IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR TRANSPORTING CASH OR PARCELS OR BOTH IN STORES
Year: 1885

page_text: I, BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, do hereby
declare the nature of said Invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
TRANSPORTING CASH OR PARCELS OR BOTH IN STORES a communication to me
from abroad by Robert Alden McCarthy, of Detroit in the County of Wayne
and State of Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, to be as
follows:-
This invention relates to a system of rapid store service for cash or cash and
parcels wherein the carriers travel upon ways formed of lines of stretched wire
and are impelled by projecting devices located at the ends of the lines and giving
to the carrier an initial impetus sufficient to propel it to the other end of the line.
In a complete store service system of this character there is provided a line wire
for each station such wire extending from the cashier's desk to a point in the store
between which and the cashier's desk it is desired to establish communication.
This line is a stretched horizontal wire and at each end there is provided a spring
projecting device for shooting the carrier, which travels thereon, to the other end
of the wire, as well as receiving and locking devices which atop the carrier and
lock it in position until projected again to the other end of the line. At the
cashier's desk the several service lines meet.
"The projecting.devices at the cashier's desk are usually combined in a common
frame this being the simplest and cheapest arrangement. The frame consists
essentially of two curved bars arranged one in front of the other substantially in the
same horizontal plane and supporting respectively the catches for locking the carriers
and the forks which hold the bights of the propelling and buffer cords upon the line
wires and also of a third curved bar located above the bar which supports the
catches, which carries sheaves for the operating "cords These bars are connected
..

page_text: together by bars and braces and are supported from the wall or ceiling or both or
from the desk in any suitable way. The curve of the bars is more or less of a
complete circle according to the directions taken by the most divergent lines.
All points in the store may communicate with one cashier's desk or two or more
of such desks may be used each with its system of diverging service lines.
The salesman's apparatus has a vertical supporting standard, which may be a
piece of pipe, which carries the operating parts. This pipe is preferably hung from
the ceiling by a connecting pipe with the ceiling flange, the connecting pipe being
of such length as to give the apparatus the desired elevation.
The line wire passes through a hole in the supporting pipe near its lower end
and then extends to the wall or upwardly to the ceiling where it is secured and
properly stretched. In the hole in the pipe ista nipple provided with a screw for
clamping the pipe to the wire. This stays the apparatus in the direction of the
line wire. Laterally the pipe is braced by an arm which extends to the wall or to
any near stationary object. By thus staying the pipe in both directions it can be
hung from the ceiling. The frame of the cashier's apparatus may also be stayed in
the same way.
Above the line wire a horizontal arm projects 'from the supporting pipe
extending along over. the wire and having a fork at its end the arms of which
bend down nearly to the plane of the wire. The ends of the fork carry sheaves
and over these pass a cord the bight of which rests on the wire. Blocks of soft
rubber are placed upon the cord below the fork and prevent the cord from pulling
up to the sheaves at the same time that they keep the bight from twisting from a
proper position upon the line wire. The horizontal arm is braced from the pipe
by a connecting rod. The cord is secured at its upper end to a spring which may
be a piece of rubber tubing or a metal spiral, and from the other end of this spring
two cords or wires run over sheaves in the head of the supporting pipe and then
hang downwardly in the rear of such pipe.
To the lower end of the supporting pipe is secured the catch for the carrier.
This is composed of an arm clamped to the lower end of the pipe and projecting
from it below the line wire in the same direction that the horizontal arm above
mentioned projects above said wire.
J
The arm is forked at its outer. end and has pivotted to such forked end a bottom
plate which extends back of the pipe and has in its rear end two holes through
which the operating cords pass. This bottom plate is held up against its sup-
porting arm by a spring and carries a latch which projects through an opening in
said arm.
This latch is pivotted upon the plate and is thrown up by a light
quick-acting spring.
.1
The carrier in engaging with the catch depresses the latch only, requiring but
little force to overcome the slight tension of this light spring while to release the
carrier the bottom plate is drawn down against the greater tension of the main
spring of that plate.
The operating cords which terminate in rings or knobs within convenient reach,
are provided, above the catch plate with adjustable stops which may be balls held
upon the cords by set screws. These are adjusted upon the cords to the required
points for giving the operating spring the proper tension and their purpose is to
draw down the catch plate and release the same.
The stop upon one of the cords of each apparatus is adjusted to a higher point
than that upon the other, so that by pulling upon the latter cord the spring will
be given greater tension before the carrier is released, and the carrier can be
propelled with a greater load than if the other cord is used to operate the
apparatus. When the carrier is lightly loaded one cord will be used and when
heavily loaded, the other. By using the adjustable stops, springs of the same size
can be used for all the lines, but if desired heavier springs may be used for the
longer lines.
4.
The propelling and locking devices at the cashier's desk for each line supported
in the frame described above, are the same as those at the salesman's stations the
15

