US893451A - Mail-bag delivering and receiving apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 14, 1908.

I T. GROSS.

MAIL BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION TILED JAN.13. 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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1 b1 oooeo 1 PATENTEDJULY 14, 1908.

T. CROSS,

MAIL BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 13, 1908.

2 SHEBTSSHEE T 2 atbo'onu o THEODORE GROSS, OF WASHINGTON, INDIANA.

MAIL-BAG DELIVERING AND RECEIVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1908.

Application filed January 13, 1908. Serial No. 410,617.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEODORE CRoss, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the county of Daviess and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Delivering and Receiving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail bag delivering and receiving apparatus for use in trans ferring mail bags to and from cars in motion.

The invention is more particularly designed as an improvement upon the con struction described and claimed in Patent No. 809,430 granted to me on January 9, 1906.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide novel means for supporting a bag in position where it can be readily engaged by the receiving mechanism, said supporting device being collapsible so as to occupy the minimum amount of space when not in use.

Another object is to provide receiving mechanism designed to be readily shifted into or out of operative position, said mech anism being in the form of deflecting members hingedly connected. to opposite sides of the door opening into which the mail is to be delivered, there being means whereby either or both of said devices can be shifted into or out of operative position.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view of the complete apparatus and showing the delivering and receiving mechanism of a car and of a receptacle used in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is an elevation of one of the receiving devices, the same being shown ex tended into operative position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line (t -ac, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on line y-y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the delivering cranes, the same being shown extended to hold a bag. Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of a portion of said crane. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a portion of the crane folded. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, A designates a mail car having the usual door opening a and this car is equipped with improved delivering and receiving mechanism embodying the present improvements. The mechanism is duplicated at each side of the car door so as to operate when the car is moving in either direction. The receiving mechanism has been designated generally by the letter B and consists of parallel beams 11 which are bolted or otherwise secured to the side of the car and at right angles to the sides of the door casing. Each set of beams has a deflecting plate 2 hingedly connected to those ends thereof nearest the car door as indicated at 3 and said plate is designed when not in use to fold inwardly away from the car door against the beams 1 so as to be out of the way. A pivot bolt 4 extends through the beams 1 adjacent those ends thereof farthest removed from hinges 3 and pivotally mounted on this bolt are parallel links 5 held at the proper dis tance apart and also held removed from the beams 1 by means of suitable spacing blocks 6. A brace strip 7 is pivotally mounted between the links 5 and designed to fold therebetween or to be extended therebeyond and this strip has a guide block 8 hingedly connected thereto as indicated at 9, said block being slidable within a socket 10 formed at one end of a channel 11 extending longitudinally in one face of the plate 2. A face plate 12 extends over the socket 10 and is designed to retain the block 8 in position therein. The parts are so proportioned that when links 5 and strip 7 are brought into alinement plate 2 will be extended beyond the wall of the car and will extend partly across the door opening a as indicated at the right of Fig. 1. If desired, the plate can be locked in this position by inserting a pin 13 through the links 5 and strip 7 at points adjacent thepivotal connection therebetween.

Pivotally'connected to the links 5 is an arm 14 which is slidably mounted in the wall of the car A. The arm 14 at one side of the door is connected directly to an operating lever 15 fulorumed adjacent the car door as indicated at 16 in Fig. The other arm 14 is pivotally connected to an arm 17 extending upward from a rock shaft 18 mounted under the car floor as indicated, in Fig. 3. This shaft extends to a point adjacent lever 15 where it is provided with a lever 19 extending upward through the car floor. It will be apparent therefore that an operator standing close to the two levers can readily actuate either one of them so as to shift either of the receiving plates into operative or inoperative position.

The delivering mechanism carried by the car consists of two similar cranes one of which is located at each side of the car door, each of these cranes being designated by the letter 0. As shown particularly in Fig. 5 the crane consists of a standard 20, the ends of which are mounted in bearings 21, and, as indicated in Fig. 1, these bearings are located upon the sides of the door casing and are so positioned that the crane can be readily swung outward through the door opening and into position to hold a sack suspended beyond the side of the car. A block 22 is secured upon the same face of the standard at a point below the first mentioned block. Each of these blocks has an arm 23 hinged to it and another arm 24 is hingedly connected to the standard at a point below the adjoining block 22. Each arm 24 has supporting strips 25 pivotally connected to its outer end, said strips, when extended, being projected in opposite directions as shown in Fig. 1. Links 26 are pivotally connected to the end of each arm 23 and to the respective arms 25.

