US2379412A - Railway mail delivery device - Google Patents

Description

July 3, 1945. BERNSTElN 2,379,412

RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE I Filed Oct. 5 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 v July 3, 1945. P.-BERNSTEIN RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE Filed Oct. 5, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTQR .Paal ,Benzsfic'q. ATTO July 3, 1945. P. BERNSTEIN RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE V Filed Oct. 5, 19,43 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. M

ATTORNEY Patented July 3, 1945- {UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAILWAY MAIL DELIVERY DEVICE Paul Bernstein, Roanoke, Va. Application October 5, 1943, Serial No. 505,071

7 4 Claims.

My invention relates to the delivery of railway mail, and particularly to the delivery and reception of mail by a train in motion, at one and the same time.

Devices have been made heretofore for the delivery and for the reception of mail; but most of these'have not been found to be entirely satisfactory, either practically or economically. The operation of discharging and receiving mail bags is not without risks to life and limb, and to loss of equipment. A loaded mail bag may weigh from 25 pounds to as much as '70 pounds; and the impact of such a bag; hurled even at the moderate speed of 50 miles per hour, is considerable. impact has been partly taken up by compression buffers of steel or of rubber or both. Spring buffers are more enduring than are those of rubber; but the recoil from them is almost as severe as is the impact "of the load.

On single track roads, and on roads where there is no means for turning a car, the mail car'and its mail receiving and discharging equipment will not be positioned to receive and to discharge when moving in both directions. To meet this condition duplicate sets of receiving and discharging apparatus have in the past been provided, which has added to the cost and weight of the'apparatus and to the difficulty of operation. In many cases bags have been discharged by'simply throwing them out of the door; adangerous and an expensive custom.

This

Objects ofmy improved device for discharging i and for receiving railway mail are: to provide a reversible device for the discharging and receiving which may be used when the train or mail car is traveling in either direction; to provide a device having similar and interchangeable parts to reduce the cost of equipment and of upkeep; to provide a device which shall be inexpensive to make, and to maintain; and in which heavy impacts and stresses shall be countered.

In the drawings:

Figure I shows my device arranged on the side of a mail car and when not extended for use.

Figure II is a vertical section on line a--b in Figure I.

Figure III is a View similar to Figure II, but

with the device extended for use in discharging and receiving mail bags.

Figure IV is afront elevation of my device'for discharging and receiving mail bags arranged on a standard beside a railroad track, but not extended for use.

"Figure'Vi's a side view ofthe device shown in Figure IV; but withparts extended for discharging andreceiving mail bags.

Figure VI is a detail, to a larger scale, showing in'front elevation, andpart section, the discharging and receiving head.

Figure VII is the same detail as in Figure VI, but in plan, and part section.

Figure VIII is the same detail as in Figure but is side elevation and part section.

In Figures 1, II and III the numeral 2 indicates the open door of a mailcar. A heavy rotatable bar 4 is supported inbearings .6, which bearings are adjustable as to their-height upon the brackets 8. Upon the bar 4' is fixed the head I0, which head has a lower part [2, shown in Figure VI as fitted to it by dowel pins, or which may be fitted to head ill-by other means as described later.

Attached to the lower part l2 of the head lllis.

to hold the arm 24 in a normally horizontal position, as shown in the drawings, while) allowing movement'on the pivot 22, to be explained later herein. The hook-arm 20 extends a distance sufficient to catch a mail bag hanging on the station standard when the hook-arm is thrown intothe position shown in Figure III.

on-the back of the head I0 is fixed a handle or lever 28. When the operator pulls this handle down he swings the head ill with its parts from the position shownin Figures I and II to that shown in Figure III.