page_text: stops being different lines. As stated all the catches are supported upon one of the
bars of said frame, and all the sheaves for the cords upon the other bars.
The carrier which it is preferred to employ consists of a narrow plate upon
which are mounted two grooved wheels of hard rubber or other suitable material.
These wheels ride upon the wire while the plate hangs beneath the wire. The
plate is provided with set screws projecting upwardly through it, one near each
wheel, which are adjusted to limit the jumping movement of the carrier on the
wire so as to prevent its displacement thereon.
Near each end the plate is formed into upwardly projecting hooks, and at each
end the plate terminates in a head forming a downwardly projecting hook, which
head is capped by a buffer of soft rubber.
From the centre of the plate is hung by rods a metal ring having notches on its
inner edge. This carries the receptacle which is a cylindrical box with open top
having a circumferential shoulder and pins above the shoulder. This box is
attached to the carrier, the articles to be transported being first placed within said
box, by pushing it into the ring so that the pins will pass through the notches in
the ring and then turning it to lock the box to the ring. A box cover is hung
from the bottom of the carrier plate by a spiral spring which presses the cover.
down upon the box, closing said box and holding it firmly in position.in the ring.
When a carrier is projected over a, wire, the upwardly projecting hooks at the
forward end of the carrier, catch the bight of the spring cord at the end of the line
to which the carrier is projected, and pulling back said bight draws down upon.
the propelling spring. Hence it'will be seen that the propelling spring can also be
used as a buffer spring. To accomplish this, there is secured to one of the
operating cords below the catch plate a stop which may be a ball held adjustably
by a screw.
This stop is adjusted to the proper point with relation to the momentum of the
carrier, so that it will strike the catch plate and permit the propelling spring to be
strained by the moving carrier as its downwardly projecting hook head is passing
over the latch of the catch plate.
Thus the carrier will engage the latch but will be stopped by the propelling
spring. Should the carrier go further and strike the pipe it will be with slight
force only and the rubber buffer on its head will prevent injury to the parts and
the production of any noise from the concussion.
To propel the carrier the operator draws down on the operating cord, stretching
the propelling spring until the stop on the cord, stretching the propelling spring
until the stop on the cord strikes the catch plate and thus releases the latch when
the spring propels the carrier upon the way.
In some cases an obliquely stretched wire may be employed with a projecting
device at only one end, the carrier being returned by gravity.
If there is only one line the same being a horizontal one, the frame at the
cashier's desk is of course dispensed with..

page_text: Improvements in Apparatus for Transporting Cash or Parcels,
or both, in Stores.
I BENJAMIN JOSEPH BARNARD MILLS of the firm of Harris and Mills of
23 Southampton Buildings in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent do hereby
declare the nature of the said invention for IMPROVEMENTS IN APPARATUS FOR
TRANSPORTING CASH OR PARCELS OR BOTH IN STORES a communication to me from
abroad by Robert Alden McCarty, of Detroit, in the County of Wayne and State
of Michigan, United States of America, Manufacturer, 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 of rapid store-service for cash, or cash and
parcels, wherein the carriers travel upon ways formed of lines of stretched wires
and are impelled by projecting devices located, at the ends of the lines, and giving
to the carrier an initial impetus sufficient to propel it to the other end of the line.
The invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1
is a side elevation of the apparatus showing one line completed: Figure 2 a
perspective view from beneath of the cashier's apparatus, partially developed:
Figure 3 is a plan of the same; Figure 4 a perspective view of the salesman's
apparatus; Figure 5 a perspective view of the travelling carrier with receptacle
removed therefrom: Figure 6 a similar view of receptacle: Figure 7 a bottom
.view of the locking catch, and Figure 8 a central longitudinal section of such
catch.
Like letters denote corresponding parts in all the figures.
In this store service system, there is provided a line wire A, for each station,
such line wire extending from the cashier's desk B to a point in the store say C,
between which and the cashier's desk it is desired to establish communication.
This line is a stretched horizontal wire, and at each end there is provided a
spring projecting device for shooting the carrier, which travels thereon, to the
other end of the wire as well as receiving and locking devices which stop the
carrier and lock it in position until projected again to the other end of the line.
At the cashier's desk the several service lines meet.
and 3 and
:
For simplicity and cheapness in the construction as well as in the supporting of
the projecting devices, such projecting devices are combined at the cashier's desk
in a common frame D. This is shown more particularly in Figures
consists essentially of the two curved bars a barranged one in front of the other
substantially in the same horizontal plane and supporting respectively the catches E
for locking the carriers, and the forks F which hold the bights of the propelling
and buffer cords upon the line wires, and also of a third curved bar c which is
located above bar a and carries the sheaves d for the operating cords.
These bars are connected together by bars and braces; as shown, and are
supported from the wall or ceiling or both, or from the desk, in any suitable
way. The bars a b c have a curve which is more or less of a complete circle
according to the directions taken by the most divergent lines.

