US562584A - Store-service apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) 4 sheets'she et 1.

J. T. COWLEY.

STORE SERVIGE APPARATUS.

N0: 62,584. PatentedJune 23, 1896.

l! N I? g 4Sheets-8heet 2. J. T. COWLEY. A STORE sEEvIcE APPARATUS. I

Patented June 23,1896] (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. T.00WLEY. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 562,584. 1 ,PatentedJune 23, 18961 M A {@A2 N STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

Patented June 23, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

JAMES T. COWLEY, OF LOWVELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS.

COMPANY, or BOSTON,

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 562,584, dated June 23, 1896.

Application fil d October 17, 1394.

. full, clear, and exact description of the inven tion, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to certain iinprovements in that class of apparatus which is employed in stores for conveying cash or parcels from the salesman to the cashier and returnin g the same to the salesman, and especially.

to that class of cash-carriers in which thereis provided a traveling cable to which the cash boxes are attached and from which they are detached, by suitable devices. In such device one part of said endless cord is usedfor conveying cash-boxes to the cashiers desk from the salesmens stations, and the other part to return said boxes to the respective salesmens stations. 1

One object of my invention is to provide a cash-carrier with such a cable-gripping device that it is immaterial which end of the cash-carrier is in front, as by the arrange ment I have provided the grip will be actuated to grip the cord and afterward actuated to be released from the cable-cord without regard to which end of the box is in front.

Another object of this invention is to sim-. plify the construction of such class of devices and produce a machine not only more efficient than the present device in use, but at the same time much less expensive in construction. These and other objects are carried out by the construction of apparatus here- 1 inafter shown, described, and particularly specified in the claims. 1

My invention consists of certain novel features, arrangements, and combinations hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims. F

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my invention, Figure 1 is a side view of.

Fig. 2 is a plan View ofthe same. Fig. 3 is an end view at the cashiers station. Fig. 4 is a cross-section taken on the line a a, Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a cross-section on the line b b, Fig. 1.

Serial No. 526,159. (No model.)

Fig. 6 is a side elevation looking from the line 0 c, Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a plan view of that part of the apparatus shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a cross-section through the tracks on the line (2 d, Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a cross-section through the tracks on the line 6 e, Fig. 7. Fig. 10 is a side view of the apparatus, taken in the "vicinity of the salesmans station. Fig. 11 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail perspective of the switching device at a salesmans station. Fig. 13 is a side view of the take-up device for taking up the slack of the cable. Fig. 1a is a plan View of the same. Fig. 15 is a plan view of the bottom of the cash-box. Fig. 16 is an end view of the cash-box turned on one side. Fig. 17is a side view of the cash-box. Fig. 18 is a bottom View of the box with the central bottom plate removed. Fig. 19 is a cross-section through the boX on the line a: 00, Fig. 18. Fig. 20 is a bottom View of the cash-boX with the bottom plate and gripping-plates removed. and 22', respectively, represent a plan and a side elevation of one of the gripping-plates. Fig. 23 represents a top View of the cash-box.

'Fig. 24 represents a detail view of the improved latch mechanism for holding the top closed. Fig. 25 is a plan view of the bottom of the cash-box with the bottom plate removed and showing the position of the parts when the box is gripped to the cable.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts throughoutthe several views. I

On the top of the cashiers desk A there is fixed a vertical standard A, in which are journaled, one above the other, two pulleys A and A out of vertical alinement, and the cable B passes down around the pulleyA to a suitable driving mechanism, and up over the pulley A and in normal position lies below the line I of the tracks C E, and travels in the direction indicated by the arrows. This cable extends past the salesmens stations to the end of the line and around a pulley B mounted on a carriage 13 provided with four lugs 13, which fit around the rods B and are adapted to move thereon. The rods B are secured at their inner ends to a frame B, secured to the-upper and lower tracks, and are supported by said frame. To oneend of said carriage there is secured a cordB which passes around a pulley B journaled in the frame B mounted on and Figs. 21

securely fixed to the rods B This cord passes around the pulley B and is secured to the inner end of a suitable spring B, the opposite end of which is attached to a bracket or any desirable part of the apparatus. The tension of this spring tends to draw the carriage 13 salesmens stations to the cashier, are one above the other, and are each constructed of two right-angle metal pieces which are ar ranged oppositeand parallel to each other. The bracketsD, D, D D D ,'D D D and D are-secured to the two tracks and support thesame insuitable relative position.

