US585498A - Pneumatic-despatch apparatus - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.) s 5111Aetssnm1Ql V B. C. BATCHELLBR.

PNBUMATIG nBsPAToH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June Z9, 1897.

Inventor:

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(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 3. B. G.BATCHBLLER.

PNBUMATIG DESPATGH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. l Patented June Z9, 1.8977.

Trl: 'mams tiene co. Pnouumo., wAsnmnTuN. u. c.

(No Model.) v 'Smeets-sheet 4. B. C. BATGHELLER. PNEUMATIG DESPATGH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June 29, 1897.

(No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 5.

B. oA BATGH'BLLER.

PNEUMATIC DBSPATCH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498.- Patented June 29, 1897.

I Inventor W n/Q35 2S Br/zeg filato/welle? m 25.5/ M'Sfmww m: Dams crans co.. mow-uma. wAsnmcron. u. eA

8 Sheets-Sheet 6.V

(No Model.)

B. C. BATCHBLLBR. NEUMATIC' DESPATCH APPARATUS.

Patnted Jkune 29, 1897.

@EPDM Inventur;

rm; nanars Pneus co4. rhoYoLlTMa, wnnmsou, o. c.

(No Model.) l l 8'S`heets-Sheet 7.

` B. C. BATCHELLER. PNEUMATIC DESPATCH APPARATUS.

Patented June 29, Y1897.

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onms veren: eo. moraux (No Model.) 8 sheets-'sheet a.

13.0. BATGHBLLBR. PNBUM'ATI D ESPATGH APPARATUS.

No. 585,498. Patented June 29, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE.,

PN EU IVIATlC-DESPATCH APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of .Letters Patent No. 585,498, dated J' une 29, 1897.

Application filed .Tune 13,189.5. Serial No. 552,702. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it weary concern: i

Be it known that I, BIRNEY C. BATcHEL- LER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented certain Improvements in Pneumatic-Despatch Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in receiving and despatching mechanism for use in connection with pneumatic-transit apparatus, one of the objects of the invention being to so construct the receiving mechanism that it will automatically receive the carrier, discharge the sam e, and resume its position ready for the reception of another carrier, a further object being to so construct the mechanism for introducing the carrier into the transit-pipe, and which I term the senden that a certain time must necessarily elapse between the sending of successive carri-ers, the sender after introducing one carrier into the pipe being locked against the introduction of another until a certain time after the first carrier has been despatched. y These objects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side View illustrating` receiving and sending mechanism for pneumatictransit apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the line Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, on a larger scale, of a valve-chest forming part of the device. Fig. 6 is a transverse section representing the main features of the sender. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a transverse section, partly in elevation, and a longitudinal section, partly in elevation, of devices employed in connection with the sending Vmechanism. Figs. 9, 10, ll, and 12 are respectively a plan View, a sectional plan View, a side View, and a vertical section of a modified form of sending apparatus. Fig. 1-3 is a view showing another modification; and Fig. 14 is a sectional View of part of the cylinder shown in Fig. 1, illustrating an element of the receiving device not shown in said Fig. l.

I will first describe the receiving mechanism shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 4.

1 represents the end portion of a pneumatic-transit pipe having an enlarged section 2', into which the air escapes through suitable slots prior to passing through the sender 3 and into the pipe 4, communicating with the return-line. (See Fig. 6.)

Beyond the section 2 of the pipe l is a receiver 5, consisting of a pipe which, when in the position shown in Fig. 1, forms a continuation of the pipe 1, the abutting ends forming a comparatively snug lit and the outer end of said receiver 5 communicating with a waste-pipe 6 through a spring-actuated valve similar to a safety-valve, said spring being adjustable, so as to regulate the amount of cushioning on the advancing carrier. The pipe 6 discharges through the hollow post or column 7, which has at the upper end a fork provided with bearings 8 for the trunnions, whereby the receiver 5 is pivoted, so that the latter can eitherassume the position shown by full or dotted lines in Fig. 1, change in position being effected by the piston of a cylinder 9, this piston being connected by a suit- .able rod to a guided cross-head 10, which in turn is connected by a rod ll to an arm 12, depending from the outer end of the receiver 5.