page_text: All points in the store may communicate with one cashier's desk, or two or
moro of such desks may be used, each with its system of diverging service lines.
The catches, operating cords and other devices used upon the cashier's apparatus
are the same as the parts employed upon the salesman's apparatus in connection
with which they will be described.
:
The salesman's apparatus has a vertical supporting pipe G which carries.the
operating parts. This pipe is preferably hung from the ceiling by a connecting
pipe e and a ceiling flange f the pipe e being of sufficient length to give the
apparatus the desired elevation.
The line wire A passes through a hole g in pipe G near its lower end and
then extends to the wall or upwardly to the ceiling where it is secured and
properly stretched. In hole g is a Dipple g¹ provided with screw g₁ for clamping
pipe G to the line wire. This stays the apparatus in the direction of the
line wire.
Laterally the pipe G is braced by an arm h which extends to shelving, to the
wall, or to any near stationary object, to which it is secured.
By staying the pipe G in this way in both directions, it can be hung from the
ceiling. The frame D of the cashier's apparatus may also be stayed in the same
way. Above line wire A there projects from pipe G a horizontal arm H, extending
along over the wire and having a fork F at its end the arms of which bend down
nearly to the plane of the wire. The ends of the fork F carry sheaves and over
these pass the cord i, the bight of which rests upon the wire.
Blocks preferably of soft rubber, are placed upon the cord 'below the fork and
prevent the bight from pulling up to the sheaves, at the same time that they keep
the bight from twisting from a proper position upon the line wire. The arm H is
braced from the pipe G by a rod 1. The cord i is secured at its upper end to a
spring I which may be a piece of rubber tubing or a metal spiral, and from the
other end of this spring two cords or wires m n run over sheaves in the head o of
pipe G and then hang downwardly in the rear of such pipe.
To the lower end of pipe G is secured the catch E. This is composed of au
arm E¹ which is clamped to the lower end of pipe G and projects outwardly in the
same direction as arm H but below instead of above the line wire. This is forked
at its outer end and has pivotted to such forked end a bottom plate E' which
extends back of pipe G and has in its rear end two holes through which the
operating cords m, n pass. This plate E' is held up against arm E¹ by a spring p.
It carries a latch K which projects through an opening in arm E¹. This latch is
pivotted upon plate Es and is thrown up by a light quick acting spring p¹. The
carrier in engaging with the catch depresses only the latch K, requiring but little
to overcome the spring p¹ while to release the carrier the plate E2 is drawn
downwardly against the greater tension of spring p. This double or compound
catch is a highly efficient device. If the latch K were not independently pivotted
upon plate E, it would be necessary for the carrier to overcome the tension of
spring.p and force the plate itself down in order to engage the catch. :
The cords m n which terminate in rings or knobs within convenient reach, are
provided above the catch plate E² with adjustable stops q q¹ which may be balls
held upon the cords by set screws.
These are adjusted upon the cords to the required points for giving the spring I
the proper tension and their purpose is to draw down the catch plate and release
the carrier.
The stop q' upon the cord m of each apparatus is adjusted to a higher point than
stop g of cord n so that by pulling upon cord n the spring will be given greater
tension before the carrier is released, and the carrier can be propelled with a
greater load than if the cord m is used to operate the apparatus.
When the carrier is lightly loaded the cord m will be used to operate the
apparatus and when the carrier is heavily loaded the cord n will be employed for
this purpose. Since the stops q q' can be readily adjusted the same sized spring