The-cable normally lies below the tracks in the bottom recess in each of the brackets, asshown in Figs-4 and 5, except at a corner where it passes around the pulleys B, suitably journaled in-a substantially right-angle arm Dfito-which the brackets D D ,.and D are also secured, the u'pperand-lower tracks at the corners being cutaway at E as shown in Figs. G and 9,- so that the cable may engage with the grooves of the pulleys B.

The tracks 0 andE at the cashiers station are respectively cut away, as shown inFig. 2, to permit the insertion of the carrier in the trackat O, and to permit its removal at E by the. cashier.

'The cash-box F isprovided with a top F, secured" fast to a shaft F around which the spring F is wound, and at one end bears against. the side of the box, and the other end F bears against the under side of the cover, sov that the. tendency is to throw the cover up and. exposev the inside of the-box. latch at its lower end is secured to the front sidevof the box at F, and its outward movement is controlled by a clip'F N ear its upper end thesaidspring-latch is cut inward on.

each side to form recess F The cover F has two recesses F and I beyond these recesses there is a reentering recess F As the cover is pushed down against the top F of the latch, the recesses F bear against said partand press it outward until said recesses come in line with therecesses F when that part of the metal beyond the recesses F catches under the recesses F and holds the cover locked. When it is desiredto open the cover,'the latch F is -.said fiberthere is. a button of hard-rubber fiber- G,.provided-with .a suitable sleeve of hard-rubber fiber and a screw G secures said button tothe fiberand the fiber to the bottom .of the box, and holds the same in fixed posi- A spring tion. .Below the plate G thegrippin g devices for gripping the box to the cable are located. 011 a central pin J, projecting from the bottom of the box, a cam-plate J is mounted, and moves on said pin as a center. On each side of the pin J there are located the cam-slots J 2 J and beyond said cam-slots there project the fingers J 4 and J 5 on the left and right respectively. In one side of the periphery of the cam-plate there is an angular cut J in which the spring J secured in one of the hard-rubber blocks G bears and holds said cam-plate in the position shown in Figs. 15, 18, 19, and20. This spring, while it permits a movement of the fingers J and J under pressure, in a direction indicated by the arrows, returns said fingers to the normal position shown in Fig.-20 as soon as thepressure is removed. Above said cam-plate there are located two gripping-plates H and H, provided, respectively, with u pwardly-projectin g fingers H H between which the cable is adapted to'be caught and theboxesgripped to-said'cable. From the under side of said plates H and H there project downwardly two pins H and H the pin H passing into the cam-slot J 'and the pin H passing into the cam-slot-J and in the normal position of the parts the pins H and H rest in saidslots in the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 20. The remaining rounded portion of the slot permits the said fingers J 4 and J 5 to move, under pressure, a distance limited by the pins K and K and as soon as the pressure is re- .moved the/spring J slips back into the angular recess J 6 and returns said plate to the position-shown in Fig. 20.

hen the box is gripped to the cord, the position of the parts is as shown in Fig. 25, and the limit of movement of the fingers J .andJ is determined, respectively, by the pins K and K but in this position the pins H andH are respectively at the end of the straight portions of the slots J 2 and J The cam-plate J and the gripping plates H and H are held down in place bythe screws G, which pass in through the plate and into the pins K, K, K ,'and K and by means of this plate all the-parts are held in their proper positions.

The construction of the slots J 2 and J from an inspection of the drawings, will show that as the-fingers J 4 and. J are moved in a direction indicated by the arrows b the pins H and H are drawn nearer to the center pin J and consequently the plates H and Il,-with the fingers'H and H are drawn together, and in this manner the said. gripping-fingers H and H close on. the cable B until the box is released therefrom.

The first movement of the cam plate J and gripping-plates H and H" is to cause the fingers H and H to close up quickly on the cord, and the shape of the cam-slot is such as to. give a slowandpowerful movement to the jaws, which close tightly on the cord.

