US557629A - Cash and parcel carrier - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 1.

- A. WHITE.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.-

Patented Apr. 7,1896.

ANDREW E GRAHAM PHOTOUTHDYWAsmNG IOMJ Cv 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model. 1

A. WHITE. CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

Patented Apr. '7, 1896.

(No Model.) 5 SheetsShet 3. A. WHITE. CASH AND PAROELGARRIER.

No. 557,629. Patented Apr. '7, 1896.

1 ANDREW BJEFAHAM. PHDTU-UTHQWASHINGI'ONJ C.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. WHITE.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

(No Model.) -5 Sheets-Sheet 5. A. WHITE.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

Patented Apr. 7, 1896.

W|tr |255E5 AIIIEW EEK-MAM. Pnmnmuwhsumsml. he

UN ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT \VHITE, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PAUL FABER, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSE'FS.

CASH AND PARCEL CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,629, dated April '7, 1896.

Application filed July 28,1892. Serial No. 441,459. (No modelfi To aZZ whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT \VHITE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lowell, in the county of Middlesex and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cash and Parcel Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cash and parcel carriers of that class in which the carrier is propelled by a traveling endless cord or cable; and my invention consists of certain novel features and arrangements hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, on five sheets, Figure 1 is an isometric view of the receiving-slide and mechanism which causes a carrier placed on said slide to engage the traveling cord; Fig. 2, a central vertical section of said slide and engaging mechanism and a side elevation of a part of the cable; Fig. 3, a plan of the lower part of said slide and an adjacent part of the track; Fig. 4:, aplan of the slide-switch, the small shaded circles indicating the shanks of the hooks of a carrier entering the switch and the dotted circles indicating said shanks after being operated upon by the switch; Fig. 5, a plan of the slide-switch just beginning to turn the carrier, the shaded circles indicating the shanks of the hooks of the carrier; Fig. 6, an isometric view of a part of the track and a pul ley-case, showing the track twisted half-way around and bent at an angle of ninety degrees; Fig. 7, a side elevation of apart of the track and one of the pulley-cases, the track being bent at right angles at the upper righthand corner and bent around said pulley-case parallel with itself; Fig. 8, a side elevation of a part of the track, the discharging de vices, and the catcher; Fig. 9, a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a section on the line 10 10 in Fig. 8; Fig. 11, a side elevation, partly in longitudinal section, of a part of the track, the dischargin g devices, and the catcher, showing in side elevation a part of the cable and a carrier engaged therewith and a carrier-support below the track, the position of the discharging apparatus when deliver in g a carrier and the posit-ion of said carrier when being discharged being shown in dotted lines; Fig. 12, a vertical transverse section on the line 12 12 in Fig. 11 of the track and cable, the dotted lines indicating the discharge-opening; Fig. 13, a plan of the bottom of the track and a part of the cable, showing a discharge-opening and showing the hooks of a carrier in horizontal cross-section at the bottom of the track; Fig. 14, a plan of apart of the track and part of the cable and a horizontal section of the hooks of a carrier, a part of the track being broken away to show said hooks in engagement with said cable; Fig. 15, a plan of a portion of the track, a portion of the cable and a carrier, parts of the carrier being removed to show the antifrictionwheels; Fig. 16, a side elevation of the elevator and the raising, swiveling, and releasing devices connected therewith, showing two tracks in cross-section, showing also in side elevation a carrier on the elevator.

Fig. 17 is similar to Fig. 16, except that the elevator is being raised and the carrier is in the position it occupies just before engaging the cable; Fig. 18, a horizontal section on the line 18 18 in Fig. 17 showing the elevator and carrier in plan; Fig. 19, a plan of the elevator, parts of the same being broken away to show the springs, swiveling-plate, and the dog or bolt which engages said plate; Fig. 20, a plan of the devices which restore the swiveling-plate to position on the descent of the elevator, in readiness for another carrier to be placed thereon Fig. 21, a side elevation of the releasing-cam, the elevator, and a carrier placed thereon and turned to engage the cable, a part of the elevator being in section to show the swiveling devices; Fig. 22, a side elevation of a portion of the track, an elevator, and a pivoted section of the flange of the track which moves to admit a carrier to the track and to stop an approaching carrier; Fig. 23, a bottom plan of a part of the track, showing the pivoted flange-sections which stop the following carrier; Fig. 24, a side elevation of curved tracks and pulley-cases; Fig. 25, a rear elevation, or an elevation of what would be seen by looking to the left at what is shown in Fig. 24; Fig. 26, a vertical section on the line 26 26 in Fig. 2a; Fig. 27, a side elevation of one of the pulley-cases and a portion of the track bent around said pulley-case and twisted from the side to the face of said pulley-case.