The pipe 1 communicates, through a small pipe 13, with a chest 14, containing a valve 14a, of such character that when in the position shown in Fig. 5 it will cause air under pressure to be directed through a pipe 14b to the bottom of the cylinder 9, so` as to force the piston upward therein, the air above the piston escaping through a pipe 15 and outletvalve 16, while when the position of the valve is reversed the conditions are likewise reversed, air under pressure being admitted to the upper end of the cylinder 9, so as to force the piston downward therein, and the airbeneath the piston escaping through the pipe 14b and outlet-valve 17. It Will be evident, therefore, that by simply moving the valve in the chest 14 the piston in the cylinder 9`can be moved in either direction, and the receiver 5 therefore caused to assume either of the positions shown in Fig. 1.

The admission of air to the bottom of the cylinder 9, so as to cause the rise of the pis'- ton therein and the tipping of the receiver 5, is in the present instance effected by depression of the valve in the chest 14, and in the drawings I have shown two different devices for effecting this purpose, either or both of which can be used, as desired. The first device effects movement of the valve by contact of the advancing carrier with a finger 18, carried by a rock-shaft 19 and projecting therefrom into the receiver 5, as shown in Fig. 14, the contact of the carrier with this nger effecting the raising of the latter and the rocking of the shaft 19, which has an arm 2O connected by a rod 21 to a lever 22, the other arm of which is connected to the stem of the valve 14, as shown in Fig. 1.

The second method of operating the valve in the chest 14 is by pneumatic means, the stem of the valve 141L being connected to a plunger in a cylinder 23, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the upper end of said cylinder being in communication through pipes 24 and 25 with the outer end of the receiver 5, so that the air compressed within said receiver in advance of the carrier entering the same is caused to act uponl the plunger in the cylinder 23, and thus depress the valve in the chest 14. Both of these means of operating the valve in the chest 14 may be adopted in the same apparatus, if desired. Hence both of them are illustrated. in Fig. 1.

The pipes 24 and 25 communicate with each other through a pipe 25a, which passes through one of the trunnions of the receiver 5 and is free to turn around the end of the pipe 24, so that the receiver can be raised or lowered without disturbing the connection between the pipes 24 and 25.

When the receiver is tilted to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the carrier is free to drop from the same onto a pivoted platform 26, the end of the pipe 1 being closed by a segmental stop-plate 27, carried by the forward end of the receiver.

The platform 26 is pivoted at 23 and has a counterbalance-weight 29, which normally tends to maintain the platform in the upwardly-inclined position shown by full lines in Fig. 1, but when the carrier is deposited on the platform the preponderance of weight is shifted to the opposite side of the pivotal axis of the platform, and the latter descends to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, the carrier rolling from the platform onto a fixed table 30, owing to the slight lateral inclination of the platform 26, as shown in Fig. 4.

rlhe platform 26 is connected by a rod 31 to an arm 32 on a rock-shaft 33, which has another arm 32, connected by a rod 34 to a lever 35, which is adapted to act upon the lower end of the stem or spindle of the valve 14, contained in the chest 14. l/Vhen therefore the platform 2G descends, such movement of the lever 35 is caused as will effecta lift of the valve in said chest 14, thus causing a descent of the piston in the cylinder 9 and restoring the receiver 25 to its normal position, the platform 26 again rising under the action of its counter-balance-weight as soon as the carrier has rolled from the same.

Having thus described the essential features of the receiver, I will now describe that portion of my invention which relates to the sending device.

