US1562354A

US1562354A - Receiving terminal for conveyer systems

Info

Publication number: US1562354A
Application number: US14694A
Authority: US
Inventors: James G Maclaren
Original assignee: Lamson Co
Current assignee: Lamson Co
Priority date: 1920-03-26
Filing date: 1925-03-11
Publication date: 1925-11-17
Anticipated expiration: 1942-11-17

Description

Nov. 17, 1925 Y 1,562,354

J. G. MACLAREN RECEIVING TERMINAL FOR CONVEYER SYSTEMS Original Filed llai'oh 26,-1920 Patented Nov. 17, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT o I-c A J'AMES Gr. MACLAREN, 0F SYRACUSE, NET/V YORK, ASSIGNOR, IBY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YOBK,' A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

RECEIVING TERMINAL FClR CONVEYER SYSTEMS.

Original application filed March 26, 1920, Serial No. 369,084. Renewed March 9, 19 2 5.

this application filed March 11,1925. Serial No. 14,694.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES G. Mac- LAREN, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Receiving Terminals for Conveyor Systems, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to article receiving apparatusfor conveyer systems and more particularly to apparatus for receiving carriers at a terminus, for example, the central station of a pneumatic despatch system, the present application being a division of my pending application,,Serial No. 369,084, for carrier distributor, filed March 26,1920, renewed March 9, 1925.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide receiving a paratus having automatically actuated means for delivery of carriers alternatively to one or another of two attendants, depending upon the number of carriers remaining in the receptacle provided at thestation of one such attendant.

One embodiment of this invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing which shows a side elevation of the carrier receiving apparatus in normal position, certain parts being in section.

at its upper end and havinga shelf or stop 5 at its lower end.,

Preferably this receptacle is inclined as indicated in the drawing, and an opening 5 is provided in its upper side wall adjacent to its lower end to permitva carrier restinglupon the shelf 5 to be withdrawn from th eptacle, If th fir t carrier 6 which -of the receptacle 5.

comes to rest upon the shelf 5 is not im mediately removed, successively arriving carriers will take the positions indicated at 7 and 8, respectively, the length of the receptacle 5 being such that thelastor up permost carrier of such a 'serieswill rest against the inwardly projecting nose} 9 of a lever 9 pivoted at 10 upon the upper end of the receptacle. d j Normally this lever occupies the full line position shown in the drawings, and when in this-position-a valve 11, which is carried by the lever, closes the entrance to a chamber 12 in a boss 12 projecting from" the wall The lever 9 is so counterweighted that when there is nocarrier occupying the position 8 thelever will remain in the full line position closing the chamber 12 as just described. If, however, a carrier occupies the position indicated in dotted lines at 8 the weight of its upper end,

-resting against the nose 9 of the lever,

swings the latterjoutwardly and opens the chamber 12 to the atmosphere. i

The chamber 12 communicates through Divided and

j tubes

13 and 14 with one end 14 of the cylincler 15 of a pneumatic motor and by means of a tube 13*, vneedle valve' 16,-'and tube 17 with a chamber within whichthere is maintained a pressure substantiallyequal to that maintained in, the pneumatic despa-tchsystem ofwhich the apparatus forms a part. For present purposes the systemis assumed to be of the vacuum type and the chamber with which the tube17 communicates may I be assumed to bethe exhaust header 18 of such a system. This exhaust header 18 also communicates with the opposite end 14 of the cylinder 15,by means of a tube .19. v

'A piston 20 slides within the cylinder 15 and the piston rod 21 is connected by a link 22 to the lower end of the guide member 4 of the hopper, so that movement of the, pistonaway from its normal position will swing thehopper' 1 and the guide itothe position 23 indicated in dotted lines.

hen the valve 11 is opened by the pressure of a carrier occupying the position 8, 1

air at atmospheric pressure enters the chamber 12 and passing through the

tubes

13 and 14 enters the cylinder 15. The needlevalve 16 is so adjusted that air can enter the cylinder through the pipe 14 more rapidly than it is exhausted through the pipe '17. The pressure at the opposite side of the piston is thus unbalanced and the piston moves toward the end l l of the cylinder, thus swinging the hopper and guide to the clotted position 23, where they will remain until the valve 11 is closed by the removal of a carrier from the position 8. So long as the guide 4: remains in the position 23, arriving carriers 24 will be diverted from the receptacle 5 and may be received upon a suitable chute, shelf, or moving belt 25 where they may be cared for by an attendant or conveyed to a remote point of discharge.

