US716212A

US716212A - Pneumatic-despatch-tube system.

Info

Publication number: US716212A
Application number: US11826702A
Authority: US
Inventors: Edmond A Fordyce
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-08-04
Filing date: 1902-08-04
Publication date: 1902-12-16
Anticipated expiration: 1919-12-16

Description

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WQUM. l 2, J m m e 7 .M 1W 0. M N M l f f5 7 No. 716,2l2. Patented nec. 16,1902.

. E. A. Fonvc.

PNEUMATICI DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEM.

\ (Aiaplication ild Aug. 4, 1902.) (No Mudel.)

4-Shets-Sheet 2.

" No. 716,2!2. l Patented Dec. I6, |902..

` E. A. FoRDYcE.

' A PNEuMATlc m-:sPATcH TUBE SYSTEM.

(Applicaftion filed Aug. 4, 1902.)

No. 716,2I2. Patented Dec. |6,|902. E. A. Foam/CE.

PNEUMATIG DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEM. (Application lel Aug. 4, 1902.) (NoModel.) '4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

cation.

EDMOND strot-inves,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

` PN EU MATlC-DESPATCH-TU BE SYSTEM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,212, dated December 16, 1902.

i Application iiled August4,1902. Serial No. 118,267. (No model.)

a citizen of theUvnitedStates, residing at Ohi-- cago, inthe county of Cook` and State ofzIllinois, haveinvented certain mew and useful Improvements in Pneum'atic-Despatch-Tube Systems, of which the following is a speci- .My invention relates to pneumatic-despatch-tube systems, such as are commonly l employed as cash-carriers instores and large commercial houses; and the principal or ultimate object of` my invention is to effect an increased economy in the cost of operating such systems, more particularly in respect to a reduction in the power required to maintain the necessary impelling-current throughout the lines of the system.

Heretofore it has been usual in such systems as are operated by a current maintained by a suction or exhaust blower to provide a single main or trunk tube, withone end of which the bloweris connected, thereby maintaining a constant air-suction through said trunk-tube, and to connect each oneof the line-tubes with said trunk-tube, thereby causing an exhaust-current of air to be constantly maintained in each and all of theline-tubes.

`By reason of the fact that certain of the linetubes are frequently idle for considerable, pe-

. riods of time such a system imposes much unnecessary work upon the blower, thus increasing considerably the power required and n expended in the actual transmission of car,- riers to and fro. In carrying out theobject of my invention, therefore, I provide for a reduction in the volume of the impelling-current required when any one or more' of the various lines is out of service at any given time.

My invention will be best understood when considered in connection with the apparatus disclosed in the `accompanying drawings, which apparatus is typical only and intended to illustrate one form and arrangement of mechanism in which the principle of my in vention may be embodied. i.

Referring, therefore, to the drawings, Figure lis a front elevational view of the system as it appears at the central station or cashdesk. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, broken away, of a single sending and return line of the systern when arranged overhead, as shown at the right-hand portion of Fig. 1 and showing the trunk-line in cross-section. Fig. 3 is .aview similar to Fig. 2, but illustrating an arrangement wherein theimain lines are located beneath the floor instead of overhead', as shown at the left-hand portion of Fig. 1; and Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of terminal devices at the outlying stations shown in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively, viewed in planes at right angles to the illustration of said devices in Figs. 2 and 3.

In carrying out my invention I preferably employ a closed-circuit system for the air- 'current-that is, one in which the main or trunk tube is in the form of an endless loop, with the blower interposed therein and connected thereto on both its suction and discharge sides. This trunk-tube is shown in the drawings at 6, and 7 indicates the blower interposed therein, which blower for the purposes of my invention will preferably be a comparatively small blower operating at high speed. By this means a constant and rapid circulation of air is maintained throughout the trunk-tube 6 in the direction indicated by the arrows. The trunk-tube and blower are preferably located beneath and adjacent the usualca'sh-desk` 8, convenientlylocated with reference to which are the usual sending-terminals 9 and discharging-terminals 10 of each connected overhead outgoing line 11 and incoming line 12, which serve the outlying stations 13, Figs. 1,2, and ,fas well as the sending-terminals Qaand discharging-terminals 10a of the underground outgoing and

incoming tubes

11 and 12a, respectively, Figs. 1, 3, and 5. The sending-terminals 9 and 9a at the cash-desk are preferably constructed and connected with the trunk-tube 6 in the manner fully shown in my former patent, No. 681,414, granted August 217, 1901, said terminals being each provided with a pair of valves or iaps 9b and 9c (indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 3) `and having a connection with the trunk-tube 6 below the lowermost of said valves, as indicated by the dotted arrow in said figures. The returntube l2 passes downwardly through the cashdesk and directly taps the trunk-tube 6, the discharge terminal 10 therefrom, like the sending-terminal 9, being trapped or sealed through the provision of a pair of counterpoised valves. (Shown in dotted lines at 10b and 10 in Figs. 1 and 2.) At the outlying station 13, Figs. 2 and 4, the line-tube 11 12 forms a dipor U-shaped bend directly above the salesmans desk and has applied to one leg thereof, herein shown Ias the tube 11, the discharging and sending

terminals

14 and 15, respectively, disposed in planes at right angles to each other and each provided with double valves to seal the line against interruption from the outside air. When thennderground lines ll"L and 12, Fig. 3, are ernployed in lieu of the overhead lines l1 and 12, they are carried up beneath thesalesmans desk 16, being united thereabove through the interposition of a suitable sealed dischargingterminal 17, the tube 12 being provided directly therebeneath with a sealed sendingterminal 18, all as clearly shown in Fig. 5 and at the right-hand end of Fig. 3. The returntube 12, extending up from beneath the cashdesk to a suitable height, makes a bend through the interposition of a discharge-terminal 10, similar to the discharge-terminal 17 at the outlying' station, and terminates in a direct downward connection with the trunktube 6 in precisely the manner already described in connection with the overhead return-tube 12.