The grips remain in this position until the finger J 4 or J 5 strikes an obstruction, which reverses the position shown in Fig. 25, and brings the pins H and H back in position shown in Fig. 20.

The space left between the normal position sides of the box to contact with the engaging or disengaging devices, and this movement, as above stated, is caused by the spring J returning into the angular cut J 6 as soon as the pressure is removed from the cam-plate. Supposing a box to have been sent to the cashier, he makes the necessary change and places the box on the track through the opening 0, which permits the buttons G to pass below the top side of the tracks and under the under side of the top of the tracks, so that the upper parts of the track are on,

each side and above the button G and below the hard-rubber fiber G as shown in Figs. 8 and 10, and in this manner the carrier rests on the top of the tracks, and is carried along by the cable when it is gripped thereto. A slight push by the cashier to the cash-box moves it until the finger in advance, namely J strikes the spring-plate L, secured at L to the bracket L secured to each side of the track 0. This spring-plate L oiters such an obstruction to the finger J 5 that it is moved from the position shown to the left of said,

bracket L to that shown to the right of said bracket L inFig. 2. ger in this direction causes the bringing together of the fingers H and 11 against the cable 13, to which the said box is then clamped, and it is drawn along said track 0 by the cable until it reaches the salesmans station to which it belongs. l

In the present instance I have shown a salesin ans station nearest the cashier, and shown the box constructed with diverting-flanges '1, arranged to be switched at this station. For all stations beyond the first one it will be understood that the cash-boxes are provided with diverting-flanges arranged lower down 011 the sides of the box to agree with the location of the diverting-plates at each station, which plates gradually lower from the first to the last, the same relatively as'the diverting-flanges lower on the sides of the cash-box.

As the box approaches the first salesmans station, (shown in the drawings, Fig. 10,) the diverting-plates N, forming a branch track, pass in between the top and bottom of the diverting-flanges M. A spring-plate M is se-; cured at one end to one end of one of the divertin g-plates N, and at the other end pivotally secured to a vertical arm M which in turn is The moving of the finpivotally connected to a crossarm M pivoted at M at the top of the bracket D At the far end of the cross-arm M there is a vertical de-' pending arm M to the lower end of which is secured at M the disengaging spring-plate M which normally is below the line of fingers J 4 and J of the cash-box, but when a cash-box approaches a station to which it belongs the diverting-flanges M en gagewith the divertingplates N and pass up on said spring-plate lV which pulls down the cross-arm M and pulls up the vertical arm M so as to raise up the disengaging spring-plate M in position to move the finger J 4 backward from the position shown in left hand, Fig. 11, to that shown in right hand of Fig. 12. This movement given to the finger J 4 throws the gripping-plates H and H from the position shown in Fig. 25 to that shown in Fig 18, and the cam-plate is then in position shown in Fig. 20, so that the gripping-fingers H and H are away from the cable B,and the cash-boxF, supported by the diverting-plates N,which gradually rise upward, as shown in Fig. 10, is lifted up out of the track 0 through the opening 0 which leaves a clear opening for the buttons at each end of thebox, which are normally in the travel of the carrier held beneath the top flanges of the track,

and the momentum given to the carrier by the cable before it leaves the same carries the box to the end of the diverting-plates N, where it is removed by simply pulling it off from the plates. a

If a carrier does not belong to the first station,the diverting-flange on the side of the box will not engage with the diverting-plates N, and consequently not pull out the spring-plate M to cause the ungripping of the cord, but the box will pass on along the track 0 to a station at which it belongs, where the operation carried out is identical with that previously described for the cash-box belonging to the first station, as shown in the drawings of this application. a i 7 Now, supposing that the salesman at the first station desires to send money to the cashier, he closes the cover of the box and places the box on the track where the lower track E is cut away, as shown at E Fig. 11,

which is similar in construction as the recesses O, E, and C and permits the hardrubber-fiber button G to pass below the top of the track, and when the box is pushed along, the top flanges of the track are between the buttons G and the hard rubber fiber G as when the box was sent fromthe cashier. A slight push given to the box moves it toward the standard D to which is secured the engaging spring-plate N, secured at N to the bracket D and similar in construction to the spring-plate L. (Shown in Fig. 2.) This spring-plate, while slightly yielding, the same as the other spring-plates, to the fingers of the cam-plate, moves thefinger J 4 backward from the position shown in Figs. 15, 18, v and 20 to that'shown in Fig. 25, and causes Fig. 2,) from which the box can be removed bythe cashier.