The invention has no special reference to the construction of the sender 3 itself, as to which it will be sufficient to state in connection with Fig. G that it consists simply of a cylindrical chamber contained within the casing 3 and having therein a valve 36 with trans- 'verse opening for the reception of the car- .rier, this valve having a central shaft 40, whereby it may be turned so that its passage is at right angles to the pipe 4 and is then adapted for receiving the carrier through the opening 37, the air from the pipe 1 meantime passing around the sides of the valve, owing to the greater width of the casing 3.

The valve is susceptible of movement to the extent of a quarter of a turn, so as to bring its opening into line with the pipe 4 to permit the carrier to enter the same.

The mechanism employed by me in connection with the sender is intended to introduce a certain time element into the operation of said sender-that is t'o say, the lapse of a certain amount of time between the introduction of successive carriers into the transit-pipe.

On reference to Figs. 7 and 8 it will be observed that the shaft 40 of the sender-valve 36 has an arm 41, whereby the valve is turned, and on said shaft are two other arms 42 and 43. rlhe arm 42 is connected by a link 44 to a sliding cross-head 45, which carries a springactuated trigger 46, adapted to engage with a nut 47 at the upper end of a rod 48, which carries a plunger 49, adapted to a cylinder 50, communication between the upper and lower ends of the latter being established by means of pipes 51 52 and a valve 53.

The plunger 49 has a valve 49 opening IOO IIO

downwardly, and the cylinder 50, as well as the pipes 51 and 52, is intended to be filledA with liquid, which will offer very little resistance to the rise of the plunger 49, as the liquid is free to pass through the same from one end of the cylinder to the other, owing to the opening of the valve 49a. When any attempt is made to depress the plunger, however, this valve instantly closes, and the liquid can then be forced from the lower to the upper end of the cylinder only through the pipe 51 52 and valve 53,A and the latter can be adjusted so as to provide for as free or restricted a fiow as desired. Thile a quick lift of the plunger is thus provided for, its descent can be redraw it from engagement with the arm 43. (See Fig. 8.) p

The parts are in the position shown in Fig. 7 when the opening of thesender-valve is at right angles to the transit-pipe 4 and is adapted for the reception of the carrier.

When the valve is turned so as to bring its opening into line with the transit-pipe 4, the cross-head is lifted, carrying with it the rod 4S and plunger 49 until the trigger 46 is struck and tripped by a set-screw 58, whereupon the said rod 48 is released and is permitted to descend under the iniiuence of weights 59 or a spring or equivalent depressing device. If now the valve is restored to its former position to receive a fresh carrier, the arm 43 will be engaged by the spring-retainer 54, so that the valve cannot be again turned into line with the transit-pipe 4 until said retainer is withdrawn from engagement with the arm 43, which will not take place until the plunger 49 has reached the limit of its descent, and the time occupied in this descent can be regulated as desired by the adjustment of the valve 43. By this means carriers cannot be transmitted in such rapid succession as to interfere with each other in transit or overtax the capacity of the receiver at the other end of the line, the latter necessarily requiring a certain amount of time in its operation.

Various forms of sender involving this time element can be constructed in accordance with my invention. For instance, in Figs. 9 to l2 I have shown a transmitter consisting of a tube 60, constituting a straight continuation of the transmitter-pipe 6l, which receives the air through a branch 62 and slotted casi ing 63.

Communication between the pipe 6l and y the tube 60 is normally closed by a valve working in a chamber 64, this valve being carried by a rock-shaft 65, having an arm 66, which when moved to the position shown in Fig. 9, so as to close the valve, is held by a spring-bolt 67, chambered for the reception of a headed rod 68, carried by the upper end of a plunger-rod 69, the plunger being adapted to a cylinder and being free to rise therein, but having its descent restricted by a valved by-pass of any appropriate character, the descent of the plunger being caused by a weight or spring suitably applied, as shown, for instance, by dotted lines in Fig. l2.

