US499084A - Island - Google Patents

Description

3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

B. ARNOLD. POSTAL WAGON.

No. 499,084. Patented June 6, 1893.

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B. ARNOLD.

' POSTAL WAGON. No. 499,084. Patented June 6, 1893.

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B. ARNOLD.

POSTAL WAGON.

No. 499,084. Patented June 6. 1898.

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BENJAMIN ARNOLD, OF EAST GREENWICH, RHODE ISLAND.

POSTAL WAGON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 499,084, dated June 6, 1893.

Application filed March 17, 1893. Serial Ila 66,405. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN ARNOLD, of

East Greenwich, in the county of Kent and veniences required to accomplish for the lesser centers of distribution of mail matter,

that which the railway postal car has done for the larger centers, in the way of handling the mails of places on railway routes, to the end that places not contiguous to such routes, may have more direct communication with each other, and much carrying forward and back of the same matter may be avoided, that is now made necessary in sending to a distant distributing point, letters and packages to be returned to a neighboring office, by establishing a more direct communication between such offices. It is also for the purpose of facilitating the collection and delivery of mails in cities, by making use of the means that private individuals employ in express and other commercial affairs, to save time and manual labor, and to keep the postal service in its methods and means of performance, up in line with'private enterprise.

The improvement is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1, shows a perspective View of the wagon, taken partly from the rear. Fig. 2, is a rear view. Fig. 3, represents a vertical cross section of the wagon, on line on, m, Fig. 4. Fig. 4 shows a horizontal section taken on line 2., 2, Fig. 3.

The wagon is designed to be a light, strong vehicle, calculated to run quickly over rough roads as well as smooth, and properly mounted on springs, as much for a guard against the effect of jolts on a vehicle coming over rough ground, as for the comfort and convenience of the occupant, who may be sorting over mail matter inside. The upper part A,

of the wagon, is made preferably of light panel work, which is stiffened by the cross divisions inside, in like manner as a house is by its partitions. The lower part of the body is carried in under at the sides, after the style of some passenger conveyances, for the purpose mainlyin this case, of putting the wheels inside of the line of the upper part of the wagon, to enable persons to put letters in the openings made in the sides for that purpose, without running so much danger from the wheels.

In addition to the usual drivers entrance and seat 16, in front, there is a back entrance reached by a step b, and suitable railings 2 1 on each side, to enable a carrier to catch on and mount to a seat when the wagon is in motion. Two seats a, a, one on each side of the back entrance, are provided to accommodate two carriers, when the wagon is used on routes where the team would stop at a cross street, and one carrier could go down a cross street to the right, and the other, down the street to the left, and make their deliveries and collections at the same time.

A section of the wagon just back of the drivers seat 5, is reserved to form a receptacle r, to receive letters that may be deposited therein, either through the apertures c, that open into it through the sides, or from the inside.

To facilitate the removal of the letters with the least amount of handling, the bottom of this receptacle is made of two chutes s, s, hung on a rod d, held at the bottom on a bar It, running along the under side of the wagon. These chutes s, extend up at an angle to the projecting corner of the body to allow more space for the forward wheels to pass under when the wagon is turned around. The sides 6, e, of the chute, are made of sheet metal for lightness, and to save room. The two chutes s, s, are independent of each other in action, and when one chute is let down, as in Fig. 1, its bottom will be in line with the other chute (see dotted lines in Fig. ,3) so that all the mail matter in the receptacle will slide down as in a trough, out into a basket placed under the outer end of the chute to receive it, and any letters put in the opening 0, on the other side, at this time will pass out with the rest of the contents.

A doorf, hinged on one side to open laterally, is placed over the chute on each side of the wagon. The lower edges of the doors being made with projecting cleats to shut under the outer ends of the chutes, so that when the doors are shut and locked, the chutes cannot be let down. The chutes are also provided with hooks g, to hold them up when the doors are open, for the principal use of the doors is to enable a collector to deposit packages of letters in the receptacle, that would not go through the openings 0.

lhe space between one of the back seats a, and the drivers seat t, is appropriated to boxes or pigeon holes j, for different places on the route, and the like space on the opposite side y, is utilized fora table on which letters can be sorted and stamped, by a person standing in the center between. A drawer *u, is placed under this table y, and may be made to draw out toward the center of the wagon, or out over the seat a, to be used to hold stamps, envelopes, cards, and money received for them on the route.

The space H, on each side of the drivers seat, may be used for packages, &c.

A lantern Z, is put in through the roof at the rear end, so as to illuminate a transparent plate in the back end, with suitable lettering on it.

A curtain h, is hung at the top of the back entrance, that can be drawn down to close the rear end and protect the occupantsin bad Weather.

The Wagon is properly lighted in the daytime by two windows on each side.

Both sides of the wagon are alike, and appropriate lettering may be put on each side, as in Fig. 1, to indicate the purpose it is intended to carry out.

Having thus described my improved postal wagon, I claim as my invention 1. A postal wagon provided with a front entrance and a seat fora driver, a rear entrance with steps and suitable railings and a seat or seats for carriers, and a receptacle with openings on both sides of the wagon to receive letters, &c., substantially as set forth.

2. In a postal wagon, a receptacle for mail matter, consisting of one or more chutes hinged at the inner end and arranged to be let down to discharge the contents, substantiallyas specified.

3. In a postal wagon arranged substantially .as described,-a receptacle to receive mail matter, consisting of one or more chutes hing ed at the inner end, and arranged to be let down to discharge their contents, in combination with a door placed above the outer end of the chute, substantially as described.

4. Means for facilitating the collecting and distributing of mail matter, such as a letter depository, pigeon holes, shelves, receptacles for stamps, postal cards and envelopes, adapted to and combined with awagon suitable for use on common roads, substantially as set forth.

BENJ. ARNOLD.

Witnesses:

E..B. READ, JAMES E. ARNOLD.

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