US1281180A

US1281180A - Apparatus for railway mail-delivery.

Info

Publication number: US1281180A
Application number: US23389618A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lewis Henry Lloyd
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1918-05-11
Filing date: 1918-05-11
Publication date: 1918-10-08
Anticipated expiration: 1935-10-08

Description

L. H. LLOYD. APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY.

APPLICATION FILED MAYH, I918.

DA .1 9 l 00 a 0 d 2 SHEETSSHE ET I.

1 N IMH L. H. LLOYD.

APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY MAIL DELWERY.

APPLICATION F|LED MAYH, 1918- r n L28L18U. Patented Got. 8, 918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

AZIHAL LEWIS HENRY LLOYD, 0F

BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR RAILWAY MAIL-DELIVERY. 7

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEwIs HENRY LLOYD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Railway Mail-Deliveries; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in apparatus for railway mail delivery, and has for an object to provide an exceedingly compact device adapted to be carried by mail cars in which the mail receiving and delivery parts are arranged beneath the car out of the way of the mail clerks, and the operating mechanism for such parts is arranged to take up a minimum of space in the car. 7

It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for railway mail delivery which will be effective in transferring mail sacks to railway cars passing stations at high rates of speed, and at the same time provide for the delivery of other mail sacks at. such stations.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and in which similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of a railway mail car and a portion of track, and showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with my present invention.

a on the line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig.2 1s a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken Fig. 4 is a similarview taken on the line 44 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the car bottom and track: with the improved apparatus shown partly in elevation and partly in section.

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view through the track-and trough.

Fig. 7 isa fragmentary view of the trunk operating parts in one position; and

Fig. 8 shows the same parts in another position. 7

Referring more particularly to the drawings, '1 designates generally a railway mail .car which is adapted to run on the track 2.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. s, 1918.

Application filed May 11, 1918. Serial No. 233,896.

At each station I provide a metallic or other trough 3, which I sink beneath the level of the ties and between the rails 2. This trough may have any suitable depth and is adapted to receive the mail bags 4:. -The

end walls

5 and 6 of the trough are made sloping, as shown in Fig. 1, for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The upper ends of the sloping

walls

5 and 6 may be continued in the form of platforms 7 and 8 resting on the tops of the ties in a position elevated over the trough 8, and such platgage beneath the mail sacks 4t and guide them into said trunk 11. The trunk 11 is hinged, as indicated at 14: to a metal receiver 15 with which its hinged end communicates. The receiver 15 is mounted beneath the floor of the car and communicates with said car through a top opening which is closed by a door 16 having a handle 17 which may be opened to remove the mail sacks.

A band 18 goes about the free end of the trunk 11. such band being formed with or connected to a tongue 19 to which is pivotally connected the bifurcated lower end of a rod 21. This rod 21 is adapted to occupy a recess 22 in the floor 23 of the car, as shown to better advantage in Fig; 5, where such rod will be out of the way and will vated inoperative position.

more extensions 24having perforations 25 through which it is adapted to engage a catch 26 pivoted. as indicated at 27, in a second recess in the car floor and normally catch to engage in the perforations 25 and projected by a spring 28 so as to cause the V thereby lock the trunk in the upper position. 7

lowered. The hand-hold 30 is provided on the end of the rod 21 for convenience in operation.

There is also provided a mail delivery box 31. also mounted beneath the fioor 23 of the car and to the rear of the receiver 15 such ma-i-Ldelivery box- 31 being closed by a hinged door 32 having the handle33iwhere-. by the door may be opened to admit the mailjsacks, as indicated in Fig. 5. This mail delivery box 31- is provided with an inclined drop'bott'om 31; toiwhich are attached the arcuate -rods 35,. 5 the same havingsliding movement through openings in brackets 36 V mounted-on the rear of said mail delivery box 31.

Coil. springs; 37 v are wound about the rods 35 and bear against .thebrackets36 in such a manner-that they tend to force the dropv bottom 34: to the closed position shown in Fig-. 5 and to, yieldingly' hold same in the closed position. At- 38 .is shown an extena restina'longitudinal groove in the floor 23- of the car so as-tobeout of the way of the mail clerks.

A ring vor other handle 45 on the rod 4 L serves as a means whereby the same may be operated;

The operation of the invention is; substantially as follows:

Mail to be-transferred to moving'trains is loaded into the sacks 4 and these sacks, placed; in the troughs=3 at the-respective sta tions. Mail sacks to be delivered are placed in the :mail delivery box 31 on the car through" the door 32 thereof, and areheld therein until the proper destinationis reached: a V