page_text: can be used for all: the machines, although the lines are of different lengths but
heavier springs might be used in machines for the longest lines. The result of
depending upon the adjustment of the stops q q¹ is that such stops will be at
different points upon the several machines at the cashier's desk as well as upon
those at the outer ends of the lines.
upon
rf:
The carrier which the inventor prefers to employ is a narrow plate L which
are mounted two grooved wheels L¹ L of hard rubber or other suitable material.
These wheels ride upon the wire A while the plate L hangs beneath the wire.
The plate L is provided with set screws r projecting upwardly through it, one.
near each wheel.
These screws are adjusted to limit the jumping movement of the carrier on the
wire so as to prevent its displacement thereon. Near each end the plate L is
formed into upwardly projecting hooks M and at each end the plate terminates in
a head N forming a downwardly projecting hook, which head is capped by a
buffer, 8 of soft rubber.
From the centre of plate L is hung by rods't a horizontal ring O provided with
notches on its inner edge. The receptacle P is a cylindrical box with open top
and has a shoulder v and pins w above the shoulder.
The box P is attached to the carrier by pushing it into the ring so that pins w
will pass through notches and then turning it to lock the box to the ring.
A box cover Q is hung from the bottom of plate L by a spiral spring which
presses the cover down upon the box closing such box and holding it firmly in
position in the ring.
When a carrier is projected over a wire, the hooks M at the forward end of the
carrier catch the bight of the spring cord at the other end of the line, and pulling
back such bight draw down upon the propelling spring. Hence it will be seen that
the propelling spring can also be used as a buffer spring.
To accomplish that, there is secured to the cord m or n of each machine below
the catch plate E² a stop y which may be a metal ball adjustably held by a screw
upon such cord.
This stop is adjusted to the proper point with relation to the
momentum of the carrier, so that it will strike the plate E' and permit spring I to
be strained by the moving carrier, as its hook head N is passing over latch K.
This adjustment will be such that the carrier will engage the latch with certainty,
but will then be stopped by the spring I. Should the carrier go further and its
head strike the pipe G, it can only do so with slight force, and the buffers 8 will
suffice to prevent injury to parts or the production of a disagreeable noise.
The operation of propelling the carrier will be readily understood from the
foregoing. The operator draws down on the cord n or m, stretching the spring I
until the stop'q or q' strikes plate E³, when the latch is released and the spring
propels the carrier along the way.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:
•
1. A store service apparatus wherein are combined a stretched wire either
horizontal or oblique a carrier travelling on said wire and a projecting device for
said carrier at each end of the wire, if it is horizontal, or at the lower end only, if
it is oblique, substantially as hereinbefore described.
2. A store service system wherein are combined two or more lines. diverging
from a common point each running to a single station, a carrier upon each line,
and projecting devices for propelling the carriers, substantially as herein before
described.
3. The use in combination with the lines of different lengths extending from a
common point each to a single station and the projecting devices, of means for
adjusting said devices to regulate the force of each according to the length of the
line, for which it is employed, substantially as hereinbefore described.

page_text: 4. The arrangement of the projecting and locking devices at the cashier's desk or
other point to which the lines converge, in a common supporting. frame substan-
tially as herein before described.
5. The combination of the way, the carrier, and the spring motor for propelling
the carrier, and a catch adapted to grasp the carrier and hold it until sufficient
tension has been produced in the spring to propel the carrier to the other end of
the way and then to release said carrier, substantially as herein before described.
6. The spring projecting device arranged to act also as a receiving buffer for
the carrier, substantially as hereinbefore described.
7. The combination of the propelling spring, the cord passing from said spring
across the path of the carrier said carrier having a projection to engage with said
cord, and a cord or like connection extending from said spring to within reach of
the operator, whereby he may produce the requisite tension on said spring, sub-
stantially as hereinbefore described.
8. The use of two operating cords differently adjusted whereby the motor is
propelled with different force when lightly or heavily loaded, substantially as
hereinbefore described..
9. The catch consisting of a pivotted plate adapted to be tripped by the stops on
the operating cord, substantially as hereinbefore described.
10. The compound catch having a latch movable independently of the main
moveable plate, substantially as hereinbefore described.
11. The arrangement for supporting the projecting and locking devices at the
salesman's station, substantially as herein before described.
12. The wheeled carrier travelling upon a stretched wire having adjustable
screws to limit its vertical movement on the wire, substantially as herein before
described.
13. The carrier having a receptacle moveably suspended beneath it by a
depending ring, substantially as herein before described.
14. The carrier having a removably suspended receptacle beneath it, and a
permanently held spring cover for such receptacle, substantially as hercinbefore
described.