7 Each of the supporting strips 25 may, if desired, be provided with suitable means for engaging the ring of a mail bag or sack or, if preferred, said ring may be placed directly upon the supporting strip as indicated in the drawings. A rod 27 is pivotally connected to the arms 24 near their hinges and is parallel with the standard 20. A slide 28 is mounted upon the standard and may be guided in any desired manner as by slotting it longitudinally as indicated at 29 and extending a guide strip 30 therethrough. A link 31 is pivotally connected to this slide and also to one of the arms 24 and a lever 32 is fulcrumed upon the standard and pivotally connected to the slide so that when the lever is swung in one direction motion may be transmitted therefrom through the slide and the link 31 to the arms 24 and rod 27 in the manner hereinafter set forth.

The receiving and delivering mechanism hereinbefore described is designed to be duplicated. at the receiving opening (1 of a rece tacle D which is mounted to travel upon rails (1 extending at right angles from the track on which the car A is mounted. This receptacle is designed to be shifted toward or from the car A as described in my patent hereinbefore mentioned and by properly arranging the delivering and receiving mechanism thereon the same will cooperate with the corresponding mechanism carried by the car so that mail can be transferred in the proper manner.

The normal position of each plate 2 is against the beams 1 and parallel with the sides of the car or receptacle. When this plate is so positioned the brace strip 7 is folded between the links 5 as indicated at the left of the receptacle in Fig. 1. The normal position of each crane is within the car or receptacle and with its arms folded so as to present a compact structure occupying the minimum amount of space. When it is desired to extend the receiving mechanism into operative position the operator within the car pulls on the proper lever 5 or 19 so as to shift one of the arms 14 outwardly. This arm will push against the links 5 to which it is connected and the free ends of said links will in turn push against the inner face of plate 2 and swing it outwardly. This movement of the plate will be further produced by the toggle-like action of said links and the strip 7. When the links 5 have been pushed outward as far as possible the plate 2 will have been brought into a position in front of the door opening and obliquely thereto. If desired, the operator can lock the plate in its adjusted position by inserting pin 13 into the links 5 and the strip 7 as shownin Figs. 1 and2.

After the plate has been positioned in the manner described the crane at the opposite side of the door is extended by actuating the lever 32 so as to operate the slide 28 and cause link 31 to push upward on the lower arm 24. Motion will be transmitted from this arm through bar 27 to the other arm 24. Inasmuch as the hinges of the arms 23 and 24 are out of vertical alinement it will be obvious that when arms 24 are pushed upward the arms 23 by reason of their connections there with at 25 and 26 will also be raised but the distance between the outer ends of the arms 23 and 24 will diminish during its upward movement and cause the links 24 to push outwardly upon strips 25 and swing them into position at right angles to arms 24. lNhile they are thus extended a mail bag or sack such as indicated by dotted lines at E canbe placed between two of the arms after which the crane can be swung outward through the door opening where it may beheld by means of a spring catch 33 or in any other suitable manner.

In Fig. 1 the receiving plate 1 has been shown extended beyond the car while the receptacle D is shown with a crane extended therebeyond. The parts are therefore positioned so as to deliver a bag or sack from the receptacle D to the car. It is to be understood, however, that if preferred these positions of the parts may be reversed or a crane and receiver could be extended outward from the car and from the receptacle. It is of course to be understood that the receiving plates 2 of the receptacle are located in a plane either below or above the corresponding plates of the car and the cranes on the car and receptacle are so located as-to properly deliver bags or sacks to these plates. Interference of the parts is thus prevented.