The track A is in effect a slotted tube, in which travels an endless cord or cable B, a carrier 0 being provided with hooks c c of a sufficient length to reach up through the slot a in the tube A and over said cable, the upper ends 0 c of said hooks turning in opposite directions. In this, as in similar devices heretofore made, the slot at is narrower than the combined diameter of the cable 13 and the shanks of the vertical parts of the hooks c 0, so that the hooks of the carrier being placed in the slot on opposite sides of the cable bend the cable and cause the hooks and carrier to be carried along with the cable by the friction of the cable thereon, the hooks being prevented from becoming disengaged from the cable by the narrowness of the slot (1; but heretofore it has been found that the sides of the slot 0 and the shanks of the hooks are very rapidly worn. I therefore provide the tubes or tracks A with flanges a a at equal distances from the slot a and on opposite sides of said slot and at such a distance from each other as to prevent a square, rectangular, or oblong carrier from turning between said flanges and becoming disengaged from said cable, and to lessen the friction of the carrier 0 upon the flanges of the track I provide the carriers with antifriction-rolls 0* 0 which turn upon vertical studs 0 0 that is, studs which are parallel with the shanks of the hooks c c.

The carrier 0 is provided with any suitable internal receptacle (not shown) to contain money or other small articles or packages in the usual manner.

For cheapness and lightness and to avoid friction I preferably make the tube or track A of wood, forming two grooved counterparts a a each having a flange a a which counterparts, being turned end for end and arranged as shown in Figs. 6, 7, 10, 12, 16, and 17, are secured to each other by nails, glue, or by both or by other usual means, so that the grooves a a in said counterparts unite to form the bore of the tube or track A in which said cable B travels. The part of the track between the flanges is made straight and at right angles to the flange and to the slot a. The track when so constructed with the flanges a a has the further advantage that the carrier may travel on either side or bottom side up, being supported when on its side not merely by the stiffness of the shanks of its hooks without any direct support for the body of the carrier, but by one of the flanges. The track, constructed as above described, may therefore be twisted, or rather made with a twist or wind, as shown in Figs. 6 and 27, or the slot o may be in the side of the tube or track, as shown in Figs. '7, 2i, 25, and 27, to enable the carriers 0 to occupy any position with reference to the track that may be necessary to avoid striking gas-fixtures or other obstructions and to enable the carrier during most of its course to rest upon the track or its flanges, and when necessaryto pass under or over a guide-pulley D. The guidepulleys D (shown in Fig. 26) are circumferentially grooved at (Z to receive the cable B and inclosed in pulley-cases D, having curved slots cl, which are continuous with the slots a of the adjacent track-sections, and may be in the faces of said pulley-cases, as would be the case in Figs. 6 and 27, or in the sides thereof, as shown in Figs. 7, 25, and 26, or partly in the side and partlyin the face of the same pulley-case, as shown in Fig. 27.

A convenient way of engaging the carrier with the cable at the cashiers desk or other elevated end station is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, where A represents an inclined switch or track section, the upper surface of which is curved at its lower end into conformity with the upper surface of the track, said inclined track-section or receiving-slide being provided with a longitudinal groove a which at its lower end curves into and is continuous with the grooves a a in which the cable B travels in the usual manner. The upper portion a of the groove a is open to the face or upper surface of the slide A wide enough to admit the hooks c c of an inverted carrier and then converges downwardly at the surface of said slide into a slot a of a suitable width to receive the shanks of the carrierhooks. A guide or fence a against which a long side of the carrier 0 (which is preferably oblong and rectangular, as shown in Figs. 11 and 16 to 18) is placed, assists in placing the hooks of the carrier in the upper end a of the groove a with the shanks of the hooks in line with the groove (0 and the converging sides of the part a direct said shanks into said slot a. The guide a is provided with a lateral projection a parallel with the upper surface of the slide A and at such a distance from said upper surface as to allow the body of the carrier to pass under it without allowing the hooks to rise out of the upper portion a of the slot a Below the narrow slot o the surface opening of the groove a widens at (L12 sufficiently to allow the hooks o c to turn enough to admit the cable between them, one side, (1' of the wide opening (0 beingin the same straight line with the corresponding side of the narrow slot at and the other side of said wide opening a curving awayfrom the other side E thus acts to convert the opening a into two cut grooves or slits.

