Postal Requisites on Prepayment.
Year: 1886

page_text: Postal Requisites on Prepayment.
We FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE of 48 King Street Manchester, Civil Engineer,
and JAMES LEES of Otago, New Zealand, now residing at Clarkesfield Oldham
in the County of Lancaster, Sheep farmer do hereby declare the nature of our
invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE DELIVERY OF POST CARDS OR
OTHER POSTAL REQUISITES. ON PREPAYMENT," to be as follows:-
This invention relates to an improved apparatus for the delivery of Post Cards
and other postal requisites. It consists first of a box containing a pile of the cards
or articles to be delivered.
The cards or articles rest upon a table on which they are held down by means
of a weight. On the level of the top side of the table the casing of the box is
pierced with a slit of such a width and depth as to allow only one of the cards or
articles at a time to pass through it.
At the back or in grooves in this table one or more sliding pieces are free to
move horizontally.
The sliding pieces which we call the "delivery slides" are provided with studs
or ledges which project above the surface of the table sufficiently to come in contact
with the back of the lowermost card or article to be delivered.
When the delivery slide is caused to move towards the slit it therefore causes
one of the cards or articles to be delivered to project sufficiently through the slit to
be drawn out by hand.
This "delivery slide" is caused to move towards the slit upon the insertion into
the apparatus of a suitable coin or coins in the manner hereinafter described.
The coin or coins is or are passed into the apparatus by means of a slide which
we call the "receiving slide" and which is provided with a slit or slits in which
the coin or coins is, or are, placed edgewise.
At the bottom of the slit is fitted a balanced lever so weighted as not to yield to
any substance lighter in weight than the proper coin.
The "receiving slide" having been drawn out sufficiently far to expose the slit
or slits on the outside of the box the coin or coins is, or arc, placed within it.
The "receiving slide" is then pushed in, carrying the coin with it, this slide and
the opening in which it moves being of such a form and dimensions as to gauge
the form and size of the coin. When the proper coin has passed within the box
its weight causes the balanced lever to tip and the coin falls upon a second
balanced lever which is weighted to support it. As the receiving slide is
continued to be pushed in the coin passes along this lower lever until it comes to
the end of it when it falls into a suitable receptacle.
'
As the coin is being pushed along the lower lever, it comes in contact with a
sliding piece or bar connected by a pivotted lever or levers to the delivery slide,
or it comes against the lever or levers in any of which cases it causes the lower

page_text: end of the said lever or levers to be pushed back and the "delivery slide" to be
thereby moved towards the slit in the casing of the box, and thus causes the
lowermost card or article to be delivered to project from the box.
A projection from the "receiving slide" pulls the lower slide (or the bar or
lever) forwards on the slide being again drawn out and moves the "delivery
slide" back again ready for action upon the next card or article to be delivered.
If a substance heavier than the proper coin should be placed in the slit of the
"receiving slide" it will cause the upper lever to tip and will fall upon the lower
lever in a similar manner to the proper coin but being of greater weight it causes
the lower lever also to tip and falls out of the slit into the slide before it can
engage with the lower sliding piece bar or lever, and therefore does not actuate
the "delivery slide," but should it not be thought necessary to provide for the
rejection of too heavy coin, the lever in the "receiving slide" may be dispensed
with, and the lower lever be so balanced, as to allow a penny but nothing lighter,
to work the machine.
In order to prevent the possibility of a coin being pushed almost to the end of
the lower lever (so as to cause the card or article to be delivered to protrude
sufficiently to be pulled out by hand) and then withdrawn by pulling out the
slide so as to obtain more than one card or article by one payment, the lower lever
may be provided on its upper side with a ledge or step down which the coin drops
before the card or article to be delivered protrudes from the box and this step
prevents the return of the coin.
"
To regulate the speed at which the "receiving slide can be pushed in so as
to give the levers time to act, the said slide is provided with an air chamber in
which the air is compressed as the slide is pushed in. On the top of the pile of
cards or articles to be delivered is placed a suitable weight, this weight is provided
with a hole in which is placed a dropping bolt which rests upon the topmost card
or article to be delivered, so that when the last card or article is withdrawn the.
bolt talls and locks the receiving slile, preventing its being drawn out.
In order to economize space this bolt may be made telescopic in its action and if
desired may have attached to the top of it a plate bearing the word "Empty."
In this case a small window is provided in the front of the box in such a position
that upon the bolt falling the word "Empty" can be seen through it.
In order to ensure accuracy in the depth of the slit through which the cards or
articles are delivered it may be provided with an adjustable slide or shutter.
•
In case it is desired to close the slit after the egress of each card or article this
shutter may be made to fall so as to completely close the slit when the "receiving.
slide" is pushed in, or a roller may be inserted in the thickness of the box at the
upper side over the slit so arranged as to lift when the card or article to be
delivered is pushed forward and to fall when it is withdrawn..
When these boxes are attached to Post office pillar boxes or fixed upon their
own pillars the coin may be allowed to pass down a pipe after it has worked the
machine.
.
At the lower end of this pipe a cylindrical bag may be attached by means of an
india-rubber ring.
This bag may be marked at certain distances so as to show by the feel the
number of coins contained therein.
The compartment in which the cards or articles to be delivered are placed
may also be provided with a graduated scale showing the number of articles which
have been removed.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicants,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.

