IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSFERS FOR FREIGHT, AND " THINGS AND MATERIALS."
Year: 1880

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Alexander Elmer McDonald, of the City, County, and
State of New York, one of the United States of America, Mechanic, for an
Invention of IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSFERS FOR FREIGHT, AND
"
THINGS AND MATERIALS."
OTHER
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Alexander Elmer McDonald
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 29th December 1880.
ALEXANDER ELMER MODONALD, of the City, County, and State of New York,
one of the United States of America, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANSFERS
FOR FREIGHT, AND OTHER THINGS AND MATERIALS."
My Invention relates in the main to means and mechanism for transferring
freight or goods across foot pavements or side walks, to or from vans, trucks, or
other vehicles, and between warehouses or stores and the outer edge of the foot
pavement.
The Invention may also be employed for carrying persons as well as freight or
goods, and may be used to carry persons or things across chasms.
The Invention consists as applied to the transfer of freight across
a foot
pavement or side walk of a platform to receive the freight mounted on the top of
a lever-support, the lower end of which is stepped or pivoted in an excavation
under the foot pavement. The platform in moving from one side of the foot-
pavement to the other describes a curve, of which the lever support is the radius,
and the longer the said support the flatter will be the curve. If the points between
which the load is to be transferred be on the same level the support will be pivoted
midway between them. If one is higher than the other the support must be
pivoted nearest the higher side.
To preserve the level of the platform two parallel lever supports may be
employed, hinged or pivoted to the platform as well as at their feet. These levers
play in a cross slot in the foot-pavement over the excavation below, and this slot is
preferably provided with a removable cover. The platform may be operated by
means of handles attached to it, or it may be operated from inside the building by
means of a winding drum and chains or ropes connected with the lever support or
supports. The platform may be made to rest when not in use upon a step in front

page_text: of the building if there be one, or upon the foot pavement in front of the door, or
upon the floor of the building.
The foot of the lever support may rest on the bottom of the excavation, or it
may be supported from the foot pavement above, and a cushion spring may be
employed to assist in starting the load.
For heavy service two pairs of lever supports may be arranged under the
platform, these playing in two parallel slots in the foot pavement.
The platform may be provided with catches to hold it down when not in use, as
the cushion spring would tend to raise it.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Alexander Elmer MoDonald in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 23rd June 1881.
ALEXANDER ELMER MCDONALD, of the City, County, and State of New York,
one of the United States of America, Mechanic. "IMPROVEMENTS IN TRANsfers
FOR FREIGHT, AND OTHER THINGS AND MATERIALS."
My Invention relates in the main to means and mechanism for transferring
freight or goods across sidewalks, to and from trucks, or other vehicles, and between
stores and the outer edge of the walk. The Invention may also be employed for
carrying persons as well as freight, and may be used to carry persons or things
across chasms. It is well known that in cities where trade is considerable, and
vehicles are constantly loading and unloading, the freight is generally transferred
across the walk on skids, or the vehicles are backed across the walk to a door or
doorstep. In either case the walk is obstructed and becomes impassable for
pedestrians. To obviate this difficulty, and to provide a means whereby freight
may be transferred between a vehicle at the outer edge of the walk and a store
without interfering except momentarily with passing pedestrians, is the principal
object of my present Invention, which I will now describe with reference to the
accompanying Drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a sectional elevation arranged to
illustrate my Invention as applied. This section is taken on line v, v, in Figure 3;
Figure 2 is a plan of the same; Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line w, w,
in Figure 1; Figure 4 is a detached view on a larger scale, designed to illustrate the
lock for fastening the platform; Figure 5 is a sectional elevation taken on line y, y,
in Figure 6; Figure 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line x, x, in Figure 5.
These last two views illustrate a modified form of my Invention. Figure 7 is also
a sectional view illustrating a modified form of my Invention; Figure 8 illustrates
a means for closing a slot in the walk, in which the uprights which support the
platform play. The two upper views are longitudinal sections, and the two lower
transverse sections, all drawn to a large scale.
A represents the front wall of a store building; B, an excavation in front of the
building under the side walk; C, the said walk, which may be of any material;
D, the curb line where the walk joins the street, and E the street.

