Improvements in and relating to Cash and Parcel Carriers.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Oct., 1888
Complete Specification Left, 24th July, 1889-Accepted, 24th Aug.,
1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Cash and Parcel Carriers.
I, WILLIAM THOMSON, of 1 Park Place, in the town and county of Stirling,
Draper, do hereby declare the nature of my invention to be as follows:-
This Invention has reference to and comprises an improved construction of
carrier or carriage, and new or improved arrangements and combinations of the
parts of the rails or railways, and their switch points and hoist parts and other
fittings for the carrying or transmitting of cash or parcels through shops, warehouses,
stores, or other buildings, generally erected over the counters, from the different
stations to the cashier, and vice versa, and which will be more efficient and automatic
in action than the appliances heretofore used for this purpose.
The improvements under my invention consist all as follows:-Under one arrange-
ment I construct two main lines of permanent way or rails, the one a despatch line
leading from the upper part of the vertical cage hoist down to the cashier's room
or desk, preferably erected at a gradient of about 1 in 10; and the other or return
main line of rails would lead from the cashier's desk down a gradient also of
preferably 1 in 10 to a lower level on the vertical hoist. The rails would preferably
be of the simplest construction, as a flat rail or a ridged rail rounded on top, and
flattened below, or with flanges when made of sheet metal, to secure them by screws
or nails to narrow light laths set either vertically or horizontally and held at a
distance apart by stays, and at the stations and switches or points on platforms. The
vertical hoist would be erected at each station, and the terminal cashier's station in
line with a siding set of rails with switch points and curved rails leading from
the main line to this dispatch and receiving cage siding, and under one arrangement
would consist of an open guide frame of four vertical rods or bars secured to a flat
bottom and frame above, and to the intermediate platforms of both the delivery and
receiving stations, and attached to the roof. Within this hoist would slide and be
raised and lowered a cage formed with a flat bottom and top, and open vertical
sides and a solid back. The cage, with the carrier would be raised from the bottom
of the hoist over the salesman's counter to the despatch or receiving stations, by
having a cord attached to the centre of its top end, said cord passing round guide
pulleys and actuated by the salesman with forked arms on the hoist and knobs on the
cords, or other means of stopping and retaining the cage at the level of the stations.
The carrier would consist of a hollow box, preferably of a rectangular shape, and
mounted with wheels to run on the rails in the permanent way track like a small
truck. This carrier would carry or convey the cash or parcels with note of goods
from the salesman at the counter to the cashier, and vice versa return with the change
or message from the cashier to the salesman. The carrier would be fitted with a
removable inside box or, with a lid which would be made to slide out and in at the
top of the box or fitted on hinges or otherwise, as may be found most convenient.
The wheels would be made either with flanges on the inner side of their running
webs and rails, or with grooved rims to run on the rails, and might be covered with
india-rubber rings to prevent noise. At each station the points of the main and
siding rails leading the carrier truck on to the curved rails of the siding and despatch
or delivery hoist, would be jointed some distance back from the points, and the points
would be coupled together by a stretcher rod or wire passed out through the one
-side or main rail, for shifting them by the action of a spring or weight automatically
always to the position that the particular carriage or carrier would run into its
particular siding when it came to its junction points with the main line. The
carriages or carriers would each be fitted with a projecting arm or longitudinal rod,
50 that when on their return journey from the cashier's desk to the salesman this arm

page_text: or rod would act on a tongue or projection on the stretcher rod against the action o
the spring and bring the movable switch of main line in contact with the fixe
rail and allow the carriage to travel on main line past the crossings of the side rail
until the carriago had reached its own particular siding which it will run into by
not shifting the points, for being lowered by the hoist; and as soon as the carrier has
passed the crossings or sidings of the other stations, the spring and weight will
shift. the points so as to block the main line and leave the siding open.
