US889030A - Mail-bag catcher and deliverer. - Google Patents

Description

No. 889,030; I PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

- H. E. MESSBRSMITH.

M AIL BAG GATGHER AND DBLIVBRBR. APPLICATION PILED'MAR. 16. 1 901;.

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n4: NORRIS PETERS cc. wAsmnsmlv. nc No. 889,030. PATBNTED MAY 26, 1908.

- H. E. MESSBRSMITH.

MAIL BAG GATGHER-A'ND DBLIVERBR.

' APPLIOAIIONTILBD 15.11.16.1908.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER AND DELIVERER.

Patented May 26, 1908.

- Application filed March 16, 1908. Serial No. 421,368.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY E. MEssnR- SMITH, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Huntington, county of Cabell, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers and Deliverers, of which the following is a full and clear specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the crane and a portion of a passing railway-car showing the grab-hook and bag-holder in position; Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views hereinafter more particularly described; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the crane; Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and Figs. 6 and7 are detail perspective views of parts hereinafter described.

The object of this invention is to provide simple appliances for delivering mail-pouches to and from moving trains, and to the accomplishment of this object and suchothers as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists of the parts and combination of arts hereinafter fully described, and particu arly pointed out in the appended claims, reference eing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings by reference letters, a designates a grab-hook of the ordinary type mounted on the car, I) the bag that is to be delivered from the car, which bag is suspended upon the outer ends of horizontal arms 0 carried by a vertical shaft d whose upper lower ends are journaled in suitable bearings on the ,car, which bearings'permit the shaft (1 to be turned to swing the bag outwardly into position and to bring the arm a back into the car. The lower arm is pivoted in a slot in the standard (1 and its inner end is connected bya spring e to a lug on said standard whereby the outer end of the lower arm a will be normally drawn downward and thus exert a tension on the bag and hold the bag firmly but removably on its sup orting means. Any suitable means may be employed for locking the shaft d against turning when it is in position to deliver a bag.

The grab-hook a is adapted as the train passes to pick up the bag f from the arms 9 of the crane, and the gooseneck hook it carried by the-crane is adapted to receive the bag I) as the train passes. The crane consists of a suitable base i having a circular socket in which is stepped the standard 7' of the crane, which carries the lower one of the arms 9, which arm is pivoted to the standard so that when the bag is removed this arm will dro down out of the way, a suitable spring 0 being preferably employed to expedite this downward. movement of the arm. This standard is rotatably mounted in the base so that it may be turned a half revolution to render the crane operative on the other track, should the crane be erected between the tracks. A suitable pin Z is employed to lock the standard in either of its positions.

Extending loosely up through the base and the standard is a vertical rod m which has rigidly affixed to it a block it which rests upon the upper end of the standard and thus supports the rod in position. Mounted rotatably upon the block a and the u per portion of the rod m is a supplementa tubular standard 0 which carries at its upper end the upper arm g and at its lower end the lateral arm p carrying the gooseneck hook h, this hook being swiveled at g to the end of the arm p, the axis of this swivel being horizontal and radial with respect to the standard. The swivel enables the hook to be reversed so as to adapt it to receive bags from trains going in either direction and it is locked in either position by any suitable means, preferably y an arm 1 pivoted to lugs s on the hook and adapted to be removably locked to either one of two pairs of opposite lugs t carried by the arm p by means of a pin a. The outer end ofthe arm 1" is extended laterally at o to form with the lugs s a continuation of the mouth of the hook to assist in directing the bag into the elbow of the hook.

In connection with the above devices I employ means whereby the receiving hook it and the upper holding arm 9 are automatically turned around to a position parallel with the track instantly after the gooseneck hook receives the bag, the shock of receiving the bag being utilized to release the returning devices. In a recess in the upper tubular section 0 I inclose a spring 0. and attach one end to the rod m and the other to said standard 0, the normal tendency of this spring being to rotate the standard. To hold the standard 0 against rotation in its operative position, which position is shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, I form a ratchet tooth b on the lower end of the standard which tooth is adapted to engage either one of the two similarly shaped notches 0 and d formed in the u per face of block a, and to hold block n and rod m against rotation while the standard 0 is rotated I provide the lower side of block 71 with a similarly shaped tooth 6 adapted to engage either one of two similarly shaped notches f and g formed in the upper edge of the main standard and facing in a direction opposite to the upper notches c and d. In connection with these notches I provide spring-actuated filling or bridging blocks 71/, 21, carried by suitable levers pivotally mounted respectively on the block it and on the main standard 3' in position to be readily operated by the attendant, these filling or bridgingpieces being supported in such position with reference to notches d and g that when these notches are unoccupied by the respective cam lugs b and e these bridge pieces will snap into said notches and exactly fill the same, thus bridging over these notches and rendering them inoperative as abutments for said teeth I) and 6.