Pivoted at 9 in the recess "of the head 10 is a latch 30, designed to allow the bag to pass into-the-bight l4, and to prevent it bounding out of the said bight. On being struck by a bag, coining in from the right as one views the drawings in'Figures I 'andVI, the latch is thrownto the left; The bag having passed the latch 30 into the bight M, the latch 30 will resume its outwardly extending position, to close the bight I4; and it will be restrained from iFur-' ther movement, to the right, by the latch heel l3 Below the apparatus described above is a sec-- ond heavy rotatable bar "40, carried in bearings 42 which are adjustable on brackets 44, bolted to the door framework of the mail car; as shown in Figures I, II, and III. a

On the bar'40 is fixed the arm 46;-*at the farther end ofwhich is pivoted at .48'the, arm 50.

I I in the lower part bag or to its supporting arms.

The arm 50 may be thrown over to one side or to the other side of the arm 46, coming to rest on the bracket 52. The arm 50 is of substantially the same length as the arm 24. Upon these two arms, when extended as in Figure 111, the mail bag is hung for delivery from the mail car. A tension spring 54 is arranged on arms 46 and 50 to hold the arm 50 against the bracket 52. When bar 40, in Figure II, is rotated clockwise, the arms 46 and 50-are thrown from position shown in Figures I and-II to that shown inFigure III. There is a reason for the use of the spring 26 (Figs. I and VI) and of the spring 54? shown in Figure I. When the two arms 24- and 50 are extended, as in Figure IlIjit is m'oreth'a'n swinging balance or the heads on bearings 6 and ofthe bar '46 on" bearings 42'.

A link 60 is'carried by arm 62, securedto bar 4; an'd by arm M' 'Secured to th'ebar-40Z When the operator" pulls downdn the leve'r n, the bar 4 isrotated anti-clockwise; and a m t: i is thrown upwards; The link 90"the'n pullsup "the arm 64; which" then rotates-bar 40 clockwise, and" throws the arm 46 to'the pbs'itionshown in Figure III. That is "to-say: by pulling the l'ever 28 down, the head I 0 with'itspartsare thrown into position to receive-a bag; and arms 2 3 and 50 areih pcisitibh to hold a; bag for delivery. The-bag is shown in' dotted lines in Figures-III and V. This link motion is so proportioned tliatfth'e lower head and arm when 01117- Wardly HS in Fi'gll'le Will Slightly dVe'rbal'iince' the 'WighU-O'f' the upper head" and arm together with the' weight of the ba su ported ona'r-ms 24 and 50'. This makes a' heatin balance between ar ms24 and 50; and thisbaianee. witli the spring controlled"give or arms- 24 and 50 form a universal resilient suppoi ti for the mail xhag'which will give to any hor-i'zo'n l force 'exerted against th'e b'ag.

Figures Iv and "V show'ani-arrangement of parts like those shown in Figure-I except; for

the relative positions of thefdlivering and the receiving-"parts, which are now-reversed asto thei'rapositions'one above the other.

In Figure IV the upper bar miscarried in:

bearings 12, andtb it-is fixed thetarm 14; to' the end'of which ispivoted-at' 'lithe arm' '16. From this arm: 18 is to he'hung the bag of mail Jtobe caught up-by the apparatus ion the? mail; car.

A lower'bar is carried in bearings 90;;and-

onthis bar isfixed thezhead'v'82, similar/to head I0, and' havinga; lower: part "84' similar to'part- I2 on headhlfl: Reo'eiving-bightfifi. is similar to bight I4; head '08' is similar top-headJ-B; hookplate- 90' toho'ok platte I8 and hook- arm 9,2 to hook-arm 20.v Also note the pivoted arm 94' similar to pivoted armq'il.

The parts soafarnotd-inrlfiguresrli andIV are interchangeable; :for instance', lo'wer headt'ti. with its parts' I4, "5,18; 20, 24, fo'r'1owervhead'84 with its parts 86, 88, 90, 92, 94. Also thefarms 46* and,

50 are"interchangeablewith arms 14- and I6.

An exc'ep'tionis in the'upperhead Wand-the upper head 02, which differ in shape somewhat, the latter being the narrower for economy of space; and in that to its upper end is fixed, or is made a part, the arm 83, which takes the place of crank 62 in Figure II.

