US677978A

US677978A - Machine for transferring mail-bags.

Info

Publication number: US677978A
Application number: US2129600A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eugene T Granbery
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1900-06-23
Filing date: 1900-06-23
Publication date: 1901-07-09
Anticipated expiration: 1918-07-09

Description

No, 677,978. Pa tentod; l l'lly 9, 19m.

. E. T. GRANBER YQ MACHINE FUR TBANSFERRING "All. BAGS.

(Application filed June 28, 1900.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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" WITNESSES I No. 677,978. Patented July 9, I901.

E, T. GRANBE RY. IACHINE FOR TBANSFERBING HAIL, BAGS.

(Application filed J'nno as, 1900. (No Model.) 2 Shoats8hoat 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIQE.

EUGENE T. GRANBERY, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHINE FOR TRANSFERRING MAIL-BAGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 677,978, dated July 9, 1901. Application filed June 23, 1900. Serial No. 21,296. (No model.)

.are in Motion, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines by means of which mail-bags may. be safely transferred from a moving train to a designated place along the railroad and at the same time another mail-bag may be picked up at the said place and taken on board the moving train; and the objects of my invention are,'first, to provide sucha machine that will operate to a certain extent automatically, as more fully set forth below, and, second, to afford facilities not only to pick up mail-bags from a designated place "along the railroad,

but in addition and at the same time to transfer mail-bags with safety from the moving train to the said designated place along the road. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents practically the entire machine, part erected at the designated place and part affixed to the car, before it is thrown into position to operate. Fig. 2 represents the same machine (the car and track and part of the post left out for simplicity) after it is in position to operate. Fig. 3 represents another view of the machine with the mail-bags in place and machine in position to operate. Fig. 4 represents a side view of the catch which holds the part of the machine attached to the car in its ordinary position until released by the operation of the automatic device. Fig. 5 is a detail of the device attached to the car,- giving the same view of the elements detailed and in same position as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the same elements of the device as is shown in Fig. 5 looking from a point in a line at right angles to the line of vision in Fig. 5. This view shows those elements after the machine is thrown into position to operate.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The post A, with the two arms a a, to which the mail-bag b may be attached by the stationmaster, and the fork 0, also attached to post A for receiving the mail-bag from the moving this short arm is attached a long shaft or don-- ble chain 9, which extends along the edge of the track in the direction from which the cars are expected about two hundred or three hundred feet (more or less) and there connected with one end of the elbow h. This elbow it turns on a pivot at 11. The other end of this elbow is attached to the rod j, which works up and down in the bearings 7c is. This rod j must be so placed that when thrown up into position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, it will engage the elbow Z, this last elbow being part of the mechanism attached to the cars.

I shall now describe that part of the machine attached to the car.

B is a fork, which when in position grasps the mail-bag from the post A as the train rushes by. In its normal position, before the machine has been thrown into position to operate, the fork B lies flat against the side of the car. This fork B is firmly attached to the rod 0, which turns in the bearings mm D is an arm, the shape of which is best shown in Figs. 3 and 6, also attached to the rod 0. The arm D is that part of the device to which the mail-clerk on the car attaches the mail-bag which is to be left at the wayside station. The relation of the elements B, O, and D to each other is best shown in Fig. 6. When the machine is not in position to operate, B lies flat against the side of the car and the arm 0 extends inside the car. When in position to operate, 0 extends outside the car under the fork B, as. shown in Figs.3and 6. l 1 V I E is a catch on the end of the sliding rodr, which holds the rodO in its ordinary position, as shown in Fig. 1. This sliding rod '1" is controlled by the spring at and the elbow Z.

This elbow Z turns on the pivot 0 and is so placed that one end of it will engage the upper end of the rodj when the latter is thrown up into the second position, as described above.

The catch E, as shown in Fig. t, is so constructed that when the sliding rod r, to the upper end of which E is attached, is in its normal position the catch E holds the crank w against the side of the car, and thus prevents the rod 0 from turning. The only way in which a: may be released is by drawing down 1' by means of the elbow Z; but as may be locked by E while 0" is in its normal position.

.9 is a spring in the end of '1', which holds the trip 25 parallel to and fiat against 0"; but the action of returning C and m to their ordinary positions by the mail-clerk in the car, after the mail-bags have been interchanged, will forcet in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 4: until tis clear of :10, when .9 will forcei back to its normal position and the mechanism will be set and ready for use at the next station.

At 19 is shown a spring attached to a crank in the rod 0, which when the rod 0 is released from the catch E turns the rod 0 and throws the fork B and the arm D out into the position shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6, ready to pick up one bag and leave the other.

