US1454169A - Carrier-spacing device for pneumatic-dispatch systems - Google Patents

Description

May 8, 1923. 1,454,169

W. J. HEPPERLE CARRIER SPACING DEVICE FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH SYSTEMS Filed'June ll 1921 Patented ii/lay 8, i923.

imi'ra si a WILLIAM J. HEPPERLE, or BLOOMFIELD, niiwannsnyj ciiaainn-sri oii e nnvion FOR PNEUMATIC-DISPATCH SYSTEMS.

Application filed June 11, 1921. Serial No. 476,370.

tems. i

In the operation of pneumatic dispatcl apparatus in which the carriers are delivered in succession from a pneumatic tube into selector mechanism designed to separate the carriers into two or-more classes, it is necessary, in order that the operation of the selector mechanism be effectively performed to provide for preventing the arrival of the carriers in the selector mechanism in uninterrupted contact with each other. Devices are already known for spacing apart the arriving carriers just before they reach the selector mechanism and the object of this invention is to provide an improved device of this general nature and particularly to provide a device which will operate with a maximum degree of positiveness and will be locked in its carrier interrupting position until released by the carrier in advance.

With this end in View the invention consists in the provision of a carrier stopping device which is moved into position to interrupt the following carrier by the advance of any given carrier, the carrier stopping device being locked in interrupting position by the engagement therewith of-the leading carrier and released from its locked interrupting position by the continued movement of the leading carrier. By the time that the leading carrier has moved into engagement with the releasing means a sufiicient distance has been provided between the successive carriers to provide for the normal operation of the selector mechanism as the leading carrier enters therein. Meanwhile "the following carrier which has been momentarily incaused to leave the spacing mechanism in spaced or se-paratedjorder thereby insuring the effective operationof-the selector mech anism.

In the drawing in which a preferred "form of the invention is selected for illustration,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a spacing device embodying the invention and show-.

in a carrier arriving in the mechanism.

l igure 2 isa view similar to Figure 1 in which a carrier is shown about to leave the spacing mechanism and with a second carrier temporarily heldagainstadvance position ofthe spacing device.

Referring to the drawing thereis shown at 1 the delivery end of a suitable pneumatic dispatch tube to which is attached a housing or casing 2 for the spacing mechanism.

This mechanism consists-of a carrier stop ping member 3 pivoted at'the point't' ma;

housing l forming part of themain casing y. he,

2. The carrier stopping member 3 is pro- .vided with two arms 5 and 6 projecting in position. to be engaged in alternation *by the descend ng carriers 7 and .8. In the normal position ot the carrier stopping member shown inFigure 1 of the-drawing the upper. carrier engaging arm 6 is shown in Withdrawn position, this effect being brought about by the action of the retractile spring 9. At the same time the lower arm 5 of the carrierstoppingmember 3 is pushed forward into position to be, engaged by the descending carrier 7 as willbe seen in Figure 1. n

In the operation of the device the descending carrier. 7 engages the laterally extend.- ing arm 5 and swings the carrier stopping member 3 about the pivot 4 into the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing. It will. be seen that the arm 6 of the member 8 is:

spaced "from the lower arm 5 by just the as indicated'in Figure 1. By'ineans of this arrangement the arm 6 operates to push or kick the carrier. Tlaterallyinto the exitend 10 of the casing 2, a fixed lug orp r'ojection 21 on, the baseaof the casing 2 serving to re carrier '7 and thereby cause the cai'rierto topple over endwise in a reversed position into the conduit or outletend of the casproper distance tocause the end of the arm I p strict the movement of thelower end of the i 3 by the engagement of a latch hook 11 proiii vided on the under side of the arm 5 with a cooperating latch member 12 pivoted at 13 on a lug 1 1 and normally held inlatch e'ngaging position by means of the spring 15. The latching of the member 3 in the position shown in Figure 2 of the drawing causes the upper arm (3 of the member 3 to take a position extending into the path of a succeeding arriving carrier 8 and momentarily checks further movement of the car rier 8 as will be clear. 2

In order to release the carrier 8 for further movement when the leading carrier 7 has proceeded a desired distance in its travel toward the exit end of the casing, a latch releasin member 16 is arovided which is pivoted at a point 17 on a lug 18 carried by the casing 2 and has a carrier engaging end 19 projecting through a recess 20 in the casing 2 into position to be engaged and moved by the contact therewith of the carriers as they pass downwardi througl'i the exit end 1.0 of the casing 2. It will be seen that the engagement of the carrier '7 in Fig ure 2 with the latch releasing arm 16 causes the latch member 12 to be moved out of en gz-rgement with the latch hook 11 on the arm 5 wherei'ipon the spring 9 acts to withdraw the arm 6 from its interrupted engagen'ient with the following carrier 8. It will be ap parent that by this arran ment when a leading carrier is emerging from the exit end 10 of the casing 2 and arriving carrier is on the point of beginning its entrance to the casing 2 so that a full interruption of the travel of the following carrier 8 is brought about which. provides the desired spacing between succeeding carriers.

It will be seen that by the use of themech anism described positively acting means provided for bringing about an interruption in the travel of folloving carriers so tha the positive and certain obtaining of the d sired spacing function is invariably secured.

' \Vhat i claim is: I

A ca 'rier spacing device for conveyor M comprising a movable member adapted to be moved by a traveling ca rri a. into the path of a following carrier, means for locking the movable member in its in.- terrupting posit-ion, and means operated by the first carrier in its continued travel for releasi the locking means to clear the path of the following carrier.

2. A carrier spacing device for conveyor systems comprising a pivotally mounted member adapted to be swung by a traveling carrierinto the path of a. following carrier, means for locking the pivotally mounted member in its path interrupting position,

and means projecting into the path of the first carrier and operable by the engagement of the first carrier therewith to release the locking means and permit the pivotally mountedmember to clear the path of the following carrier.

3. A carrier spacing device for pneumatic dispatch systems comprising apivotally mounted two-armed member, one of said engaged by the advancing end of a traveling r rier to thereby ing the other arm into eing agement with the other end of the carrier to push the carrier to one side, a. corn duit arranged to receive the displaced carruct the path of a following carrier in its (.hsplacmg position dispatch systems comprising a pivotally mounted member, one end of said pivota-lly mounted member being arranged to be engaged by the lower end of descending carrier, a lined lug adjacent said end said pivotaily mounted member, said other end of said member being arranged to be swung into engagement with the upper end of said carrier to cause aid carrier to topple over S2ll.{llif-;8ti lug into a reversed end-for-end position, a conduit arranged to receive said (liSJiZLLLi carrier, and saidsec-ond-named end of said member being arranged to obstruct the path of a following carrierin its displacing position.

G. A carrier spacing device, for pneumatic dispatch tubes comprising a piv ota-lly mounted member, one end of said pivotally mounted member being arranged to be engaged by the lower end of a descending carrier, a fixed. lug adjacent said end of said pivotally mounted member, said other end of said pivotally mounted membei heing arranged to be swung into engagement with the upper end of said carrier to cause said carrier to topple over said fixed lug into a reversed position, a conduit arranged to re ceive said displaced carrier, said displaced second-named end of said member being arranged to obstructthe path of a following carrier, means for locking said member in said obstructing position, and means operabie by said first-named carrier passing through said conduit to release said locking means.

WILLIAM J. HEPPERL-E.

r, and said second arm being arranged tov o A. carrier spacing device for pneumatic

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