US703074A - Mail-bag catching and delivering mechanism. - Google Patents

Description

R. J. MEYER. MAIL BAG CATGHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

Patented June 24, I902.

A lication filed Mar. 25, 1902.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.-

(No Model.)

.J Maya A" No. 703,074. Patented June 24, I902.

R. J. MEYER.

MAIL BAG OATCHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

(Application filed Mar. 25, 1902.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Hfl asses I f 1 an Tm. 9 z 1% ay 9 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

RALPH J. MEYER, OF MITCHELL, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LILLIAN S. DODDRIDGE, JOHN S. DODDRIDGE, AND JOHN B. DOWD, REDCLlFF, COLORADO.

MAIL-BAG CATCHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,074, dated June 24, 1902.

Application filed March 25,1902. 'Serial lid-99 920. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom it may concern: responding partsin all the figures of the draw- Be it known that I, RALPH J. MEYER, a citiings.

zen of the United States, residing at Mitchell, 1 designates a vertical standard of a trackin the county of Eagle and State of Colorado, crane mounted on a suitable base and sup- 5 have invented a new and useful Mail -Bag ported by suitable inclined braces 2 and sup- OatchingandDeliveringMechanism,ofwhich porting a platform 3, arranged between its the following is a specification. ends ata suitable elevation. The track-crane The invention relates to improvements in is provided with steps 4, leading to the platmail-bag catching and delivering mechanism. form, and the upper portion of the standard 10 The object of the present invention is to forms a guide for avertically-adjustable pivimprove the construction of mail-cranes and otally-rnounted lower sack-supporting arm 5, to provide a simple and comparatively ineX- and the upper end of the standard is propensive mail bag catching and delivering vided with a pair of upwardly-extending permechanism adapted to enable mail bags or forated ears 6, receiving a pivot 7, on which 15 sacks to be conveniently exchanged between is mounted an upper sack-supporting arm 8,

a train and a station without necessitating consisting, preferably, of a weighted lever a person on the train exposing any portion of and having a rearwardly-extending weighted his body in effecting the exchange. arm or portion 9, which, after an exchange A further object of the invention is toproof mail bags or sacks has been made, is 20 vide a simple and efficient track-crane in adapted to swing the upper sack-supporting which the supporting-arms will be adjustable arm upward out of the way'to the position to receive bags or sacks of different lengths shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The upand in which the said arms will automaticwardly-extending ears 6 are set at a slightinally drop or swing back out of the way after clination, and the rearedge of the upper end 2 5 an exchange has been made. of the standard is beveled or cut away at 10 Furthermore, it is the object of the invento permit theweighted lever to assume an y tion to provide a car-crane mounted wholly inclined position, and when the same is in a within a car and adapted to be changed from horizontal position the upper supporting-arm one side to the other to avoid turning the car or front portion of the weighted lever rests 30 and capable of being readily manipulated to upon the upper end of. the standard, and it is extend itfrom the car and to returnit within held in such position by the sack or bag,-as the same. hereinafter explained, so that as soon as the The invent-ion consists in the construction bag is removed the upper supporting-arm and novel combination and arrangement of will be automatically swung upward or back- 3 5 parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated ward out of the way.

in the accompanying drawings, and pointed The outer end of the upper sack-supportout in the claims hereto appended. ing arm is provided with outwardly-extend- In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective ing upper and lower longitudinal ears 11, arview of a mail-sack catching and delivering ranged horizontally when the supporting-arm 4o mechanism constructed in accordance with is horizontal and preferably formed by plates this invention. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a secured to the upper and lower faces of the portion of the track-crane, showing the upouter end of the arm, as clearly shown in per and lower supporting-arms swung back Fig. 1 of the drawings. Mounted between out of the way. Fig. 3 is a perspective'view these cars is a pivoted finger 12, arranged to 45 of the car-crane. Fig. 4is a detail sectional swing laterally in either direction to permit view of the upper portion of the same. Fig. a mail sack or bag to be carried off of it by a 5 5 is a detail view of the outer end of the uptrain travelingin eitherdirection and adapted per sack-supporting arm of the car-crane. to be held longitudinally of the supporting- Like numerals of reference designate corarm by a spring 13, secured to the upper hold the same until removed.

plate of the supporting-arm and having a free outer portion arranged to engage the pivoted finger. The outer end of the spring is provided with a central notch and is rounded at each side of the same to provide beveled edges to enable the finger to be readily swung laterally into and out of engagement with the spring.