When the parts have been arranged as heretofore described and as shown in Fig. 1 the car, which is moving in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 1, will bring the obliquely disposed plate 2 against the bag or sack E which will be pushed off of the arms 25 holding it and thrown into the door opening a. As soon as this operation has been performed the plate 2 can be folded against the side of the door by pulling inward on arm 14, although it is preferable to have the plate extended constantly from the car so that it can be used at the various stations as they are successively pass-ed. As soon as the bag or sack has been removed from the crane said crane can be folded by operating lever 32 so as to pull inward on arms 24. This will cause the arms 23 to pull on links 26 and fold strips 25' together and toward the standard 20. The arms 23 and 24 and the strips 25 will thus assume positions close to the standard 20 as shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus of the character described receiving mechanism comprising a hingedly supported deflecting member, a foldable brace therefor, and manually operated means for extending or folding the brace to shift said member into or out of operative po sition.

2. In apparatus of the character described comprising a deflecting member hingedly mounted, a foldable brace slidably engaging said member, and means for actuating the brace to swing the member into or out of operative position.

3.. The combination with a supporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanism comprising a plate hingedly connected to said structure adjacent one side of the opening, and means for swinging said member into or out of position beyond and partly across the opening.

1. In apparatus of the character described the combmation with a supporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanism comprising a member hingedly connected to one side of the opening, and manually operated means within the structure for shifting said member to fold it upon the structure or to extend it obliquely beyond the opening.

5. In apparatus of the character described the combination with a supporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanism comprising a hingedly supported deflecting member, a foldable brace pivotally connected to said structure and slidably engaging said member, and means for actuating the brace to fold said member upon the structure or to extend it therebeyond and partly across the opening.

6. In apparatus of the character described the combination with a supporting structure having an opening; of receiving mechanism comprising a deflecting member hingedly connected to one side of the opening, a foldable brace pivotally connected to the supporting structure and slidably engaging said member, and an arm connected to the brace and disposed to fold the brace and member against the structure.

7. In apparatus of the character described the combination with a structure having an opening and a foldable deflecting member constituting receiving mechanism, said member being disposed at one side of the opening; of delivery mechanism movably connected to one side of said opening and comprising a crane, arms hingedly connected thereto, sup porting members pivotally connected to the arms, and means 0 erated by the movement of said arms for olding or extending said members in relation to the arms.

8. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprising a standard, arms pivotally connected thereto, supporting members pivotally connected to the arms,

means for simultaneously swinging the arms relatively to the standard, and means operated by the movement of said arms for extending or folding said supporting strips relatively to the arms.

9. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprising a standard, an arm hingedly connected thereto, a supporting structure pivotally connected to and extensible in opposite directions from said arm, means for swinging the arm, and means operated by the movement of the arm for swinging the supporting strips relatively to the arm.

10. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto, a supporting member pivotally connected to one of the arms, means for simul taneously actuating the arms, and means operated by the simultaneous movement of said arms for shifting the supporting member relatively to the arm upon which it is mounted.

11. In apparatus of the character described delivery mechanism comprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto, a supporting member pivotally connected to one of the arms, a link connection between said member and the other arm, and means for simultaneously swinging the arms.

12. In apparatus of the character de scribed delivery mechanism comprising a standard, parallel arms hingedly connected thereto, oppositely extending supporting members pivotally connected to one of the arms, link connections between said members and the other arm, and means for simultaneously actuating the arms to. extend or fold said members relatively to the arms.

13. The combination with a structure having an opening; of receiving mechanism comprising members hingedly connected to opposite sides of the opening, means connected to each member for folding it upon for simultaneously swinging the arms rela the structure or extending it obliquely there tively to the arms, and means upon the beyond, and separately operated devices structure for locking the arms Within the 15 adjacent one side of the opening for actuopening. 5 ating the respective means. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 14. In mechanism of the character demy own, I have hereto afliXed my signature scribed the combination With .a structure in the presence of two Witnesses. having an opening therein; of delivery mech- THEODORE CROSS anism comprising a pivotally mounted stand- 10 ard adjacent one side 01": the opening, arms Witnesses:

hingedly connected to the standard, sup- WILLIAM R. GARDINER, porting members carried by the arms, means ZEDDIE KIAH B NHAM.

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