US977481A - Carrier for mail-pouches. - Google Patents

Description

G. G.'SNOW.

CARRIER FOB MAIL POUCHES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

Patented Dec. 6,1910.

' IIlVEIlIEJI' Q V x v 1 W r Q /M a 4 w 4. 0 E 1 A a u EH5 CLAUDE C. SNOW, OF HINSIDALE, ILLINOIS.

CARRIER FOR MAIL-POUCHES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 6, 1910.

Application filed May 14, 1909. Serial No. 495,889.

To alltvho'm it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE C. SNOW, a

citizen of the United States, residing at- Hinsdale, in the county of Dupage and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Carriers for MailPouches, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to a carrier for mail pouches, and has special reference to an improved form of carrier which is adapted to be attached to the arms of a supporting crane from which the mail pouch can be removed by the action of a catcher which is placed on a moving train.

According to the usual practice, the crane 1s supplied with two horizontal arms between which the mail pouch is suspended, suitable rings being attached to the mail pouch for this purpose. Near the ends of each horizontal arm of the crane is pivotally supported a projecting bar which is capable of free movement in a horizontal plane. The common method of attaching such a bar to the end of a crane arm is to use a bar which is bent in order to form a right angle. One portion of the bar is inserted in an opening in the end of the crane arm, so that it will be in a vertical plane whereas the other portion extends horizontally. The bar is held in position by the use of a suitable nut near the end of the vertical portion. In the case of the upper arm, the horizontal portion of the bar lies below the arm, whereas in the case of the lower arm, the bar lies above the arm. IVhen it is desired to place the mail pouch in position, the rings attached to the upper and lower ends of the pouch are slipped over the bars attached to the upper and lower arms respectively, of the crane. hen the pouch is removed by the action of a catcher on a moving train, the movable bars are first turned in a direction corresponding to that in which the train is moving and the rings of the pouch then slipped ofi the bars. There are several disadvantages in this device. In many cases the rings become turned on the bars so that they will not readily slip off, with the result that the rings are often torn from the mail pouch.

In case there is inequality in the road bed,

instead of being pulled off of the bars, the rings of the mail pouch are sometimes forced in a direction away from the train with the result that there is great difliculty in re moving the pouch with the consequent liability of tearing off the rings. Moreover, according to this system, when the catcher strikes the mail pouch at approximately its central portion, a downward pull is exerted on the upper ring, and an upward pull on the lower ring which adds greatly to the difiiculty of slipping the rings off the bars. In some cases, a bar movable in a horizon tal plane is used which has a spring cooperating with the bar to hold the ring of the mail pouch in position. In this device, the same difficulties are encountered as those mentioned above. In case the lower ring of the mail pouch becomes disconnected with the projecting bar, it is obvious that there will be a great liability for the mail pouch to swing on the upper bar. The result of this is that as the train passes, the mail pouch is often swung by the wind or is struck by the cab curtain on the locomotive, and becomes inaccessible to the catcher, so that the pouch is not conveyed to the moving train.

According to my improved device, a special carrier is attached to each of the two arms of the crane. This carrier consists of a tongue member and a cooperating U- shaped spring member, the ring of the mail pouch being secured between the two. When the mail pouch is in position, and it is struck by the carrier, there is no opportunity for the ring to become caught in any way on the bar. On the other hand, the rings are re moved from the two carriers by a direct pull, the downward and upward action of this pull being as effective in removing the mail pouch, as the forward pull which results from the action of the moving train. In case the lower ring of the mail pouch is removed from the carrier, the upper ring is securely held in position so that there is much less tendency for the pouch to be swung by the action of the wind and other forces, than is the case with devices formerly in use. This results in a much larger percentage of catches by the use of my device than when other devices are used.

Turning now to the detailed description of my invention, in the drawings, Figure l is an elevation showing the mail pouch in position on the crane, Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the carrier, Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the carrier.