The lower supporting-arm 5 is provided at opposite sides of its inner end with perforated ears 1%, having attachment plates or shanks and offset from the side faces of the supporting-arm 5 to receive the ends or ears 15 of a sliding sleeve or yoke 16, arranged on the upper portion of the standard and adapted to belocated at different elevations, as hereinafter explained. The sleeve 0r yoke is approximately U-shaped, being composed of two sides and a transverse connecting end portion, the terminals of the sides forming the said cars 15 and receiving the inner end of the supporting-arm 5, which is secured to the sleeve or yoke by a pintle 17. The pintle 17 passes through the perforated ears, the joint being reinforced by the said ears 14. The inner end 18 of the lower supporting arm is curved to form a cam, which is located between the pivot and the standard when the lower arm is in a horizontal position and which is adapted to bind against the said standard, whereby the arm is firmly held in its adjusted position. When the arm 5 swings downward or backward, the cam is carried out of engagement with the standard, and the sleeve and the arm will slide downward on the same. The arm 5 is provided at its outer end with cars 19, similar to those of the upper supporting arm and receiving a pivoted finger 20, which is engaged by a spring 21, arranged beneath the ears and constructed the same as the finger-engaging spring heretofore described. The plates 23 and 24, which connect the ears with the lower supportingarm 5, also support a pair of oppositely-disposed sack-engaging forks 25, extending laterally from the said arm and secured between the plates, which are extended and recessed at their inner faces to receive the forks. Each fork consists of a rigid curved side 26 and a resilient side or spring 27, the curved sides 26 being preferably formed by a continuous bar or piece extending between the plates 23 and 24:, and the springs or resilient sides 27 preferably consist of a single continuous piece of resilient material. The springs, which are slightly curved, as shown, diverge from the rigid sides and are provided at their inner ends beyond the contiguous portions of the fork with a bend 28, forming a clamping loop and adapted'to receive and hold a mailbag. A mail-bag coming in contact with the fork will be carried into the clamping-loop, the spring or resilient side being adapted to be forced outward to permit this operation. The arm 5 in swinging downward or backward will carry with it the bag or sack and The trackcrane is adapted to receive a mail bag or sack 29 of the ordinary construction, provided at the top and bottom with rings 30 for engaging the fingers, and when such mail-bag is engaged by the mail-crane of a car the fingers will be swung laterally out of engagement with the springs and will permit the bag to slide off of them.

The bag or sack of the track-crane is engaged by a fork 31 of a car-crane 32, comprising a Vertical bar or standard 33 and upper and lower sack-supporting arms 3 and 35, and the said crane is provided at the top and bottom with lugs or cars 36 and 37, arranged substantially at right angles to the sack-supporting arms and detachably mounted on pintles 38 of brackets 39. The brackets 39, which are designed to be located in pairs at opposite sides of the door of a mail-car, are provided with suitable arms, at the outer ends of which are arranged the said pintles 38, perforated for the reception of suitable keys 40, by means of which the crane 32 is detachably mounted on the brackets and which permit the cranes of a car to be readily reversed and changed from one side of the car to the other to arrange them properly without turning the car end for end. Each car will be provided with a right-hand crane and with a left-hand crane, such cranes being located at the rear side of the door-openings in order to present the fork to the front, and when a mail-car has reached its destination the cranes may be changed to permit the mail-car to return to the other end of the loop without turning it end for end.

The upper lug or ear is preferably formed integral with the upper supporting-arm, as shown, and the lower ear or lug is formed integral with the vertical bar or standard. The upper arm 34 is rigid with the bar or standard, and the lower arm is slidably mounted on the latter to enable it to be adjusted vertically to accommodate mail bags or sacks of different lengths. The outer ends of the sack-supporting arms 34 and 35 are bifurcated to receive pivoted fingers 39 and 40,

which are engaged by upper and lower springs- 41 and 42, constructed the same as the sackreceiving fingers and springs heretofore described. The inner end of the lower arm 35 is provided with a rectangular opening to receive the vertical bar or standard, which is squared; but any other non-circular shape may be provided for these parts.