Then the lowermost carrier 6 is removed from the receptacle 5, the upper carriers 7 and 8 will drop, thus releasing the lever 9 and permitting the valve 11 to close. The pressure upon opposite sides of the piston willnow slowly equalize through the valve 16 andthe hopper 1 and the guide 4 will fallback to normal posit-ion under the action of gravity, thus restoring the piston to its original position.

The device thus described is particularly useful where carriers are likely to arrive too rapidly to be'cared for by an attendant stationed at the receptacle 5, or when, as may sometimes happen, it is necessary for such attendant to leave her station for an interval. In either case surplus carriers arriving through the tube 3 will be diverted from the receptacle 5 and may be conveyed to some other point where they will be cared for by another attendant.

I claim:

1. In a'carrier receiving apparatus, a receptacle for carriers, amovable guide normally positioned to deliver arriving carriers to said receptacle, and power actuated means responsive to the presence of a carrier occupying a predetermined position in the receptacle to displacesaid guide from its normal position whereby later arriving carriers will be diverted from the receptacle.

2. In a carrier receiving apparatus, a receptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended guide normally positioned to deliver arriving carriers to the receptacle, a fluid motor for swinging the guide away from its normal position, and means actuable by a carrier occupying a predetermined position in the receptacle to admit pressure fluid to the .motor and thereby to swing theguide out of its normal position and terminate delivery of carriers to the receptacle.

3. In a carrier receiving apparatus, .a receptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended guide normally positioned to deliver carriers to a receptacle, a pneumatic motor having a piston member connected to said guide and adapted to swing the latter upon its pivot, a valvecon'trolling the operation of said motor, and means actuable by a can.

rier occupyinga definite position in the receptacle for opening said valve whereby to start the motor and thereby to swing said guide upon its pivot.

4. In a carrier receiving apparatus, a receptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended guide normally positioned to deliver carriers into said receptacle a pneumatic motor comprising a cylinder having a piston therein, means connecting the piston to the guide, a tube communicating with one end of said cylinder, a second tube communicating with the opposite end of said cylinder, means normally maintaining sub-atmospheric pressure in said tubes, a valve for admitting air at atmospheric pressure to one of said tubes, and means actuable by a carrier occupying a predetermined position in the receptacle to open said valve, whereby the air pressure upon opposite sides of the piston will be unbalanced and the piston will move the guide out of its normal position with relation to the receptacle.

5. In a carrier receiving apparatus, for a vacuum pneumatic despatch system, a fixed receptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended guide normally positioned to deliver carriers to the receptacle, a pneumatic motor comprising a cylinder and a piston sliding therein, means connecting the piston to the guide for swinging the latter from its normal position relative to the receptacle, a tube communicating with one end of said cylinder, a second tube communicating with the opposite end of said cylinder, means for transmitting the sub-atmospheric pressure of the system to said tubes, a normally closed valve for admitting atmospheric pressure to one end of the cylinder, and means actuable by a carrier occupying a predetermined position in the receptacle for opening said valve to admit air to one end of the cylinder, thus actuating the piston and thereby displacing the guide relatively to the receptacle.

6. In a carrier receiving apparatus, a receptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended .guide normally positioned to deliver carriers t o the receptacle, a pneumatic motor comprising a cylinder and a piston therein, means connecting the piston to the guide, a tube communicating with one end of the cylinder, a second tube communicating with the opposite end of the cylinder, means for establishing sub-atmosphericpressure in said tubes, a normally closed valve for admitting atmospheric air to one of said tubes, and a weighted lever normally retaining said valve in closed position, said lever having a part engagea'ble by a predetermined one of a se ries of carriers resting in the receptacle whereby to open said valve and admit air to the motor thereby moving the piston and displacing the guide so as to terminate delivery of'carriers to the receptacle.

7. In a carrier receiving apparatus, a re ceptacle for carriers, a pivotally suspended guide normally positioned to deliver car-' riers to the receptacle, a pneumatic motor comprising a cylinder and a piston therein, means connecting the piston to the guide, a tube connected to one end of the cylinder, a second tube connected to the opposite end of the cylinder, each of said tubes communicating with a chamber in which sub atmospheric pressure is maintained, a needle valve in one of said tubes restricting the passage between the cylinder and said exhaust chamher, a normally closed valve for admitting atmospheric air to that end of the cylinder with which said last named tube communicates, and means actuable by a carrier occupying a definite position in the receptacle for opening said valve to admit air to said one end of the cylinder, whereby to displace the piston and move the guide from its operative position relatively to the receptacle, said air admission valve closing automatically when said carrier is removed from such definite position in the receptacle, thereby permitting the piston and guide to return to normal position.

' Signed by me at Syracuse, New York, this 28th day of February 1925.

JAMES G. MAOLAREN.