The sides of the opening c0 are near enough to each other to prevent the hooks c c on opposite sides of said spreader from getting abreast of each other or to keep the hook which is in the rear at the start slightly behind the other. Above the upper end of the spreader and in the same plane therewith is arranged a switch or guide F, pivoted on a post f and resting on a piece f, which is supported by said post f and one of the posts 6 against the under side of said spreader E and switch or guide F and holds said spreader and switch and said posts in place with reference to each other. The lower end f of the switch or guide F is notched at f to receive the tapered upper end a of said spreader and is wide enough to allow the shank of only one hook c c at a time to pass said lower end of said switch in the groove a. The upper end or nose f of said switch F is pointed and laterally curved, so that when one end of the switch closes the passage between the spreader and one side of the opening (4 the other end of said switch closes the passage between said spreader and the other side of said opening as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and said switch is held in either of these positions by a spring-finger f secured to the top of the spreader and pressing upon the top of said switch. The switch normally occupies the position shown in Fig. at, so that the shank of the hook c in advance passes straight down between the switch and the side (L of the opening (4 and strikes the concave side of said switch below its pivot f (the position of the hooks c c at this time being represented by the shaded circles in Fig. a) and throws the switch into the position shown in Fig. 5, allowing said hook c to pass below the switch, but throwing the nose of the switch in front of the following hook c, which is carried into the passage between th e switch and the curved side a of the opening (L12. As the carrier descends by its own weight the shank of the hook c in advance passes below the switch and the shank of the rear hook 0 (see dotted circles in Fig. i) strikes the convex side of the switch below its pivot and restores the switch to its original position and makes a way for the descent of the hook c, leaving the switch in position for the next carrier.

The lower end of the opening (L12 contracts laterally into the slot (1, and the lower end of the spreader is correspondingly tapered, as shown, to throw the hook a still more in advance of the hook c and both into contact with the traveling cable B, which draws the carrier between the flanges a a the inner sides of the flanges being slightly diverging near their ends to allow the carrier to enter more readily between them, and the corners of the carrier being slightly rounded for the same purpose.

At the salesmens stations, where the slot a and flanges a a are preferably on the under side of the track, the carrier C is applied to the cable B by thrusting hooks c c of said carrier upward through a hole (0, Fig. 23, in the track, (said hole extending on opposite sides of the slot a far enough to allow said hooks to be placed in said hole on opposite sides of the cable,) while the carrier is held so that its long sides are at right angles to said slot a, as shown in Fig. 17, and then turning the carrier to bring the tops of said hooks over said cable and the shanks of said hooks against said cable to bend said cable sidewise in opposite directions, as shown in Fig. let, and finally letting go the carrier or allowing the carrier to be drawn out of the fingers by the cable, the front end of the hole a being V-shaped to guide the shanks of the hooks into the slot a; but the adjacent flanges a a of the track must first be got out of the way to allow the hooks c c to enter the slot a. Accordingly, at each side of each hole (615 the flanges are provided with movable sections (L (4 separate from the body of the track A and pivoted to said body (see Figs. 22 and 23) on horizontal studs a (L18 between said hole (L15 and the rear ends of said flange sections or ends, from which the cable B approaches said hole, so that the front ends of said flanges or ends nearest said hole are raised out of the way by thrusting the carrier upward to insert the carrier-hooks in said hole. The pivoted flangesections again fall into place after the carrier-hooks are turned into engagement with the cable by the weight of the longer front ends. The rear ends of the pivoted flange-sections 0 are provided with inwardl y-extendin g stops a (4 which normally rest in depressions (L23 (4 in the flat surface of the body of the track between said flanges, but which are thrown down into the path of an approaching carrier when the front ends of the pivoted flange-sections a (L22 are raised and prevent such approaching carrier from striking the carrier which is being attached to the cable and from giving a blow to the fingers of the salesman attaching such lastnamed carrier.

here the track is too high to be conveniently reached by hand the carriers are connected to the cable by the devices shown in Figs. 16 to 22, where G represents an elevator grooved vertically at g to receive a vertical guide g, supported from a bridge 9 secured on the rails or track-pieces A A, the latter being supported or suspended in any usual manner, the track at the right in Figs. 16 and 17 being the one to which the carrier 0 is raised by the elevator and the track at the left in said figures being a return-track or track of another system. The groove g is closed by a cap 9 (which may be held by screws g to the body of the elevator,) which cap retains the elevator on said guide.

