Year: 1888

page_text: America.
We, THE LEAMSON STORE SERVICE COMPANY Limited of 1 Charlotte Street
Bedford Square in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention 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 that class of store service apparatus in which wheeled
carriers travel from a central desk to and past a series of counters, (each being
arrested automatically at its proper station) upon one rail and are conducted upon
another rail back to the central desk; and the invention consists in constructing the
parts as fully set forth hereinafter so as to facilitate the transfer of the carriers from
one track to the other at the central desk, and the automatic transfer of each car
from the main line to its proper branch line, and to lift each car at its station from
the lower rail to the upper return rail.
In the accompanying drawings
__
Fig. 1 is an elevation of sufficient of a store service apparatus to illustrate the
main features of the invention.
Fig. 2 is a plan view of the receiving device at the main desk.
Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 1-2, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of
the arrow.
Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a modification of the transfer device.
Fig. 5 is an elevation of part of the main rail, a branch rail and switch device of
the track leading from the desk to one of the stations.
Fig. 6 is a section on the line 3-4, Fig. 5, looking in the direction of the arrow.
Fig. 7 is a side view of the switch and adjacent parts in connection with the upper
rails.

page_text: Fig. 9 is a plan of the parts shown in Figs. 7 and 8.
Fig. 10 is an end view of the carrier.
Fig. 11 is a side view of the carrier.
Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the elevator.
Fig. 13 is an end elevation of the elevator.
Fig. 14 is a sectional plan of the elevator on the line 7-8 of Fig. 12.
For the purpose of illustrating the invention it is shown in connection with a track
consisting of two ways A, B, the cashier's desk C, and a single salesman's station D
connected with the main track by a branch track having ways A1, B1, the ways A, A',
inclining downwards towards the desk C, and the ways B, B', inclining towards the
salesman's station; but it should be understood that in most instances there are a
series of tracks each extending past a series of salesmen's stations and all converging
at a single desk, as is common in some classes of store service apparatus where a
series of carriers travel upon ways back and forth between the desk and the
stations.
The improvements relate more especially to the construction of the receiver at the
cashier's desk, to the switch whereby proper carriers are transferred from the main
track to the branch track according to the stations at which they are to be delivered
to the elevator by means of which the carriers are lifted at the salesman's station
from the receiving way to the upper delivery way, and, to the construction of the
carriers. These portions of the apparatus are therefore illustrated more particularly
without attempting to set forth in detail other features of the structure which do not
constitute any specific portion of the improvements.
The receiver designated by the letter E in Fig. I will be first described, reference
being had to the plan, Fig. 2, and to the sectional elevation Fig. 3.
At the receiver the ends of the upper rail A and of the lower rail B are brought to
the same plane, and are both supported from a cross-bar 2 by brackets 3, 4, the
cross-bar being supported by a hanger 5 or other device in any suitable manner.
Upon a rod 6 constituting the lower end of the hanger 5, swings a bracket F
which carries or is formed to constitute a part of the track and being inclined or
curved as shown at f, provides an effective stop to the onward movement of the
carrier, which bracket may be swung to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to
coincide with the rail A so as to receive a carrier therefrom, or to the position shown
in dotted lines, Fig. 2, to coincide with the rail B so as to deliver a carrier thereto,
and the said bracket is provided with a lip 7 for contracting with stops 8, 9, upon or
adjacent to the rails A, B, to limit the swing of the bracket so that when the latter is
in either position its rail portion will coincide exactly with the opposite track rail.
A spring 10 is wound around the rod 6 and is connected thereto and to the swinging
bracket F and tends to maintain the latter normally in coincidence with the rail A.
The bracket 3 is prolonged downward to form a finger 12, supporting a stop 13 in
position to contact with a stop 14 upon the carrier so as to arrest the latter before it
reaches the receiver; and the attendant may at any time transfer the carrier from
the track A to the receiver by tilting the carrier slightly to one side to remove the
stop 14 from the stop 13, and then running it on to the receiving track, after which
the latter is swung to coincide with the track B and the carrier is pushed on to the
latter by hand. By these means each carrier is arrested automatically as it reaches
the receiver, so that the contents can be removed and replaced, is then readily
transferred to the receiver and to the delivery track without the necessity of any
nice manipulation by the cashier, and without the necessity of removing the carrier
from its support, while there is no danger of the derailing of the carriers in any
position.
It will be evident that instead of supporting the receiver from a pendant hanger
it may be supported upon a standard; and while a swinging receiver is shown it
will be evident that the receiving track may slide to carry the receiver from the rail A
to the rail B ; thus in Fig. 4 there is shown a carriage Ĝ sliding upon guides 18, 18,