In the trunk-tube 6 I interpose a series of cut-out valves, which may conveniently have the form of dampers or slides 19, one of these valves being interposed in the trunk-tube between the points at which theroutgoing and return tubes leading to each outlying station tap said trunk-tube. Preferably, also, I interpose in the outgoing and -return tubes,

just above the points at which the latter communicate with the trunk-tube, similar valves or dampers,(indicated at 2O and 21, respectively,) although the presence of such valves is not absolutely necessary to the successful performance of my invention.

The system operates in the following manner: When all of the lines of the system are in use, it is of course essential to direct the current through all of the several outgoing and incoming lines leading to the several outlying stations. In such case all of the dampers 19 are pushed in, while all of the dampers 20 and 2l, if employed, are withdrawn. The obvious result of this arrangement is that the air-current is forced to travel through all of the lines of the system in series or successively. But supposing that the outlying station connected with any pair of tubes is idle for a considerable period of tim e, then the current may be readily shut off from the pair of tubes connecting the trunk-tube 6 therewith without interfering with the other lines of the system by simply withdrawing the damper lying between the tubes serving said idle station and where the dampers 20 and 21 are employed thrusting both of said dampers in. This obviously enables the current to take a short cut through that portion of the trunk-tube lying between the outgoing and incoming tubes of said idle station, thus saving the blower the energy that would otherwise be required in maintaining the current idly and uselessly through the lines connecting the cash-desk with the idle station. Obviously where two or more stations of the system are idle they may all be eliminated from communication with the blower in the manner already described. Owing to the fact that an air-current, like an electric current, will seekthe path of least resistance, which, other things being equal, will be the shortest path, the current will ordinarily when the dampers 19 are open pass through the trunktube without entering the tubes-leading to the idle station, even when said tubes are unprovided with the dampers 2O and 21; but I conceive it to be possible that this normal tendency of the im pelling-current to seek the shortest path might be more or less aected by the resistance which it meets in impelling or propelling carriers through the busy tubes, and hence the employment of the dampers 2O and 21 to positively prevent the current yfrom entering the idle tubes is deemed preferable. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3 I have shown the tubes of the system as arranged both overhead and beneath the floor; but it is obvious that for the purpose of my present invention the particular disposition or manner of leading the line-tubes of the system is immaterial so long as both the outgoing and incoming tubes connecting the cash-desk with each outlying station tap the trunk-tube, with a valve in the latter between said points of connection. It is also obvious that the broad principle of my invention might be embodied in an apparatus wherein the trunk-tube was connected at one end only with an exhaust or pressure blower, as is common in many systems now in use, instead of being formed in an endless loop, with the blower interposed therein; but I prefer the latter arrangement, since experience has proved that it conduces to a large economy in the power required to operate any plant.

I claim- 1. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the combination with a trunk-tube and a blower connected therewith, of a serien of pairs of tubes tapping said trunk-tube and leading respectively to outlying stations, and cut-out valves interposed in said trunk-tube between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, substantially as described.

2. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the combination with an endless trunk-tube and a blower interposed therein, of a series of pairs of tubes tapping said trunk-tube`and leading respectively to outlying stations, and cut-out valves interposed in said trunk-tubes between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, substantially as described.

3. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system,

IOO

IIO

the combination with a trunk-tube and a blower connected therewith, of a series of pairs of tubes tapping said `trunk-tube and leadingr respectively to outlying stations, cu tout valves interposed in said trunk-tube between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, and cut-out valves i. `interposed in each tube of each pair adjacent the latters point of communication with the trunk-tube, substantially as described.

4. ln a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the combination with an endless trunk-tube and a blower interposed therein, of a series of pairs of tubes tapping said trunk-tube and leading respectively to outlying stations, cut- `out valves interposed in said trunk-tube between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, and cut-out valves interposed in each tube of each pair adjacent the latters point of communication with the j trunk-tube, substantially as described.

5. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system, the combination with the cash-desk and a series of outlying salesmens stations, of a trunktube and blower connected therewith disposed adjacent the cash-desk, a series of pairs of tubes tapping said trunk-tube and connecting thecash-desk with the outlying stations, respectively, and dampers interposed in said trunk-tube between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, substan` tially as described. j j

6. In a pneumatic-despatch-tube system,

the combination with the cash-desk anda series of outlying salesmens statious,of a trunktube and blower connected therewith disposed adjacent the cash-desk, a series of pairs of tubes tapping said trunk-tube and connecting the cash-desk with the outlying stations, respectively, dampers interposed in said trunk-tube between the individual tubes of each pair of the series, respectively, and similar dampers interposed in the tubes of each pair adjacent their points of connection with the trunk-tube, substantially as described.

l EDMND A. FORDYCE. Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND,

FREDERICK O. GOODWIN.