US978911A - Apparatus for delivering mail to moving cars. - Google Patents

Description

. R.- W. LOMAX.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL TO MOVING CARS. APPLICATION FILED 0GT.13, 1910.

978,91 1 Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Inventor Witnesses Attorneys R. W. LOMAX. A1PARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL TO MOVING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.13. 1910.

Patented Bea-20, 1910.

3 SHBETSBHEBT 2.

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Witnesses Inventor Attorneys R. W. LOMAX. APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAiL TO MOVING CARS;

APPLICATION FILED 0011.13, 1910.

Patented Dec. 20-,

m 9 H 1. H J B T E E H no 3 Inventor Attorneys Witnesses scribed and claimed, it being understood ROGER W. LOMAX, OF LYNCHIBURG, VIRGINIA.

APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING MAIL TO MOVING CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

Application filed October 13, 1910. Serial No. 586,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROGER W. L0MAx,a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented anew and useful A paratus for Delivering Mailfto Moving (gars, (Case 13,) of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for delivering mail to moving cars and has z for its object the provision of a throwing arm mountedfor swinging movementadjacent. the track and which has actuating means located in the path of a trip carried by the car body so that, as the car,passes thepointg. of delivery, the throwing arm will be actuated thereby and will direct the bag or pouch into the. structure element which is movably mounted on thi car structure so as to be projected from either side thereof.

A further object is to provide meansjor, actuating the throwing arm, said means being shiftable so as to be engagedand operatedby a car moving in either direction.

A still further object, is to provide atripping device under the control offthe car door so that, when the door is opened, the tripping device will be projectedinto, position to actuate the throwing mechanism.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the com-- bination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter dethat changes in the precise embodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings:Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing the delivering mechanism and the tripping device for actuating the same. Fig. 2 is a view partly in plan and partly in section of a portion of a car and showing the door controlled means for projecting the tripping device. Fig. dis a view proper open ng the ear- A further ob ect is to provide a trippm partly in side elevation and partly insection of the parts shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4r is a view similar to Fig. 2 and showing means whereby the tripping device may be projected by means of a crank or the like. Fig. 5 is adetail view of a crank or key which may..be.used in connection with the structure shown in Fig. 2.. c

Referring to the figures by characters of reference l ,,designates a hollow standard havinggaplatform 2 at the upper end thereoffto which a'ladder 8 or the like may lead. Thisstandard is arranged upon a hollow box-like. cas ng 4 and an extension 5 1s located at one end of this casing and near the track. Athrowing arm 6 is movably mounted within the standard 1 and is pivotedat its lower endas indicated at 7, the upper end of extends from the lower end portion of the arm 6 ,andcarries an adjustable weight 10. Another arm 11 extends from the lower portion of arm 6and has a reduced end portion 12 extended toward the track and projecting intoa'bearing plate 13 which is secured to extension .12 by means of a set screw 14 or thelike." This bearing plate is located within the extension 5 and is constantly contacted by rollers .l6,journaledin the ends of oppositely extended arms 17 Each of these arms is secured to a rock shaft 18 journaled within thecasingfl. The lower section 19 of an actuating arm 20 is loosely mounted upon the shaft 18 and has the upper section 21 hingedly connected to it and normally held in alinement; therewith by means of a spring catch 22"or the-like. An opening 23 is formed within the inner or lower section 19 and an arcuate member 24 is loosely mounted within this opening and pivotally connected at one end to the adjacent arm 17, as shown at 25, while its other end has a weight 26 adjustably mounted upon it. A set screw 27 extends into the opening 23 and bears on the member 24: so as to hold the said member against movement within the section 19 and thus secure said section 19 to the arm 17 and compel them to move together. The outer or upper section 21 of the actuating device is off-set laterally as indicated at 28 and works within an arcuate slot 29 formed within the hollow extension 5. The upper end of the 'fid t t s'hapedlbagjor pouch holder. 8. An arm 9 section 21 has a wear plate 2-30 or the like fastened to it and this upper and normally projects into the path of a tripping device to be hereinafter described. It is to be under stood of course that two of these actmning members 20 are provided, one of them being connected to each of the arms 17. The. two members 20 however are oppositely disposed so that they can swing upon their hinges toward opposite ends respectively of the extension 5 in order to lower the upper section 21.

The tripping mechanism utilized for actuthe parts hereinbefore described, is 10- upon the car body A. This car body is formed with the'usual door openin B and a door C may be hingedly connected to one of the jambs of the door and adapted to 3 swing inwardly when it is desired to open it.

