Patent GB-190811894-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in Pneumatic Apparatus for the Despatch and Reception of Postal Matter, Small Parcels or the like.
Filed: 1908-06-01
Granted: 1909-03-18
Abstract: 11,894. Gissot, E., and Compagnie pour la Fabrication des Compteurs et Materiel d'Usines Ó Gaz. June 1. Pneumatic dispatch apparatus.-To accelerate the dispatch and reception of carriers and at the same time to avoid excess of pressure at the starting of the carriers, the pneumatic line is connected at stations to an oscillating head movable in a casing having doors for dispatch and reception respectively, the head having a cylindrical passage which normally forms part of the line, and is provided with mechanism for causing this passage to register with either of the doors as required, and with openings which maintain the line connexion. The station apparatus consists of a tapered barrel C having a diametrical tube C' and mounted on bearings O in a casing A having doors E, S for dispatch and reception respectively. The barrel is turned by a toothed sector S' gearing with a pinion p, the spindle i of which is adjustably connected to a crank m, which may be keyed in one of two positions so that the piston R, with which it is connected, may turn the barrel either to the right or left, according to the position of the crank, to cause the tube C<1> to aline with one of the doors E, S. The piston R works in a cylinder R' which is connected at the top and bottom by pipes I<1>, I to two openings of the four-way valve G, the other two openings of which are connected to the atmosphere by a pipe M', and to a compressedair receiver P by a pipe M. The plug of the va've G is connected to the hinge of the door E. The receiver P is also connected to a distributing- valve D consisting of a cylinder having a double piston, which cylinder connects on its other side to the top of another double piston valve D', which is further connected, on the one side to a vacuum receiver V, and on the other, through a valve F, with the pneumatic line. The bottoms of the cylinders D, D<1> are also connected by pipes Q, Q<1> to valves j, j<1>, Fig. 5, of a double valve J, which is also connected by pipes to the receivers P, V. The valve F in the branch U of the line U<1> consists of a slide operated from a handwheel N, this slide having two openings leading to channels r, r<1>, and the openings being so arranged that their total area in all positions is equal to the area of the line pipe U<1>. The channel r<1> connects with the pipe U leading to the top of the barrel C, while the channel r leads to a shunt passage h connected with the line pipe U<1> by a connexion L. When the apparatus is to be used for the reception of carriers, the channel r is partly opened to cause a shunt of air through the passage h, whereby the speed of the entering carrier is reduced. The carrier on entering the barrel is stopped by the piece B<2> through which works a plunger H, which is pushed down, if necessary, to allow the barrel to turn. The valve j<1> is then reversed, thus connecting the pipes M, Q<1>, and the bottom of the cylinder D' is connected to the pressure receiver P, whereupon the double piston is forced upwards, the piston of the valve D being in its lower position, and the vacuum receiver is placed in connexion with the line; when a carrier enters the tube C', the door E is opened thereby operating the valve G and opening the top of the cylinder R' to pressure. The crank m, which for reception is in the left-hand position, thereby turns the barrel until the tube C<1> registers with the door S and the carriers fall out. The closing of the door E returns the barrel to its initial position. When the apparatus is to be used for dispatch, the crank m is returned and the valve j<1> is returned and the valve j reversed ; the piston of the valve D<1> is then lowered. by connecting its underside with the receiver V, and the piston of the valve D' is raised. Pressure is thus communicated from the receiver P to the pipe U, the passage r being closed. When the door E is opened for the reception of a carrier, the valve G is turned and the piston R is driven down. The tube C' is thus driven round to register with the door E, and, the carrier being inserted, the door E is closed. The tube then returns to register with the line U<1> and the carrier is dispatched. Openings Z, Z<1> in the barrel prevent the interruption of pressure when the barrel is turned. An automatic draining- device K is placed in the pressure pipe, and consists of a box connected therewith by pipes 1, 2 and containing a float, 4 governing a cock 5 connected to the short leg of a siphon 6, which discharges outside the box. At intermediate stations, the barrel may be hand-operated and the casing may be provided with two apertures E‹, S‹, Fig. 2, which are always open. The carriers are thus received through the opening S‹, and if they are not intended for the station they are replaced through the opening E‹ and sent into the line on the return of the barrel ; or two barrels may be fitted at such stations, one on the incoming and one on the outgoing line, the two barrels being connected by a pipe and driven by racks and outside pinions from pistons such as R, and arranged so that, on turning the pipe, one registers with a receiving door and the other with a dispatch door, the carriers for another station being reinserted and sent on as before.