US1411845A

US1411845A - Automatic food and package carrier

Info

Publication number: US1411845A
Application number: US468681A
Authority: US
Inventors: Dodge Martin
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-05-11
Filing date: 1921-05-11
Publication date: 1922-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 1939-04-04

Description

M. DODGE.

, AUTOMATIC FOOD AND PACKAGE CARRIER. APPLICATION FILED MAYII. 1921.

' 1,41 1,845. Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

@Maa l.

l//ooaf MARTIN DODGE, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

AUTOMATIC FOOD AND PACKAGE CARRIER.

Larnaca.

Specification of Letters Patent, A Patented Apr. 4:, 1922.

Application led May 11, 1921. Serial No. 468,681.v

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN DODGE, a citi zen of United States, residing at lVashington, District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Autom'atic Food and Package Carriers, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

The present invention relates to transportation, and more particularly apparatus for conveying food stuffs, packages, mailand the like, and aims to provide a novel and improved carrier adapted especially for the delivery of food or farm produce into the city or central station vfor consumption or distribution, and also adapted for use in delivering packages from the city or central station to the outlying or rural sections.l

Another object of the invention is the provision of a light, simple and inexpensive carrier of that kind, whichv will have a minimum of dead weight, and which will be highly efficient for the conveyance of commodities to or from a trading station or point at a minimum cost and time, thereby eliminating the present day high cost of deliver-ies by motor-driven or animal-drawn vehicles.

A further object is the provision of a novel and improved carrier designed to travel on an overhead rail, from which the carrier is suspended, and including a light and simple construction and a detachable body or receptacle for holding the goods or objects to be transported.

A still further Objectis the provision of such a carrier includinga body or receptacle detachably supported ina novel manner for the convenient attachment of the body to and detachment thereof from the wheeled frame or carriage which can remain on the rail. y Y A With the foregoing and other objectsin view, which will be understood as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction and arrangementof parts, as hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

rlhe invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing,.wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the carrier.

l? ig. 2 is an end view thereof.

The carrier includes a pair of ianged wheels 8 to roll on an overhead rail 4, and said rail can be supported from the lattice frame or truss 5 which extends along the rail, and which includes a lower angle member 6 on the outstanding flange of which the rail 4 is secured in any suitable manner. The frame 5 is supported at intervals along its length by the cross arms 7 and 8 of supporting poles 9, and a rail can be located at eachl side of the poles, for the travel of the carriers in opposite directions to and from a central or trading station.

The frame of the carriage which travels on the rail includes a tie bar 1l connecting the axles 1() of the wheels 3, hanger bars 12 suspended from said axles, and extending downwardly across the rail 4, and a longitudinal horizontal supporting` bar 13 se cured to the lower terminals of the hanger bars 12. rlhis frame is extremely lightrin weight, although sun'iciently strong to sustain considerable weight. l

The carriage has means for the self-propulsion thereof along the rail, and, as shown, an electric motor 14 is supported on the bar 12% to furnish the driving power. Angle brackets 15 are secured to the opposite sides of the supporting bar 13 and form a base on which the motor can be conveniently secured. The operative connection between the motor and wheels, as shown, includes an endless sprocket chain 16 `trained around a sprocket wheel 17 secured on the armature shaft 18 of the motor 14 and around sprocket wheels 19 secured on the axles 10, thus providing an extremely simple means for driving the wheels 3 from the motor. Y l

ln orderto furnish electrical current for the motor, a short trolley pole or arm 2O is pivoted, as at 21, to the motor, and has a trolley wheel 22 to engage and move under a trolley wire or rod 23 locatedunder the rail 4, and preferably located within an inverted channel member 24 ofinsulating material, toinsulate the trolley, and also protect it from short circuit when it rains or gage the `frame.

snows. The member 24 can be secured to the under surface oi the angle member 6, and the trolley wire or rod secured within said member 24,- and the trolley is-connected to one terminal-of the motor, while `the other terminal can be grounded to the frame and rail to complete the circuit. The trolley pole 20 is spring-pressed to hold the trolley wheel against the trolley Wire, and said trolley pole can be swung down to prevent the movement of the carriage, such as when loading saine or unloading, and the carriage is started by bringing the trolley wheel against the trolley wire. l