To the bar I0 is fixed a crank I00, being an extension ofthe arm 14; and to the head 02 is fixed the crank 83, which is fixed on the bar I8. To bar I8 is also fixed a lever 96, by pulling down on which the head 82 is thrown into its horizontal and operating position, shown in Figure V.

A cross-link I02 connects crank I00 to crank 89'at pivots 8-5 and 81 in the manner shown in Figure V; so that when, by pulling down on lever 96; the head 82 is thrown upward into a horizontal .position,'the crank I00 and arm 14 willbe thrown downward to a horizontal position. Stop plates IN and I03 limit the swing of the cranks I00 and 83.

The cross-link I02 is made elastic in its length, to compensate for changes in the distance betweenpivots 85- and 81 when throwing the tipparatus into operating position, by means of the compression spring I04 within tubular case lIlfi and-so-arranged under head I08 of-link-member I-lIl that when the link is thrown from nonoperating to operating position the change in length. will be compensated by increased compression of the spring.

The operation is simple: a mail-bag to be delivered from car to station is hung on extended arms 24 and 50, while the mail-bag to be delivered from station to car. is hung on arms lfi and 94. The hook- arms 20 and 92 are inthe extended position. As the train passes the station, the'hook-arm 20 (attachedto the mail car) seizes the bag hanging on arms I6 and 94, while the'hoo'k-a'rm 92 (attached to the station standard) seizes the bag hanging on arms 24 and 50. Turning now to Figures VI to VIII, inclusive, of' the'drawings: here is shown in larger detail the parts of the head I0, and of the hea 82; and particularly those features which enable me to reverse the headsso-thatthey shall function when the mail car is traveling up or down the line.

I have already described the reversing of the bag-holding arms5'0and' 16-; but it is also neces sary to reverse the positions of arms 24 and 94, as'we'll as the positions of hook- arms 20 and 92. This I do by reversing the lower heads I2 and 84- on their respective upper heads I0 and '82. What has been said of the reversing' of head I2; on head I0 applies also to the reversing ofhe'ad 84 on head 82.

Receiving hook-head It has secured in' it two rodsI1 and 19, which fit and slide in bores 2| and-23-'in lower head I2. Rod I9 does not necessarilypass through lower head I2, but only forms a guide, to prevent head 16 turning on rod II. Rodl'l does pass through head I2; and a sufficient distance through'hea'd I2 to'support'a compression spring 25, held in place by the head 21;

of which head more in detail later; A bag havingbeen caught by'hook-arm 20, it is caught in the bight I4; and the impact between bag and head I6 is taken up in part by the compression spring 25. through head I2 to support a second compression spring. The recoil of the head I6 due to the spring 25 is severe. treating the head 21 as a piston, causing it. to slide with a neat fit-into an aircylinder 29. At apoint intermediate the ends of the'cylin'der'29 is a small aperture 3| which allows compressed air to escape from the cylinder until v the: said Rod I9 may if desired be extended This I counteract by aperture is covered or passed by the piston 21. The remaining air in the cylinder is then still more compressed by the head 21, and acts as an air-cushion to counteract the force of the recoil.

It will also be noted that, by a judicious placing of one or more apertures 3| in the cylinder 29, the impact of thebag and the recoil can both be cushioned.

The upper head I and the lower head l2 part on the line 33. A heavy pin 35 is seated rotatably in the bore 31. in lower head [2. An annular groove 39 cut in pin 35 is engaged by pin 4| which passes through head l2, and which holds pin 35 in bore 3l'while allowing the head 12 to swivel on the pin 35.

The pin 35 also extends into the bore 43 in the upper head H); in which bore-it is slidable but not rotatable. It is held from turning in head In by cutting away its metal on one side, as at 45; so that pin 41, passing through head 10, shall prevent its turning, while allowing it to slide Within the bore 43.