A rack bar 31 is extendedtransversely under the-floor of the car structure- A and" adapted to move 10 itudinally, this bar be ing provided, at ea -bh end, witha'trunnion" 32 on which is arranged a roller 33. A gear 34 is journaled under the floor of the car and meshes with the rack bar' and also with'an; other 'gear 35.- An 'angular stei'r'i" 36' extends upwardly from the center of gear 35 and through the car flooiand is adapted to be engaged bya socket 3lformedin oneend of a crank 38. This crank"is=connected, as by means of an ear'39,'to a slide40 mounted within a guideway 41 formed on the inner face of the door C. This arrangement er;

gears 34 and 35 is duplicated at each side of: the car butonly one crank member is util-' ized, the crank being detachable from one gear and adapted to be placed in engagement with the other gear 35 and also being detachable from the guideway 41 and insertible into engagement with the other door C. It will be apparent therefore that the parts can be adjusted so as to be operated by the opening of the door at either side.

When it is desired to throw a pouch or bag into the car, it is placed within theholde'r' 8 and the section 21 nearest the approaching car is swung upwardly asshown at the left of Fig. 3 while the other section 21 is swung downwardly as shown in said figure.' Weight 10, of course, holds the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1. The person upon the mail car approaching the station opens the door C at that side of the car to which the bag or pouch is to be delivered. This in ward swinging of the door will cause the slide to move longitudinally of the guideway 41 and the crank 38 will therefore be rotated to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Gear 35 will therefore be correspondingly rotated and motion will. be transmitted therefrom through the gear 3+ to the rack bar 31.. be projected beyond the side of the car and into position where it will move against the One of the trunnions 32 will a cushioning device'42- located in the upper portion of the standard 1. The bag or other object within the holder 8 will thus be projected into the -"door openin' 'B which, at this time,'is' directly opposite 'the ho'lder 8.

It is tobe understood, that, ifpreferred, the=rack bar may be projeeted independently meshing with the rack bar asshown in Fig. 4. This gear has an a'nguliiit fiieckffi -proe j ecting through the near oi-tithe c'ar and which is adapted'tobe engagedb'ythe crank. If preferred, and asshownj in Figs. '1- and 3,- a' supplemental dopeay be arranged within theear aawbaek of the door B. This sup'plenie tal door consists of crossed pivotally con lazy-tongs, the side mental gatef being boiliiected to hangers 46 which are pivotallyt'suspended from-'11 cross rod 47 adjustably mounted on arms"48=extending 'from'one side to theother of the car. It-will be apparenttlia'tthis supplemental door can be readily collapsed or can be moved inwardly toward the center of'the car or swung upwardly close to the roof.

What is claimed is;

lz'The combination with a throwingarm' nent movably mounted, and means fol-holding it normally in a predetermined position, of a car-supported tripping element, an actuating device projecting into the path of said tripping element, and means mounted for angu a1 adjustment relative thereto and movable therewith for shifting the "throw-' ing element toward the ear.

3. The combination with a throwing element, of a car-supported tripping device, operating irears projecting into the path of said device, and means movable with and adjustably connected to said operating means and normally engaging the throwing element for shifting the throwing element in the direction of the car when the operating means is actuated.

4. A throwing element, a bearing member movab e therewith, an actuating device mounted for swinging movement, means ntovahle therewith and mounted for angucted met aljst-rips 45 forming a;

pen-ion of the supplelar adjustment relative thereto for den'essing' the bearing member, means for holding the actuating device normally in a predetermined position, and a car-supported tripping device movable against the actuating device.

5. Apparatus of the class described 111- cluding a throwing element, a bearing device movable therewith, an upwardly extending actuating member including movably connected sections, an arm adjustably connected to said member, and a car-supported tripping device movable against the member to shift the arm and depress the bearing device.

6. Apparatus of the class described including a throwing element, a bearing device movable there-with, an actuating member consisting of hingedly connected sections, means for securing said sections against relative movement, an arm movably connected to one of the sections and over hanging the bearing device, means for adjustably connecting the arm to the actuating member, and a car-supported tripping device movable against the upper section of said actuating member to operate the arm and depress the bearing device.

7. Apparatus of the class described including a throwing element, means for shifting the same, a car-supported tripping device, and ,means upon the car for shifting said device beyond either side of the car mounted on said structure, a tripping device carried by the rack, and means upon the structure for shifting the rack to bring the I tripping device into position to engage and shift the actuating member.

9. Apparatus of the class described including a throwing arm, an actuating member operatively connected thereto, a car structure, a door upon said structure, a tripping device, and means operated by the movement of the door in one direction for projecting the tripping device beyond the car structure.

10. Apparatus of the class described including throwing mechanism, a car structure, a tripping device upon said structure for actuating the throwing mechanism, a door upon the structure, and means operated by the door for shifting the tripping device into operative position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROGER W. LOMAX.

Witnesses:

HUBERT D. LAwsoN, EDWARD S. LOMAX.

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