US283543A - Store-service apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(NoHodeL) 4S'heetsSheet 1 E. WERNER. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Aug. 21 1883.

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WITNESSES:

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' E. WERNER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented Aug I llill(l a IIII/ WITNESSES u. Prints Plmlvuhwnyhm Washington. 0.1

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E. WERNER. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 283,543; A Patented u 21, 188 3 (No Model.) v 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

E. WERNER.

STORE SERVICE APPARATUS. No. 283,543. Patented Aug. 21, 1883.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

EMIL VTERNER, OF'PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

" STORE-SERVlCEAPPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 283,543, dated August 21, 1883.

I Appllchtion filed June 16, 1883. (N model.)

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, EMIL XVERNER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Store-Service Apparatus, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings, in

' which- Figures 1 and 2 are side elevations of the hoisting devices of storeservice apparatds embodying my invent-ions Fig. 3 is a top view thereof. Figs. 4a11d5 are side. elevations of the lowering devices thereof. Fi 6 is a side elevation of the switch mechanism thereof.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section in line av 00, Fig. (5.

' system embodied.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

My invention consists of store-service apparatus provided with means for conveniently and. easily elevating the load or goods conveyer to the main track, releasing the same, and'causing it to advance with certainty to the receiver or receiving department, where the goods are wrapped, packed, or bundled, money acknowledged, change made, &c. The conveyer is returned to its starting place, provision being made for automatically operating switches along the line or track, so that each conveyor returns to its own counter or starting-place, and the speed of the descending conveyor as it leaves the main track is nicely governed and uniformity maintained, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

Referringto the drawings, A represents an elevated track properly sustained on hangers B, which are secured to the ceiling of the store or apartment containing the apparatus.

0 representscolumns, one or both of which being hollow, properly supported on a counter in the store, to the top whereof is attached a plate, D, on which is mounted a pulley, E, around which passes a rope or chain, F, one

end of which is secured to arising and falling bracket, G, and the other end to a counterweight which is located within one of the columns (.3. The bracket G is guided on the c0lumns O, and carries a short rail, H, the top whereof inclined, and on which is run the roller H of the conveyer J.

J represents an arm which rises from the bracket, and to it is pivoted a brake-lever, J, one end of which has a shoe, J so disposed that it bears against the periphery of the roller H and prevents rotation of the latter. bracket- G- is also attached one end of a cord or chain, K, which passes around a pulley, K, secured overhead, the other end of the cord being likewise secured overhead. A pulley, K, rests on the cord or chain between the upper end of the same and the pulley K, whereby by drawing downsaid pulley K the cord or chain K is adapted to raise the bracket G- and attached parts to the track A.

The track A has a pivoted section, A, which occupies a position above the tsack H, so as to be raised by the latter when elevated, said section, when lowered, preserving the continuity of the track A, the raising of the section being accomplished by means of a pin, G, which projects horizontally from the arm J of the bracket G. I

Projecting horizontally from the hanger 13 is a pin or stud, B, which is so disposed that when the bracket G is raised the brake-lever J To the strikes said pin or stud, thuscausing the shoe 'from the 11angcrl3,adjacent to the pin or stud "13, so that the end of said lever J abuts against said pin and stop, and is thereby held 5 or said stop may be secured to the brake-lever J and abut against the arm J. hen the pivoted section A of the track is in its lowermost i0- sit-ion, it is sustained by an arm, shoulder, pin,

or proj cetion, A, on the lower end of the hanger B. The conveyer, having been started on its way to the receiver, cashier, or other proper party, reaches the locality of said party, whose position is such as to be able to remove the goods, money, &c., of the load within the basket .of the conveyer, and said conveyer, with its -reloaded basket, is lifted from the track A and placed on another track, A, (see Fig. 12,) for directing it back to branch rail A or A, where the elevating device hereinbefore described is located, the tracks A A being inclined in reverse order. The terminus of the track A is adjacent to a rail, L, the latter being supported 011 a rising and falling carriage, L, which is guided on columns L, properly secured in position on a counter or table in the store where the apparatus is employed.

Mounted on a frame, L, supported on the top connecting cross-piece of the columns L, is a-ehain-wheel, M, to the shaft of which is conneeted a bevel-wheel, M, which meshes with a bevel-pinion, M, whose shaft h extends upright, and has loosely fitted on it a horizontally-arranged disk, N, to which are attached the arms N of a governor, said arms depending from the shaft M. The frame carries two or more friction-pulleys, N, which have horizontal axes, and are disposed above the disk N, so that they may be engaged by the latter when the disk is raised by the action of the governor.

In order to rotate the shaft or stem ll and consequently the governor-arms, the wheel M has a chain or rope, M passed around it, one end whereof is connected with the carriage L,

V and the other end with a counter-weight lo- .cated in one of the columns L, it being evident that the motion of the carriage imparts motion to the chain, and thus to the shaft or stem M"through the medium of the intermediate parts.

