US496551A - Ernest w - Google Patents

Description

(No Modem E.W. BRADFORD. MAIL POUCH DBLIVBRER.

No. 496,551. Patentedlvay 2, 1893,

p WIIAJVESSES I Y NITFD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST NV. BRADFORD, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

MAIL-POUCH DELIVERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,551, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed October 3, 1892. Serial No. 447,619. (No model.)

T0 all wil/0m, it 11i/ay concern/.-

Be it known Ithat I, ERNEST W. BRADFORD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements `in Mail-Pouch Deliverers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

My invention consists in various improvements in the construction and arrangement of an apparatus for delivering mail pouches to or from postal cars while in motion, whereby an electric current is utilized to set off, or trip, the operating mechanism, all as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Which are made a part hereof and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts:

Figure l is across section through a postal car provided with myim proved apparatus, and

also through the apparatus set along-side the,

track, and Fig. 2, a horizontal section showing the principal part of the mechanism in top plan.

In said drawings, the portions markedA represents the car, B a box or receptacle located beneath the iioor of the car,C a flexible apron, D an electric battery, E a magnet, F a post along-side the track, G a receptacle on said post, H a lexible apron in said receptacle, and I a magnet on the post.

The car, A, is of the usual construction, and the receptacle, B, is of a suitable size to receive a mail pouch. It is located beneath the fioor of the car close to one edge thereof, communication being had thereto from the car through a trap door in its Iioor, or maybe located in any other suitable place desired.

The fiexible apron, C, is of substantially the same width as the box or receptacle, B, and at one edge is fastened to the lower front edge thereof, its rear edge being connected by a cord, c, to an operating spring, C', said cord being passed over a sheave, c', at the upper .rear corner of the receptacle and under another sheave, c2, at its front corner, thenup along-side the wall of the car and connected t0 said spring. An enlargement or knot, c3,

is provided on said cord, and a pivoted metal catch, c4, is arranged adjacent thereto provided with a notch on one side with which the cord may engage by means of the enlargement, c3, in a position to hold the spring, C',

E', which is secured to a convenient portion of the truck frame of the car in position to contact with another brush, l', secured alongside the track, but insulated therefrom.

The post, F, is any suitable Vpost for supporting the mechanism along-side the track.

The box or receptacle, G, is mounted rigidly on the post, being similar in construction to the box, B,on the car. The flexible apron, H, therein is also similar to the apron, O,and is operated by a spring, H', in substantially the same manner, said apron being held in a relaxed condition and the spring distended by a hinged catch, h,havinga bifurcatedlip on its upper end in which the cord, 71., connecting said apron and lspring may be engaged, as is the cord, c, with the catch,c4, on the car. V

The magnet, I-, on the post is similar to the magnet, E, of the car, and is located directly behind the catch, h, which is of metal. It is connected by an insulated Wire, t', with the brush, I', along-side the track at one end, and at its other end is connected with the ground by means of the wire, i.

The operation of my said invention is as follows: It being desired to deliver a pouch from the car and another to it, the aprons, O and H, are drawn down to the bottom of their respective receptacles as shown in Fig. l,in which position they are held by the catches, c4 and h', the pouch to be thrown off the car is placed in the receptacle, B, on top of the apron, O, by the postal clerk, and the pouch to be thrown onto the car is placed in the receptacle, G, on top of the apron, H, by the postmaster at the station. As the car passes rooV said station, the brush, E', comes in contact with the brush, I', which establishes an electrical current from the battery, D, through the Wire, e, the magnet, E, the Wire, e', the brushes, E and I', the Wire, il, the magnet, I, and the wire,t" ,to the ground, energizing said magnets, E and I, which operate to draw the metal catches, c4 and h', to their poles, back away from the cords, c and 7L, releasing the springs, C and H', and permitting them to draw the aprons, C and I^I,suddenly taut, discharging the pouches therefrom, one into'a receptacle or to the ground along-side the track and the other into a suitable receptacle provided on the car.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, an d desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. In a mail pouch deliver-er, the combination of the delivering mechanism, a catch for holding said delivering mechanism in posi tion to be operated, and an electric magnet located adjacent to said catch and connected with a brush in position to Contact with a cirat that point Where it is desired the pouch shall be delivered, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two Witn esses, at Washington, District of Columbia, this 1st day of October, 1892.

ERNEST lV. BRADFORD.

IVitnesses:

EMMA M. GILLn'rT, H. KEABLEs.

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