US1261968A - Mail-distributing system. - Google Patents

Description

s e. STORER. MML DISTRIBUHNG SYSTEM.

APPLICATION mu) nzc. n. 1914. 1,261,968. I Patented Apr. 9,1918.

2 SHEETS- sm a.

I 5% 5% l I 811011 B. STQRHB, 9F SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

muL-ms'ramu'rmo srs'rma Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 9, 1918.

Application filed December i1, 191. Serial No. 578,887.

7 '0 all'mbom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, Smox B. S'mnmz, a citizen of the United States. and resident of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Distributing Systems, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mail distributing systems in post offices and other distributing stations where such mail matter is assorted and deposited in separate compartments for subsequent delivery over dilferent routes by special carriers.

Under the present system in the larger distributing stations, such as city post otlices, the mail matter designated for difl'erent routes of delivery is assorted and placed by hand into separate compartments of the distributing case corresponding to such different routes for subsequent delivery by the carrier assigned to such routes, each route, carrier and compartment being usually designated by a special number to facilitate the work of asserting and delivering, but so far as I am aware no provision is made for as certaining with any degree .of accuracy the number of-pieces of mail matter distributed,

or relative speedelliciency of-the severaldistributers.

The main object is to associate with each distributing case simple and'efiicient means for automatically registering the number of pieces of mail matter assorted and distributed by the clerk assigned to that particular case, sothat the total number of such pieces-handled by the distributing station for any predetermined interval' of time may be ascertained by adding the totals of registers forv the several distributing cases.

Another object is toeuable the inspector to determinant a glance the relative speed efllciency of the several escorting clerks so that the relative merits of such clerks may be properly established. Other 0 acts and uses W111 be brought out in the allowing description.

In the drawingsa r Figure 1 is a diagrammatic new of an electrical mail distributing system showin various features of my invention as use in connectlon with a. single compartment of the distributing case, not shown.

1 Fig. 2 is a front face view of a distrihutmg case, in this instance having a series,

of compartments, and a corresponding number of mail feeding devices, together with the driving motor for said devices and the counter mechanism and circuit; breaks for controlling the operation of the counter mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional new of a portion of the distributing case and mail feeding mechanisms associated therewith, taken on line 3-3 Fig. 2.-

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view throu h a portion of the mail feeding' devices in e plane of the meeting faces of the feeding r lers, showing more particularly the relative positions of the mail guides and mail operating triggers for actuating the circuit interrupter of the counter operatin circuit.

for the feeding rollers.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged rear elevation of its operating mechanism,-

the counter support, showing a portion of the counter an including. an electro-magnet instead of the solenoid shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section of a portion of the supporting frame for the feeding rollers, showing one of the circuit closers orinterrupters of the counter circuit.

The apparatus formingthe subject-matter of my invention is adapted tobe used in ig. 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view through one end of the supporting shafts connection with a distributing case -A having one or more compartments (in this instance 8 arranged in tiers and numbered .zontal shafts --'and -6--, the lower shaft 5 being driven by any suitable moving power, such us an electric motor .7-, through the medium of bolts B- 5 and pulleys 9.

The ends of. the upper shaft arc journaled in suitable bearings -10 which are movable vertically in openings --1I-- in the upright sides of the frame +1- and are 10 spring-pressed downwardly by coil springs -12, so as to yieldingly hold the upper rollers 4- in running contact with the underlying rollers 3, thereby permitting'mail matter of different thicknesses to be passed through the feeding devices, the

upper roller -4- being driven by friction with the mail matter while the latter is beingz fed forwardly by the lower rollers 45.

The shafts -5-- and --6- extend across the front end of all of the compartments in the particular tier with which they are associated and carry a series of the feeding devices --2-, one for each compartment.

These shaft devices are preferably driven at a sufliciently high rate of speed to prevent the possibility of the pieces of mail matter following each other end o end; in

other words, more rapidly than it would be possible for the operator to feed them to the rollers by hand, t

serving to impel the mail mutter forwardly with'sufiicient momentum to deliver them into the respective pockets.

The several feeding devices for each tier of compartments are preferably located in a horizontal plane some distance abovethe bottom of said compartments to allow a considerable number of mail matter to be de-' posited into such compartments without interfering with the feeding operation, and

for this purpose, I have associated with each -feeding device a mail guide -13- lead y from said. feeding device to the corrcspoiid ing compartments of the distrihrfing case i -tA- with their upper faces it? a plane substantially coincident with that of the meetingfsces of the feeding rollers, said guides being preforablv carried by lengthwise bnrs -14 onthe frame -1-.

Registering mechanism-5 The'means for registering the number of pieces 'of mail matter delivered into the dis-- tributing case ivy-any one or more of the feeding devices comprises a counter -15-'- of any well known commercial type having- :1. rock shaft 16, to which is secured. u

cranksarm l7, the latter being operated?- c evices into the distributing case by means of a suitable electric device, such as a sole? noid 18, shown in Fig. 1-, or 'an electromagnet 18-- shown in Fig. 6.

is speed of movement also tro-magnet or solenoid to cause the opcrntion of the counter.

.The closing of the switch or interrupter is controlled entirely by the individual pieces passing along either guide-l3 to the corresponding compartment of the case A-, and in order that this closing of the counter circuit may be positive and reliable for each piece of mail matter, I have provided a series of triggers -21, one for each compartment, said triggers being mounted in sets, one set for each tier of compartments upon a rock shaft. .22- which is also journdled in theupright sides of the supporting frame 1 in a plane just above that'of. the meeting edges of the feeding rollers -3.-' and -4. of the corresponding set, so as o allow the mail matter to pass between the shaft and guide in transit to the distribu ting case. a

Each tri r normally rejects throu h an elongatel zlot or openiiig 23- in is corresponding guide 13- and is provided with a forward y projecting shoulder -24- normallyxestin upon the portion of the guide just in a vance of the slot 23 to limit its downward movement and to keep the lower edge of the trigger at an acute angle with-the upper face of the guide.