F shows the shield covering the spring 19, (which in Fig. 1 is partly left out so that the spring 19 may be seen.) The crank in the rod G to which the spring p is attached is so shaped that the rod 0 will only turn through an angle of ninety degrees.

The machine is worked as follows: The station-master places the outgoing mail-bag on the two upper arms a a of post A, as shown in Fig. 1, then turns post A so that the two arms ad, with the mail-bag, extend out toward the track at right angles to its former posi tion, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This also throws the fork 0 into position for receiving the mail-bag from the train, and at the same time the rod j is thrown up into position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, ready to engage the elbow Zwhen the car passes. Before the car reaches this point, the mail-clerk on the train places his mail-bag on the arm D. When the car passes the rodj, that rod engages one end of the elbow Z, which, turning on its pivot, pulls down the catch E and releases the rod 0, which, turning (moved by spring 19) through an arc of ninety degrees,'throws the fork B and the arm I) out into position to operate in connection with that part of the machine erected at the wayside station. This posi tion of B and D is shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 6. The elbow Z then being free of the rodj (the car having passed that point) it is returned to its normal position by the spring '21.. the fork B and the arm D pass the post A the mail-bag attached to post A becomes wedged in the fork B, and being only lightly fastened to post A remains in B, and at the same time the mail bag fastened to arm D becomes wedged in fork c and in the same way remains there. Thus the two bags are exchanged, as desired. The rod 0 may then be turned into its ordinary position, where it is locked and held in place by catch E on the end of sliding rod 1', which is now in its normal position, and the mail-bag which has been picked up may be removed from fork B. When not intended to be used, the post A should be kept in the position shown in Fig. 1.

I am aware that prior to my invention a device similar to fork B has been used to pick up mail-bags from a post similar to post A. I therefore do not make any claim as to that particular portion. of my machine by itself; but

What I do claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine for transferring mail-bags to and from moving trains, an arm D for holding a mail-bag to be delivered, attached to a rod 0 which turns in bearings on the side of the car, a spring so connected as to tend to turn said rod and to throw said arm out into position to deliver the mail-bag and a device consisting of a catch on the end of a sliding rod attached to a pivoted elbow, so disposed that said catch holds the rod 0 in a position with arm D inside the car, said device adapted to be operated in connection with ground mechanism whereby rod 0 is released and, turning, arm D is thrown out into position to deliver the mail-bag, substantially as set forth and described.

2. In a machine for transferring mail-bags to and from moving trains, a fork B for grasping a mail-bag from a post by the wayside, attached to a rod 0 which turns in bearings on the side of the car, a spring so connected as to tend to turn said rod and throw said fork out into position to grasp the mail-bag and a device consisting of a catch on the end of a sliding rod attached to a pivoted elbow, so disposed that said catch holds the rod 0 in a position with fork B flat against the side of the car, said device adapted to be operated in connection with ground mechanism,whereby rod 0 is released and turning, fork B is thrown out into position to grasp the mailbag from the post at the wayside, all substantially as set forth and described.

3. In a machine for transferring mail-bags to and from moving trains, an arm D for holding a mail-bag to be delivered and a fork B for grasping a mail-bag from a post by the wayside attached to a rod 0 which turns in bearings on the side of the car, a spring so connected as to tend to turn said rod and throw said arm for holding the mail-bag out into position to deliver the mail-bag and at the same time throw said fork B out into position for grasping a mail-bag from the post by the wayside, and a device consisting of a catch on the end of a sliding rod attached to a pivoted elbow, so disposed that said catch holds the rod 0 in a position wit-h arm D inside the IIO car and fork B fiat against the side of the car, said device adapted to be operated in connection with ground mechanism, whereby rod 0 is released and turning, arm D is thrown out into position to deliver the mail-bag and at the same time fork B is thrown out into position to grasp a mail-bag from the post by the wayside, all substantially as set forth and described.

4. In a machine for transferring mail-bags to and from moving trains, a rotating post A connected by a short arm and long shaft or double chain with a pivoted elbow, to one end of which elbow is attached a rod j which slides up and down in bearings as the post is turned to work in conjunction with a device attached to the car, all substantially as set forth and described.

5. In a machine for transferring mail-bags to and from moving trains, a rotating postA connected by a short arm and long shaft or double chain with a pivoted elbow to one end of which elbow is attached a sliding rod which, when post A is turned, is adapted to engage with trip mechanism on the passing car consisting of a pivoted elbow and sliding rod on the end of which is a catch, whereby said catch is withdrawn, allowing device on the car for catching and delivering mail-bags to operate automatically, all substantially as set forth and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE T. GRANBERY.

Witnesses:

HERBERT B. SMITH, A. W. ANDREWS.