In either the normal or the locked position ofthe gripping devices there is always one finger forward, and it is immaterial which end of the box is put in, as when the grip- ,pingdevices arein their open positionlthe finger ahead contacts with theengaging de vice to cause the gripping of the box to the, cable, and-when the box approachesadisengaging device the finger ahead disengages the gripping device.

An-inspection of Figs. 18, 20, and 25 will at once suggestthat itis. immaterial which end of the box is ahead, as in either case there is one finger in advance to contact with the engaging or disengaging devices without,

I regard to which end of the box is put in. first.

In Fig. 20 the grips are shown as in an open. position with the pins H and H engaging or; working in the slots of the plate J, while in; Fig. 25 the grips are shown in a closed position with the cam-.slotsin the plate J in a different position from that shown in Fig.'2.0.

' WVhen the plate J is movedto the position. shown in Fig.j2 5, the movement of the pins in the cam-slots draws in the grips soas to close the same on the cord, and the cam-slots are so formed that any outward pressure on the grip-finger or side pressure thereon will not tend to open thennas they are firmly held in a closed position by the said slots in the; plate J. The object of this grip. is to clamp; the cable tightly by the fingers with the least! possible resistance to the engaging fingers;

and the movement of v the fingers is quick up;

tothe time of contact with the cord and then? the grip of thefingers on the cable is-slow and powerful in order to grip the cord tightly.f Theshape of the camslots is such as to pro- 1 duce this movement, because it runs quickly;

toward the center at the first movementandjv it closes in quickly, and then the shape is changedand produces a slow movement into, the center, that is the distance of the camslot gradually decreases toward the centeri and this produces a slow. movement.

In carrier apparatuses of the ,kind dei scribed in this application it is usual ,to em-. ploysprings to hold the grip closed or to hold the grip open, or to both hold the grip open and to'hold it closed by means of suitable mechanical devices in connection with the spring; but in. the grip shown in this application it will be understood that no springs whatever are employed, and the grip is a positive mechanical one when compared with the springs common in this class of devices.

So far as I am aware at the present time, there has never been in practice a cash-box having'a positive lock-ing movement, but in all cases springs have been used to hold the grips in certain positions, either closed or open.

I do not limit. myself to the exact arrangement and construction shown, as the same may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

:l-Iaving thus ascertained the nature and set forth the construction of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of theUnited States, is-

1. In a cable cash-carrier apparatus, the combination of a track and a propelling-cable,

with cash-boxes moving on. said track, each provided with a gripping device consisting of twomembers between which the cable is gripped, mechanism for moving said members to and-from one another, and yielding devices foractuatingsaid mechanism to move said members.

2. In a cable cash-carrier apparatus, the combination of a trackand a propel lin -cable, with'cash-boxes moving on said track, each provided. with a gripping device consisting of a camplate having extended fingers, gripping-plates having-pins working in slots of said cam-plate, and devices with which said fingers contactadapted to actuate said plate to; grip or release the box from the cable.

3. In a cable cash-carrier apparatus,-the combination of-a main track, a propellingcable,; a branch track leading from the main track, cash-boxes supported and moving on- .said main track and each having flanges adapted to engage with the branch track and support. said cash-boxes thereon, a gripping device forattaching said box to the propelling-cable, and a releasing device adapted to be moved into position to actuate the gripping device of the box Whose flanges engage the branch track so as to-release the cable from the grip.

4. In a cable cash-carrier apparatus,.the combination of a main track, a propellingcable, a branch track leading from the main track, cash-boxes supported and moving on said main trackand having flanges adapted ,to engage, the branchtrack andsupport said boxes thereon, a gripping device for attaching said boxes to the propelling-cable, and a device adapted to be thrown into position to .open the grip of the carrier by which it is actuated and thereby release the cable from the said grip.

In testimony whereof I n have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 12th day of October, 1894.

JAMES T. COWLEY. Witnesses:

SAML. E. KIMBALL, ETTA COURTNEY.

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