carriers are despatched from the station sidings on the main line leading to the
When the
cashier's desk, they would always take on to the main line which would have facing
points or guard rails at the junctions, so that all the carriages may go direct on the
main line until they reached the cashiers desk. The raising and lowering cage of
each station hoist would be fitted at its back end with a swivelling hinged weighted
or spring antomatic catch, taking on to the back of each carrier so as to hold it on
the rails in the bottom of the cage either for lowering or for raising, and when the
cage was raised to the level of the despatch siding rails this catch would be
automatically raised by coming in contact with a stop for the purpose and the
carriage would then run off itself from the rails of the cage, which would preferably
be inclined, on to the inclined curved rails of the siding to the main line; which
raising of the cage might also depress a har to block the main line, and prevent any
carrier from the other stations passing until this cage left its siding, and release the
bar again to open the main line when the cage was lowered to the level of the return
station. A bracket or support would preferably be fitted at the side of the hoist at
the stations to act as a buffer for the carriages at the back of the cage, when they
run into the sidings. A guard rail or wire would be carried through eyes made by
turning round the wire on the top of vertical screw standards on each side of the
lines of rails, so as to prevent the carriers or carriages from toppling or falling on
the persons below the permanent way, in the event of said carriers through any
'accident running of the rails. Brakes or friction brake wheels could be fitted to the
carriers to be actuated by levers or projections near or at the junctions of the
sidings with the return main line so as to retard the motion of the carriers before 3
they reach the cages and hoists on their particular station.
Dated this 25th day of October 1888
W. R. M. THOMSON & Co.,
Agents
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Cash and Parcel Carriers.
I WILLIAM THOMSON, of 1 Park Place, in the town and county of Stirling, Draper,
do hereby declare the nature of my invention, and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement in writing, reference being had to the accompanying Sheet of Drawings, and
to the letters and figures marked thereon, that is to say :-
This Invention has reference to and comprises an improved construction of carrier
truck or carriage, and new or improved arrangements and combinations of the parts
of the rails or railways, and their switch points and hoist parts and other fittings for
the carrying or transmitting of cash or parcels through shops, warehouses, stores, or
other buildings generally erected over the counters from the different stations to the
cashier's desk and vice versa, and which will be more efficient and automatic in
action than the appliances heretofore used for this purpose.
And in order that my said Invention, and the manner of performing or carrying
the same into effect or practice may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory Sheet of Drawings, in which the same reference letters are
used to indicate corresponding parts in all the figures where shown. Figure 1 is a
perspective elevation showing one station C, and two main lines of rails A and B,
for leading the carriages from the various stations to the cashier's desk, and vice versa

page_text: back to the stations, as indicated by the arrows in this figure at each of which
stations C there is erected a raising and lowering hoist C, B, with a switching off
and on branch line of rails A1, A2, and B1 B2, leading to and from the main lines A
and B and each hoist C, D, all arranged in accordance with the improvements of my
Invention. Figure 2 is a plan view showing a part of the return main line of rails B,
and switching off branch line B1 B2, for leading a travelling truck or carriage E, E',
to each receiving station C and hoist C, D, but each dispatch siding on the main
line A above this, would be substantially the same as shown in this Figure to an
enlarged scale to show the details more clearly than can be seen in the general view
Figure 1. Figure 3 is a perspective elevation of the hoist guide frame Cand
cage D, D', D, with the carrier truck or carriage E, E, placed within same for
being lowered or raised at each station C, and drawn to an enlarged scale to show
the details more clearly than in Figure 1. Figures 4 and 5 show side and end
views respectively of the travelling carriage or carrier truck E, E¹, on one line of
double rails B, as constructed and used in accordance with my improvements.
Figure 6 is an end view of the carriage or carrier truck E, E¹ mounted on the
double line of rails B, as taken near the line 1 1 Figure 2 in the act of shifting
its points B2 to pass this station C. Figure 7 is an elevation and plan detached of
the vertical swivelling spindle F, and arrangement of levers F¹, and draw bar F*
for shifting the points B2 of each station C for either leading the carriage or carrier
truck E, E froni or back to each cage D of the hoist station C, and as seen fitted
in acting position in Figures 2 and 6.