Associated with each' trigger or set of triggors is an upwardly projecting arm 25 rigid therewith or with the shaft -22 with its upper end normally in close relation to one of the terminals of the switch -20, such terminal being preferably yielding to'contact with the other terminal,

and thereby close the. circuit through the electric'devioe for 0 rating the counter.

It is now: clear t at as each individual piece of maitinatteris fed by hand to the feeding rollers' "r-3- and 4, the latter will instantly carry the mail 'matter' forwardly' causing its forward end to ride along the upper face-of the guide 13- and against the lower edge of the trigger --2l-,- thereby lifting s'aid trigger a sufficient distahce to allow the'letter to pass along the guide and into'the corresponding compartment-pf the distributing case, and

'- nt the same time causing the arm .25 to vsi close the switch'-'-20 for energizing the electrical device '-18- to operate the coun- 'ter- 15-', the return ofthe spring terminal which is engaged, by its operating member serving to ns'sist the weight of the trigposition, this operation being regs-"ted as 'gcr 21 to return-the hitter to is normal menses each piece of mail matter is Qed to the distributing case by any of tle eedin devices.

'Ihemain object in using t e corresponding compartment of the case -1 and therefore, I do not limit myself to the use of mechanical feeding devices It is also evident that if the counter is to be located on the frame 1 it may be operated by any suitable mechanism capable of transmitting motion from either rock shaft -22- to the crank-arm -17.

In most instances, hcwever, this counter will be located at a remote distance from its distributin case out'of the way of the operator and in such position that it could not be tampered with by unscrupulous employees;

In other cases, it might be desirable to place the several counters, one for each dis tributing case, in the ofiice of the 0st master or inspector, and have, there ore, shown a second-counter 15- as operatedby a separate solenoid -18 which is connected in series with the solenoid -18- so that'the individual pieces of mail matter passing through the apparatus into the distributing case and operating thecounter -l5- will also operate the counter 15, thus permitting the post master or inspector to see at a glance the total amount of mail assorted and distributed by any one of the assorting clerks at any. time.

As a further check upon the faithfulness and relative speed of operation of the various distributing clerks, I have provided what may be termed a graphic recorder G- of any well known construction, having relatively movable impression-receiving and impression-making devices, one of which as a roll of aper -27 is chronometer rotated at a re atively slow'vspeed; while the other or marker -28 is electrically operated by any'well known form'of magnet, axially across themoving'she'et 27-.

The electrical devicefo'r" operating the marker 28 is connect'ed'in a branch circuit .-29- having-plug: terminals -30' adapted to be" plugged into a normally closed switch 21- consisting of two terminals which are normally springpressed to her to 'maintain'a 'closed circuit through t esoing roll-- era '3-- and -4-+is to expedite the work,

g case and that all of them will be located at some central. point remote from the distributing room, as for example, in the post masters or inspectors ollice It is evident that this graphic recorder may be used independently of the counter mechanism, if necessary or desirable, and that it might be permanently connected in the circuit +19- under which conditions, the marker -28" would be shifted vertically one tooth space with each tripping movement of the trigger --21 by the individual pieces of mail matterpassing along the'guide '13 and into the distributing case.

The operating mechanism for the marker is adjusted so as to mcve the marker 28 a short distance only along the sheet -27-:, at each operation, and itis, therefore, evident that if the mail matter is fed into the machine or distributin case continuously or in quick succession, t e line marked upon the sheet -27 will extend in a more or less irregular spiral or stepped diagonal line around the sheet.

On the other hand, if there is no mail matter passing through the device it will be indicated on the sheet of the recorder by a straight circumferential line, and it, therefore, follows that if-a certain amount of mail matter is passed through the device rapidly and then the operator rests or refrains from work for any considerable period of time, it will be indicated on the sheet of the recorder by a diagonal line terminating in a straight line which shows at a glance that the operator has failed to assert mail for the period of time indicated by such straight line, and may be asked for an explanation of such condition;

It is also apparent that two operators working faithfully side by side on two different distributing cases may vary. materially in the amount of work accomplished for the same period of time, which also will be' shown upon their respective recorders, in that the line made by the recorder for the employee feeding the greatest amount of mail matter will appear more generally diagonal than that indicated by the recorder of the other wor-k an, thus permitting the oflicials of the po I ofiice or other distributing station tolgleitermine the relative Inerits of both wor en for'any period or pc riods of time.

The graphic recorder shown'in Fig. 1 is in many respects similar to that commonly used in'electrical appliances, as a graphic meter, in which when the marker is raised to a predetermined position automatically drops to its starting position so that he device is capable of making any num er of records for predetermined intervals of time.

Whzit I claim is: 1 rate of delivery of said mail to the compart- 1C The combination with a mail-assorters ments collectively. case having plurality of separate com art- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my menfs for receiving the assorted mai of hand this 8th day of November, 1914. continuously-operating mechanical devices for feeding the assorted mail into corre- SIMON STORER' -sponding compartments, and means con- Witnesses: trolled by the pieces. of mail, while actuated H. E. CHASE, by their feeding devices, for recording the ALICE M. CANNON.

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