page_text: and carrying the receiver E, having a similar inclined stop as previously described
with reference to Fig. 3, which receiver may be slid from one side to the other so as
to be brought to coincide with either of the rails A, B, and of course a spring may
be employed to bear against the carrier G, so as to return the receiver E automatically
to its normal position in coincidence with the rail A.
After a carrier has been sent from the cashier's desk along the rail B, it will
continue its movement until it reaches a receiving station or salesman's station upon
the main line or until it reaches the end of a branch line to which it should be
transferred, and the carriers are provided with means whereby such as are to be
transferred to the branch line are automatically deflected to said line while others
continue to move upon the main track.
The construction of the switches is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, and one
construction of carrier for operation in conjunction with the switch is shown in
Figs. 10 and 1I.
In said Figs., A and B¹ represent respectively the ends of the upper and lower
rails, and A and B² the switch-rails.
Adjacent to each switch the upper rails are supported by yokes or brackets I, J,
and the lower rails by yokes I¹, J¹, each yoke suspended by a rod or wire 19 from
any suitable support, and the lower portion or fork of the yoke supporting the main
rail, while the upper fork of the yoke I supports a guard H, and the corresponding
fork of the yokes J. J', supports each end of the adjacent branch rail which has a
lug 21 (Fig. 9) projecting from one side and recessed to receive a pendant rod 26.
constituting one prong of the yoke.
Upon each of the rods 26 swings a bracket 27 which is connected to or forms part
of the switch rail A2 or B2 which is curved as shown and is also notched at the outer
end to permit it to be thrown over and coincide at the extreme end with the surface
of the main rail and which then rises, forming an elevation, and the heel of the
switch rail practically coincides with the end of the branch rail with sufficient play
between the two to permit the switch rail to assume either of the positions shown
in full and dotted lines, Fig. 9. A spring 28 is coiled around the rod 26 and is
fastened at one end to the latter and at the other end to the bracket or switch rail,
and tends to normally maintain the latter out of contact with the main rail in the
position shown in dotted lines, Fig. 9.
When a carrier moving in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 5, approaches the switch,
the latter will be open, and if the carrier is not to be transferred to the branch track,
it will pass between the switch and along the main rail, but if it is to be transferred
to the branch track, the switch rail will be automatically carried to the position shown
in Fig. 9, as set forth hereinafter, and the carrier will ride up on to the elevated
portion of the switch rail until the flanges of its wheels are raised above the edge of
the main rail, and will then move across the main rail on to the switch rail, and from
the latter to the branch rail towards the station. When a car is travelling from the
salesman's station towards the desk upon the branch rail A³, in the direction of the
arrow, Fig. 7, the side of the carrier. is brought against the guard H, which presses
laterally against the carrier and forces the latter and the switch rail A2 against the
resistance of the spring 28 to the position shown in full lines, Fig. 9, so that the carrier
will pass from the switch rail on to the main track rail A, after which the spring will
carry the switch rail back to the position shown in dotted lines in said figure.
In order that each switch rail B2 may be swung to the position shown in full lines
in Fig. 9, when a carrier is to be transferred to the branch rail B', each carrier is
provided with a contacting piece or deflector K, (Fig. 11) so arranged that it will
contact with the end of the switch B2 and move it inward to the position shown in full
lines, Fig. 9, before the first wheel of the car is in position to ride on to the switch
rail, and after the car has moved from the switch rail to the branch rail B¹, the
spring 28 will restore the switch to its open position.
The cars may be differently constructed and provided with different forms of
deflectors or contact pieces, but a preferable construction is illustrated in Figs. 10
and 11.

