IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR DE- POSITING AND PICKING UP MAIL BAGS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITHOUT STOPPING THE TRAIN
Year: 1876

page_text: "
LETTERS PATENT to Edward Griffith Brewer, of Chancery Lane, London, for
the Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR DE-
POSITING AND PICKING UP MAIL BAGS AND OTHER ARTICLES WITHOUT
STOPPING THE TRAIN." A communication from abroad by Alexis Firmin
Cacheleux of Paris, France.
Sealed the 22nd August 1876, and dated the 24th February 1876.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edward Griffith Brewer at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 24th February 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London. "IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING AND PICKING UP MAIL BAGS AND
OTHER ARTICLES WITHOUT STOPPING THE TRAIN." A communication from abroad
by Alexis Firmin Cacheleux, of Paris, France.
This Invention comprises two principal points.
First. Provision for the deposit of mail bags from the train at a station or other
receptacle.
Second. Provision for picking up mail bags from a station or other place without
stopping the train for that purpose, all being accomplished automatically.
I will first describe the arrangement for depositing packages. Opposite the
station or other convenient position there is a vertical post firmly secured in the
ground; at its upper part this post is provided with a transverse arm jointed to the
vertical post, which latter carries at one end a hooked ring which supports the sack
(carrying for example the letters) and hooking appliances at its other end; the
horizontal post carries a counterweight equivalent to the weight of the sack to be
deposited, and according to the weight thereof so the position of the counterweight
must be regulated by pulling back or pushing out the counterweight. It will be
understood that to balance the weight of the bag when the sack is taken off the
counterweight will cause the horizontal arm to swing, and the line will be clear.
Second. Depositing bags from the train.-The sacks are hooked on to the exterior
of the van by means of a ring provided with hooking appliances. When the train
is in the act of passing the place where the bags are to be deposited the hook of the
hooking apparatus on the train will take the sack placed on the post, and which
contains the letters or other articles at the station or other position, at the same!
Pains dal
"

page_text: time the hook of the hooking apparatus of the station will take the sack from the
train; in this way there is an exchange of sacks made; only although supposing the
train to be in motion, as it would be dangerous for the guard who is in the van to
unkook the sack placed outside, the weight of the sack is utilized to obtain the
automatic opening of the door, the same being accomplished by bell cranks and
springs. The automatic exchange of sacks from the station to the train and from
the train to the station is thus accomplished with the automatic introduction of the
sack into the van without any danger to the attendant.
"
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said Edward Griffith Brewer in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 24th
August 1876.
EDWARD GRIFFITH BREWER, of Chancery Lane, London. IMPROVEMENTS IN
APPARATUS OR MACHINERY FOR DEPOSITING AND PICKING UP MAIL BAGS AND
OTHER ARTICLES WITHOUT STOPPING THE TRAIN." A communication from abroad
by Alexis Firmin Cachcleux, of Paris, France.
This Invention comprises two principal points,―
First. Provision for the deposit of mail bags from the train at a station or other
receptacle.
Second. Provision for picking up mail bags from a station or other place without
stopping the train for that purpose, all being accomplished automatically.
I will first describe the arrangement for depositing packages. Opposite the
station or other convenient position there is a vertical. post firmly secured in the
ground, at its upper part this post is provided with a transverse arın jointed to the
vertical post, which latter carries at one end a hooked ring which supports the sack
(carrying for example the letters) and hooking appliances at its other end; the
horizontal post carries a counterweight equivalent to the weight of the sack to be
deposited, and according to the weight thereof so the position of the counterweight
must be regulated by pulling back or pushing out the counterweight. It will be
understood that to balance the weight of the bag when the sack is taken off the
counterweight will cause the horizontal arm to swing, and the line will be clear.
Second. Depositing bags from the train.-The sacks are hooked on to the exterior
of the van by means of a ring provided with hooking appliances. When the train
is in the act of passing the place where the bags are to be deposited the hook of the
hooking apparatus on the train will take the sack placed on the post, and which
contains the letters or other articles at the station or other position, at the saine
time the hook of the hooking apparatus of the station will take the sack from the
train; in this way there is an exchange of sacks made; only although supposing the
train to be in motion, as it would be dangerous for the guard who is in the van to
unhook the sack placed outside, the weight of the sack is utilized to obtain the
automatic opening of the door, the same being accomplished by bell cranks and
springs. The automatic exchange of sacks from the station to the train and from
the train to the station is thus accomplished with the automatic introduction of the
sack into the van without any danger to the attendant.
The accompanying Drawings illustrate the manner in which this Invention may
be carried into effect.
a represents a railway waggon; b is the door thereof; c, the bag containing the
letters, parcels, or other documents which has to be left at the station by the train;
d, the sack at the station which has to be picked up by the train and lodged in the
waggon thereof; e is a post placed in front of the station and from which is
suspended the sack which has to be picked up by the passing train; and in order to
render the Invention as clear as possible I will describe each operation separately.

