Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-25
A VERMONT INVENTOR.
Is. c. Hatcheller, n Native of Walling-
ford. w ms the ,Iohm SCOTT Mednl.

The commentator of the venerable
Franklin Institute of Philadelphia is not
an honor that is bestowed lightly. 1t is
never conferred except for inventions of
unusual scientific value and public use
fulness. 1t has just awarded its John
Scott legacy premium and medal to Il. G.
Bachelor of that city, formerly of Wall
lingford, for his inventions in pneumatic
despatch apparatus which is now employ
ed by the government in the postotfices
of the large cities of the country He is
the son of Justin *. Batcheller Of Wal
lingford.
The report of the committee on science
and the arts accompanying the award
states that the inventor has solved five
difficult mechanical problems, some of
which have puzzled scientific men and in
ventors for more than 80 years while 9TH
ers were considered either impractical or
impossible of solution. The principle prob
lens involved were
First, overcoming the momentum of
the carrier at the point where it is re-
ceived second, operating the receiving
apparatus automatically; third. prevent
ing collisions; fourth, practical auto
matte switching apparatus; fifth, the au-
tomato selection of delivery staten by
the carrier.
That Mr.. Batcheller has solved all these
problems and in such a scientific and
practical manner as to command the ad-
miration of the most learned experts, Is
shown by the report of the Franklin In
stitute committee. Not only do the tubes
employed in London and other European
cities seem like mere popguns compared
to the great pipes in use in New York.
Brooklyn, Boston and Philadelphia, but
the Batcheller system embodieS features
as interesting from scientific standpoint
as it is adequate in its capacity as APP
piled to mail and merchandise transporta-
ton in congested centres.
The report finds that although a large
number of patents have been granted to
various inventors looking to the use of
pneumatic tubes of sufficient size for the
transmission of mail matter and parcels.
the Batcheller patents were the first to
form a complete system of practical
value for larger tubes with improved
transmitter, receiver, switching appara-
tus and carrier. He also receives high
communication for the engineering de-
tails of the system.
While the idea. Of pneumatic transit
was an old one when Mr. Batcheller en-
tered the field, in 1898, he made new
art of 1t. for when he came to use tubes
and carriers of great size, and employ
high speed he found 1t necessary to re-
sort to many new devices that would
have been useless i'm such systems had
before been built. A graduate of the
school Technology of Boston, he was al
ready considered ar authority on the sub
iect of pneumatcs. To devlse system
of tubes of larger size OF practical value
was comparatively easy for one who
thoroughly understood the laws govern
ing the flow of air in long tubes, the law
of pressure and the law of velocity. But
to solve the other and far more important
problems required not only mechanical
skill of the highest order but persever-
ance and Yankee ingenuity.
R1tNhpl1pr haan
the Scott medal and the premium, the
committee making the most thorough and
exhaustive examination into his inve.l-
tons The Ratcheller pneumatic tube sys-
TEN is the one in use in Philadelphia, New
York, Boston, and Brooklyn, for the
transmission of mail, and is being urged
by the postoffce department for all the
other large cities