US546214A - Mail-bag catcher - Google Patents

Description

(No Model) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. l H. ALBERT.

i MAIL BAG GATGHER. No. 546,214. Patented Sept. 1051895.

ANDREW B GRAHAM FHUTD-UTTIO-WSHWGTDILD-C.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 2. H. ALBERT.

MAIL BAG GATGHER. No. 546,214. Patented sept. 10,1895.

@za 133 HW-9235,

HARRY ALBERT, OF NEW ALBANY, INDIANA.

iVlAILfBAG CATGHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 5 t6,214, dated September 10, 1895. Application iledpJuly 16,1895. Seri( l No. 5561153- (No modell) To all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, HARRY ALBERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Albany, in the county of Floyd and State of Indiana, have invented a new and usetul Mail- Bag Catcher', of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in appliances for delivering mail-pouches at any required station along the line of railway, and at the same time taking up mail from such station or stations it there be any to be delivered to the moving train, these Operations being performed automatically and without requiring the stopping of the train or exposing the postal clerk to any unnecessary danger.

The invention consists yof an improved crane to be attached either to the side of the car or a post at the station, and which is adapted to be readily adjusted tothe required elevation, and which can be held positively either in an operative position or out of the way, a double hook attached to the crane and having inwardly-opening latches which close and prevent the accidental disengagement of the mail-pouch-supporting frame after'the latter has been engaged therewith, and an improved frame having a bail at one end and having spring members by means ot' which the said frame is retained in place upon the crane, said frame having wires for strengthening it and for supporting the 1nail-pouch after the latter is placed in position.

The improvement also consists of the novel features and the peculiar construction and combination of the parts, which hereinafter will be more fully set forth and claimed, and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective viewshowing the application of the invent-ion, the crane on the approaching car being set to deliver a mailpouch and the crane at the station being positioned to deliver a mail-pouch to they approachingvcar, each taking and receiving the mailfpouches, as will be explained more fully hereinafter. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a crane, parts being broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail view of a spring for holding the crane :in operative relation and showing its-attach-V ments. Fig. Llis a front elevation of the double hook. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the mailpouch-supporting frame.

Similarreference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The cranes to be located upon the car and the several stations along the line of railway areot likeconstruction. Henceadetaileddescription of the one will be suliicient. A post l is suitably supported at its ends and is formed with a shoulder or annular enlargement 2 near its lower end, which formsa support for the crane to turn upon in its swinging movements around the post l. A tubular standard 3 is mounted upon the post. l and is adapted to turn freely thereon, and arms 4, extending in parallel relation and spaced a proper distance apart, are adjustably mounted upon the standard 3, and these arms have vertical sleeves 5 at their inner ends, 'through which passes the standard 3, and which sleeves are held between pairs of col lars 6, which have positive and adjustable connection with the standard 3. The tubular standard 3 may be threaded, in which event the collars 6 will be correspondingly threaded, so as to be adjusted upon the standard by being turned thereon in the proper direction, or the said standard may have a plain surface and the collars 6 be held thereon by binding-screws 7. These binding-screws 7 will engage with the threads of the eXteriorlythreaded standard and secure the collars against turning thereon after the crane-arms have been adjusted to the required elevation. A brace 8 is interposed between the arms 4 and connects and strengthens them, and at the same time causes the arms to move in unison.

The double hook 9 is provided at its upper end with a cross-bar l0, and a similar crossbar ll is secured to the cross-bar l0 by means of screws 12, and these cross-bars l() and ll are notched midway of their ends, so as to receive the upper arm,and upon which they are clamped by. the screws l2, as will be readily understood. The ends of the crossbar 10 are cleft, and latches 13 are vpivotally supported at their upper ends between the members of the said cleft ends, and thelower ends of these latches engage with the bills of the hooks and are limited in their outward movement thereby. These latches 13 are LII free to swing inward and normally bear against the inner faces of the hooked members of the double hook 9.

The mail-pouch-supporting frame is formed of a stout wire, which is bent into an approximately U form, the closed end of which is deliected outwardly, so as to form a bail 14, which in the operation of the device is adapted to be engaged bya hook of the crane. A wire 15 of lighter gage than the Wire of the main frame connects the ends of the hail 14 and forms practically a continuation of the oppositely-extending portions of the wire at the ends of the bail, and this wire strengthens the bail and forms a point of attachment for the mail-pouch 16, which is attached thereto in any convenient manner, preferably by means of a strap 17, which connects the handles of the pouch after the latter is doubled and the said handles are brought together. A second Wire 18 is bent into a U form and is arranged to extend in an opposite direction to the bail 14, and the extremities of its bent ends are coiled around the parallel members 19 of the mail-pouchsupporting frame. This wire 1S is in the plane' of the frame to which it is attached, and the inail-pouch 16 is supported upon the same at its fold when in position to be delivered or received. The parallel members of the mailpouch-supporting frame are elastic and are adapted to be thrust into the arms 4, which are tubular, and are held therein by frictioual engagement, the said arms being deflected from the position which they1 normally occupy when adjusted to the crane, so as to create suihcient friction to prevent accidental disengagement of the fratrie from the crane.