page_text: In said Figs. L is the frame of the car supported from grooved wheels 29, 29, and
supporting the receptacle 30, and provided with the pivoted gates or wings 31 which
close the space between the wheel and the frame opposite the hangers of the frame so
as to prevent the cars from being derailed, but which are opened by the contact of
lugs 32 upon the gates with properly disposed fingers when the car is to pass one of
the rail supports in a manner too well known to need further description.
In the frame moves vertically a slide M which is maintained normally in an elevated
position by means of a spring 33. Said slide is provided with a lug or shoulder 34,
for catching upon the shoulder of a detent or pawl 35 hung to the frame and when
engaging with the lug 34, holding the slide in its lowest position.
The deflector K is fastened to and carried by the slide M, and when the latter is in
its lowest position (see dotted lines Fig. 11) the deflector will not contact with the
switch rail, but when the detent 35 is swung to permit the slide and the deflector to
rise, the deflector will contact with the switch rail and switch the carrier. The
detent 35 is hung to a shaft 36, provided with an arm 37 and a spring 38 which tends
to swing the shaft and carry the detent towards the lug 34 so that it will automatically
engage with the lug when the slide is depressed. Stops N (Figs. and 6) are
arranged upon the yokes J¹ or are otherwise suitably supported adjacent to the track
so as to contact with the arms 37 of the carriers and thereby swing the detent and
permit the deflectors K to rise in position to operate the next switch to which the
carrier is brought. As all the carriers are not to be deflected at the same switch, the
arins 37 or the stops N are graduated or adjusted (see dotted lines Figs. 10 and 6,)
so that only the arms of the carriers that are to be deflected at a switch will strike the
preceding stop. The construction above described has been shown for the purpose of
illustrating one form of deflector but it will be evident that different forms of deflectors
may be used in connection with carriers and switches described. It will also be
evident that different arrangements of detent and releasing devices may be used,
according to the construction and arrangement of the deflector. The elevator devices
are illustrated in detail in Figs. 12, 13 and 14.
The elevator consists of a carriage P of any suitable form sliding upon guides which,
as shown, consist of two parallel suspended bars 55, 55, constituting a hanger, the
said carriage being raised and lowered so as to bring a rail section Q, thereof, into
coincidence either with the end of the receiving branch rail B¹ or delivery branch
rail A¹, each of which is supported by means of a bracket extending from the
hanger. The rail section Qis pivoted by a pin 37 to the carriage P, so as to make
the position shown in either full or dotted lines, Fig. 12, and to the end of the rail
section Q furthest from the branch rails is fastened one end of a flexible elevating
cord R, which passes around a pulley 38 carried by an arm 39 on the carriage P, and
also around the pulleys 40, 41, carried by the hanger, and downward to a suitable reel
or other take-up device adjacent to the salesman.
Adjacent to the lower track B', is pivoted a detent lever 42 which when the carriage
is in its raised position is maintained by a spring in a position (see dotted lines
Fig. 14) to contact with and arrest the carriers approaching the station upon the
rail B', and when the carriage is in position to receive a carrier, or in its lower
position, the end of a detent (hereinafter more fully described contacts with the
short end of the detent lever and carries the latter to the position shown in full
lines Fig. 14, so that the car previously arrested upon the rail B' will pass forward
on to the carriage.
When the carriage is in the position shown in Fig. 12, a carrier moving in the
direction of the arrow along the rail B₁ will pass on to the pivoted rail section Q,
and the latter being overweighted at the inner end will tiit to the position shown in
dotted lines, thereby retaining the carrier in its place, or when the distance between
the end of the pivoted rail section and the pulley 38 is sufficient, the carrier may then
descend upon the cord R, which will swing downward as a loop, and permit the carrier
to be lowered to any desired extent. The pivoted rail section is provided with arm
or projection 43 which when said rail section is tilted engages with a detent 44, con-
sisting of a lever pivoted to a pin 45 and bearing against the side of the projection 43

page_text: when the rail section Q is in the position shown in Fig. 12, and actuated by a
spring 46, so as to slip under the said projection 43 when the rail section is tilted,
and thus the inclined position of said rail section is maintained.
If the salesman now desires to transfer the carrier to the upper rail A¹ he pulls
upon the pendant portion of the cord R and thereby draws the latter to the position
shown in dotted lines, Fig. 12, the rail section Q maintaining its inclined position so
as to hold the carrier in place, and thus elevates the carriage until the outer end of
the lever 44 contacts with a finger 47 adjacent to the rail A¹ when the lever will be
swung to the position shown in Fig. 14 away from below the lug 43 when the tension
upon the cord R will swing the rail section Q to a horizontal position coinciding with
the branch rail A', and the car will then run on to said branch rail in the direction of
the arrow y, and along the latter towards the main track, and to the cashier's desk.
The lever 44 thus held by the lug 43 in the position shown in Fig. 14, is in
position to contact with the lever detent 42 when the carriage is lowered so as to
cause the latter to release a carrier stopped by it on the rail B¹, so as to permit said
carrier to run on to the rail section Q, as before described.
By the construction above described the carrier is secured with absolute safety upon
the carriage, and its displacement is prevented until the carriage is lifted to its proper
position and then by means of the same cord that elevates the carriage the rail is
restored to a position to discharge the carriage on to the rail A¹. It will be evident
that the carriage may be guided vertically in different ways and may be constructed
in different ways according to the character of the carrier, and the invention is therefore
not limited to the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown.
In order to counterbalance the carriage a counterbalance weight W is used, secured
to a cord passing over an elevated pulley and downward to the carriage, and it is
preferred to provide the latter with friction rollers bearing against the guides, although
this is not essential. So too, the hanger may be provided with a stop T, which
contacts with a portion of the carriage which may be cushioned or not, so as to
limit the upward movement thereof.
In order to close the guards or gates 31 after the car has passed the connections
with the tilting rail Q, and to open the gates to allow the car to be restored to the
switch track, the carriage P is provided with a pivoted curved lever S, which, as it
contacts with the lugs 32 of the gates, closes the gates as the car enters, and opens the
gates as the car leaves the elevator.
It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction
and arrangement of parts shown.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, as communicated to us by
our foreign correspondent, we declare that what we claim is :-
1. The combination with the receiving and delivering rails converging towards
the cashier's desk, of the receiver rail movable in a horizontal plane to coincide with
either of the said rails and provided with an inclined end stop, substantially as set
forth.
2. The combination with the receiving and delivering rails of a store service
apparatus, of a receiver arranged at the cashier's desk and consisting of a bracket
pivoted at one end and adapted to coincide at the other end with either of the said
rails, and provided with an inclined end stop, substantially as set forth.
3. The combination of the receiving and delivering rails, pivoted receiver rail having
an inclined end stop, spring bearing upon the rail to maintain it in coincidence with
one of the track rails, and contact pieces upon the rails, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
4. The combination with the main rail of a store service apparatus, of a branch rail
and a switch rail movable to and from the top of the main rail and provided with an
elevated portion for raising the carrier wheels, with their flanges above the main
rail, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination, of the continuous main rail, branch rail and a switch movable