page_text: Postal Requisites on Prepayment.
We FREDERICK CHARLES LYNDE of 48 King Street Manchester Civil Engineer
and JOHN EDWARD LEES, and JAMES ARTHUR LEES, Executors of the Will of the
late James Lees of Otago, New Zealand Sheep Farmer do hereby declare the nature
of our invention for AN IMPROVED APPARATUS FOR THE DELIVERY OF POST CARDS
OR OTHER POSTAL REQUISITES ON PREPAYMENT 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 an improved apparatus for the delivery of post cards
and other postal requisites, and is in part founded on the subject of Letters Patent
applied for by us and dated October 7th 1885 No. 11911.
The nature of our said invention and the manner in which the same may be
carried into practical effect will be readily understood on reference to the drawings
bereto annexed and the following explanation thereof.
Fig. 1. is a front elevation of our improved apparatus, Fige 2 is a vertical section
taken through about the centre of the same, Fig. 3. is a plan, or horizontal section
taken through about the line A.B. in Fig. 1. and Fig. 4. is a vertical section of the
apparatus in a different position as hereinafter described.
The apparatus consists first of a box a, a containing a pile of the articles b, b, to
be delivered.
The cards or articles b, b rest upon a table c, c on which they are held down by
means of a weight d, d. On the level of the top side of the table.c, c the casing
of the box is pierced with a slit e, e of such a width and depth as to allow only
one (or other definite number) of the cards or articles b, b at a time to pass
through it.
At the back or in grooves in this table one or more sliding pieces f, ƒ are free to
move horizontally.
This sliding piece f₁f which we call the "delivery slide" is provided with a
ledge g, g (or with studs) which projects above the surface of the table c, c suffi-
ciently to come in contact with the back of the lowermost card or article b, b to be
delivered.
The height of the ledgē g, g is regulated by the number of cards or articles to
be delivered.
When the delivery slide f, f is caused to move towards the slit e, e it therefore
causes one or more of the cards or articles b, b to be delivered to project sufficiently
through the slit (see Fig. 4) to be drawn out by hand.
This delivery slide f, f is caused to move towards the slit e, e upon the insertion
into the apparatus of a suitable coin (or coins) in the manner hereafter described.
The coin (or coins) is (or are) passed into the apparatus by means of the slide h, h
which we call the "receiving slide" and which is provided with a slit (or slits) i, i
in which the coin (or coins) is (or are) placed edgewise: At the back of this
slit i, i is a notch or recess ix, ix, to allow of the introduction of the thumb or