The fork 31, which is adapted to swing upward and downward to arrange it in horizontal position for operation and to lower it to an approximately vertical position to permit it to pass through the car-door opening, is composed of a rigid side 44 and a resilient side or spring 45, having a bag-receiving loop or bend 46, which forms a clamp and which is adapted to receive the central portion of a bag or sack similar to the forks heretofore described. The fork 31 is provided at its inner end with a curved edge 47 and is perforated IIO adjacent to the same for the reception of a pivot 4C8, which passes through the fork and through perforated ears 49, extending outward from the upper supporting-arm, adjacent to the outer end thereof. The upper supporting-arm is also provided with ears or bearings for the reception of a rock-shaft 51, having a crank-arm 52 at its outer end and provided at its inner end with a suitable handle 53. The L-shaped arm or crank 52 at the outer end of the rock-shaft extends intoa perforation 54. of the fork 3l,and the rock-shaft is adapted to be partially rotated to swing the fork upward from an approximately vertical position toahorizontalposition,andthehandle 53 at the inner end of the rock-shaft is adapted to operate as a handle or grip for swinging the crane inward and outward and for raising and lowering the fork 31. The crane is adapted to lie normally against the side of a car, and it is swung horizontally with the fork in its lowered position when it is desired to arrange the crane for catching the mail bag or sack while the car is in motion. By swinging the crane horizontally it is extended through the door-opening, carrying with it the bag or sack to be delivered to the station in exchange for the one collected, and after the car-frame has been extended through the doorway the fork is swung upward and is held rigidly in a horizontal position by means of the rock-shaft. XVhen the fork 31 is swung upward, its cam edge 47 is carried into contact with the upper supporting-arm of the crane to form a stop for limiting the upward movement of the said fork. After the mail bag or sack is lodged in the clamping loop or bend of the resilient side or spring of the fork 31 the latter is swung downward and the car-crane is swung horizontally to return it to its former position with the car. This operation may be effected without necessitating the operator exposing any portion of his body.

In order to reduce the shock or jar to a minimum to avoid injuring the car-crane when the fork comes in contact with a sack or bag, suitable cushions 55 are provided, and acushion 56 is preferably mounted on the standard of the track-crane to receive the lower pivoted supporting-arm when the latter swings downward. These cushions may consist of blocks of rubber or they may be constructed in any other suitable manner.

It will be seen that the mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism is adapted to enable a mail-sack to be collected by a train in motion and that it will permit a train to si multaneously deliver a sack or bag at the station or other point. It will also be clear that the sack-supporting arms of the track-crane are adapted to swing backward automatically to arrange them out of the way as soon as the sack is removed and that the car-crane is adapted to be manipulated entirely from the interior of a car without necessitating the op-' erator exposing any portion of his body during the entire operation.

That I claim is- 1. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination with a support, of a pair of oppositely-disposed sack-engaging forks consisting of a rigid bar centrally secured to the support and projecting from opposite sides thereof to form a rigid side for each fork, and a single continuous piece of resilient material centrally fixed to the support and projecting from opposite sides thereof to form a resilient side for each fork, said resilient material being provided with sackreceiving loops or bends arranged adjacent to the support and adapted to clamp a sack, substantially as described.

2. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination of a standard, an upper pivotally-mounted sack-supporting arm provided with means for engaging a sack or bag, a lower pivoted sack-supporting arm provided with plates extending from its outer end, means arranged at the outer ends of the plates for engaging a sack or bag, and the oppositely-disposed sack-engaging forks comprising a.continuous bar secured between the said plates and extending from opposite sides thereof, and a continuous spring also secured between the plates and projecting from opposite sides of the same, substantially as described.

3. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination of a hinged carcrane arranged to swing horizontally and designed to be mounted on the interior of a car and provided with means for engaging a sack, a pivoted fork mounted on the crane and arranged to swing upward and downward, and operating mechanism connected with the fork and adapted also for swinging the crane inward and outward, substantially as described.

4. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination of a hinged carcrane designed to be mounted on the interior of a car and arranged to swing horizontally and provided with means for supporting a sack, bag or sack engaging means pivotally mounted on the crane and arranged to swing upward and downward, a rock-shaft connected with the said means and adapted to swing the same upward and downward, said rockshaft being also adapted for swinging the crane, substantially as described.

5. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination of a car-crane designed to be hinged at the interior of a car and provided with means for holding a sack, a sack-engaging fork movably mounted on the crane, a rock-shaft mounted on the crane and connected with the fork, and a handle arranged at the inner end of the rock-shaft and adapted for operating both the fork and the crane, substantially as described.

6. In a mail-sack catching and delivering mechanism, the combination of a car-crane designed to be hinged to a car at the interior thereof,a sack-engagin g fork pivotally mounted on the crane at the top thereof and provided with means for engaging the same to or standard, an upper rigid sack-supporting x 5 limit its upward swing, and a rock-shaft arm, and a lower sack-supporting arm admounted on the crane and provided at its outer justably mounted on the bar or standard, a

, end with an arm connected With the fork, said fork pivotally mounted on the upper support- 5 rock-shaft being also provided at its inner ing-arm,and operating mechanism connected end with a handle adapted to be operated to with the fork and adapted to oscillate the 20 manipulate the fork and to oscillate the crane, crane, substantially as described. substantially as described. In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 7. In a mail-sack catching and delivering my own I have hereto affixed my signature in IO mechanism, the combination of brackets de the presence of two Witnesses.

signed to be secured Within a car, a reversi- RALPH J. MEYER. ble crane provided at the top and bottom with Witnesses: lugs detachably mounted on the brackets, W. J. DILLON,

said crane being composed of a vertical bar J. H. J OCHUM, Jr.

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