The body or receptacle 25 of the carrier, as shown, is of'cylindrical form, with its forward end ointed, to lessen the resistance, and said botycfan be of any suitable size and capacity. The body is suspended from the `carriage frame, and, for this purpose, bands26 embrace the body, and bails 27 are pivoted to the bands, as at 28, to en- The body or receptacle 25 has an -opening or mouth 29 at the top betweenthe bands 26 for filling the'body and removing the contents thereof. ln order to support the'body from the frame, the ends ofl the bar 13 project beyond the hanger bars 12 slghtl and have upper notchesy or seats 30 Afor the bails 27, which can be conveniently swungover said projecting ends ofthe bar 13 to drop into said notches or seats, in which event the bails 27 converge upwardly, to `eliminate the longitudinal swaying of the body from the'frame. The bandsj26 are therefore spaced apart longitudinally lfarther than the notches or seats `30`so`that the bails or hangers 27 will be inclined oppositely when engaged with the frame.

Levers 31 are pivoted, as at 32, to the ends of" the bar 13 beyond the notches or seatsfBO, `and are normally disposed at one side of the bar 13 and project toward one another under the 'bails 27. These levers 31 can be raised by hand for conveniently raising the bails 27 out of the notches or seats and off `the ends ofthe bar 13, for conveniencein detaching the body or receptacle 25*when it has reached its destination. `Such levers can also be used for en-l gaging the bails over the ends of the bar 13 in applying the body to the carriage frame.

lylusing the detachable body or receptacle, the bodies of the carriers can be used interchangeably, and can be detached from the `wheeled frames or carriages for convenience in filling and emptying the bodies,` and the carriages can also travel on the rail Without the bodies for return trips to haul additional loads, etc.

The carrier can be stopped at its destination, bythe termination of the trolley wire 23, to-stop the motor 14, or the rail can be' 3 is raised slightly, the roller 33 underinclined or other means provided for stop` ping the carrier, which need not be described or illustrated herein.

In order to prevent the possible lifting of either wheel 3 off the rail 4, and toprevent the wheels jumping off such rail, it is preferable to support rollers 33 from the hanger bars 12 to be disposed sli htly below the vmember 24. Thus, when either wheel `neath will contact with the member 24, thereby preventing said wheel 3 from movinghigher ortransversely off the rail.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is `1.'A carrier comprising wheels to travel on a rail, hanger bars suspended from said wheels, a supporting bar carried by said hangerbars, a receptacle below said supporting bar, and hangers pivotally connected to thereceptacle to swing over and seat on saidsupporting bar.

2. A carrier comprising wheels to travel on a rail, and having axles, hanger bars suspended from said axles, a supporting bar carried by said hanger bars, a driving device mounted on said supporting bar for propelling the wheels, a receptacle below said supporting bar, and hangers pivotally connected to the receptacle to swing over 95 saicll1 supportingbar into engagement therewit 3. A carrier comprising a wheeled frame to travel on a rail and having hanger bars Y and a supporting bar carried by the hanger bars, said supporting bar having its ends projecting beyond the hanger bars, and a receptacle detachably suspended from said projecting ends of the supporting bar.

4. A carrier comprising a kwheeled frame to travel Von'a rail and having hanger bars and a supporting bar carried by the hanger bars, the ends of the supportingwbar projecting 'beyond the vhanger bars,a receptacle, andhangers for the receptacle engageable gver saidv projecting ends of the supporting 5. .A carrier comprising a wheeled frame to travel on a rail rand having hanger bars and a supporting bar carried by the hanger 115 bars, the ends of the supporting bar proj ecting beyond the hanger bars, a receptacle, and bails pivoted tov the receptacle and engageable over said project-ing ends of the supporting bar, said supporting bar having 120 seats to receive saidi bails.

6. A carrier comprising a Wheeled frame to travel on a rail and to be suspended therefrom, said frame having opposite projecting portions, and a detachable receptacle 125 saidframe having projecting portions with 110 receptacle, hangers for the receptacle engagea-bie over said portions, and means operable for removing said hangers off said portions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

MARTIN DODGE.