The elevator G is raised by a cord 9 connected thereto, as by a screw-eye 9 said cord passing over one or more pulleys g and being provided at its free end with a suitable pull 9 adapted to be grasped by the hand, and said elevator subsequently drops by its own weight when the cord is slackened, the shock of its fall being deadened by butters or blocks I I, of rubber or other elastic material.

A turn-table H has a vertical central pivot harranged immediatelybelow the slot (2- and cable 13 in the elevator G and is provided on three sides with an upwardly-extendin g ledge or fence h, which receives and fits two sides and one end of the carrier 0 and retains said carrier on said turn-table and causes said carrier to turn therewith. The pivot h of the turn-table H extends down through the ele vator G and below said elevator is provided with a radial arm 7L secured to said pivot by any convenient means, as by a set-screw 71, turning in a collar M, with which said arm is provided, and thrusting against said pivot. \Vhen the elevator descends sufficiently, the arm 7L2 rides down over an incline 7L5, supported on a lateral arm 71, which projects from the guide 9 below said elevator, said incline being curved concentrically with said pivot, thus turning the turn-table until said turn-table strikes against a stop or stud g which projects upward from the elevator, so that when the elevator is at its lowest point the carrier supported thereon stands with relation to said elevator and to the cable B, as shown in Fig. 16, with the upper parts of the hooks c 0 parallel with said cable and on opposite sides of the vertical plane in which the portion of said cable immediately above said carrier lies.

The above-described action of the incline 715 is resisted by a spiral spring 71/ Figs. 19 and 21, arranged in a recess g in the bottom of the elevator, one end of which spring is secured to the elevator and the other end of which is secured to a horizontal disk h secured to the pivot h concentrically therewith and also arranged in said recess, the turning of the turn-table, as above described, coiling the spring.

The disk h is provided with a notch h, into which a pawl h is pushed by the expansion of a spring h when the table H is turned into the position shown in Figs. 16 to 18, said pawl and last-named spring h being arranged horizontally in a hole 9 in the elevator G and said pawl it being provided 'with a laterally-extending stud h which projects through a slot 9 in the cap g.

The carrier is prevented from being jarred or moving outof the open end of the turntable, when in the position shown in Figs. 16 to 18, by another stop or vertical stud 9 secured in the top of the elevator, and when the carrier is so held and raised by drawing the cord g the carrier raises the hooks c c on opposite sides of the cable, as shown in Fig. 17 up through the opening (0 and the cap 9 rises between the guide g and an incline J, (see also Fig. 22,) secured on said guide and adjustable by means of the slot j, with which the shank j of said inc-line is provided, and by the cap-screws j j which pass through said slot j into said guide. Just as the hooks c 0 rise above the cable B the stud 72. strikes the incline and the pawl h is drawn out of the notch 7L ll1 the disk h the spring 7L7 uncoils and turns the table H and the carrier 0 into the position shown in Fig. 21, so that the hooks c c extend across the cable B, and the shanks of said hooks press against the sides of the cable, which immediately draws the carrier off from the turn-table H through the open end of the fence h, carrying the shanks of the hooks into the slot at, the stud g stopping said turn-table in its last-described position.

To avoid friction and wear of the rapidlywhirling carrier on the hinged flange-sections, and thereby to enable the turn-table to be operated by a lighter spring, a lifter or stud g reaching above the carrier, is secured on the top of the elevator to strike one of said flange-sections (L21 (0 and thereby to raise them both, said flange-sections being rigidly connected to each other by one or more arches (L27, which extend above the body of the track A. (See Figs. 16, 17, 22, and

