improvements in Apparatus for Transporting Cash, Memoranda, or Goods from One Part to Another Part of a Shop or Warehouse, or for similar Purposes..
Year: 1885

page_text: improvements in Apparatus for Transporting Cash, Memoranda,
or Goods from One Part to Another Part of a Shop or
Warehouse, or for similar Purposes..
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex, do hereby declare the nature
of my invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING CASH,
MEMORANDA OR GOODS FROM ONE PART TO ANOTHER PART OF A SHOP OR WARE-
HOUSE OR FOR SIMILAR PURPOSES to be as follows:-
"
•
This invention relates to a system or apparatus for automatically conveying
packages or receptacles containing money and other articles from the clerks or
salesmen stationed at different parts of a shop or warehouse to the cashier's desk.
and then returning the change from the cashier's desk to the clerk or salesman
from whom the money was originally received.
The said apparatus comprises a conveying device which may consist of a car or
truck passing the different stations with a continuous movement, and having a
series of carriers or picking up devices for receiving the different packages or
receptacles containing the money and memorandum slips, the said carriers being
adapted to hold the packages and convey them to the cashier's desk or main
station, where suitable discharging devices are arranged for causing the said
carriers to drop the packages. The latter may be bags or purses provided with
suspending rings or eyes.
The carriers sometimes consist of hooks or fingers projecting forward in the
direction of the movement of the car, the said hooks being arranged in different
positions on the said car so as to move in different paths and each station is
provided with a delivering device consisting of a hook adapted to receive the
supporting eye of the purse and raise it into the proper position to receive the
hook of the carrier which enters the said eye and then removes the receptacle from
the hook or finger of the delivery device.
The said picking up hooks or carriers are movable, being nomally held in the
proper position to receive and hold the packages to be conveyed, and they are pro-
vided with tripping fingers which, when they come in contact with fixed tripping
,

page_text: projections or discharging devices in the movement of the car, turn the said hooks
so as to cause them to drop or discharge the packages held upon them, the said
tripping fingers and projections constituting the discharging mechanism.
At the cashiers desk there are a series of tripping devices, one corresponding
to each carrier, so that all the carriers are operated to discharge all the recep-
tacles severally supported thereon when the car passes the cashiers desk; which
latter is also provided with a series of delivering devices, one corresponding in
position with each carrier, so that the cashier by placing a purse in one of the
said delivering devices will cause it to be taken by the corresponding carrier
and conveyed thereby towards the respective clerk's station.
Each clerk's station is provided with a delivering and discharging device
corresponding in position to one of the carriers of the car, the said tripping or
discharging device being passed by the car before the delivering device of the same
station, so that as the car passes each station the carrier corresponding to the said
station is first tripped to deliver the burden that may then be in the carrier, being
brought from the cashier's desk, and after being thus tripped passes the delivering
device to receive any purse that may have been placed thereon by the clerk to be
carried to the cashier's desk.
The conveying device travels on a track extending through the shop or ware-
house in proper proximity to the different clerk's stations and also passing the
cashiers desk. The conveying device is guided by two stationary wire rails, one
vertically above the other, which with suitable supporting brackets constitute the
track. The said car is provided with grooved wheels running on the said rails the
bearings of the said wheels being preferably pressed upon by springs so as to keep
them in contact with the rails in case the said rails are not at exactly uniform
distances apart at all points.
The car is preferably actuated by an electric motor, the rails being electrically
insulated from one another by insulating material in the supporting brackets the
said rails being connected with the opposite poles of a suitable battery or source of
electricity.
The circuit is completed between the rails through the actuating electro magnet
of the motor, which may consist of an armature mounted on a shaft provided with
a fly wheel and with a pinion meshing with a gear wheel upon the shaft of
a wheel or roller.
The said shaft is also provided with a suitable commutator by which the circuit
is closed while the arms of the armature are moving up to the poles of the magnet,
and broken when the said arms of the armature have arrived at the nearest point
to the said poles and are moving away therefrom by the power stored in the fly
wheel.
It will be seen that the conveying device may be actuated by a mechanical
motor or by clock work, and that but one rail may be employed to constitute the
track, or that the said track itself may be movable like a belt and constitute the
conveying device, without departing from the invention.
The conveying device or car is provided with a series of picking up devices or
carriers which may consist of spindles or rolls provided at their ends with hooks or
fingers normally held by the action of springs or their equivalents projecting
forward, and preferably slightly upward in the direction in which the car is
moving; the said fingers being at different distances from the said car and at
different heights so that they move in different paths parallel with the track.
Each of the different clerk's or salesmen's station is provided with a delivering
device consisting of a hook or finger similar to the one of the carrier, which hook
is mounted upon the end of a rod connected with a slide in a tubular post the said
slide being raised or lowered by a suitable knob or handle passing through a slot
in the said post by which the delivering device may be raised and lowered to and
from the proper position near the track.
The delivering device when raised is retained stationary by turning a knob into
an offset of a slot in the post, the said delivering finger at each station thus being

