IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAGS AND PACKAGES ON RAILWAYS
Year: 1868

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alfred Vincent Newton, of the Office for Patents,
66, Chancery Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical
Draughtsman, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAGS AND PACKAGES ON RAILWAYS."-
A communication from abroad by Freeman Knowlton Sibley, of
Auburndale, and Levi Clifford Wade, of Newton, Upper Falls, both
in the State of Massachusetts, United States of America.
Scaled the 6th April 1869, and dated the 30th November 1868.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alfred Vincent Newton
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 30th November 1868.
I, ALFRED VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery
Lane, in the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS
FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING MAIL BAGS AND PACKAGES ON RAILWAYS," to
be as follows:-
The object of this Invention is automatically to receive and deliver in

page_text: an efficient and safe manner mail bags and packages on railways into
and from a carriage or carriages while in motion. To this end a scoop is
arranged to swing on a vertical axis within or through an opening made
in the side of the carriage so that when set to a working position it
stands obliquely to the side thereof and operates in connection with
suitable devices for suspending the bags or packages to be received and
delivered in such manner that the receiving of the one bag or package
by the interior of the scoop catching and guiding it into the carriage is
or may be made to effect the delivery of another bag or package from
the carriages. The swinging scoop may be made reversible and held by
catches or fastenings in an oblique relationship to the side of the carriage
to enable it to receive and deliver matter in opposite directions of the
travel of the train. The scoop is fixed by hinged braces and springs in
its operating position to insure its automatic release or action to effect
delivery of the bag or package. On the outside surface of the swinging
scoop projections are formed to give a proper direction to the delivery
of the bag or package. The mail bag or package to be delivered is
suspended by a ring or other suitable attachment in a loose or free
manner on a horizontal arm affixed to the roof of the carriage. The
mail bag or package to be received is similarly hung on a crane-or bar
erected at the station or depot and arranged so that the interior surface
of the outside protruding half or portion of the scoop will in the motion
of the train catch the bag and draw or slide it off the crane into the
passing carriage.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Alfred Vincent Newton in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 29th May 1869.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, ALFRED
VINCENT NEWTON, of the Office for Patents, 66, Chancery Lane, in
the County of Middlesex, Mechanical Draughtsman, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Thirtieth day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight,. in the
thirty-second year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, Her
special licence that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors,

page_text: administrators, and assigns, or such others as I, the said Alfred
Vincent Newton, my executors, administrators, and assigns, should at
any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all
times thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully
might make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an
Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING AND DELIVERING
MAIL BAGS AND PACKAGES ON RAILWAYS," being a communication to me
from abroad, upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said
Alfred Vincent Newton, my executors or administrators, by au
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands and
scals, should particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said
Invention, and in what manner the same was to be performed, and
cause the same to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office, within six
calendar months next and immediately after the date of the said Letters
Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, reference being had to the Drawing here-
unto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thercon (that
is to say):
:-
The object of this Invention is automatically to receive and deliver in
an efficient and safe manner mail bags and packages on railways into and
from a carriage or carriages while in motion. To this end a scoop is
arranged to swing on a vertical axis within or through an opening made in
the side of the carriage, so that when set to a working position it stands
obliquely to the side thereof and operates in connection with suitable
devices for suspending the bags or packages to be received and delivered
in such manner that the receiving of the one bag or package by the
interior of the scoop catching and guiding it into the carriage is or may
be made to effect the delivery of another bag or package from the
carriage. The swinging scoop may have reversible character or action,
and there are arranged for operation in connection with the same catches
or fastenings to hold the scoop in reverse positions having an oblique
relationship to the side of the carriage for the purpose of adapting the
scoop to receive and deliver matter in opposite directions to the travel
of the carriage or train. In combination with the scoop are hinged