When the heads l0 and I2 are together at the line 33 the upper end of pin '35 extends into the upper end of the bore 43 in head II]. A lockingpin 49 passes through head In and also through the end of pin 35. The lower head I2 is thus held in contact with upper head H].

To prevent the turning of lower head l2 on upper head ll when they are together, as in Figures I and IV, I can use a rabbet-joint, or tongueand-groove, or the dowel pins shown in the drawings. These dowel pins, and 53, can be seated in-either head H] or l2 and enter holes 55 and 5'! in the other.

Upon the arrival of the mail car at one end of the'trip, it is only necessary to remove lockingpin 49, pull down lower head l2 until stopped by shoulder 59 of pin 35 engaging pin 41, swing head I2 on pin 35 until its direction is reversed. Then push head l2 again up against upper head 10, the dowel pins entering their seats; and reinsert the locking-pin 49. This locking-pin can be secured in any simpl manner. I have shown a pivoted lug BI, as a means for preventing accidental removal of the locking-pin 49.

To lessen the cost of manufacture, when using die-castings instead of using the dowel pins 5| and 53 to make the connection between the head l0 and the lower head {2, I form a rabbet or tongue-and-grooved joint between the contacting surfaces of the two heads. This is a simple and a strong means for connecting the heads which can be made by die-castings without any further machine Work.

It is usual to fit spring-keepers to arms such as 24, '50, 16 and 94 for the purpose of holding the bags in place, lest they be blown off the arm by a strong wind. These keepers are not shown in Figure I, II, III, IV, V, and VIII, as the scale is too small; but in Figures VI and VII they are shown on the arm 24 and are indicated by the numeral 1.

The herein described device for the receiving and the delivering of railway mail by trains in motion is automatic; it can be operated in any kind of weather. The operator does not have to aim it; when set it will operatewithout further manipulation. On the train or on the ground any inexperienced hand can set it. There is a 3 large clearance between the. device and the locomotive cab window, a want of which has in past times led to serious accidents. The cost of the parts is small; and because of the interchangeability of parts the storage of few extra parts is necessary andchanges are quickly made. The mail clerk is in no danger; and his work is expedited.

I claim: I 1. In a device-for receivingand for discharging railway mail bags: the combination of a main head attached to the mail car; a second head swiveled on the main head; a receiving arm adapted to catch a mail bag, and having an extension adapted to slide in the second head and projecting beyond the second head; spring means on the said extension adapted to absorb impact from the catching of the mail bag; cylinder and piston meansfor absorbing the recoil of the impact absorbing means; and means for locking the swiveled head on the main head.

2. The combination of a main head attached to the mail car; a second head swiveled to the main head; a receiving arm adapted to catch a mail bag, and having an extension adapted to slide in the second head and projecting beyond the second head; compression spring means on the said extension adapted to absorb impact due to the catching of a mailbag; cylinder and piston means for absorbing the recoil of the impact absorbing means; a supporting arm pivoted to the receiving arm and adapted to support a bag to be'delivered; spring means to hold the supporting arm in position to deliver a bag; and means for locking the swiveled head to the main head.

3. In combination: a main head; a second head swiveled to the main head; means for locking and unlocking the swivel joint between'the second head and the main head; a receiving arm slidably attached to the second head and extending beyond the second head; means associated with the receiving arm extension for absorbing impact from the catching of a bag; cylinder and piston means for absorbing recoil of the impact absorbing means; latch means pivoted in the second head and cooperating with the second head and the receiving arm to retain the caught bag.

4. In a railway mail delivery device: the com-. bination of a head mounted on a support and adapted to swing outwardly therefrom; a mail bag receiving arm slidably mounted on the head and having an extension beyond the head; means on the extension for absorbing impact ofa bag on the arm; means on the extension for absorbing recoil of the impact absorbing means; a bag holding arm pivoted on the receiving arm spring means to control the position of the bag holding arm; a second head mounted on a support below the first head and adapted to swing outward- 1y from its support; a second bag holding arm PAUL BERNSTEIN.

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