page_text: held almost in the path of the finger of the corresponding carrier on the car and
the position of the delivery devices in relation to the track being different at all
the stations. Thus when a money receptacle is hung upon one of the delivering
devices the finger of the corresponding carrier will catch the said receptacle
removing it from the delivering finger, and it will then remain suspended on the
finger and be conveyed by the car in its further movement.
The spindles of the carriers are provided with tripping projections which if
engaged by a stationary tripping device or finger will rotate the said spindle,
turning the said hook downward so that the receptacle is discharged therefrom.
At the cashiers desk there is a series of the said tripping devices one corresponding
to each of the carriers, so that all the carriers are tripped and the receptacles
supported thereon discharged when the car arrives at the cashier's desk, a suitable
incline or guide throwing them towards the cashier.
The post at each station is provided with a tripping or discharging device for
operating the carrier corresponding to the station, so that a receptacle belonging to
any station if placed upon the proper carrier will be automatically delivered when
arriving at the station but will pass all the other stations without being disturbed.
The tripping devices operate at each station before the car arrives at the
delivering device thereof, thus permitting the carrier to discharge its load and be
ready to receive another as the car passes the station.
If desired the supporting rod of the delivering device may be provided with a
receiving finger to receive the receptacle when discharged from the carrier..
The cashiers desk will be provided with a series of delivering devices corre-
sponding to the different carriers upon which the cashier will hang the different
receptacles after having made the proper change, they being arranged beyond the
discharging devices in the direction of the movement of the carrying device.
It is obvious that the apparatus may be varied in many particulars without
departing from this invention.
If desired the carriers may be arranged upon both sides of the conveying device,
and it will be seen that one carrier may be used to convey all the receptacles from
the different stations to the cashiers desk while independent carriers moving in
different paths and corresponding discharging devices will be required only for
conveying from the said cashiers desk to the different stations.
Dated this 7th day of November 1885
HASELTINE LAKE & Co.,
For the Applicant.