P represents the vertical guide, to which is pivoted the rail L on the carriage L; and 1 represents an abutment extending upright and secured to the lower portion of one of the columns L, so that the rail will strike said abutment when the carriage descends, and thereby be raised, the effect of which is to direct the roller H of the conveyer J, occupying the rail L, from such position 011 the rail L, and cause it to ride on a track, A, which is mounted in such manner as to form a continuity of the rail L when lowered, said track A being inclined in reverse order to the rail A and extending toward the columns 0, to which (in the present case) it is secured, the end of said track A terminating where the rail H begins, so that when the bracket G is lowered the track i "and rail H are in communication, and the roller H may again reach said rail H, and be held by the brake-shoe ready to be raised with the conveyer to the track A, and again begin its circuit.

The brakelever J may be lowered by gravity or the action of a spring suitably applied;

but I prefer to avoid springs in-the entire apparatus.

Vhen the carriage L" is lowered, it is neces- 7o .sary to prevent the next conveyer reaching the end of the rail A or A from dropping into the gap created by the descent of the carriage. For this purpose there is pivoted to the under side of the top cross-piece 7 5 of the columns L a gravitating arm, Q, and secured to the upper side of the carriage L a lifting-arm, Q, the object whereof is to hold said arm Q sufficiently high so as to permit the roller H of the conveyer to pass under the same and reach the rail L. Vhen the can riage descends, the arm Q leaves the arm Q,

and the latter falls and occupies a position in the path of the roller of the advancing conveyer, so as to stop the same; \Vhen the carriage returns to its normal posi tion, the arm Q is again raised and the conveyer rolls on the rail L, ready to be lowered, as previously set forth. At proper places switches are employed, so that goods or loads 0 shifting to-the right for returning a conveyer to counter 2 and the other to the left for re- 10o turning a conveyer to counter 1.

Each switch-rail, consisting of a single face rail, is pivoted at one end by a vertical pin, bolt, or screw, I), and supported on the other end, 0, on an inclined weighted arm, S, which is pivoted, as at c, to an arm, S, rising fromand secured to the hanger B, whichsupports the lengths of the rail A adjacent to the switch rail, the weight on said arm S being inferior to that of the conveyer and superior to that of I to the rail It, so that when the conveyer rolls on the rail B its weight on said rail causes the latter to move down with the arm S on its pivot d, describing the arc of a circle and pass ing to the siding or turn-off A or A", it I 15 being noticed that the latter is lower than the main track, the radial motion of the rail It being permitted at the pivot b, owing to the inclination b of the upper face of the rail and lower face of the part of the hanger B, to

which the pivot b is screwed or affixed, said faces being contiguous. As soon as the conveyerleaves the turn-off, the rail It, under ac. tion of the weighted arm S, returns to its nor mal position, rising to the same, and so pre- I2 5 serves the continuity of the main track A. In certain cases it is required that the eonveyer continue 011 the main track. For this purpose the rail R is firmly held as the con- Depending from I 30 veyer passes over the same. I the hanger B is a gravitating latch, T, the upper end whereof engages with a lug on the (See Fig. 4.) 85

The number of switches em- 5 side of the rail R, so as to prevent motion of the same. The arm J which is attached to the axis or frame of. the roller H and carries the basket of the conveyer J has a laterally projecting pin,.J which is adapted to directly engage with or to strike the latch T, in order to release the switch-rail R and permit operation thereof, or so located as to clear said latch, or be entirely dispensed w ith, whereby the rail is permitted to remain at rest, so that aconveyer returning to the counter 2 will automati cally shi ft the relative switchrail A while a-conveycrreturning to the counter 1 will pass the switch of counter 52 without operatingit, and when it reaches the switch for said counter 1 it will shift the rail R thereof, whereby the conveyer rolls on the rail A The hanger B is that employed for supporting the main track at the head and butt-ends of the switcltrail;

W'here several switches are required,latches T of different lengths are employed, and the arm J of the conveyors provided with pins J located at different heights on one side, so that each convcyer automatically seeks its own siding, and so returns to the startingpoint. I

It will be seen that when the load or goods, money, &c., are placed in the basket or conveyer the latter is raised to the level of the track A. The section A of the track rises and the rail H occupies its position. The brake-lever is operated by the pin or stud B, and its shoe clears the roller H, whereby the conveyorimmediately passes to the track A and runs down the same to the receiver or the place where the load or goods are packed, money accounted for, change made, 82c. W'hen the conveyer leaves the rail H, the bracket G is lowered, thus placing said railin its normal position adjacent to the end of the rail A The receiver removes the goods and transfers the conveyor to the track A, placing therein the bundle or package of the goods, receipt for money and change, and other matter, if any, and lets the conveyor run down said track A.