With the construction above described it will be observed that when the hook comes in contact with the bag the block n will be prevented from rotating by its tooth 6 but owing to the fact that the tooth b is faced in the opposite direction the upper standard 0 will be given a partial rotation by the impact of the pouch. This impact will be sufficient to rotate the standard 0 far enough to carry its tooth I) out of notch d, where upon filling piece it will snap into notch d and bridge the same, and immediately thereupon the action of coil spring a will turn the standard 0 in the direction opposite to that given by the impact of the bag and thus carry this standard with its arms around a quarter turn whereupon its tooth b will drop into notch c and thus lock the standard with its arms parallel with the track, out of the way. To set the apparatus for another operation the attendant simply swings the arms back to a position at right angles with the track, holding the bridge piece it out of notch d to permit lug b to drop into said notch d and thus lock the parts in operative position again.

When the gooseneck h is reversed for operation with a train oing in the opposite direction the lower lug e and cooperating notches f and g are brought into use, and these parts operate in the same way as the upper tooth or notches but in the reverse direction, a coil spring 3' similar to spring a being inclosed in a recess in the main standard, this spring tending to rotate the rod m in a direction opposite to the tendency of the spring a.

It will be observed that in whichever way the receiving hook it is turned the impact of the pouch simply unlocks the locking cam tooth and does not of itself swing the hook around out of the way. The hook is swung around out of the way by the action of the spring, and the direction of movement is for wardly, that is, in the direction of the oncoming train, so that there is never any danger that the hook shall be swung around to inoperative position without receiving the pouch. The same is true of the upper one of the arms 9 for holding the bag to be delivered to the train.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

the top thereof provided with a pair of camshaped notches in its upper face, a vertical rotatable member mounted on said part and provided at its lower end with a cam-shaped tooth adapted to engage in either one of the aforesaid notches, a spring tending to rotate said member forwardly, that is, in the direction of the oncoming train, and a hook-like member carried by said rotatable member, for the purpose set forth.

pivoted thereto and adapted to swing downwardly when released, another cooperating arm carried by a rotatable part mounted on the standard, means for locking this arm parallel with the aforesaid arm, and means for normally swinging this latter arm around forwardly out of the way when released.

3. In combination with astandard, adownwardly swinging arm thereon, a rotatable part mounted on the standard and carrying an upper arm and a receiving hook or neck, means for locking this rotatable part with said arm and said hook in operative position, and means for normally rotating said rotatasaid hook around out of the way.

4. In combination with a standard carrying a laterally projecting arm p, a receiving hook pivotally mounted in the end of said arm to adapt it for reversal, a lock lever pivoted on the hook and having an extension '2) forming part of the mouth or throat of the hook, and means for detachably locking the end of this lever to said arm 29 to thereby hold the hook in either of its two positions.

5. In combination with a standard, a laterally-projecting hook mounted thereon and adapted to be reversed, and means normally released in either direction to carry it around out of the way.

6. In combination with a standard, a laterally swinging hook mounted thereon and adapted to yield bodily backward, means for looking it in operative position, said means being adapted to be released by the backward yield of the hook caused by the imp act of a delivered pouch, and means for normally swinging said hook when released forwardly out of the way.

7. In combination with a standard, aro- 1. In combination, a standard, a part on 2. In combination, a standard, an arm I ble part when released to carry said arm and V tending to swing said hook forwardly when p tatable part carrying a laterally-projecting hook mounted thereon and adapted to be reversed, means for locking the rotatable part in operative position in each of the reversed positions of the hook, said locking means being adapted to be released by the impact of the bag, and oppositely acting springs for the purpose set forth.

8. In combination, a standard carrying a pair of arms adapted to suspend the bag in position to be delivered to a car, an intermediate lateral arm carrying a receiving neck or hook, means for locking this latter arm in operative position, said means being adapted to be released by the impact of the delivered sack, and. means tending to normally swing this latter arm around horizontally forward out of the Way.

9. In combination, a tubular standard carrying a laterally projecting gravitating arm, a rotatable rod supported in the standard and carrying a rigid part provided with a cam tooth e in its under side adapted to engage into either one of two notches in the upper end of the standard, said part being further provided with a pair of cam notches in its upper side, a rotatable member mounted on the rod above saidpart and provided on itslower end with a cam tooth, this rotatable member being provided with a horizontal arm at its upper end and with a laterally projecting hook near its lower end, oppositely acting springs, and spring-actuated filling pieces or bridges for said notches, all for the purpose set forth,

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 14th day of March, 1908.

HARRY EDGAR MESSERSMITH.

Witnesses:

J. F. MARsnALL, G. L. MEssERsMrTn.

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