page_text: laterally to and from the main rail, and a spring bearing on the switch rail to maintain
it normally from contact with the main rail, said switch rail provided with an elevated
portion, substantially as set forth.
6. The combination, of the main rail, branch rail, movable switch rail, spring and a
carrier provided with a deflector for contracting directly with and setting the switch
rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
7. The combination with the main rail, the branch rails and switches, of a store
service apparatus, of carriers provided with movable deflectors for operating the switches,
and graduated stops adjacent to the rails for setting the deflectors, the parts being
graduated to set the proper deflector only prior to the car reaching the switch to be
deflected, substantially as set forth.
8. The combination with the car of a store service apparatus, of a movable deflector
and detent for holding it in one position and stops adjacent to the rails for operating
said detent to release the deflector and permit it to assume another position substantially
as set forth.
9. The combination with the frame of a carrier, of a slide, a deflector connected
thereto, a spring operating the slide, a detent and stops adjacent to the rails for
operating upon said detent to release the slide, substantially as set forth.
10. The combination, with the main, branch and pivoted switch rails, of a store
service apparatus, of a spring for maintaining the switch rails normally from contact
with the main rails, stops adjacent to the rails and deflectors carried by the cars
and movable vertically by the action of said stop, substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
11. The combination with the main and branch rails, of a yoke J¹, provided with a
vertical rod 26, a switch rail pivoted to said rod, and a spring bearing upon the switch
rail, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
12. The combination, with the upper and lower rails, of a vertically movable carriage
supporting a tilting rail section connected at one end to an elevating cord, substantially
as set forth.
13. The combination of the upper and lower rails, vertically moving carriage
supporting a tilting rail section, a detent engaging with and holding the section in
position when tilted, and a bearing adjacent to the upper rail for contacting with and
withdrawing the detent to release the tilting rail section when the latter is adjacent to
the end of the upper rail, substantially as set forth.
14. The combination, with the upper and lower rails, vertically movable
carriage and tilting rail section thereon, of a cord connected with the end of
the said rail section extending backward toward the end of the carriage and
upward and over a pulley and downward to a salesman's station, substantially as
set forth.
.
15. The combination, with the vertically movable carriage and tilting rail section
pivoted thereto and detent for holding said section in its tilted position, of a cord
connected to the rail section and passing upward from a pulley and downward to the
salesmans station, substantially as set forth.
16. The combination, of the vertically movable carriage, tilting rail section, elevating
cord, and pulley 38 supporting the cord in a position to receive the carrier, sub-
stantially as and for the purpose set forth.
17. The combination with the vertically movable carriage and tilting rail section
and cord, of a lever S, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
18. The combination of the vertically movable carriage and tilting rail section and
fixed upper and lower tracks, of a movable detent 42 and spring for maintaining it in
a position to arrest the carriers upon the lower track, and contact piece on the carriage
for operating said detent and folding the said rail section in its tilted position, sub-
stantially as set forth.
19. The combination with a carrier, a vertically movable carriage, and tilting rail
section, of an elevating cord connected to the end of the tilting rail section to form
a continuation thereof whereby the carrier is supported by said cord and rail section,
substantially as described.

page_text: 20. The combination, with the tracks of a store service, a vertically movable
carriage and its tilting rail section having a projection 43, of a detent mounted on
the carriage and adapted to engage the rail section to hold it tilted, and a pivoted
detent 42 having its end located in the path of the detent on the carriage whereby the
latter detent is moved to allow the rail section to move into alignment with one of the
tracks, substantially as described.
en
1000
PHILIP M. JUSTICE,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London,
Agent for the Applicants.