US1602771A

US1602771A - Collapsible assorting rack

Info

Publication number: US1602771A
Application number: US609011A
Authority: US
Inventors: Mitchell Louis James
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1922-12-26
Filing date: 1922-12-26
Publication date: 1926-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1943-10-12

Description

Oct. 12 192 1,602,771

L. J. MITCHELL GOLLAPSIELE ASSORTING RACK Filed Dec. 26, 1922 mam yg Patented Oct. 12, 1926.

UNITED- STATES moms JAMES MITCHELL, or nmnnabrxmrdnnm.

comarsnsm Asso'B'rING RACK Application flied ecember 26, 19a. seria no. 609,011.

The present invention refers to collapsible asserting racks and has particular ref erence to a rack intended to be used post offices for the distribution anda'sfsorting of mail. It is intended to provide an assorting rack of the character described that after having received the mail may be convent ently collapsed and placedinto the vehicle of a mail carrier, who then may withdraw the mail as he reaclies'the house of each addressee. My assorting rack is particularly adapted to be used for rural delivery. It comprises a plurality of partitions or pigeon holes connected in such a manner that they may be readily secured to a" stationary sup port, the various pigeon holes'being marked with the names of the various person's likely to receive letters through the post office. The mail may thus be distributed immedi: ately upon arrival and at certain intervals the mail carrier may take thewhol'e device, collapse the same so as to reduce the space necessary for holding it, and place in his vehicle without disturbing the arrangement of the various paper's, letters, et cetera. The mail will thus be ready for immediate withdrawal whenever the house of the addressee is approached by the mail carrier.

The preferred form'of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 shows a front view of m device; Figure 2 a side view of the same; Figure 3 a top plan vlew; Figure 4, a front view of the device in 1ts collapsed condition; Figures 5 and 6 perspective detail views illustrating the manner of fastening my device to a stationary support. While I have shown only the preferred form of the invention it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

My device consists of a plurality of floors or platforms (1) preferably of rectangular shape disposed one above the other and joined together by flexible means (2). The latter comprises preferably a plurality of cords passing through the marginal portions of the various platforms and provided with knots (3) for supporting the latter. It will be seen that this manner of supporting the platforms allows a limited freedom of motion for the platforms in case one of the pigeon holes formed by the same should require more space than the one next above. This array of platforms may be supported in any suitable manner in an operative position. In the preferred form shown the drawing the top member (4) of the device is provided with guides (6) adapted to receive a horizontal plate (7) extending from a vertical support; (8). The horizontal plate is shown in detail in Figure 5 and is provided with a downwardly extending flange (9) adapted to engage a guide member (11) of the same proportions secured to the stationary support (8) by any suitable means as by the screws (12) The bottom member (13)is held in its lowermost position by hooks (16) extending laterally from the support (8) and a. single ver tical hook (20) secured in the bottom plate and adapted to be turned to engage the top face of the lower plate and to holdthe same. The distance between the bottom support and the top support is such as to correspond with the length of the various cords holding the platforms together so that when held in its operativeposition the device assumes a semi-rigid character.

I The front end of each plate is provided with a numeral or other identifying marks, as for instance, the various names of the ersons to whom mail is to be delivered.

he bottom plate (14) is hinged'to the stationary support as shown at (17) so that it will automatically drop whenthe assorting rack is removed.

While in this operative position the mail is assorted and distributed into the various pigeon holes formed by my device. If the pigeon hole certain addressee is not large enough, the platform above the same may be lifted,

whereby the size of the pigeon hole is in.

creased at the expense of the one next above, which latter again may be increased in size if the space reserved for the same is not large enough. Assuming now that all of the mail has been distributed, some of the pigeon holes being filled, some partly filled,

and some empty, and it is desired to take the rack to the vehicle of the mail carrier, it would be extremely inconvenient to manipulate the'rack by merely taking it off of its support and transferring the same to the vehicle, and I, therefore, provide convenient means for first collapsing the rack so as to form a compact unit whereby the danger of some of the letters or papers dropping out of the rack is removed. This made to receive the mail of a V llll means consists of two additional cords (18) secured to the lower platform as shown at (19) and passing through all the other platforms with their free ends secured to a spindle (21) supported in standards (22) rising from the top member (4) in spaced and parallel relation. A suitable crank handle (23) is provided by means of which the spindle (21) may be rotated and the cords wound upon the same. A ratchet wheel (24) is keyed to the spindle and its teeth engage with a pawl (26) pivotally supported in operative proximity to the ratchet wheel, whereby the spindle (21) is locked against a reverse motion.

vVhile the particular construction of the device allows of many slight changes and modifications, and while various operators will probably develop various convenient ways for handling the device, I wish to sug gest the following method: A vertical sup port (8), is preferably secured on the center of a narrow table so that racks may be secured on both sides of the same. The top member of the rack is engaged with the plate (7 whereby the same is supported in a horizontal position, whereupon the pawl (26) is disengaged from the ratchet (24) which causes the lower platforms to drop into their respective positions. The lowest member is then secured to the bottom member (14-) which should be distant from the top support sufiiciently far to make it necessary to slightly stretch the cords so as to give some rigidity to the device. The mail may now be assorted and if a desired number of letters,'papers, et cetera, has accumulated, the rack is removed in the following manner: First, the bottom member of the rack is cleared of the hooks (1.6)

whereupon the shaft (21) is rotated by means of the crank handle (23), which causes first the lowest platform, and then the other platforms in their successive order, to be pulled upwardly until the whole device forms one compact unit with the various letters and papers clamped between the platforms. In this condition the device is locked by the pawl and ratchet engagement and slid OK the plate (7'). It then transferred to the mail carriers vehicle, who is now ready to start his journey, it being assumed, of course, that a plurality of racks are employed to handle all the mail to be distributed. As the mail carrier reaches the house of an addressee he only need to take out the letters and papers contained in that particular pigeon hole witlr out disturbing any of the remainder of the mail.

I claim:

A collapsible assorting rack comprising a plurality of platforms disposed one above the other, flexible means passing through the platforms having supports for the platforms incorporated therein and allowing the platforms to assume spaced relation so that articles may be placed on the same, means for horizontally supporting the top platform, platform for pulling the lowermost platform upwardly whereby all the platforms and articles are compressed into one uninterrupted unit, the platforms being supported on the flexible means with freedom 1 of vertical sliding motion allowing the space above one platform to be increased at the expense of the space above the next higher platform.

LOUIS JAMES MITCHELL.

and means mounted on the upper