IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LETTERS OR PARCELS BETWEEN PLACES BY THE PRESSURE OF AIR AND VACUUM
Year: 1854

page_text: Sealed the 7th April 1854, and dated the 28th Jannary 1854.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION
left by the said Josiah Latimer Clark
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
28th January 1854.
1. JOSIAH LATIMER CLARK, of 2, Chester Villas, Canonbury Park, Islington,
do hereby declare the nature of the Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR CONVEYING LETTERS OR PARCELS BETWEEN PLACES BY THE PRESSURE OF AIR
AND VACUUM," to be as follows:-
It has before been proposed to employ the pressure of air into pipes or
passages, aided by vacuum, as a means of conveying letters or parcels from
one place to another; and this Invention has for its object improvements in the
means of maintaining the requisite vacuum. and in combining the apparatus
employed, and consists of employing an inverted vessel, similar to a gasometer,
in a tank or cistern of water, into which a branch pipe from the pipes or
Price Gd.1

page_text: passages used for conveying letters or parcels, ascends. The inverted vessel is
constantly pressed on by weights, with a tendency to raise the inverted vessel:
consequently when a vacuum is formed in the communicating pipes or passages
between two places, and also in the upper part of the inverted vessel, the water
will, by the outer atmosphere, be pressed above its level into the inverted vessel,
and become a reservoir of power; during the time that no transmitting or
conveying of articles is taking place between the two places, by which means
the constant effort of a comparatively small power in pumping out the air is
rendered available for the working of such apparatus. The be through
which the articles are conveyed is open at each end, and has valves, or doors to
close the same. At each station the tube is perforated with numerous small
holes. and surrounded by short larger tubes in communication with vessels
capable of being rendered vacuus by being in communication with the gaso-
meter apparatus before mentioned. The communication between the station
vacuus vessels and the tube through which the articles are transmitted is
connected in such manner as to shut off such vessel from the gasometer
apparatus when communication is open between that station vacuus vessel
and the gasometer apparatus.
ne FeticTS
DY
the said Josiah Latimer Clark in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
28th July 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, JOSIAH
LATIMER CLARK, of 2, Chester Villas. Canonbury Park, Islington, send
greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Twenty-eighth day of January, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four. in the seventeenth year of
Her reign, did. for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant' unto
me, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, Her special licence that I, the said Josiah
Latimer Clark, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as
I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark. my executors, administrators, and assigns,
should at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at
all times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great

page_text: Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR CONVEYING LETTERS OR PARCELS BETWEEN
PLACES BY THE PRESSURE OF AIR AND VACUUM," upon the condition (amongst
others) that I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, by an instrument in writing
under my hand and seal, should particularly describe and ascertain the
nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same was to be
performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office
within six calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said
Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that 1, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to
be performed. to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement thereof (that is to say):-
.. It has before been proposed to employ the presence of air into pipes or
passes, aided by vacuum, as a means of conveying letters or parcels from one
place to another, and this Invention has for its object improvements in the
means of maintaining the requisite vacuum, and in combining the apparatus
employed, and consists of employing an inverted vessel, similar to a gasometer,
in a tank or cistern of water, into which a branch pipe from the pipes or
passages used for conveying letters or parcels ascend. The inverted vessel is
constantly pressed on by weights, with a tendency to raise the inverted vessel;
consequently when a vacuum is formed in the communicating pipes or passages
between two places, and also in the upper part of the inverted vessel, the water
will, by the outer atmosphere, be pressed above its level into the inverted
vessel, and become a reservoir of power, dufing the time that no transmitting
or conveying of articles is taking place between the two places. by which means
the constant effort of a comparatively small power in pumping out the air is
rendered available for the working of such apparatus. The tube through
which the articles are conveyed is open at each end, and has valves or doors
to close the same. At each station the tube is perforated with numerous
small holes, and surrounded by short larger tubes, in communication with
vessels capable of being rendered vacuous by being in communication with the
gasometer apparatus before mentioned. The communication between the
station vacuous vessels and the tube through which the articles are transmitted
is connected in such manner as to shut off such vessel from the gasometer
apparatus when communication is open between that station vacuous vessel
and the gasometer apparatus.
.
t
Having thus stated the nature of my Invention will now proceed to

page_text: describe the accompanying Drawing, and refer to the figures and letters
marked thereon.
Figure 1 shows a side view, partly in section. of apparatus arranged in
accordance with my Invention. A is a tube. extending from one station or
distance to another. having branches B. B, communicating with receivers C, C;
the branches B, B. are provided with stop cocks B, B. as shown. The
receivers C. C, have pipes D. D. communicating with the pipe or tube F.
which connects the receivers C. C. together, and also with the vacuous reser-
voir F, which has a pipe G in connection with an exhaust apparatus.
The vacuous reservoir F' is very similar to an ordinary gas holder, and is in
like manner provided with counter balance weights, pullies, and chains.
The mode of working is as follows:-The letters, &c. to be forwarded from
one place to another, along which my apparatus has been fixed, are placed in
a capsule or holder II. fitting conveniently within the tube A, and they are
then deposited within the open end of the tube A; an electric signal is then
made to the distant receiving station, and the attendant having closed the tube
A by a slide or valve A', opens communication between the tube A and the
vacuous receiver C by means of the stop cock B', having by the same opera-
tion closed the stop cock E (in consequence of their both being connected by
cranks and levers, so that by the opening of the stop cock B' the stop cock
E is closed, and vice versa); the capsule containing the letters, &c. will be
thereby propelled by the pressure of the atmosphere to the receiving station.
where it will be retained and may be removed in the manner shewn by
Fig. 2. which represents these parts upon a longer scale. H is the capsule
or carrier. which may be made of leather or other suitable material surrounded
by an expanding valve, so as to exclude the passage of air. The capsule H is
retained, and may be removed from the pipe A by opening the upper half of
that part of the pipe A, which is hinged and fitted air-tight for that purpose,
and contains a perforated diaphram 1, which may be raised or lowered at
pleasure. its rod passing through a stufling box. The perforated diaphram
I is only closed at that station at which the capsule and its contents are desired
to be retained, and is at all other times raised. The capsule I being thereby
stopped, the valve B' is again closed, and the capsule removed by opening the
moveable portion of the pipe A, as before described.
It is obvious that by this arrangement the capsule I may be caused to
travel in either direction by closing either one or other of the stops A
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and also the manner of
performing the same, I would have it understood that I do not intend to

page_text: confine myself to the details, as the same may be greatly varied without
departing from my Invention. But what I claim is, the peculiar means
of transmitting letters or parcels, &c. between distant. places, as herein
described.
In witness whereof. I, the said Josiah Latimer Clark, have hereunto set
my hand and seal. this Twenty-sixth day of July, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
Witness,
FRED. HARRIS.
LATIMER CLARK. (L.S.)