page_text: Supposing the train to be travelling in the direction indicated by the arrow,
Figure 1, the bag c which has to be deposited at a station is hooked on at c¹, when
it will come against the inclined planes e¹, e¹; the end of these inclined planes will
enter the ring e, consequently the bag e and its ring c, which is connected to it, will
remain suspended from tlie post, and the bag c will be delivered at its destination.
The bag d which contains the despatches to be deposited in the carriage or van is
hooked or suspended to the post e; when the inclined planes 61, which are fixed to
the door of the carriage, will come against the ring fixed to the sack containing the
packages to deposit they will become engaged in this ring, and raise the .sack with
it, and the packages which it contains.
Here there is an arrangement or combination not only for taking the sack but
also for bringing it into the interior of the carriage or van; when the ring which is
fixed to the sack will be engaged on the inclined plane b¹, it will come against the
bell crank be, which at one of its ends carries a cord or its equivalent, passing round
the pulley b, afterwards round a second pulley b', then it is afterwards attached to
a bolt b³, so that the weight of the sack will lower the bell crank b and draw the
bolt ; the hinges 6 of the door b will be continually stretched by a spring 68,
which is for opening the door when the bolt 65 is drawn by the weight of the bag,
whatever the weight of it may be, consequently when no sack is hooked on the
door will be closed, but as soon as the sack is engaged on the inclined plane b¹, and
it abuts against the bell crank the motion of the bolt will take place, and the
opening of the door will be effected. As the inclined plane 6 which supports the
bag is connected to the doors by opening same the bag will be drawn inside the
carriage or van, and the guard or other person employed for, that purpose would
have no difficulty in unhooking the same without danger to himself; as soon as he
has unhooked the bag the door will close itself by a special mechanism, but which
may be made in different ways not indicated in the Drawing.
There is an arrangement for causing the arm e¹ of the post to swing, whatever
may be the weight of the bag, without injuring or interfering with the
way; to
obtain this result the counterweight e is made movable by means of the rod c³ and
of the screw c, which enables the weight to be regulated by lengthening or
shortening the arm of the lever; in this case there is a bell crank in which there is
an orifice through which a rod passes which supports a weight intended to balance
that of the sack with its contents in combination with the length of a lever and
counterweight, when the train passes it operates on an arm and will disengage the
weight which compensates for that of the lever e¹.
The whole or part of the appliances described may be modified without departing
from the Invention, provided the essential features of the same are maintained; for
example, the parts may be made to operate by springs or counterweights with the
addition of pulleys, bell cranks, levers, and other known mechanical contrivances or
combinations thereof. Special boxes may also be used for containing the parcels or
letters, made either of wood or metal; the rings which support the bags may be
comprised within the line of the frame; the upper part of the post comes within
the limit of this line which assumes the horizontal position.
Having now described the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that I claim,―
First. The employment of a swinging post operating automatically, and a hori
zontal bar assuming a vertical position as soon as the train has passed with or
without the addition of a bag or sack containing the parcels, and substantially as
described and shewn.
Second. The automatic introduction of the bag with its contents into the carriago
by the weight of the bag itself, and whatever its weight may be the opening and
closing of the door is accomplished automatically, that is, open when the sack is
suspended, and closed when the sack is removed, all substantially in the manner
described and illustrated in the accompanying Drawings.
Third. The employment of rings or hooking appliances to which the bags are

page_text: hooked and arranged so that the centre of gravity is always kept in view, and thus
the bags kept within the line of the frame, all substantially in manner described
and illustrated with reference to the accompanying Drawings.
In witness whereof, I, the said Edward Griffith Brewer, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Twenty-second day of August, in the year of our
Lord, One thousand eight hundred and seventy-six.
E. G. BREWER. (L.S.)