page_text: braces and springs to hold the scoop when set to operate and to insure
its automatic release or action to effect delivery of the bag or package.
On the outside surface of the swinging scoop, projections are formed to
give a proper direction to the delivery of the bag or package.
Having thus specified the object and nature of the Invention, its
description will be proceeded with in reference to the accompanying
Drawing.
Figure 1 represents a view of the interior of a portion of a carriage
looking towards its one side with the apparatus for receiving and
delivering mail bags and packages applied thereto; Figure 2 is a
transverse vertical section of the same; and Figure 3 is a horizontal
section thereof.
Referring to the accompanying Drawing, A represents the side and
B the roof of a carriage, here supposed to be travelling in the direction-
of the arrow x, Figure 3; C is an opening made in the side of the
carriage; and D is a scoop arranged to loosely fit within or cover the
said opening. This scoop it is preferred to make more or less of a dish-
shaped configuration, and the same is hung on a vertical axis or
pivots a, a, arranged intermediately of its length. Thus hung or sus-
pended the scoop is free to be swung outwards from either or opposite side
of its axis, so as to occupy an oblique position across or through the
opening C, substantially as represented in Figure 3, the hollow portion
of the scoop being on the inside. When it is not required to receive
or deliver mail bags or packages the scoop may be reversed and adjusted
in line with the opening, as represented by red lines in Figure 3, and be
so secured or held by bolts b, b, to prevent objectionable protrusion of it
outside the car. To set the scoop for receiving and delivering mail bags
or packages it is swung us before observed to occupy an oblique position
relatively to the side of the carriage, with its concave face towards the
interior of the latter thereby protruding at one end or on one side of
its axis beyond the side of the carriage, and at its opposite end within
the carriage. This establishes openings c, c', through which the mail
bags or packages are received and delivered. Supposing the carriage
is swung
to be travelling in the direction of the arrow x then the scoop
to protrude outside of the car on what may be termed the forward side
of its axis, as shown in the Drawing, but if the carriage be travelling
in the reverse direction then the oblique position of the scoop relatively
to the side of the car is changed or arranged to cross the opening C in

page_text: a reverse direction. Such however is only necessary to be done where
the mail bags or packages are received and delivered through the same
side of the carriage in both directions of the travel of the latter, which
for convenience sake the improvement is here represented as providing
for by means of a duplicate arrangement of devices for suspending the
mail bags or packages to be delivered and catches for holding the scoop
at its required oblique position and duplicate projections or formations
on the outside of the scoop for effecting delivery, all substantially as
herein-after described. Where it is proposed to receive and deliver from
opposite sides of the carriage in reverse directions of travel then
independent scoops may be fitted to opposite sides of the carriage, and
instead of the duplicate arrangement of devices above referred to only
a single one to suit a single action of the scoops as regards their oblique
position relatively to the sides of the carriage will be used, the scoop
on one side of the carriage admitting of being set to receive and deliver
in one direction of travel only, and the scoop on the other side being
capable of a reverse oblique set to, receive and deliver in the opposito
direction of travel. If desired, however, both scoops may be constructed
and suitable duplicate mcans operating in connection with them be
provided to receive and deliver on either side of the carriage in reverse
directions of its travel.
With these remarks an explanation of the arrangement represented
in the Drawing will illustrate the action of the Invention in either or
every case. E, E', are bars attached to the roof of the carriage and
bent or directed towards the side of the latter opposite the upper portion
of the opening C on cither side of it, or apertures d, d', forming
extensions of the said opening. The mail bag or package to be
delivered is suspended by a ring or other suitable attachment in a loose
or free manner, so as to be capable of sliding on the horizontal leg of the
arm, which in relation to the travel of the car may be termed the rear
one of the said arms E or E', the arm E here occupying the rear
position. The mail bag or package to be received is similarly hung
on a crane or bar erected at the station or depot and arranged so that
the interior surface of the outside protruding half or portion of the
scoop D will in the motion of the train catch the bag or package and
draw or slide it off the crane into the passing carriage. To hold the
scoop at its required oblique set a hinged brace F or F, according to
the direction the train is running, is made to hook or catch on to the
edge of the scoop in its rear or inner protruding end; the said braces

page_text: when thus hooked on to the scoop bearing under springs e or e¹; or any
other suitable description of spring catch or other fastening may be
used to restrain the scoop from being swung too far outwards by the
resistance the interior of its advance portion meets with from the air
as the train is in motion. The mail bag or package being received by
the scoop is carried as it is struck by the latter from off the crane at
the station into or within the scoop, and before falling or dropping to
the floor of the carriage it is struck by the inside rear portion of the
scoop which action exerts a tendency to close the scoop and releases
the spring catch or hinged brace F from its hold on the scoop, and by
the force or blow thus imparted causes the rear portion of the scoop
to sweep off from the bar E the mail bag or package to be delivered and
that has its delivery at or to the station properly directed by a
projection or formation G on the outside surface of the scoop striking
and acting against the body or lower portion of the bag. There are
two of these projections or formations G to suit delivery in opposite
directions of travel of the carriage. In this way it will be seen not
only that the whole device is automatic when receiving and delivering,
thus doing away with all liability to accident by or from it to the
mail-agent, but that the receiving of one bag or package is made to effect
the delivery of another.
Having now set forth the nature of the Invention of improvements
in apparatus for receiving and delivering mail bags and packages on
railways, and explained the manner of carrying the same into effect,
I wish it to be understood that under the above in part recited Letters
Patent I claim, the automatic apparatus for receiving and delivering
mail bags and parcels, constructed and operating as above described.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alfred Vincent Newton, have
hereunto set my hand and scal, the Twenty-ninth day of May,
in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-
nine
Witness,
J. W. MOFFATT,
66, Chancery Lane.
A. V. NEWTON. (L.S.)