US979587A

US979587A - Apparatus for catching and delivering mail.

Info

Publication number: US979587A
Application number: US58488510A
Authority: US
Inventors: William Stetsall
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-10-01
Filing date: 1910-10-01
Publication date: 1910-12-27
Anticipated expiration: 1927-12-27

Description

W. STBTSALL.

APPARATUS FOR GA'IGHING AND DELIVERING MAIL.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.1. 1910.

9?9,587, Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-BHBET 1.

Al: WM

Attorneys.

Inventor, I

W. STETSALL. APPARATUS FOR GATGHING AND DELIVERING MAIL.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.1. 1910. I

79, 5 7 Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Inventor,

Attornys.

WILLIAM STETSALL, OF MARION, INDIANA.

APPARATUS FOR CATCHING AND DELIVERING MAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 2?, 1310.

Application filed October 1, 1910. Serial No. 584,885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lViLLIAM STETsALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Marion, in the county of Grant and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Catching and Delivering Mail, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for catching and delivering mail and consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown, described and claimed.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple apparatus of the character indicated adapted to be used in part upon a moving car and in part at the side of a track, the car having means for holding a mail bag in such position that it is delivered to that part which is located at the side of the track as the car passes and the part of the apparatus which is located at the side of the track is provided with means for holding a mail bag which in turn is delivered to the car as it passe With this object in view the apparatus includes an arm which is pivotally mounted at a door or other opening upon the car. which arm is provided with a pin adapted to enter and support a ring attached to a mail bag. A section of the car at the side of the said door is hingedly mounted and is normally held closed by a weight or its equivalent. When the arm is swung in an outward direction it is adapted to move the said hinged section and locate in the opening which is normally closed by the said. section. The car is also provided with an opening which is normally closed by a hinged panel. Means are provided for holding the said panel at an acute angle to the side of the car and a horizontal when the said panel is swung in an outward direction. A board is hingedly mounted upon the said panel and is provided with a handle, the said board when the panel is swung in an outward direction is adapted to be swung in an approximately vertical position and the board is pitched at an angle to the side of the car with one of its ends in engagement with one end of the opening which is nor mally closed by the said panel. These constitute the features of the apparatus which are mounted upon the car. The fixtures which are located adjacent the track consist of a foundation and a socket member detachably mounted upon said foundation. A standard having an approximately horizontal arm is located adjacent the said foundation and the said arm of the standard is provided with a pin which is adapted to enter and support a ring of a mail bag. The socket member is of especial construction as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure l is a perspective view of the apparatus. F ig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of a portion of the car showing the pivoted arm mounted thereon. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the portion of the apparatus which is located at the side of the track and a part of the car in section. Fig. 1 is a sectional view. of part of the apparatus which is located at the side of the track.

The apparatus includes in providing a car 1 with a door or opening 2 and an opening 3. The side of the opening 2 is provided with a recess 4: which is normally closed by a hinged section 5. One end of a cable 6 is fixed to the said hinged section 5 and the said cable is trained back into the car 1 and supports at its other end a weight 7. The said weighthangs pendent and consequently serves as means for normally holding the section 5 in closed position in the rccess 4. An arm 8 is hinged] y mounted in the car 1 adjacent the recess 4 and is provided at its free end with a pin 9 which is disposed approximately at a right angle to the long dimension of the arm 8. The arm 8 is of a vertical thickness whereby it fits snugly in the recess 1 when it is swung in an out ward direction and when the said arm is swung in an outward direction, the section 5 is forced back against the pull of the weight 7 and the pin 9 is positioned approximately parallel with the side of the car 1. The arm is held in an outstanding position by means of a pin 10 which is passed through registering perforations in the said arm and supporting blocks 11 between which the arm is mounted.