page_text: Referring to the first four Figures most especially, F is a raised step or platform,
such as is usually found before the doors of stores where the floor is raised but
little above the level of the walk; and G represents the vehicle backed up to the
curb to receive or discharge its load. These features are all as they are usually
found in cities, and are here shown simply to illustrate the application of my
Invention.
His a freight platform, arranged in this case to rest upon the step F before the
door. This platform is mounted upon lever supports I, I, pivoted or hinged to the
platform at their upper ends, and at their lower ends pivoted, hinged, or stepped
in a frame or hanger J suspended from the walk above into the excavation B.
The levers are by preference quite long, and I prefer that they shall not be less in
length than three or four times the travel of the platform. These levers pass
through and play in a slot a in the side walk, best shown in Figure 2. The slot
may serve as a guide to the levers, and prevent them from swaying sidewise. The
plane of the section in Figure 1 is taken through this slot.
The full lines in Figure 1 show the platform ready to receive its load from the
vehicle, and when it is loaded it is only necessary to push it over to the position
indicated in the dotted lines, when it may be unloaded directly at the store door.
The platform may be moved to and fro by means of handles on it, or in any
other good way.
In some cases a rope or chain 6 may be employed, and this may
be rove over sheaves c, c, and its end led to a winding drum d operated by a crank,
and arranged inside of the building.
The employment of two levers I instead of one serves to keep the platform
always level.
K is a spring, preferably arranged between the levers I, and fixed in the part to
which they are pivoted. This spring bears upon one or the other of the levers
when the platform is at its lowest point, and serves as a cushion or elastic resistance,
and helps to start the platform and its load.
To prevent pedestrians from getting their feet fast in the slot a in the walk, as
well as to keep out water, ice, &c., I generally employ some form of closing device
therefor. To this end I prefer to set in the walk an iron plate having the slot a
formed in it and a groove or grooves in its face on each side of said slot and
parallel therewith. These grooves carry off the water. As a cover for the slot I
provide a metal plate e having at its free end a short rib or lug on its underside to
take into the slot a and pivoted to the slotted plate at f. The rib on the plate
prevents the latter from being readily displaced, and when the transfer is to be used
it is only necessary to lift the free end of the plate and swing it around to one side,
as shown in Figure 2.
The modification shewn in Figures 5 and 6 differs from that just described in the
following respects:-The transfer is adapted to a floor level, which is higher than
the level of the vehicle, and the lower ends of the levers are stepped (not pivoted)
in a base resting on the bottom of the excavation and next to the wall of the
building instead of at the curb. In this modification I have also shown (see
Figure 6) two pairs of levers I arranged under one platform, and adapted to play
in parallel slots a, a. This form of transfer is well adapted to heavy loads. Where
the points between which the freight is to be transferred are on the same level, the
feet of the levers I should be pivoted or stepped directly below a point midway
between them. Two or more pairs of lever supports may be employed.
In Figure 7 I have shown the platform fixed upon the top of one lever support
only. In this form I prefer to hinge one half of the platform to the other or fixed
half, so that it may be raised and supported as shown when in use, but laid down
flat when not in use so as to form a platform or step. This platform is well suited
to transferring some kinds of freight, particularly barrels and boxes. Where the
latter are to be handled exclusively the hinged part may be made to stand at right
angles to the fixed part. In this view the spring K is a spiral instead of a leaf
spring.
In lieu of the means shown for closing or covering the slot a, a metal plate

page_text: might be hinged at the edge and arranged to turn over it when the transfer is not
in use.
Although designed mainly for the transfer of freight across side walks, my
Invention may-also be adapted for transferring people or freight across chasms or
spaces usually bridged over, and I do not confine myself to its employment for any
specific service. The platform may also be covered with a canopy if desirable, or
it may be made in the form of a car or basket where circumstances admit of it, and
the basket might be suspended so as to preserve it level under all conditions.
In Figure 4 I have shown a device for locking the platform of the transfer when
down on the step. L is a drop handle hinged to the side of the platform and
having a projecting catch g arranged to engage a lug on the step when the handle
hangs suspended. The lifting of the handle for use disengages the catch.
Having thus described my Invention, I declare that I claim,—
First. A transfer for freight or other service consisting of a platform or its
equivalent for the load mounted on the upper end of a supporting lever or levers,
the said lever being hinged, pivoted, or stepped at its foot, substantially as set
forth.
Second. A transfer for freight or other service consisting of the following
elements, namely:-A platform or its equivalent, a supporting lever or levers, and
a cushion spring to check the descent of the load, all arranged substantially as set
forth.
Third. The transfer consisting of the platform or its equivalent mounted on the
supporting lever or levers in combination with the sides of the slot in which the
lever or levers play, adapted to form guides for said levers, substantially as set
forth.
Fourth. The combination with the transfer constructed substantially as described
of the means for operating it from within doors, substantially as set forth.
Fifth. The device for covering the slot in the walk as described and as shown in
Figures 2 and 8, in combination with the transfer.
Sixth. The locking device whereby the platform is held when down on the step,
substantially as described and as shown in Figure 4.
Seventh. The construction of the platform with one part fixed and one part
hinged thereto, as described and as shown in Figure 7.
In witness whereof, I, the said Alexander Elmer MoDonald, have bereunto
set my hand and seal, this Sixth day of June, One thousand eight hundred
and eighty one.
ALEXANDER ELMER MCDONALD. (L.S.)