US716213A - Carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes. - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

Patented Dec. I6, I902. E. A. FOBDYCE.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATOH TUBES.

(Application and Aug. 4, 1902.

2 Sheets-Shut 1.

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No. 7|6,2|3. Patented Dec. I6, I902.

E. A. FDRDYCE.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DESPATClj TUBES.

(Application filed Aug. 4, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets- Shani.

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duction and maintenance of such devices.

i N TE it EDMOND A. FoRDYcn, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC-DESPATCH TUBES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,213, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed August 4,1902

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMOND A. FORDYCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi cago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi= nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriers for Pneumatic-Despatch Tubes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to carriers, such as are used for the transmission of cash, memoranda, &c., in pneumatic store-service systems; and the principal object of my invention isto ef fect an increased economy in the cost of pro- Such carriers as hitherto constructed have usually been formed by a pair ofs'heet-metal cylinders telescoping each other and provided with openings which may be brought into register for the insertion and removal'of the contents, and these cylinders have been provided with cushioned heads, consisting of blocks of felt or similar material, which-constitutethe packing or bearing surface of the carrier within the tube to insure its subjection to the maximum impelling strength of the air-current by preventing the latter from escaping by the carrier when in transit. These heads have hitherto been made froma solid block of compressed felt or similar material ofa diameter to snugly fit the interior of the tube and secured by various means one at each end of the body portion of the carrier. These headsin a busy system require tobe renewed two or three times a year, owing to the fact that the peripheries of the heads wear down to such an extent as to permit the air-current to leak past the carrier, and this comparatively frequent renewal of the felt heads involves an item of considerable expense.

By my present invention I propose to re-. place the usual solid felt heads by rings of felt or like packing material, which cost but a small fraction of the cost of the solid-felt Serial No. 118,268. (No model.)

connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carrier embodying myimprovement. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section therethrough. Fig. 3 is an end view. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section somewhat enlarged through one end of the carrier and taken in a plane at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are front and edge elevations of the felt packing-strip which I employ. Figs. 7 and 8 are front and edge views of the outer retaining plate or disk of the packing-ring, and

Figs. 9 and 10 are similar views of the inner retaining plate or disk.

Referring to the drawings, 11 designates the outer and 12 the inner cylindrical body mem- -ber of the carrier, which parts are made in the usual form and provided with the usual openings, which may be brought into register upon a proper relative turning of the inner and outer cylinders. It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 that the inner and outer cylinders are each closed at one end, said closed ends being at opposite ends of the carrier.

Applied to the outer face of the end wall of the inner cylinder 12 is a disk 13, provided with a short peripheral flange 13, which overlies the closed end of the cylinder, and to the inner face of the end wall of the outer cylinder 11 is similarly applied a disk 14, provided with a short peripheral flange 14., which lies within and is inclosed: by the closed end of said cylinder. It will thus be seen that the flange l3 cdnstitutes an abutment for the open end of the outer cylinder 11, while the corresponding flange 14c constitutes a similar abutment for the open end of the inner cylinder 12. n

The constructionof the two heads .of'the carrier being identical in all respects, adescription of one of them will suffice. Referring, therefore, more particularly to Figs. 4

'to 10, inclusive, 15 and 16 designate a pair of ble flange consisting of an outwardly-extending inner flange 15 and an inwardly-extending outer flange 15 which latter flange is notched at close intervals throughout its entire extent, as shown at 15, to thereby constitute of the flange a series of teeth adapted to bite into the adjacent edge or side wall of the packing-strip in the manner plainly shown in Figs; 2and4c. At suitable intervals around the disk,just within the inner flange 15, the sheet metal is cut and bent inwardly to thereby form a series of tongues 15, which lie at right angles to the plane of the disk itself and are in longitudinal alinement with the inner flange 15. The disk is still further provided on opposite sides of its center with a pair of holes 15 opposite each one of which is cut in the middle of the disk a tongue 15 adapted to serve in the manner hereinafter described as a simple form of nut-lock. The inner-disk 16 is constituted in precisely the manner already described in connection with the disk 15 with the exception of the locking- tongues 15, 16 being the inner flange,'16 the toothed outer flange created by the peripheral notches 16, 16 the tongues cut from the body of the disk,and 16 the holes for the fastening device.

17 designates the packing, which I prefer to form from a single plain rectangular strip of compressed felt, such as is shown in Figs. 5 and 6, said strip being brought into operative condition by bending the same into circular form and securing the meeting ends in anysuitable manner, as by stitching, (shown at 17 in Fig. 1.)

