AN IMPROVED MAIL BAG CATCHER
Year: 1884

page_text: I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN, of the firm of Horn and Son, Surrey Chambers,
172 Strand in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare the
nature of my said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MAIL BAG CATCHER to bo as
follows:-
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensive
apparatus to be fixed to a mail-car or railway van for catching mail bags or
pouches hung from a crane at the side of the railway-track and while the car or
van is in motion.
This Invention consists in a catch bar provided with two arms adapted to catch
the nail bag, and held to a shaft which is journaled in bearing-blocks fixed to the
side of the car or van, said shaft extending horizontally across the doorway of the
car or van, and having a suitable handle by which it may be swung axially to
bring the catch-arm in position to catch the mail-bag from the crane.
This Invention includes also special constructions of the catch-bar with two
opposite catch-arms, and other special constructions and combinations of the parts
of the catcher as hereinafter described.
This my improved mail bag catcher is constructed as follows:-
The catcher consists, essentially, of a bar held to a shaft, which shaft is journaled
at its opposite ends to swing in bracket-blocks firmly secured to the side of the car
or van at each side of its doorway. The shaft aforesaid has a projecting handle
by which the mail-catcher may be swung on the pivot bearings of shaft in the
blocks aforesaid, to a projecting position requisite for use, so as to present either
end or arm of the before mentioned bar for catching the mail bag or pouch which
hangs from the usual crane at the side of the track. The construction of this
catch-bar with the two opposite arms permitting a use of this ny improved mail
bag catcher when the mail-car is moving in either direction, and without requiring
a change of position or other adjustment of the catcher, the axial swing of the
aforesaid shaft on its pivot bearings bringing either end of arm into position for
firmly grasping the suspended bag or pouch, irrespective of the direction of travel
or speed of movement of the car or van. The before-mentioned bar of this my
LP C11

page_text: improved mail bag catcher bends outwards from its heavier central portion towards
the extreme ends of its catch-arms, which ends are preferably tapered, and the
aforesaid shaft is recessed at each side of the point of connection to it of the said
bar, to form with the bent arms aforesaid a pocket or grasp, which, while securely
holding the mail-bag or pouch, after catching it from the crane, will permit a com-
paratively easy release of the bag from the catcher by the mail-agents in the car or
van, and to further facilitate the release of the bag from the catcher I provide a
shoulder at the joint of bar with shaft aforesaid, which shoulder may consist of a
separate block supported on the tenon of the aforesaid handle or said shoulder may
be formed directly on either the shaft or the bar, or partly on both, as desired.
A-strong-pin or rivet holds the bar to the tenon of the handle.
It will be noted that my improved mail bag catcher is a fixture to the car or
railway van, is always ready when needed, requires no adjustment for reverse
directions of travel, cannot jar out of place, and is simple and positive in its
action.

page_text: I, WILLIAM WILSON HORN of the firm Horn and Son, Surrey Chambers,
172 Strand in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby declare tho
nature of my said Invention for "AN IMPROVED MAIL BAG CATCHER" 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
accompanying Drawings and letters of reference marked thereon, that is to
Bay-
The object of this Invention is to provide a simple, efficient and inexpensivo
apparatus to be fixed to a mail-car or railway van for catching mail-bags or
pouches hung from a crane at the side of the railway track, and while the car or
van is in motion.
This Invention consists in a catch bar provided with two arms adapted to catch
the mail bag, and held to a shaft which is journaled in bearing blocks fixed to tho
side of the car or van, and having a suitable handle by which it may be swung
axially to bring the catch arm in position to catch the mail-bag from tho crane.
This Invention includes also special constructions of the catch-bar with two
opposite catch-arms, and other special constructions and combinations of the parts
of the catcher as hereinafter described.
And in order that this Invention may be more fully understood reference is had
to the accompanying Drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon:-
Figure 1, Sheet 1, represents in perspective view my improved mail-bag catcher
as adjusted to catch the bag from the crane at the side of the track; and Fig. 2,
Sheet 1, is a central cross-sectional elevation of the catcher as when out of use.
Sheet 2, shews in detail the various parts of this my improved mail-bag catcher.
Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figures.
The letter A represents a portion of the side of a mail-car at the doorway, across
which my improved mail bag catcher is applied.
The catcher consists, essentially, of a bar a, held to a shaft b, which is journaled
at its opposite ends to swing in bracket-blocks c firmly secured by screw bolts c³,
or otherwise, to the side of the car at each side of its doorway, as shown. The
shaft 6 has a projecting handle d, by which the mail catcher may be swung on the
pivot bearings of shaft b in the blocks c from the position shewn in Fig. 2, Sheet 1,
to which position the catcher gravitates, by the weight of bar a when out of use,
to the position shown in Fig. 1, Sheet 1, for presenting either end or arm a¹ of
bar a for catching the mail-bag or pouch which hangs from the usual crane at the
side of the track, the construction of the catch-bar a, with the two opposite arms a¹
permitting a use of the device when the car A is moving in either direction, and
without requiring a change of position or other adjustment of the catcher, the axial
swing of the shaft b on its pivot-bearings bringing either end of arm a¹ into
position for firmly grasping the suspended bag or pouch, irrespective of the
direction of travel or speed of movement of the car. The bar a bends outward
from its heavier central portion toward the extreme ends of its catch arms a³,
which are preferably tapered to the ends, as shewn, and the shaft 6 is recessed, as
at 61, at each side of the point of connection to it of the bar a to form with the
bent arms a' a pocket or grasp, which, while securely holding the mail bag or
pouch after catching it from the crane, will permit a comparatively easy release of
the bag from the catcher by the mail-agents in the car; and to further facilitate
the release of the bag from the catcher, I have provided a shoulder s, at the joint of

page_text: bar a with shaft b which shoulder may consist of a separate block supported on the
tenon d' of handle d, as shewn, or said shoulder may be formed directly on either
the shaft b or the bar a, or partly on both, as desired. A strong pin or rivet holds
the bar a to the tenon d of the handle d.
It will be noted that my improved mail-bag catcher is a fixture to the car, is
always ready when needed, requires no adjustment for reverso directions of travel,
cannot jar out of place, and is simple and positive in its action.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declaro that what
1 claim is
In a mail-bag catcher, the combination, with--the horizontal shaft b, arranged
across the doorway, and pivoted in bearings c, secured to the sides of the car, of the
catch-bar a having two catch-arms a¹ a', tapered from the middle towards its ends,
and secured centrally upon a handle d, passed through the shaft b substantially as
and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.
•
T: f&b dov of Sontember 1881
: :