page_text: f
finger in order to remove any bent or other coin which would not pass into the
apparatus or to remove any other foreign matter from the coin. slide.
Underneath the slit i, i is fitted a balanced lever k, so weighted as not to yield
to any substance lighter in weight than the proper coin.
L
The "receiving slide" h, h having been drawn out sufficiently far to expose the
slit or slits on the outside of the box (as shewn at Fig. 2) the coin (or coins) is
(or are) placed within it.
The receiving slide h, h is then pushed in (as shown at Fig. 4) carrying the coin
with it, this slide h, h and the opening in which it moves being of such a form
and dimensions as to gauge the form and size of the coin.
When the proper coin has passed the point ** within the box a, a it falls on to
the balanced lever k, k which its weight causes to tip. As the receiving slide h, h
is continued to be pushed in the coin passes along this lever k, and when the
said coin has been pushed along the lever to the end, it falls lower and comes in
contact with a step in the end of the sliding piece or bar 1, 2 connected by a
pivotted lever or levers m, m to the "delivery slide" f,f (or it may come against
the lever or levers m, m) in either of which cases it forms a kind of key, locking
the delivery slide f, f and the bar 1, together, and thus causes the lower end of
the said lever or levers m, m to be pushed back and the delivery slide f, f to be
thereby moved towards the slit e, e in the casing of the box a a and thus causes
the lowermost card or article to be delivered to project from the box.
A projection from the receiving slide h, h pulls the lower slide 1, 1 (or the bar
or lever) forwards on the slide ff being again drawn out, and moves the delivery
slide f f back again ready for action upon the next card or article to be delivered.
If a substance lighter than the proper coin should be placed in the slit of the
receiving slide" h, h it will not cause the lever to tip and it will not fall on to
the step of the slide 1, but will pass over it and fall through the opening o, o
without acting upon the delivery slide.
"
If it is also required to reject too heavy a coin this may be effected by the
addition of a second balanced lever on to which the first one tips the coin and
which will let too heavy a coin fall before it reaches the step 1.
In order to prevent the possibility of a coin being pushed almost to the end of
the lever (so as to cause the card or article to be delivered, to protrude suffi-
ciently to be pulled out by hand) and then withdrawn by pulling out the slide so as
to obtain more than one card or article by one payment, the lever k, k is provided
on its upper side with a ledge or step, down which the coin drops before the card
to be delivered protrudes from the box, and this step prevents the return of
the coin.
To regulate the speed at which the coin receiving slide h, h can be pushed in,
so as to give the levers time to act, the said slide h, h is provided with an air
chamber p, pin which the air is compressed as the slide h, h is pushed in.
On the top of the pile of cards or articles to be delivered is placed a suitable
weight d, d, this weight is provided with a hole in which is placed a dropping
bolt, which rests upon the topmost card or article to be delivered, so that when
the last card or article is withdrawn the bolt r, r falls and locks the receiving
slide h, h thus preventing its being drawn out.
"
In order to economize space, this bolt may be made telescopic in its action and
if desired may have attached to the top of it a plate bearing the word "Empty."
In this case a small window is provided in front of the box a, a in such a position
that upon the bolt r, falling, the word "Empty" can be seen through it.
In order to ensure accuracy in the depth of the slit through which the cards or
articles are delivered it may be provided with an adjustable slide or shutter.
In case it is desired to close the slit e, e after the egress of each card or article
this shutter may be made to fall so as to completely close the slit when the
receiving slide "h, h.is pushed in; or a roller may be inserted in the thickness of
the box at the upper side over the slit, so arranged as to rise when the card or
article to be delivered is pushed forward and to fall when it is withdrawn.

page_text: It will be evident that the delivery slide may be placed either above or below
the coin-slide as may be preferred.
It may also be placed at one side on the same level, in which case the pivotted
lever or levers must be so arranged as to move horizontally and the pile of articles
may then be placed beneath the delivery slide (instead of above it) and be forced
upwards by a spring or springs, or equivalent, so that the slide will deliver the
highest article instead of the lowest.
When these delivery boxes are attached to Post office pillar boxes or fixed upon
their own pillars the coin may be allowed to pass down a pipe after it has worked
the machine.
At the lower end of this pipe a cylindrical bag may be attached by means of an
india-rubber ring. This bag may be marked at certain distances so as to shew by
the feel the number of coins contained therein.
The compartment in which the cards or articles to be delivered are placed may
also be provided with a graduated scale shewing the number of articles which have
been removed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what
we claim is:-
First. The combination of parts forming our improved apparatus for the delivery
of post cards or other postal requisites constructed substantially as herein described
and illustrated on the annexed drawings.
Secondly. The combination of a coin-receiving-slide and a balanced lever with
a delivery slide for pushing forward a post card or other article whereby the coin
itself acts as a key to lock the coin receiving slide and the delivery slide together
so that the card or article is only delivered when the receiving slide is pushed in
together with the proper coin employed in the manner and for the purposes
substantially as herein before described and illustrated by the drawings annexed.
Thirdly. The use in combination with a coin-slide such as herein before described
of an air chamber so arranged that the motion of the slide is regulated by the
compression of air, substantially as herein described and illustrated by the parts
marked h, h and p in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings.
Fourthly. The notch or recess i*, ix in the coin slide to allow of the introduction
of the thumb or finger to remove any coin that will not pass or any foreign matter
from the "coin-slide."
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicants,
4, St. Ann's Square, Manchester.