The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-08-23
An Electric Cash Carving System.


There are many kinds of cash-carriers in
use In the retail stores in the city, propelled by
gravity. compressed air, springs, human foot
power and other agents; but in some respects
the most remarkable and interesting system
yet devised is the Martin electric cash sys
tenn recently placed in the store of Eastman
Brothers & Bancroft. This is double track
cable-grip railroad operated by electricity.
A two horsepower motor in the basement
attached to the electric light circuit drives
the whole by belts which pass up through
the floor to a shaft-pulley under the cashiers
desk. On the other end of the shaft are three
other pulleys carrying the cables of the rail-
road, one operating each of the three lines
into which the whole system of 600 feet of
track is divided Each track is double, hay
ing going and a returning cable and each
has number of stations at which cars are
put on and taken off. The car itself Is an in
genious affair of tin, large enough to hold
IA silver dollars, the lid fastened on with a
spring, and attaching itself automatically by
means of movable grip on the bottom and
a fixed switch on the side of the track-frame
to the cable. 1t is instantly taken along at a
speed of Is feet per second. passing around
corners on the outer edge of the wheels that
carry the cable, being held on the side frames
by groove on the frame and a projection on
the car. Arriving at the cashiers desk an
other switch turns the grip back, permitting
the car to drop on the cashiers landing
The money Is changed and the car put on the
track for the return trip. The car runs on
the same track and cable whether it is going
| to the station directly under the cashiers
desk or to the end of the store, yet the car
| never makes mistake. If 1t belongs at sta
| tion six it goes there every time. This re-
suit is brought about by the projections on
the sides of the car that catch springs at
switches just before reaching the proper
station. Catching in the switches the car is
thrown on side track and running around a
curve stops just in front of the salesman
who about half minute before sent it out.
The different cars have the projections in
different places. those belonging furthest
from the desk being nearest the bottom, so
that no car intended for one station will
catch the spring at any other station switch.
The railroad is entirely automatic in action
after the box is placed in the trsck. A push
oOhoo Az o6ohhos thO cWibCH WulCu grips IL 10
the cable. Once On its way it will follow the
cable around corners on wheels, upstairs, or
down cellar If need be, since nothing but the
switch at the cashiers desk can detach it.
One or two or all of the divisions can be
stopped if need be by throwing the cable off
the pulley at the cashiers desk, but nothing
else will stop 1t so long as the motor holds
out, as the effect Of dampness or heat in
lengthing or shortening the cable is provided
for by an automatic regulator running by
clockwork at the end of each division, which
either takes up or lets out the cord as occa-
sion demands.
The entire frame work. supports, wires
and cars, are of brass plated with nickel, SO
that the system when looked down upon
from above has very graceful, pleasing ap-
pearance. The system is put in and owned
by the Martin Electric Store Service COM
pany of Springfield, Mass, and thus far,
Eastman Bros. & Bancroft are the only per-
sons in Maine using it.