In assembling the parts upon the end of the carrier-body the disk 16 is seated upon the outer face of the flanged disk 13 at one end of the carrier or upon the end wall of the outer cylinder 11 at the opposite end of the carrier, the inner flange 16 of the disk telescoping the flange 13 of the disk 13 or the closed end of the cylinder 11, as the case may be. The annular felt ring 17 is then slipped over the flange 16 and pressed against the teeth of the outer flange 16 after which the disk 15 is applied in opposed relation to the disk 16, the flange 15 of the disk snugly fitting within the ring and the toothed flange 15 piercing the outer side of the ring. The two end members of the body of the carrier having been provided with apertures registering with the apertures 15 and 16, a staple 18 is inserted, preferably, from the inside, the threaded ends of the latter extending through the apertures 15 of the outer disk and receiving nuts 18, by the turning up of which latter not only are the disks 15 and 16 drawn together in such a manner as to securely grip and clamp the felt ring 17, but the disks and ring are securely united to the end of the carrier-body, constituting in connection therewith the carrier-head proper. After the nuts 18 have been screwed up the tongues 15 may be raised or bent upwardly sufficiently above the plane of the disk to lie near or against the adjacent sides of the nuts, thus preventing the latter from accidental turning. The tongues 15 and 16 are so disposed as to interlie when in operative position, and their function is, in connection with the flanges 15 and 16 to serve as a backing or support for the inner face of the packing-ring. By reason of this support it is possible after the wearing-surface of the ring has'become worn down to an undesirable extent by simply tightening up the nuts 18 to compress the ring laterally, and thereby cause the wearingsurface to expand radially sufficiently to restore the snug fit of the carrier-head Within the tube. After the ring has become worn to such an extent as to make this adjustment no longer effective I remove the outer disk 15 and the ring and apply within the latter a cloth, rubber, cardboard, or other flexible annular insert 19, and upon replacing the parts the ring may be again expanded by drawing together its clamping-disks in the manneralreadydescribed. Owingtothenatural expansible quality of the material of the packing-ring, several inserts 19 may be successively applied in this manner, and in this way the ring may be used until it has worn down so thin as to be no longer effectively held between the flanges of the disks.

The two telescoping hollow cylindrical members of the carrier; body may be restrained against longitudinal displacement relatively to each other by any suitable means, that herein shown consisting of a stop-block 20, Figs. 1 and 4E, secured at such a position on the exterior of the inner cylinder 12 as to slidingly engage one end edge of the rectangular opening in the wall of the outer cylinder. This feature, however, constitutes no part of my present invention.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the amount of packing material required to equip a carrier in accordance with my present invention is but a small fraction of the amount of material required to equip the solid felt-head carriers now in common use, and it will be further observed that, whereas such solid felt heads when they became worn had to be discarded, the felt rings of my invention are rendered capable of greatly-prolonged service as compared with the solid felt heads through the provision of the described adjusting and expanding means.

I do not limit my invention to the precise form of packing-ring shown and described nor to the detail mechanism for holding and adjusting the same herein set forth, except to the extent that the same may be made the subject of specific claims. For instance, it is obvious that the felt rings might be cut from a solid disk of felt; but this would in- 'volve an undesirable waste of material, and

hence I prefer to construct the rings from plain strips bent into the required circular form and connected at their meeting ends.

I claim 1. In a carrier for pneumatic-despatch tubes, the combination with the body of the IIO carrier, of a pair of disks secured to each end of the body, said disks having inwardly-turned oppositely-disposed peripheral flanges, and a packing-ring of felt or like material clamped between said flanges of the disks, substantially as described.

2. In a carrier for pneumatic despatch tubes, the combination with the body of the carrier, of a pair of disks secured to each end of the body, said disks having oppositely-dis posed inwardly-turned peripheral flanges, a packing-ring of felt or like material clamped at its opposite sides between said flanges of the disks, and means lying between said disks and serving as a support for the inner surface of the ring, substantially as described.

4. In a carrier for pneumatic despatch tubes, the combination with the body of the carrier, of a pair of disks at each end of the body, said disks having oppositely-disposed inwardly-turned peripheral flanges, a packing-ring of felt or like material clamped at its opposite sides between said flanges of the disks, means lying between said disks and serving as a support for the inner surface of the ring, and means performing the double function of removably securing the heads of the carriers thus formed to the body and radially expanding the packing-rings, substantially as described.

EDMOND A. FOBDYCE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. Pom), FREDERICK O. GooDWIN.

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