The arms 4, with their connecting-brace 8, forin the crane proper, and this crane is held in a fixed relative position to the tubular standard 3 by means of springs 20, which are formed from wire of proper gage, and which wire is bent into substantially a U form and has coils 21 near its ends for the reception of a bar 22, by means of which the said springs have connection with the pairs of collars 6. The end portions of the Wire are extended beyond the coils 2l and are formed into eyes, which receive screws or fastenings 23, by means of which the springs have positive attachment with the said collars 6. portions of the bar 22 are bent, and their eX- tremities are formed into eyes, which receive screws or fastenings 24 for positive attachment thereof with the said collars. The

closed ends or" the springs are curved to conform to the arms 4, and the said springs are of railway. Openings 25 and 2G are provided in the tubular standard and are adapted to register with corresponding openings in the The end j post 1, and these openings are right-angularly disposed and are designed to receive a pin 27, by means of which the post and standard are firmly held in the required position. Thus if no mail is to be received or delivered the crane is swung so as to lie about parallel with its support, and the pin 27' is passed through the registering openings in the standard and post, so as to hold the cra-ne positively in the adjusted position. 0n the other hand, if mail is to be received or to be delivered the crane is turned to extend at right angles to its support, and is held in this position by placing the pin 27 in the registering openings in the said post and standard.

Suppose it be required to deliver and at the same time receive mail. The mail-pouches containing the matter to be transferred are folded or doubled upon themselves and attached to their supporting-frames substantially in the manner herein set forth, and the parallel members 19 of the mail-pouchsupporting frames are thrust into the tubular arms 4 and the cranes adj usted so as to extend at right angles to their respective supports. It must be remembered that the crane at the station is so set that when the parts are adjusted substantially as herein disclosed the bails 14 of the respective cranes on the car and at the station will engage with the respective hooks of the opposite cranes. Hence when the car approaches the station the bail of its crane will engage with the adjacent hook of the crane at the station and the bail of the crane at the station will en- IOO gage with the adjacent hook of the crane cai ried by the car, and when the car passes by the station the respective mail-pouch-carry ing frames willbe detached from their cranes and the mail-matter will be transferred, as will be readily understood. The latches of the hooks engaging with the mail-pouch-carrying frames will swing inwardly to receive the bails thereof and will immediately close to prevent the accidental disengagement of the said bails therefrom. Therefore the interchanging of the mail-pouches will be assured.

The wires entering into the formation of the mail-pouch-supporting frame will be of any suitable gage consistent with lightness and stability, and when fitting the pouch to the wire 18' the handles should be brought ton gether, so as to receive the fastening-strap, by means of which the pouch is secured to the wire 15. In some instances the closing of the latches 13 may be assisted by springs of convenient shape and location, and, as shown, these springs 28 are secured at one end to the cross-bar 10, and their free ends bear against the latches 13 and serve to hold them against the bills of the hooks.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the catchers on the car and at the station are substantially alike. Hence the device can be used indiscriminately either at a station or upon a postal-car, and the range of use is greatly increased.

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For special application it is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages ot thisinvention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl l. In a mail bag catcher, the combination of a post, a tubular standard mounted upon the post so as to turn thereon, and a crane having adjustable connection with the tubular standard so as to have its elevation changed and movable with the standard when the latter turns upon the post, substantially as set forth.

2. ln a mail bag catcher, the combination of a post, a tubular standard mounted'upon the post so as to turn thereon, the post and standard having registering openings which are disposed relatively at an angle to one another, acrane carried by the tubular standard, and a pin adapted to be thrust through the registering openings in the post and standard to hold the latter and the crane carried thereby in the required position, substantially as set forth.

8. In a mail bag catcher, the combination ot a standard, a crane mounted upon the standard so as to turn thereon, pairs of collars placed upon the standard and lying adjacent to the parts of the crane mounted thereon, and oppositely-disposed springs attached to the pairs ot collars and engaging with the crane so as to hold the latter in the required position, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

a. In a mail bag catcher, the combination of a standard, a crane loosely mounted upon the standard so as to turn thereon, pairs of collars adjustably mounted upon the standard andlying adjacent to the parts of the crane mounted thereon, binding screws for securing the collars in the adjusted position, opposite1ydisposed springs attached to the collars and engaging with the crane so as to hold the latter in Working position, and means for holding thc crane out of the way when' not required for use, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the crane of a mail bag catcher, of a double hook having a cross bar, and latches having pivotal connection with the cross bar and adapted to have their free ends engage with the ends of the hooks, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

6. In a mail bag catcher, the combination with the crane, of a mail pouch supporting frame having parallel members which are adapted to telescope with and be supported by the crane, substantially as set 'forth for the purpose described.

7. ln a mail bagfcatcher, the combination with the crane, ot a mail pouch supporting frame of substantially U form and having its closed end dedected. outwardly to form a bail, and having its parallel members constructed to telescope with and be supported by the said crane, substantially as specified.

S. In a mail bag catcher, the combination With the crane, of a mail pouch supporting frame of substantially U shape having its closed end outwardly deliected to form a bail, and having its parallel members elastic and adapted to telescope and be supported by the said crane, a Wire connecting the ends ot the bail portion, and a second wire of substantially U form having the extremities of its bent end portions attached to the parallel members of the main frame, substantially as described for the purpose set forth.

9. A mail bag catcher comprising a post, astandard mounted upon the post so as to turn thereon, means for securing the standard in any required positionupon the post, a crane comprising tubular arms and a connecting brace and having sleeves at the innerrends of the arms so as to be loosely7 mounted upon the tubular standard, pairs of cellars placed upon the standard and located at the ends of the sleeves, adouble hook supported upon the upper arm and having pivoted latches, and a mail pouch supporting frame of substantially U form having its closed end outwardly deflected to form a bail and having its parallel members constructed to telescope With the aforesaid tubular arms, a Wire connecting the end portions of the bail, and a second Wire having its end portions bent and secured to thev parallel members of the said frame, substantially as set forth for the purpose described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto atlixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY ALBERT.

Witnesses;

F. W. Pnrnns, CLARENCE Pnfrnus.

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