The plunger-rod 69 has a chain 7l running over a pulley 72 and connected to a drum '73, which can be clutched to the rock-shaft 65 by means of a spring-tri gger 7 4, hung to the drum 73 and engaging with a toothed disk 7 5, keyed on the rock-shaft 65, said spring-trigger carrying a set-screw 76, which by Contact with a fixed stop 77 on the tube 60 causes the tripping of the trigger 74 and the release of the drum 73, so as to permit ofthe unwinding of the chain 7l as the plunger slowly descends in the cylinder 70 under the influence of its spring or weight, the descent being limited ing of the valve until the plunger has completed its descent in the cylinder 70 and the spring-bolt 67 is again retracted.

At the top of the tube 60 is another chamber for the reception of a valve which is carried by a rock-shaft 8l, having an arm 82, with rib .83, and when the top valve is closed this rib is in line with a notch 84 in the under side of the arm 66 and is concentric with the axis of the rock-shaft 65. Hence said arm 82 must be moved to this position, so as to close the upper valve before the arm 66 can be moved to open the lower valve. In transmitting a carrier, therefore, the arm S2 is first drawn back, so as to open the upper valve and permit of the insertion of a carrier into the tube 60, said carrier resting upon the lower valve, which is closed, and is locked in position, owing to the fact that the rib 83 of the arm 82 is out of line with the notch 84 of the arm 66. The arm S2 is then adj usted to the position shown in Fig. 9, so as to close the upper valve, and the arm 66 is then moved forward, so as to open the lower valve and permit the carrier to pass into the transitpipe. Before the upper valve can be again opened the arm 66 must be again withdrawn to the position shown in Fig. 9, so as to close the lower valve, and said arm 66 is locked in this position until released by the retraction of the bolt 67.

The arm 82 alone might be used, if desired, to insure the full retraction of the arm 66, but it is preferable also to use the upper valve in connection with the same.

The vertical form of sender shown in Figs. 9 to l2 is the preferred one, as it provides for the descent of the carrier into the transitpipe by gravity from a straight continuation of said pipe.

In order to facilitate the descent of the carrier, l provide for admitting air to the space above the same, the means employed for this purpose being a by-pass 85, formed on the side of the tube 60 and extending from the lower-valve chamber 64 to the upper-valve chamber 80. When the lower valve is closed, it closes the lower end of this by-pass and prevents the iiow of air into the same, but when the lower valve begins to open it opens the by-pass and permits air to gain access to the upper-valve chamber and thence beneath the upper valve to the tube 60, above the carrier, so that when the lower valve is opened the pressure above the carrier is equal to that below it and said carrier can freely descend IIO into the pipe 61. The admission of pressure to the tube 60 also tends to balance thelowcr valve andl renders the movement of the same easier than it would otherwise be.

It is advisable to prevent theintrodu'ction of a carrier into the transit-pipe 61 when nov current of air is maintained therein, and for this reason I provide on the under side of the projecting casing of the valve-chamber 64 a cylinder 86, containing a piston 87, which is secured to or forms part of a bolt'88, adapted to project into the valve-chamber 64 and lock the lower valve when the same is closed, springs 89 acting on the piston 87 to thus project the bolt. air is maintained in the pipe- 61 and hence in the valve-chamber 64, the air gains access to the cylinder 86, above the piston 87, either around the bol-t 88 or through a special opening 90, Fig. 9, and thus depresses the piston against the action of the springs 89, so as to withdraw the bolt 88 and unlock the valve.