Should the load have originally started from counter 1, the pin of the conv'eyer will passthe switch-rail of the counter-2 without the pin J operating the latch T, said rail thus remaining unmoved, and the conveyor continues on the track A until it reaches its own switch, when the pin J strikes the latch T and shifts the switch, whereby the conveyer reaches the track A and is thereby directed on the rail L of the carriage L. The latter, owing to the superimposed weight of the conveyor and contents, begins to descend, and when the lever Pstrikes the projection I said lever raised, thus throwing the roller H on the rail A, which being inclined causes the conveyor to return to the rail H, which being reached again supports the conveyer. Thelatter may then receive another supply of goods, money, &c., and the bracketmay be wheels or pulleys N".

raised, placing the rail H in communication with the track A, whereby the conveyor begins its circuit on the tracks, as hereinbefore stated. hen the carriage L descends with the load, rotation is imparted to the governor-arms.

As the speed increases said arms rise, as usual in governors, and the disk N is elevated and caused to approach and ride on the friction W hen the speed of the carriage increases and becomes excessive, the disk is tightened against the friction-wheels, thus checking the rotation of the governorarms, the gearing, and the paying off of the chain M, and causnig the carriage to descend with less rapidity, the governor serving at all times to regulate the speed of the descending carriage and cause the same to move at a predetermined and equable rate of speed, so as to reach its lowest point without material noise, shock, or danger. \Vhen the conveyer leaves the rail L, the carriage returns to its normal position at the top of the columns L, so that the nextconvcycr may pass from the track A to said rail L.

The speed of the roller ll over thetraeks A. AJ' may be regulated by making the same 01. different diameters.

Each side of the store or difi'erent locality thereof may have its own line or track for sending the couveyer to the receiver, and in Fig. 12 a single track A is shown as employed for different counters; but in eachcase the returning-track A! is common to the entire store, the different counters being accessible therefrom by the turn-oils A ",A ,&c.

. Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is i 1. In a store-servicc apparatus, a hoisting device of the conveyer, consisting of p ulley E, rope or chain 1:, and counter-weight cord or chain K, pulley K, and pulley K, the slide or bracket and the post or column, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A rising and falling bracket or carriage having a rail, H, in combination with the main track A, having a section, A, which is moved by said bracket or carriage, and permits the rail H to be in communication with the main, track, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth. 1

3. The main track and a rail on arising and falling bracket, in combination with a brake and a hanger or support for the main track, provided with means for automatically releasing said brake, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

a. A rising and falling bracket or carriage, a rail supported thereon, and a pin or stud projecting therefrom, in combination with the elevated track, having an upwardly-movable section which is adapted to be struckby said pin or stud, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The bracket G, rail H, and brake-lever,

in combination with the hanger having a pin ITO orstnd, B, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. The rail H and brake-levers J, in combination with the hanger provided with a throw-off pin and a stop for said lever, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. The siding or turnoff, A* or A in combination with therising and falling can riage L, provided with a rail, L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. The rail L on the rising and falling carriage, provided with a vertical guide, P, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. The governor for the descending carriage, consisting of governor-arms, and an attached l'rictiondisk, frictionavheels, gearing, and a connecting chain or rope, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

10. The carriage L and cminter-weight, in combination with governor arms, frictionwheels and a friction-disk, and gearing intermediate of said disk and carriage, substan tially as and for the purpose set forth. 7

11. The carriage L, in combination with the chain, chain-wheel, gearing M M, disk N, governor-a-rms N, and friction wheels or pulleys N, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

12. The carriage L, having thetrack L, and a vertical guide, P, in combination with the abutment P, substantially as and for the pur pose set forth.

13. Thetrack A or A*, rail L, vertical guide P, abutment P, and rail 11", combined and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

14.. The track A or A in combination with the stop-arm Q, lifting-arm Q, and carriage L, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

15. In a store-service apparatus, a switchrail vertically pivoted at one end, and supported on the other end by a swinging arni,

16. In a store-service apparatus, a switch-- rail, in combination with the main track and a siding and a supporting weighted arm, the end of said siding being lower than the adjacent end of the main track, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

17. In a store-service apparatus, an elevated track, with a siding or turn-off, in combination with a switch-rail having a vertical pivot, an inclined swinging arm supporting said rail, and a gravitating latch, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

18. The combination of a switch-railhaving a vertical pivot and connected arm, and a hang,- er to whichthe rail is pivoted, the contiguous faces of said rail and hanger being inclined, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

19. A switch-rail, in combination with a gravitating latch and the conveyer provided with a pin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

20. An elevated track havinglatches of different lengths, and conveyers having pins located at different heights, combined and operating substanti ally as and for the purpose set forth.

EMIL \VERNER.

Witnesses:

J OHN A. VIEDERSHEIM, A. P. GRANT.

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