Improvements in Electro-magnetic Dispatch Apparatus.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 7th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 21st Dec., 1889
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Electro-magnetic Dispatch Apparatus.
I HERBERT JOHN HADDON of the firm of Herbert & Co., Patent Agents of 18
Buckingham Street, Strand W.C. in the County of Middlesex, Civil Engineer do
hereby declare the nature of this invention a communication to me from abroad by
John Thomas Williams, of Mount Vernon, New York, United States of America,
Electrician, and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to electro-magnetic apparatus which is intended for the
transportation of letters and packages, and which I term port-electric.
In the accompanying drawing:
Fig. 1. is a longitudinal section in the plane x fig. 2.
Fig. 2. is a transverse section in the plane y y fig. 1.
In this drawing the letter A designates a tube or guide in the interior of which are
secured two metallic rails B B₁ and on which are secured at suitable distancos apart
the helices C, C₁, 0, 0%. The rail B is made continuous and it connects at one end
by a wire 10 with one pole of a generator of electricity D while the rail B' is made
in sections 6, 61, 62, 63, which are insulated from each other. E is a continuous
conductor which in the example shown in the drawing is supported in the flanges of
the spools on which the helices are wound and which connects by a wire 11 with the
other pole of tho generator of electricity D.
The outer end of each helix 0, 0, 0, 0³, connects by a wire 12 with the
conductor E and the inner end of each helix connects by a wire 13 with the sections b,
6, 63, 3, of the rail B¹ respectively. F is a carriage which is provided with two
bottom wheels cc' adapted to run upon the rail B and with two top wheels & d' which
engage the rail B. The body of the carriage F is made of soft iron or other suitable
material which will follow the axial magnetism of the successive helices as the same
are vitalized and in the example shown in the drawing the wheels cd, c', d', are
insulated from each other and from the body of the carriage and the wheels c d can
be brought in metallic connection by a switch lever G while a switch lever G¹ serves
to establish a metallic connection between the wheels cd. In the example shown .in
the drawing the carriage is supposed to move in the direction of the arrow marked on
it in figure 1, and the wheels d are brought in metallic connection by the switch
lever G. In the position which the carriage occupies in fig. 1 a circuit is closed
from the generator of electricity through wire 10, rail B, wheels c d, rail-section b,
wire 13, helix C wire 12, conductor E and wire 11 back to the generator of electricity;
the helix C is vitalized and the carriage is drawn forward by the axial magnetism of
the helix. If it is desired to propel the carriage in the opposite direction, the switch
lever G is moved so as to bring the wheels c d out of metallic connection and
the switch lever G' is moved so as to establish a metallic connection between the
wheels c¹ d¹.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is :
1) The combination with the guide A, the continuous rail B and the sectional
rail B secured in said guide, the continuous conductor F and the helices C, C, C³, C³,
mounted on said guide of a wheel carriage F the wheels of which engage the rails B Bi
and are in metallic contact with the same and with each other and suitable connections
between the helices, the conductor E, the rails B B' and a generator of electricity,
substantially as illustrated and described.

page_text: 2) In an electro-magnetic dispatch apparatus or port electric a carriage Ę provided
at each end with a pair of wheels, which are insulated from each other and a switch
mechanism for bringing the wheels at each end in metallic connection, substantially
as described.
1000
HERBERT & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, W.C., London, Agents to Applicant.