US925618A - Mail catching and delivering apparatus. - Google Patents

Description

J. WOOD. MAIL GATOHING A} ID DELIVERING APPARATUS. APPLICATION IILBD NOY.6. 1908.

925, 13, Patented June 22,1909.-

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JAMES WOOD, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO WILLIAM EDWARDS BROWN AND ONE-THIRD TO DAVID PROVOST, OF OTTAWA, CANADA.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING AIEPARA'IUS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs Woon, of Ottawa, in the county of Carleton, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catching and Delivering Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail catching and delivering apparatus, and the objects of my invention are to provide an exceedingly cheap, simple and effective means for simultaneously discharging and receiving mail bags from a rapidly moving express train, the said means being without danger to the operator in the mail car, and being positive and reliable in action, the construction being described in detail in the accompanying specification and drawings.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the apparatus in position on the side of the car. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the apparatusitself, Fig. 3 is a section through the end of the hook on the delivery arm. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 22, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 38, Fig. 4.

In the drawings, like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

Referring to the drawings, is a rotatable member journaled in bearings 11 and 12 on the opposite sides of the door opening 13 in the side of a suitable mail car A.

14 represents a divergent and forwardlyextending receiving arm suitably rigidly C011". nected to the bar 10, this being accomplished in the embodiment, illustrated, by means of a connecting member 15 cast about the member 10, and having the member 14 extending into the same and firmly connected thereto. This member may be provided with a handle 16 for convenience in rotating the member 10. To retain the mail bag as it comes against the member 14, a spring retaining arm 17 is provided connected at the outer end 18 to the member 14, and then extending along the same but slightly diverging therefrom, the inner end 19 being turned until it is substantially parallel with the rotatable member 10, the end of said member 19 extending into and sliding in a slot 20 in the end of the connecting member 15. The object of this member 17 is to press the mail bag against the bar 10 and to this end, spring means are provided to retain it normally in the outermost position, this being accomplished in the embodiment Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 5, 1908.

Patented June 22, 1909.

Serial No. 461,243.

illustrated, by forming the member 17 itself of spring metal.

Connected to the inner end of the spring member is the delivering arm 21, which has a hook 22 at the outer extremity thereof, on the outer turn 23 of which hook the mail bag 25 to be delivered, is supported, the strings of the said mail bag being retained on the hook by means of fingers 26 and 27 formed by bifurcating the end of an arm 28 formed integral with the member 14. In the pre ferred embodiment of the invention, the hook 22 extends through slots 29 and 30 in the fingers 26 and 27.

In operation, the delivering arm 21 is first moved outwardly relatively to the member 10 and then as the end 23 passes between the fingers 26 and 27, the string of the mail bag 25 is looped over it and when the said end passes the finger 27, the bag will be held firmly on the hook and between the fingers. Vihen the car is about to pass a station, the attendant will rotate the rotatable member 10 until the divergent member 14 comes to a substantially horizontal position. The bag to be caught will be supported from the station in a suitable releasable member and in such position as to be engaged by the divergent arm. This bag will thus be forced in between the divergent arms and the member 10 and this will press the spring member 17 against the member 14 moving the delivering arm outwardly and causing the finger 26 to move the string of the mail bag 25 off the end of the hook 23 which will permit it to drop on to the station.

It will be observed that the apparatus for delivering the mail is operated by the incoming mail and is positive in its action.

If desired, where no mail was to be received the attendant could deliver the mail by moving the arm 21 outwardly himself.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A mail catching and delivering device, including a rotatable member adapted to extend across an opening in the mail car, a divergent and forwardly-extending arm, a spring retaining member extending along the same, and adapted to press the mail bag against the rotatable member, and a holding device for the mail bag adapted to be released by the movement of the spring mem her when it engages the bag on the station crane.

2. A mail catching and delivering device including a rotatable member adapted to extend across an opening in the mail car, a di vergent and forwardly extending arm, a spring retaining member extending along the same, and adapted to press the mail bag against the rotatable member, an arm connected to the spring member having a hook on the extremity of the same and retaining fingers supported from the divergent arm normally extending over the hook and adapted to retain the string of the bag thereon until the arm is moved outwardly by the spring member.

3. A mail catching and delivering device including a rotatable member adapted to ex tend across an opening in the mail car, a di vergent and forwardly-extending arm, a spring retaining member extending along the same, and adapted to press the mail bag against the rotatable member, an arm con nected to the spring member having a hook 011 the extremity of the same, and a retaining member extending from the divergent member and being provided with bifurcated ends which have slots therein through which the hook may extend.

4. A mail catching and delivering device including a rotatable member adapted to extend across an opening in the mail car, a divei'gent and for-wardly-extending arm, a re= taining member of spring metal connected to the outer extremity of the same and slightly diverging therefrom, and being adapted to press the mail bag against the rotatable member, a delivery arm connected to the spring member and means lorretaining a bag on the delivery arm adapted to be released when the said arm is moved outwardly by the movement of the spring member.

5. A mail catching and delivering device including a rotatable member adapted to extend across an opening in the mail car, divergent and forwardly-extending arms, a retaining member of spring metal connected to the outer end of the arm and slightly diverging from the same, the inner end of the said spring member extending parallel with the rotatable member, a delivery arm carried by the spring member and means for retaining a bag on the delivering arm releasable by the outward movement of the said delivery arm.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES -WOOD.

Witnesses:

RUssEL S. SMART, l VM. A. WYMAN.

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