The carrier C is discharged (see Figs. 8 to 15) from the track principally by automatically raising other pivoted fiange-sections (L25 d while the hooks c c are running through an enlargement a of the slot a similar to the hole (L but considerably longer, to give the carrier ample time to turn to disengage its hooks c c from the cable 13 and drop before reaching the end of said enlargement (L28. The discharge flange-sections (6 (L26 are pivoted to the body of the track at a near their front ends, or ends toward which the carrier travels, and are connected to each other by one or more spanncrs or arches (0 substantially as the pivoted flange-sections first above described are connected, and the front ends of said discharge flange-sections reach under the ends of the adjacent fixed sections, the contiguous ends being cut on a slant (a and the ends of the fixed sections acting as stops tov prevent the rear ends of dis charge sections from rising. In a suitable bracket is, secured to the top of the rail just back of the discharge-sections (L25 d turns a rock-shaft K or lever, Figs. 9 to 11, one nearly horizontal arm k of which reaches under the rear arch a and the other nearly vertical arm k of which extends down by the side of the track and horizontally under the body ofthe same for a short distance and nearly in contact with the under surface of the track at 10 Each carrier 0 is provided on top with two dogs 0 0", turned in opposite directions, in order that either end of the carrier may run in advance and that no time may be lost in as certaining which is the front end of the carrier when placing the carrier on the track, each dog 0 0 having a vertical transverse face 0 o midway between and parallel with the ends of the carrier, and in the same plane with, but facing in the other direction from, the corresponding face of the other dog on the same carrier. Then the carrier reaches the salesmans station where it belongs, one of its faces 0 o strikes the lower end k of the arm 7: of

Lil

the rockshaft K and rocks said shaft, and through the arm L and rear arch (1. raises the rear ends of the discharge-sections a thus allowing the carrier to be turned at right angles to the cable B by the straightening of said cable, the shanks of the carrier-hooks c r" immediately afterward entering the enlargem ent or discharge-opening (L28. The carrier, immediately after its hooks are turned by the straightening of the cable B into the position shown in Fig. 13, tends to fall by its own gravity, and in order that said carrier, which travels very rapidly and has the mo mentum due to its own weight and the weight of its contents may not be carried past the station, inclines (L33 0. secured or formed on the lower edges of the discharge-sections, direct the carrier downward into a catcher L, Figs. 8, E), and 11, the same being an inclined trough or chute with closed ends I Z, supported bybrackets Z 1 bolted at Z Z Z Z to the track A and to said catcher, and provided on the inside, at its upper end I, with a cushion Z of rubber, leather, felting or other suitable material, to receive the shock of the carrier, which, after striking said cushion slides down in said catcher to the lower end Z thereof, which is placed at a proper height to enable the carrier to be easily reached by the salesman. To prevent the dogs 0 c from striking against the lower edges of any of the pivoted flange-sections in turning, a central longitudinal rib 0 the top of which is level with the tops 0 0 of said dogs, may extend from end to end of the carrier and will raise the flangesections (0 0. when the carrier is applied by hand to the track, and the surfaces c of said dogs farthest from the vertical faces c 4: thereof are inclined in such a manner as to slide easily under the discharge-sections without marring them if said dogs should happen to strike said last-named sections.

In order that the carrier may strike the cushion Z instead of falling with a shock and noise into the catcher below the cushion, a tilting supporting-section M. extends below the rock-shaft K and inclines (L33 (1. and is provided with a hanger or arch in, which extends over said track and is pivoted at m to the sides of said track. The section )1 is normally held parallel with said track by a spring m (represented as a spiral spring,) one end of which is secured to the top of said track in the rear of the hanger m by a screw-eye m and the other end of which is secured to a stud m, which projects upward from said arch, the contraction of said spring m drawing said hanger m back against a stop in, secured to the top of said track. The stud "m; is connected by a rod or link m to the rear arch of of the discharge-sections 1 a so that when the rear ends of said discharge-sections are raised, as above described, the top of said hanger m is drawn forward and throws downward the front end of the section M, which then serves as a slide to direct the carrier against the cushion Z The subsequent contraction of the spring on restores the section M to parallelism with the track, and by drawing the arch (0 backward by the link in restores the dischargesections to position. Said link on", by striking on the top of the bracket is, as represented in Fig. 8, may also serve as a stop to limit the return motion of the discharge-sections. The length of the horizontal part 712 of the arm 71: or the distance to which said part 71* extends under the track A, and the lateral projection of the dogs 0 0 from the central rib 0 will vary, as indicated by the dotted lines at c c", Fig. 18, with the different carriers, the carrier which is intended to stop at the first salesmans station having the widest dogs, said dogs being gradually made narrower as the carriers to which they belong are intended to pass a greater number of such stations, and the horizontal part k of the arm k will reach farther under the track at each successive station, so that the widest dog will strike the part at the first station and the narrowest dog will pass all the discharge devices until the last station is reached and will then operate the arm k of the rock-shaft K which has the shortest horizontal part k each dog being too narrow to operate any rock-shaft arm until its own station is reached, and each horizontal part It" being too short to be struck by any dog but the one belonging to a carrier designed to stop at the station where said part- L' is placed.