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Transporting Cash, Memoranda,
or Goods from One Part to Another Part of a Shop or
Warehouse, or for similar Purposes.
I, WILLIAM ROBERT LAKE; of the firm of Haseltine Lake & Co, Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex 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 :-
This invention relates to a system or apparatus for automatically conveying
packages or receptacles containing money and other articles from the clerks or
salesmen stationed at different parts of a shop or warehouse to the cashier's desk
and then returning the change from the cashier's desk to the clerk from whom the
money was originally received.
The said apparatus comprises a conveying device which may consist of a car or
truck passing the different stations with a continuous movement, and having a
series of carriers or picking up devices for receiving the different packages or
receptacles containing the money and memorandum slips the said carriers being
adapted to hold the packages and convey them to the cashier's desk or main
station, where suitable discharging devices are arranged for causing the said
carriers to 'drop the packages. The latter may be bags or purses provided with
suspending rings or eyes.
The carriers sometimes consist of hooks or fingers projecting forward in the
direction of the movement of the car, the said hooks being arranged in different
positions on the said car so as to move in different paths and each station is
provided with a delivering device consisting of a hook adapted to receive the
supporting eye of the purse and raise it into the proper position to receive the
hook of the carrier which enters the said eye and then removes the receptacle from
the hook or finger of the delivery device.
The said picking up hooks or carriers are movable, being normally held in the
proper position to receive and hold the packages to be conveyed, and they are
provided with tripping fingers, which, when they come in contact with fixed
tripping projections or discharging devices in the movement of the car, turn the
said hooks so as to cause them to drop or discharge the packages held upon them,
the said tripping fingers and projections constituting the discharging mechanism.
At the cashiers desk there are a series of tripping devices, one corresponding
to each carrier, so that all the carriers are operated to discharge all the recep-
tacles severally supported thereon when the car passes the cashier's desk; which
latter is also provided with a series of delivering devices, one corresponding in
position with each carrier, so that the cashier by placing a purse in one of the

page_text: said delivering devices will cause it to be taken by the corresponding carrier and
conveyed thereby towards the respective clerk's station.
Each clerk's station is provided with a delivering and discharging device
corresponding in position to one of the carriers of the car, the said tripping or
discharging device being passed by the car before the delivering device of the same
station, so that, as the car passes each station, the carrier corresponding to the said
station is first tripped to deliver the burden that may then be in the carrier, being
brought from the cashier's desk, and after being thus tripped passes the delivering
device to receive any purse that may have been placed thereon by the clerk to be
carried to the cashiers desk,
Figure 1 is a diagram shewing the different stations of a cash carrying system
embodying this invention.
Figure 2 is a vertical section of the carrying device on a larger scale and a
portion of the apparatus at one of the clerks stations.
Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the said apparatus at the clerk's station.
Figures 4 and 5 are a side elevation and plan view respectively of the delivering
devices at the clerk's desk and
Figure 6 is a side elevation of the tripping devices and receiving apparatus at
the cashier's desk.
The conveying device is shewn in this instance as a car A travelling on a
track B, see Figure 1 passing through the shop or warehouse in proper proximity
to the different clerks stations C and also passing the cashiers desk D. The
conveying device A is guided by two stationary wire rails b, b¹ one vertically
above the other, which with suitable supporting brackets 62 63 constitute the
track B. The said car A. is provided with grooved wheels a, a' running on the
said rails b, b', the bearings of the said wheel a² being preferably pressed upon by
springs a² so as to keep it in contact with the rails 6¹ in case the said rails b, b¹
are not exactly at a uniform distance apart at all points.
As shewn in this instance the car A is actuated by an electric motor, the
rails b, b¹ being electrically insulated from one another by insulating material b* in
the brackets 6 6 the said rails being connected with the opposite poles of a
suitable battery or source of electricity E as indicated in the diagram, Figure 2.
The circuit is completed between the rails b, b¹ through the actuating electro
magnet M of the motor which may be of any suitable or usual construction it being
shewn in this instance as having an armature F mounted on a shaft G provided
with a fly-wheel H and pinion I meshing with the gear wheel K upon the shaft of
the wheel or roller a.
The said shaft G is also provided with a suitable commutator L by which the
circuit is closed while the arms of the armature F shown as four in number are
moving up to the poles of the magnet 'M; and broken when the said arms of the
armature have arrived at the nearest point to the said poles and are moving away
therefrom by the power stored in the fly-wheel H. .
It will be seen that the conveying device may be actuated by a mechanical
motor or by clock work, and that but one rail may be employed to constitute the
track B, or that the said track itself may be movable like a belt and constitute the
conveying, device, without departing from the invention.
The conveying device or car A. is provided with a series of picking up devices or
carriers c, c, c³, shown as spindles or rolls provided at their ends with hooks or
fingers d normally held by the action of springs e or their equivalents projecting
forward, and preferably slightly upward in the direction in which the car is
moving, the said fingers d being at different distances from the said car and at
different heights so that they move in different paths parallel with the track B.
Each of the different clerk's or salesmen's stations is provided with a delivering
device shown as a hook or finger f similar to the one d mounted upon the end of a
rod f' connected with a slide fin a tubular post f³, the said slide being raised or