In combination with the apparatus the mail bags indicated at 12 are provided with strap handles 13 upon which are mounted rings 14. When a bag is supported by the arm 8 the ring of the said bag is slipped over the pin 9. A foundation 15 is erected adjacent the track upon which the car 1 travels and is provided at its upper end with a mortise 16 which in turn is provided with under cut sides. A socket member 17 is provided with a base portion 18 which in turn is provided upon its under side with a tenon 19 adapted to slip longitudinally within the mortise 16 provided at the upper end of the foundation 15. A stop 20 is provided upon the under side of the tenon 19 and is adapted to encounter the edge of the upper end portion of the foundation 15 and limit the sliding movement of the tenon 19 within the mortise 16. The sides of the member 17 converge toward each other and the top of the member 17 is provided with a longitudinally disposed slot 21. The member 17 is provided in the vicinity of its smaller end with a depending flange one end of which terminates short of one of the sides of the said member 17 whereby sufficient space is provided to permit a passage for the escape of air as the said socket member receives a mail bag as will be hereinafter explained. The smaller end of the said socket member is also provided with an outlet opening A panel 2A is hinged to the side of the car 1 and is adapted to serve as a closure for the opening 3 thereof. A supporting bracket 25 is fixed to the outer side of the car and is adapted to serve a support for the panel 24 when the said panel is swung in an outward position, whereby the panel is held at an acute angle to the plane of the side of the car 1. A board 26 is hingedly mounted upon the panel 25 with its edge portion which is attached to the said panel approximately diagonally positioned upon the panel. A handle 27 is attached to the board 26 and when the panel 2-1 is swung to its open position, the said board 26 is swung in an approximately vertical position when one of its ends will be in contact with one end of the opening 3 provided in the side of the car 1 and the said board 26 is disposed at an acute angle to the plane of the side of the car 1. After the panel 24: and board 26 have been swung to open positions and used to catch a mail bag 12 will be hereinafter explained, and when the said parts are closed, the board 26 is first swung down upon the upper surface of the panel 21, then the panel is swung in an inward direction and is secured in a closed position at the edges of the opening whereby the parts are folded together in compact form. A standard 28 is erected adjacent the track upon which the car 1 travels and is provided with a horizontally disposed arm portion 29. A pin 80 is fixed to the end portion of the arm 29 and extends approximately parallel with the plane of the side of the car 1. The said pin 30 is adapted to support a mail bag 12 in the manner as above described.

In operation a bag is placed upon the pin 30 also a bag is placed upon the pin 9. As the car 1 approaches the foundation 15 the bag upon the pin 9 enters the socket member 17 and when the strap. handle 13 comes at the end of the slot 21 the ring 14 slips off of the end of the pin 9 and a bag is delivered from the car 1 into the said socket member 17. Inasmuch as the socket member 17 is provided with tapered sides the end portion of the mail bag 12 will engage the said sides and the movement of the said mail bag with the car 1 is gradually checked. Also by reason of the fact that an opening is provided below the edge of the flange 2; and the opening is provided in the end of the socket member 17, sufficient space is provided to permit the air to escape from the socket member 17 as the mail bag is moved into the same and thus there is no obstruction on the part of the air to the proper seating and de positing of the mail bag in the socket memher. After the mail bag has been delivered from the pin 9 at the end of the arm 8 to the socket member 17, the said arm 8 is swung back into the car 1. Prior to the time that the said car 1 arrives at the standard 28, the panel 2&- is swung in an outward direction and the board 26 is swung to its upright position upon the said panel. Also a mail bag 12 is suspended from the pin 30 at the end of the arm 19. As the car 1 approaches the said mail bag upon the pin 30, the end of the bag comes in contact with the inner surface of the board 26 and the said mail bag is directed toward the opening 3 in the side of the car 1. As the car continues to move pastthe pin 30, the ring 14 of the mail bag upon the said pin slips off at the end of the said pin and the bag rests upon the upper surface of the panel 2% from which it slides through the opening 3 into the interior of the car 1. Thus the mail bag is caught from the pin 30 at the end of the arm 29 and the catching and delivering portions of the apparatus may be located so close together as to cause the said catching and delivering operation to occur approximately simultaneously.

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination with a car having an opening in its side, an arm hingedly mounted in the car adjacent said opening, the said opening having at one of its edges a recess, a hinged section normally closing said recess, said arm adapted to swing into said recess, means for locking said arm in the recess, and a pin carried at the free end of the arm, and extending at approximately a right angle to the long dimension of the arm, and a socket member mounted upon a fixed support adjacent the course of travel of the car.

2. In an apparatus as described and in combination with a car having an opening in its side, a bag supporting arm mounted upon the car, a foundation located adjacent phl the path of travel of the car and provided at its upper end with a mortise having under cut sides, a socket member having upon its base a tenon adapted to fit snugly in said mortise and provided with a stop adapted to limit the movement of the tenon in the mortise, said socket member having converging side walls and provided in its top with an elongated slot, a flange provided within the socket member in the vicinity of its smaller end, said socket member having an opening at its smaller end in communication with its interior.

3. In an apparatus as described, in combination with a car provided in its side with an opening, a panel hinged at the lower edge of said opening and adapted to swing in opposite direction to open position, a board hingedly mounted upon said panel and having its hinged portion diagonally disposed along the panel, a handle attached to said board, said board adapted to be swung in a vertical position at an acute angle to the plane of the side of the car and having one end against the end of the opening therein, and a bag supporting arm located adjacent the path of movement of the car.

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

\VILLIAM STETSALL.

Witnesses ROBERT A. TALBOTT, JOHN M. SCHALER.