Various other devices calculated to embody the time element in the operation of the transmitter m-ay be devised within the scope of m-y invention, although some form of liquid-escapement device such as I have described ispreferred. In Fig. 13- I have illustrated a modification in which a rod 48a, instead of carrying apiston adapted to a cylinder as does the rod 4S, is provided with a rack which meshes with a pinion 91, loose on a shaft 92 and having a spring-pawl 93, which engages with a ratchet-Wheel 94, fast on said shaft 92. Also fast on the shaft 92 is a spur-wheel 95, which meshes with a pinion 96 on a shaft 97, and on the latter shaft is also an escapementwheel 98, engaging with a vibrating escapement-lever 99. therefore, itturns the wheel 91 on the shaft 92, so that the pawl 93 slips on the ratchetwheel 94, but on the descent of the rod 4tL the pawl engages with the ratchet-wheel and turns the wheel 91 and shaft 92, so that the speed of descent of the rod 48 is regulated by the operation of said escapement-wheel 98 and its lever 99.

IIaving thus described my invention, I claim andV desire to secure by' Letters Patent- 1. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with a pivoted receiver, a cylinder havj ing a piston connected to said receiver so as tov tilt the same by its movement, a valve adapted to direct motive fluid into said cylinder to cause movement of the piston therein',

and means whereby the carrier in its forward movement in the receiver is caused to actuate said valve so as to effect the tilting of the receiver, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with a pivoted receiver, a cylinder having a piston connected to said receiver so as to) tilt the same by its movement, a valve adapted to direct motive fluid into said cylinder to cause movement of the piston therein, a pivoted platform adapted to receive the When, however, pressure of i When the rod 491L is lifted", i

carrier from the tilted receiver, and means whereby the movement of said platform is caused to operate the valve so as to effect the restoration of the receiver to its normal position, substantially as specified. g

3. The combination of the transit-pipe, the pivoted receiver, the cylinder having a piston connected to said receiver and serving to tilt the same, a valve for directing motive fluid to said cylinder, a pneumatic operating device for said valve, and pipes connecting said device to the receiver, one of saidY pipes passl ing through the trunnion of the receiver, subf stantially as specified.

with the pivoted and laterally-inclined pla-tform, and a stationary receiving-platform onto which the carrier can roll from the pivoted platform, substantially as specified.

5. The combination of a pneumatic-transit pipe, with a sender constructed for the reception of the carrier when its parts are in one position and for the discharge of said carrier when its parts are in another position, and means for manually adjusting the parts of said sender from one position to the other and a locking device for the sender, and an escapement device whereby the sender is held in a locked position fora predetermined time, substantially as specified.

6. The combination of the sender employed in connection with a pneumatic-transit device, with means for locking the sender, and an escapement device for opening the lock, said escapement device comprising a liquidcylinder with plunger therein, and a restricted passage from one end of the cylinder to the other, substantially as specified.

7. The combination of the sender employed in connection with a pneumatic-transit apparatus, with a lock for said sender, and an escapem ent device for opening-said lock, said escapement device comprising a cylinder having a plunger and restricted passage from one end to the other, means whereby the plungerrod is ,caused to release the lock, a trigger' j through the medium of which the plunger is moved in one direction, and means for tripl ping said trigger so as to release the plunger. 8. The combination of the sender employed in connection with pneumatic-transit apparatus, an arm for opening the sender, a locking device for said arm, an escapement for opening said lock after a predetermined interval, and a second arm serving when in one position to lock the first arm and permit the introduction of a carrier into the sender, and when in the other position, to release saidV arm and prevent the introduction of a carrier, substantially as specified.

9. The combination of the sender with two l arms, one governing the admission of a carrier into the sender, and the other govern-ing lthe discharge of the carrier therefrom, said jarms being constructed to interlock.

10. The combination with the transit-pipe,

lof the sender comprising a vertical continua- 4. The combination of the tilting receiver IOO IIO

tion of the transit-pipe, L branch pipe eom-` In testimony whereof I have signed my munioating with the transit-pipe through a name to this specication in the presence of slotted Casing at the base of the sender, a two subscribing witnesses.

valve interposed between said slotted casing VBIltbUlY C. BATCHELLER. 5 and the Continuation of the transit-pipe, and Vitnesses:

a Valve for closing the mouth of the latter, C. H. PHILLIPS,

substantially as speeied. C. E. GREGORY.

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