page_text: lowered by a suitable knob or handle f* passing through a slot in the said post'ƒ³
by which the delivering device' f may be raised and lowered to and from the
proper position near the track B.
The delivering device when raised is retained stationary by a suitable latch
formed in this instance. By turning the knob f* into an offset of the slot in the
post f³ the said delivering finger fat each station thus being held almost in the path
of the finger d of the corresponding carrier on the car and the position of the
delivery devices in relation to the track being at all the stations. Thus when a money
receptacle his hung upon one of the delivering devices f as shown in figures 2
and 3 the finger & of the corresponding carrier will catch the said receptacle
removing it from the delivering finger f and it will then remain suspended on the
finger d and be conveyed by the car in its further movement.
The spindles of the carriers are provided with tripping projections i which, if
engaged by a stationary tripping device or finger k figure 6 or ¹ Figures 2 and 3,
will rotate the said spindle, turning the said hook d downward as shown in Figure 3
so that the receptacle h is discharged therefrom. At the cashier's desk. there is a
series of the said tripping devices k as shown in Figure 6 one corresponding to
each of the carriers, so that all the carriers are tripped and the receptacles sup-
ported thereon discharged when the car arrives at the cashier's desks, a suitable
incline or guide m throwing them towards the cashier.
The post fat each station is provided with a tripping or discharging device k¹
for operating the carrier corresponding to the station so that a receptacle belonging
to any station if placed upon the proper carrier will be automatically delivered
when arriving at the station but will pass all the other stations without being
disturbed.
The tripping device operate at each station before the car arrives at the
delivering device thereof, thus permitting the carrier to discharge its load and be
ready to receive another as shown by the full and dotted lines Figure 3 as the car
passes the station.
If desired the supporting rod f¹ of the delivering device may be provided with a
receiving finger to receive the receptacle when discharged from the carrier d.
The cashier's desk will be provided with a series of delivering devices o see
figures 4 and 5 corresponding to the different carriers upon which the cashier will
hang the different receptacles after having made the proper change, they being
arranged beyond the discharging devices k in the direction of the movement of the
carrying device.
It is obvious that the apparatus may be varied in many particulars without
departing from this invention.
If desired the carriers may be arranged on both sides of the conveying device
and it will be seen that one carrier may be used to convey all the receptacles from
the different stations to the cashier's desks, while independent carriers moving in
different paths and corresponding discharging devices will be required only for
conveying from the said cashier's desk to the different stations.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to
me by my foreign Correspondent, I wish it understood that I claim;
First. The combination of a conveying device and actuating mechanism therefor
by which it is moved past the different stations, with a series of carriers on the
said conveying device and delivering and discharging devices whereby the recep-
tacles are transferred to, and removed from, the said conveying device, substantially
as described.
Second. The railway forming a part of an electric circuit and the conveying
device or car combined with an actuating electromotor for the said car and carriers
and delivering and discharging devices whereby the receptacles are transferred to,
and removed from, the said carriers, substantially as described.

page_text: Third, The conveying device and a series of carriers moved thereby in different
paths combined with discharging devices at different stations located to operate the
different carriers respectively, whereby the burden of each carrier is discharged at
the corresponding station, substantially as described.
Fourth. The conveying device and series of carriers moved thereby in different
paths combined with discharging and delivering devices at different stations located
to co-operate with each corresponding carrier, the discharging device operating
before the delivering device, whereby the carrier may first discharge the receptacle
or burden belonging to the said station and thus receive a receptacle or burden
from the said station, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
Agents for the Applicant.