"tracks,switching devices to selectively remove carriers from said despatching maintraek and deliverthem to said drop tracks in accordance with the station to which said carriers be i long, said carriers each having auxiliary track engaging lugs, a grip to engage said cable and selective parts corresponding to a particular one of said stations and adapted to 1"iroperly co-act only with the switching device oi the c(n'responding station, grip actuating means at said stations for engaging the grips of said carriers with the downwardly extending parts 01. sanl propelling :1 means, and said auxiliary t ack at any given one of said stations extending substantially directly up to the main receiving track and being adapted to deliver a carrier, the grip oi which has been engaged by said grip actuating means with said part of the propelling means at said station, directly to the main receiving track even When said carrier has selective parts corresponding to another station, said auxiliary track engaging lugs remaining in engagement with the auxiliary true]: of said station substantially until the carrier is entered upon the main receiving track, said receiving main track having carrier guiding sections thereof extending in adjacency to the upper end of said auxiliary track and disposed substantially at the general level of said receiving main track, to guide through carriers, on row/e past said given station, thereover.

A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, main and supplemental tracks; a carrier propellin cable having a main portion for propelling the carrier along the main track and a looped portion. for propelling the carrier along the supplemental track; and means to interrupt and reestablish driving connection between the carrier and the main portion of the propolling cable at opposite sides, respectively, of its looped portion.

A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, main and supplemental tracks; a carrier propelling cable having a main portion for propelling the carrier along the main track and a looped portion for propelling the carrier along the supplemental track; and means automatically to interrupt and reestablish driving connection between the carrier and the main portion of the propelling cable at opposite sides, respectively, of its looped portion.

54. A store service apparatus comprising, in combination, main and supplemental tracks; a carrier having cable-engaging means; a carrier propelling cable having a main portion for propelling the carrier along the main track and a looped portion for propelling the carrier along the supplemental track; means to cause driving ongagement ol. the carrier and the looped portion of the cable When the carrier is on the supplemental track; means to cause disengagement of the carrier from the main portion of the cable at one side of the looped portion when the carrier is traveling along the main track; and means to cause reingagement of the carrier With the main por tion of the cable at the other side of the looped portion.

In testimony whereof We have aiiixed our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. AMSDEN. ROTHESAY P. KIDDER. WVitnesses JAMES AsHWoR'rH, BLANoHn MARIA Hn'ronms.

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

Washington, D. C.

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