Asthe car 1 approaches-ea station from whichjth'e mail sacks 4: are to be. taken, and to which theLmail sacks in the mail delivery box 31 are to be delivered, a mail clerk in the-ecar-will first kick the projecti0n 29l to release theJlatch-f26 which will "permit him to :raise'the rod- 21 outof the*recess 23of= Y thearfioor to the vertical: position, after whichwhe will lower the free end of the trunkzll until theroller 12 strikes: the in-.s clined end 10 on theiplatform 8. It'ispref-w erabl'e that the clerk eXeItza slight downward? pressure. on therodi 21 to hold'thereceiving mouthriof said: trunk close againstthe plat-:

form and; rtroughx- As the car proceeds, the

ceiving end'of said trunk will come into con-1 ct ith-t e m l seeks a depositedsaid m y'be with rawa fr m-th r d to p rmit-*- l9 livery, the combinationi of a trough ear-1 the parts again in =the inoperative posi-,

tion'. r r I a I prefer tov provide toggle rodsA6=-and 47-: connected together, as indicated- ;at 4:83, and the rod 46being pivoted, aslindicated. at19, to vg the car,,while the other-.rodi l'i'is.pivoted at 50 to the-trunk 11.- If desirableitwo of these toggle 'rods; may be; employed,-, one-at each side of the trough and when'iin the "lower; 7 most position; where v the; trunk .is in -,.the trough 3, the. rods jwill extend in alinement to thereby steady such free end of the trough and provide a support therefor, WhlChnWlll" take up most-of theshockseand jarswthat-v would otherwise I devolve on the hinge a 14:.

As the car is receiving-themaigl sacks 4:, 1

- the-mail sacks in the del-iyerybox73l5may: be deposited in the trough; 3 bytheroperation ofpulling upon: the chain orxcord-le: By-pull-. ing forwardly on this chainthe-bell crank os lever is rockedaon the pivot :42 and exertsa pull on the chainorflexibleaconnection 139,-

This=causes thedrop bottom .31-tobe opened-:

in oppositionto, the springs 37" and'allows I the mail sacksinthe bOX-*3l; tO, drop out-into the-trough 3. Whenathe. chain ,orcord: 44:18 released and HIllOWBd'tO ClI'OPubELCk:lIlllO-lbS groove 'in tl16fi001,tli9 springs:3-7 will again come; into play and force-the bottom34i: closed. a Substantially the above--descnibed=..105 operations are repeated :ateach station;

It is obviousthat those skilled in the art may vary the'details of construction and 'arw rangements ofp'arts without :departingfrom the spirit of my.- invention; anditherefore 1-110 I do not wish to be limited to;s'uchn-featuresa except as'may beHrequiredbyQtheaclaims, Y

1. In an: apparatuss-for-railway mail dei 11B ranged r along vthe: roadwayy ia mailabag ire: ceiver carried by a mail car, a movable trunkin communication with thezreceiven'andham ing 0116 end arranged' to dip down intoi-thav v the trunk whereby tousupportz same, a rod pivoted to said tongue,.said rodbeingaarel ranged in: themailfcar-and adapted' tof extend substantially horizontallyv to I hold :the trunk 1125 A roller 12 will easethe passage of-the trunk A i p I over the platform.,8 and down the sloping" endzfi into the trough *3, where theopenree in the elevated -positiomwa :catch*pie7oted .;on

the car for engaging a part of said rodigto-a the latter to be raised and the trunk to be lowered thereby, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for railway mail delivery, the combination of a trough extending along the roadway and having inclined ends, elevated platforms extending from said ends, a mail bag receiver carried by a mail car, a trunk having a pivotal movement and in communication with the receiver, a tongue connected to support the free end of said trunk, a rod pivoted to said tongue whereby the trunk may be held in the elevated position or lowered so as to enter said trough, a catch to hold said rod in the inoperative position where the trunk is raised, and braces connected between the forward part of the trunk and the car to brace the latter, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for railway mail delivery, the combination of a trough built in the roadway and having sloping ends, platforms extending from the sloping ends and having downwardly bent extremities, a mail bag receiver carried on a mail car and supported beneath the floor of such car, the upper part of the receiver being in communication with the car through the floor thereof,

a closure for the receiver, a trunk hinged to' said receiver and in communication whereby to deliver the mail bags thereto, the lower end of the trough having a curved end adapted to dip down into the trough to receive the mail bags deposited therein, a roller carried by the free end of the trunk and arranged to come in contact with the floor of said trough, a band passing about the free end of said trunk, a tongue extending upwardly from said band, a rod having a bifurcated end pivoted to said tongue, the floor of the car having a recess for receiving said rod when in the horizontal position, a perforated extension on said rod, a pivoted catch mounted on the car and adapted to &

engage the perforated extension to hold the rod horizontal and the trunk elevated, a projection on said catch for operating same, and a spring for holding the catch in the engaged position, substantially as described.

l. In an a paratus for railway mail delivery, the com ination of a trough built in the roadway and having sloping ends, platforms extending from the sloping ends and having downwardly bent extremities, a mail bag receiver carried on a mail car and supported beneath the floor of such car, the upper part of the receiver being in communication with the car through the floor thereof, a closure for the receiver, a trunk hinged to said re; ceiver and in communication whereby to de liver the mail bags thereto, the lower end of the trough having a curved end adapted to dip down into the trough to receive the mail bags deposited therein, a roller carried by the free end of the trunk and arranged to come in contact with the floor of said trough, a band passing about the free end of said trunk, a tongue extending upwardly from said band, a rod having a bifurcated end pivoted to said tongue, the floor of the car having a recess for receiving said rod when in the horizontal position, a perforated extension on said rod, a pivoted catch mounted on the car and adapted to engage the perforated extension to hold the rod horizontally and the trunk elevated, a projection on said catch for operating same, a spring for holding the catch in the engaged position, and toggle rods pivoted centrally together and having their ends pivoted respectively to the car and the free end of said trunk and adapted to brace the latter when in the lowered position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

LEWIS HENRY LLOYD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of I-atents, Washington, D. G.