---
Referring to these Drawings :-Under this arrangement I construct two main
lines of permanent way of double rails A and B, the one A a despatch line preferably
above the other B and leading from the upper part of the vertical cage hoist of each
station C of the whole line A, down to the cashier's desk or room, preferably erected
at a gradient of about 1 in 10; and the other return main line of rails B is led from
the cashier's desk down a gradient also of preferably 1 in 10 to a lower level on
the vertical hoist C, D, of each station C as indicated by the arrows. The rails A
and B, of each line are preferably of the simplest construction as of simple flat or
rectangular shape as shown in the Drawings, but they might be of a
ridged or rib
shape rounded on top, and flattened below, or with flanges when made of sheet metal;
to secure them by screws or nails to narrow light longitudinal laths set either on
their edge or side, and held at their "guage distance" apart by stays A, B and at
the stations C, having side rails A¹, B₁, and switches or shifting points A2, B2 jointed
at A3, B3, all preferably closed in below by boarding or platforms A B at the
stations C. The framing C' of the vertical hoist cage D is erected at each station C,
and at the terminal cashiers station where it is necessary to have his despatch
higher than his receiving station each in line with the siding set of rails A¹ or B¹
and fitted with shifting switch points A2, B, jointed at A³. B³, and angled or curved
from the main lines A, and B, to the sidings A¹ B' of the despatch and receiving
stations C and cage D. Under one arrangement the hoist frame of each station
consists of an open guide frame of four vertical rods or bars C₁, C, secured to a flat
bottom and cruciform carrying frame C above, and to the intermediate plat-
forms A, B, of both the despatch and receiving stations C, and sidings A¹, B',
and carried by a rod (or other equivalent to the roof or other fixed part of the
building. Within this hoist guide frame (a raising and lowering cage D is fitted,
formed with a framed rail bottom D', and flat solid top D2 and opeu vertical sides D.
The cage D, with the carrier truck E, E¹ is raised from the bottom C2 of the hoist
over the salesman's counter to the despatch platform A111, or the receiving platform B1,
by having a cord D¹¹ attached to the centre of its top end D2 said cord D" passing
round guide pulleys D, and actuated by a pull handle D³ convenient to each counter
and salesman, with forked arms D' on the hoist, and stop knobs D³ on the cords, or
other means of stopping and retaining the lower rail bed of the cage D¹, at the
levels A and B of the stations. The carrier or carriage consists of a hollow box E,
preferably of a rectangular shape, and mounted with wheels E¹ on axles to run on
the rails A and B in the permanent way track like a small truck. The box E of this

page_text: carrier would carry and convey the cash or parcels with note of goods, from the
platforms A by the salesman at the counter of each station to the cashier, and
vice versa return with the change or message from the cashier to the platform B to
the salesman at the same station C. The carrier E is preferably fitted with a
removable inside box or with a lid at E¹¹ which would he made to slide out and in at
the top of the box or be fitted on hinges or otherwise, as may be found most
convenient. The wheels E' would be made either with flanges on the inner side of
their running webs and rails, or with grooved rims to run on the rails, and would
preferably be covered with indiarubber rings to prevent noise. At each station C
the points A2, B2, of the main line rails A, B, and siding line rails A¹, B₁, for leading
the carrier truck E, E¹, on to the angled or curved shifting point rails of the siding
despatch or receiving hoist, are jointed at A³, B3, where recesses A, B, are cut
away near these joints of the shifting rails A2, B2, for the rims of the wheels E¹
to pass over the joints on to the rails B of the main line, or the siding line B¹
some distance back from where the points A2, B2, connect the main lines A, B, with
the siding lines A', B₁; and the point rails A2. A³, and B2, B32, are coupled together
by a stretcher rod or bar I2 passed out or under the one side or main rail for shifting
them, by the levers F1, and in the opposite direction by the action of a spring 3 or
it might be a weight, automatically always to the position that the particular carriage
or carrier E, E, would run from or into its particular siding A', or B¹, and station C
when it came to its junction points A2 or B2, with the main lines A or B. The
carriages or carriers E, E', are each fitted with a projecting arm or longitudinal rod
at f. Figure 6, so that when on their return journey from the cashier's desk to the
salesman this arm or rodf would act on a lever or projection f¹ on the upper part of
the spindle F, (carried in a frame F erected near the shifting points of each
station), and by a lever at the lower end of this spindle F, shift the levers 1,
and stretcher rod F2, of the points B2 against the action of the spring F³ and bring
the movable switch points B2, of main line B in contact with the fixed rail B₁
of siding and allow the carriage E, E¹, to travel on main line B past the crossings B
of the side rails B₁ until the carriage E, E', had reached its own particular siding
which it will run into by not shifting these points B2, and pass on to the cage D, D
for being lowered by the hoist; and as soon as the carrier truck E, E'; has passed
the crossings or sidings of the other stations C, the spring F3 or weight will shift the
points so as to block the main line B and leave the siding B' of each station Copen.