Taking up first the description of the carrier itself, 1 is a metallic tongue suitably cured to a round bar 2 by means of bending the upper portion of the tongue 1 in such manner that it incloses the bar 2. At its lower portion, the tongue 1 is suitably bent to cooperate with the U-shaped spring member 3. The ends 4 of the spring member 3 encircle the bar 2 and are provided with ex tensions 5 which cooperate with suitable projections 6 on the tongue 1. The lower portion of the spring member 3 is bent in an opposite direction to the lower portion of the tongue member 1, in such manner that a ring 7 may be held by the cooperating action of the tongue member 1, and the spring member 3. hen the parts are in the position shown in the drawings, the tongue 1 exerts pressure on the ring 7 by means of a cooperating action of the spring member 3 and its extensions 5 which bear on the projections 6 of the tongue member 1. In order to remove the ring 7 from its retained position, it is evident that it becomes necessary to exert a downward pull which gradually forces the tongue member 1 and the spring member 3 in opposite directions. The pressure which it is necessary to exert in order to remove the ring 7 may be varied by changing the degree of curvature on the lower portion of the members 1 and 3, by varying the normal position of the extensions 5 or by changing the size or stiffness of the wire used in making the spring member 3. In order to place the ring 7 in the position shown in the drawings, the ring may be slipped laterally between one side of the tongue member and one of the inner sides of the spring member, and then turned under the tongue member in such manner that this member is forced into the position shown and the ring is brought in front of the other side of the spring member. This method of placing the ring in position is very simple and easy of manipulation.

As shown in Fig. 1, the carrier is supported on the bar 2, which is in turn rigidly supported to the end of the upper crane arm 8, by means of an eye-bolt 9, and a vertical portion 10 of the bar 2. This vertical portion and the eye-bolt are held in position by the nuts 11 and 12. On the end of the bar 2 is provided a nut 13 or other suit able abutment portion, the carrier being retained on the bar 2 between the eye-bolt 9, and the nut 13. The attachment of parts to the lower crane arm 11 is similar to that of the upper crane arm 8, except that bar 2 is attached to the upper surface of the arm and the carrier extends in an upward instead of a downward direction. The two crane arms 8 and let are suitably attached to the vertical member 15, by any of the well-known methods. The mail pouch 16 y provided with ring 7-7 is supported by the two carriers according to the method described above. hen the catcher of a train strikes the mail pouch 16 the carriers are turned on the bars 2 in a direction corre sponding to that of the moving train, the upper carrier being moved forwardly and upwardly and the lower carrier being moved forwardly and downwardly. When the catcher has exerted sufficient pressure on the mail pouch, the rings 77 are directly pulled from their retaining positions be tween the members 1 and 3 of the carriers and the mail pouch is thus readily conveyed to the moving train.

It is clear that many minor variations could be made in the exact construction of the device which I have described but What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent is:

1. In a supporting carrier, the combination of two separate but cooperating members, said members exerting lateral pressure in opposite directions, and adapted to retain between them a third member capable of removal from said carrier by suitable pressure exerted in a plane corresponding with that of the main axis of the carrier.

2. In combination, a supporting member, and a carrier held by said supporting member, said carrier consisting of a central member and a cooperating inclosing member, said cooperating members exerting lateral pres sure in opposite directions and having their distal portions suitably bent to retain a fourth member, said fourth member capable of removal from said carrier by suitable pressure exerted in a plane corresponding with that of the main axis of the carrier and in a direction away from said support.

3. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination with a supporting member, of a tongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member, an inclosing spring member also rotatably attached to said supporting member to cooperate with said tongue member and adapted to exert lateral pressure when a ring is inserted between the tongue member and the inclosing member, said ring adapted to be removed from said carrier on the application of sufficient pressure on said ring in a direction away from said supporting member, by first rotating the carrier until its axis lies substantially in the plane of the direction of said pressure and then pulling the ring from its engaged position.

1. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supporting member, a tongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member, and an inclosing spring member rotatably attached to said supporting member and bearing on said tongue member, lateral pressure being exerted between said members when the ring of the mail pouch is inserted between them, thereby retaining said ring in position.

In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supporting member, a tongue member rotatably attached to said supporting member, and an inclosing spring member rotatably attached to said supporting member and bearing on said tongue member, the free ends of said cooperating members being suitably bent to readily retain the ring of the mail pouch between them, lateral pressure being exerted between said members when said ring is in position between said members.

6. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supporting member, a tongue member rotatably connected to said supporting member, a U-shaped spring member rotatably attached to said supporting member and inclosing said tongue member, the ends of said spring member bearing on said tongue member, the distal portions of said tongue and spring members being bent in opposite directions to readily retain the ring 25 of the mail pouch, said members exerting lateral spring pressure in opposite directions when said ring is-inserted between them.

7. In a carrier for mail pouches, the combination of a supporting member, and a relatively inherently rigid member and a resilient member cooperating to exert pressure in opposite directions upon a device removably held between them.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto sign my 35 name, this 12th day of May, A. D. 1909.

CLAUDE G. SNOW. lVitnesses PETER F. DEHR, HENRY N. HUXLEY.

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