here heavy packages are to be carried by the devices above described, a stationary supporting-section M, arranged parallel with the track and secured thereto by brackets or hangers m are used to support the carriers.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination of a main track, a traveling cable moving in said main track, a switch-section, a carrier having hooks arranged longitudinally with relation to the direction of travel of the carrier on the main track, and means for so directing the carrier that as the carrier is moved along the switchsection the hooks thereon are made to take such relative positions that when said carrier enters the main track, one hook will be on one side and the other on the opposite side of the traveling cable, substantially as de scribed.

2. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier, provided with two oppositelyeXtending hooks, adapted to engage said cord or cable, a slide or incline, adapted to receive said carrier and provided with grooves or ways, and means for directing one of the hooks into one of the grooves or ways, and the other of said hooks into the other of said grooves or ways, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier, provided with two oppositelyextending hooks, adapted to engage said cord or cable, a slide or incline, provided with a groove, a spreader dividing said groove longitudinally and guiding said hooks on opposite sides of said cable, the sides of said groove converging at the lower end thereof below said spreader, to turn said carrier and to cause said hooks to extend across said cable in opposite directions and a switch arranged above the spreader, as and for the purpose specified.

l. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier, provided with two oppositelyextending hooks, adapted to engage said cord or cable, a slide or incline, provided with a groove, a spreader, dividing said groove longitudinally and guiding said hooks on opposite sides of said cable, said incline having a slot or entrance into the upper end of said groove, of a suitable surface-width to allow the shanks of said hooks to pass singly through the same into said groove, and a switch, pivoted above said spreader and forming an upward extension thereof and arranged to be struck by the shank of one of said hooks and thereby to-be turned into a position to guide the following hook to the otherside of said spreader, as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier, provided with two oppositelyextending hooks, adapted to engage said cord or cable, a slide or incline, provided with a groove, a spreader, dividing said groove longitudinally and guiding said hooks on opposite sides of said cable, said incline having also a slot or entrance into the upper end of said groove, of a suitable surface-width to allow the shanks of said hooks to pass singly through the same into said groove, and a switch, pivoted above said spreaderand having a nose or narrow upper end, said swing being adapted and arranged to be struck by the shank of either of said hooks after said shank has passed the pivot of said switch and thereby to be turned, to disconnect said slot from said groove at the same side of said separator with said shank and to connect said slot with said groove at the other side of said separator, as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of a carrier, provided with hooks, pointing in opposite directions, a traclglraving a groove,a cord or cable, running in said groove, said track having also a slot narrower than the combined diameters of said cable and the shanks of said hooks and extending from said groove to the outer surface of said track, a slide or incline, having a groove to receive said hooks and wider than the combined diameters of said cord or cable and of the shanks of said hooks but narrower than the distance between the outer sides of said shanks, to prevent said hooks from pass ing each other in said last-named groove, and a spreader, dividing said last-named groove and separating said hooks laterally to admit said cord or cable between said hooks, the sides of said last-named groove, at the lower end thereof, converging into said slot to turn said carrier and to cause said hooks to extend across said cord or cable in opposite directions, as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of a track formed in two like parts, each consisting of a piece grooved and provided with a flange, as described, and turned end for end with each other and secured to each other, uniting said grooves laterally, leaving a space or slot midway between said flanges and opening into said groove, a cable, traveling in said groove, and a carrier, adapted to travel between said flanges and having hooks, to reach through said slot and engage said cable, as and for the purpose specified.

8. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, having hooks arranged to press one in advance of the other against opposite sides of said cable and to deflect the same in opposite directions and normally held in engagement with said cable by the pressure of said flanges on said carrier, as and for the purpose specified.

9. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, having hooks, arranged to press, one in advance of the other, against opposite sides of said cable and to deflect the same in opposite directions and normally held in engagement with said cable by the pressure of said flanges on said carrier, said flanges having movable sections to allow said carrier to be turned, to disengage said hooks from said cable, as and for the purpose specified.

10. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a can rier, running between said flanges and having hooks, arranged to press, one in advance of the other, against opposite sides of said cable and to deflect the same in opposite directions and normally held in engagement with said cable by said flanges, said flanges having sections pivoted on the body of said track, to allow said carrier to be turned with reference to said cable to engage said hooks with or to disengage said hooks from said cable, as and for the purpose specified.

11. The combination of a track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a car rier, adapted to run between said flanges and having hooks, said flanges having movable sections, adapted to allow said carrier to approach said track, to place said hooks upon opposite sides of said cable, and to allow said carrier to be turned to press said hooks, one in advance of the other, upon said cable, to deflect said cable, as and for the purpose specified.

12. The combination of a track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, adapted to run between said flanges and to engage said cable and to be propelled thereby, said flanges having movable sections, provided with stops, normally out of the path of carriers traveling on said track but moved by the placing of a carrier on said track into the path of an approaching carrier and detaining Lil said approaching carrier until said firstnamed carrier has moved out of the way, as and for the purpose specified.

13. The I combination of a track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a car rier, adapted to run between said flanges and to engage said cable and to be propelled thereby, said flanges having sections, pivoted between their ends, to allow said carrier, when pressed against the front ends of said sections, to move said front ends toward the plane of the traveled way of said track and to move the rear ends of said sections away from said traveled way, said rear ends being provided with stops, normally out of the path of a carrier traveling on said way but by the movement of said rear ends brought into the path of an advancing carrier, as and for the purpose specified.

l-l. The combination of a traveling cord or cable, a carrier, having oppositely-extending hooks, and an elevator, adapted and arranged to raise said carrier means whereby the carrier is turned as it is raised, as and for the purpose specified.

15. The combination of the traveling cable, a carrier, provided with oppositely-extending hooks, an elevator, a turn-table, rotary on said elevator and adapted to receive said carrier and provided with an arm, an incline, arranged to strike said arm in the descent of said elevator, to turn said table into a position to support said carrier with its hooks on opposite sides of the plane of said cable, a spring, to turn said table in the other direction, a pawl, adapted to engage a notch with which said turn-table is provided, and an other incline, to disengage said pawl from said notch when said hooks are raised above said cable on opposite sides thereof, to allow said hooks to be turned into engagement with said cable by the action of said spring, as and for the purpose specified.

16. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, having a dog and also having hooks, arranged to press, one in advance of the other, against opposite sides of said cable and to de flect the same in opposite directions and normally held in engagement with said cable by the pressure of said flanges on said carrier, said flanges having movable sections to allow said carrier to be turned, to disengage said hooks from said cable, and an arm, arranged to be struck by the dog with which said carrier is provided, to move said sections to release said carrier, as and for the purpose specified.

17. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, having a dog and also having hooks arranged to press one, in advance of the other, against opposite sides of said cable and to deflect the same in opposite directions and nor mally held in engagement with said cable by the pressure of said flanges on said carrier, said flanges having movable sections, to allow said carrier to be turned to disengage said hooks from said cable, and an arm, arranged to be struck by the dog, with which said carrier is provided, to move said sections to release said carrier,said sections being provided at their outer edges with inclines adapted to push said carriers, after the same are disengaged from said cable, away from-said track, as and for the purpose specified.

18. The combination of the track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, having a dog and also having hooks arranged to press, one in advance of the other, against opposite sides of said cable and to deflect the same in opposite directions and normally held in engagement with said cable by the pressure of said flanges on said carrier, said flanges having movable sect-ions to allow said carrier to be turned to disengage said hooks from said cable, an arm, arranged to be struck by the dog, with which said carrier is provided, to move said sections to release said carrier, and a tilting supporting-section, normally parallel with said cable and connections between said flange-section whereby the latter section is inclined by the movement of said movable flange'sections to discharge said carrier, as and for the purpose specified.

19. The combination of a track, having flanges, a cable, running in said track, a carrier, adapted to run between said flanges and to engage said cable and to be propelled thereby, and a support, arranged below said cable, parallel therewith, to sustain the weight of said carriers and their contents, as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification, in the presence of two attesting witnesses, this 25th day of September, A. D. 1891.

ALBERT WHITE. lVitnesses:

ALBERT M. MOORE, MYRTIE O. BEALS.

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