US980209A - Mail-carrier. - Google Patents

Description

G. B. GONLBY.

MAIL CARRIER.

nrucnron nLnn MAR-30.1910.

Patented Jan.3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET}.

8444: e/wto'a C-E. Conley,

C(B. GONLEY.

MAIL CARRIER.

nrmoynon nun MAR.30,1910.

Patented Jan.3, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

CE Con/1 CLARENCE E. CONLEY, F PENN YAN', NEW YORK.

MAIL-CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 3, 1911.

Application filed March 30, 1910. Serial No. 552,317.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that'I, CLARENCE E. CoNLEY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Penn Yan, in the county of Yates and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Carriers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawlugs.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for use in rural districts for transporting mail matter between the house or dwelling and the main road or route of the rural delivery mail carrier.

The object of the invention is to improve the construction and operation of mail carriers of this character and thereby render them more practical and efficient and less expensive.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the two terminals of the system and parts of the intermediate portion; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one of the posts supporting the elevated track and the car propelling cable; Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the double brackets for supporting and guiding the car propelling cable; Fig. l is an enlarged view of the house end or terminal of the system; Fig. is an enlarged view of the car which supports the mail box;

' and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 5.

My improved mail carrier system or apparatus comprises an elevated track 1 formed preferably of wire of suitable strength and from which is suspended a traveling car 2 supporting a mail box 3. The track 1 is supported on angular brackets 4 arranged on the upper portions of upright posts 5 located at suitable intervals between the house or dwelling and the main road or route of the rural delivery mail man. In order to relieve the track wire 1 of undue strains, I may provide at one or both of the ends of said track wire a coil spring 6 whichengages an adjustably mounted anchoring hook 7 arranged on a suitable upright frame 8.

The mail box 3 may be of any form and construction and is supported by means of hangers 9, shown more clearly in Fig. 5, within the car 2, which latter is constructed of heavy wire and is in the form of a rectangular frame provided at the central portion of its top with an upstanding arm 10 supporting the journal of a grooved track wheel or pulley 11 adapted to run on the track 1 and sup ort the car. The bottom portion of the car frame is provided with clampin devices 12 to engage an endless car prope ling cable 13 which passes around a guide pulley 14; at the road terminal or end of the system and around a driving pulley 15 at the house terminal. This driving pulley 15 is fixed to a horizontal shaft 16 journaled in suitable bearings on the frame 8 and carries a pinion 17 which meshes with a gear 18 fixed to a second horizontal shaft 19. The latter may be actuated by any suitable means but I preferably employ a hand crank 20 for this purpose.

For the purpose of supporting and guiding the upper and lower stretches of the endless propelling cable 13 I provide on each of the posts 5 improved double brackets 21 each of which is formed from a piece of heavy wire or other metal by bending it into substantially Ushape to provide upper and lower horizontal arms 22, 23 united at their outer ends by an upright portion 24 and having their inner ends bent downwardly to provide attaching portions 25 to engage the post 5. The portion of the wire or metal at the junction of the parts 22, 2st is bent or folded upon itself to provide a U-shaped guide 26 for the upper stretch of the cable 13, the guide being of such shape as to permit of the passage of the devices 12 as the car passes the bracket 21. The portion of the wire or metal at the junction of the parts 21, 23 is bent or looped upon itself to provide a guide eye 27 which receives the lower stretch or run of the cable 13 and effectively supports the same.

In order to enable the mail man or letter carrier to signal to the occupants of the house that mail has been deposited in the box, I employ the track 1 as one conductor of an electric signaling system, the other conductor of which may be the ground or a metallic wire. This signaling system includes a push button or other switch 28, an electric battery 29, an electric hell or annunciator 30 and the usual electrical connections.

I have illustrated in the drawings an apparatus or system adapted for delivering mail to but one house, but it will be understood that the row of poles 5 may be employed for supporting similar apparatus which will deliver mail to other houses from the one road terminal.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a mail carrying apparatus, the combination of an elevated track supported on posts, a car to travel on said track and carrying a mail box, an endless propelling cable having its upper stretch connected to said car, means for guiding and actuating said cable at its end loops and supporting and guiding brackets on said posts for the intermediate portions of the cable, each of said brackets having upper and lower arms united by upright connecting portions and having an upper U-shaped guide to receive p the upper stretch of the cable and a lower guide eye to receive the lower stretch of the cable.

2. In a mail carrying apparatus, the combination of a series of posts, supporting frames adjacent the endmost posts, an ele vated track'wire supported by brackets on said posts and connected by springs to said frames, other brackets on said posts and having upper and lower arms united by upright portions and provided with upper U-shaped guides and lower guide eyes, a car supporting a mail box and suspended from a pulley engaged with said track wire, an endless propelling cable, clampingdevices uniting the car to the upper stretch of said cable, the upper stretch of the cable being arranged in said U-shaped guides and the lower stretch in said guide eyes, guide pulleys on the two frames for the end loops of the cable, and gearing for rotating the last mentioned pulley at the house terminal. In testimony whereof I hereunto afliX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE E. CONLE Y.

Witnesses JAMns M. LENN, VILLIAM PULVER.

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