When the carrier trucks E, E', are despatched from the station sidings A¹ on to the
main line A leading to the cashier's desk they would always take on to the main
line A which would have facing points or guard rails at the swivelling junctions, or
equivalent grooves (as A, B,) so that all the carriages E, E', may go direct on the
main line A until they reached the cashier's desk. The raising and lowering
cage D, D, D2, of each station hoist would be fitted at its back end with a swivelling
hinged weighted or spring automatic catch e fulcrumed on a plate e secured on the
back of the frame of the hoist cage D, and taking on to the back of each carrier E, E',
so as to hold it on the rails D' fitted in the bottom of the cage D either for lowering or
for raising, and when the cage D was raised to the level of the despatch siding
rails Athis catch e would be automatically raised by its heel or back end coming in
contact with a fixed stop or bracket e secured to the hoist frame C₁ for the purpose,
and the carriage E would then run off itself from the rails D', at the bottom of the
cage D, which for that purpose would preferably be inclined, on to the inclined,
angled, or curved rails A', of the siding to the main line A; which raising of the
cage D to its highest position or platform A, of the main line A might also be
inade to depress a bar to block the rails of the main line A, and prevent any
carrier E, E from the other stations passing until this cage left its particular
siding A', and station C, and release the bar again to open the main line when the
cage I was lowered to the level B of the return station to receive the return
carriage E. A bracket or support would preferably be fitted at the side of the
framing of the hoist C at the station C to carry and act as a buffer for the
carriages E, E, at the back of the cage D, when they run into the sidings. A guard

page_text: persons
rail or wire a, b, would be fitted through eyes formed on the top of vertical screw
standards a', 61, bolted to the cross stays on each side of the lines of rails at A", B",
so as to prevent the carriers or carriages E, E, from toppling or falling on the
below the permanent way, in the event of said carriers through any accident running
off the rails A or B. In some cases it is prefered to form the lower part C, (³, of
the guide frame of the hoist on joint hinges, so as to be folded up out of the way of
the counters at each station C, as indicated in dotted lines at C* in Figure 1.
Friction brake blocks as indicated at din Figures 4 and 5 would be fitted on a cross
bar and sliding longitudinal bar dat the lower part of the truck to act on the
wheels E of the carriers E, E¹, to be actuated by a spring d² on the rod d" when
this rod is disengaged by the levers d³, d, mounted on the end of the truck E and
shifted by inclined blocks or levers d near the junctions of the sidings B₁ with the
return main line B so as to retard the motion of the carriers E, E', before they
reach the cages D, and hoists on their particular station C, where they would be
caught and held by the automatic catch e, at the back of each cage D until removed
by hand or when raised to the upper despatch platform A as before described;
the brake blocks d being disengaged against the power of the spring when the
end of the rod d" comes against the plate e¹ of the cage D. Figure 5 A shows a
plan detached of the brake blocks d and their shifting bars d¹, du, d, corresponding
to Figure 5, the notch d¹¹ in the bar d always keeping the brakes out of action,
until the levers d d are pushed to their dotted in position in Figure 5, by a fixed
angled block or lever d³ dotted in, Figures 4 and 5.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. The construction or general arrangement and combination of the parts of
carrier trucks with wheels running on inclined double railways, with switches and
shifting points, hoists and fittings, for the carrying or transmitting of cash or parcels
through shops, warehouses, stores, or other buildings substantially as herein described,
in reference to and shown in the accompanying Drawings.
Second. In a cash or parcel carrying or transmitting system having a carrier
truck or carriage with wheels running on inclined double railways between the
counters and cashier's desk, the arrangement and combination of switches and
automatic shifting points leading to and from the receiving and despatch stations of
the hoists substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the
accompanying Drawings.
Third. In a cash or parcel carrying or transmitting system having a carrier truck
or carriage with wheels running on inclined double railways between the counters
and cashier's desk, the construction and arrangement of carrier trucks with projecting
rods for and in combination with levers, for automatically shifting the switches or
points leading to and from the receiving and despatch stations of the hoists
substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in the accompanying
Drawings.
Fourth. In a cash or parcel carrying or transmitting system having a carrier
truck running on inclined double railways between the counters and cashier's desk,
the construction, or arrangement and combination of the parts of a hoist frame with a
raising and lowering cage for receiving and despatching the carrier truck at the
platforms, and retaining it in position while being raised or lowered from or to the
bottom of the hoist, substantially as herein described in reference to and shown in
the accompanying Drawings.