Improvements in and connected with Store Service Apparatus.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 21st July, 1892--Accepted, 27th Aug.; 1892
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and connected with Store Service Apparatus.
A communication from abroad by THE LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE
COMPANY, of Boston, in the State of Massachusetts, United States of
America, Manufacturers.
We, THE LAMSON STORE SERVICE COMPANY LIMITED of 1 Charlotte Street,
Bedford Square in the County of Middlesex, Manufacturers, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention 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 that class of apparatus in which it is desired to propel
a carrier back and forth between stations by power applied at the sending station,
and the invention consists in propelling carriers provided with two sets of wheels
by the separation at the rear of said wheels of two wires passing between the
said wheels, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accompanying
drawing, in which :-
Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one of the lines of a store service apparatus
embodying the invention.
Fig. 2 is a side view shewing the connection of the wire with one of the arms.
Fig. 3 is a section on the line 1—2, Fig. 2.
Fig. 4 is a side view of the carriage.
Fig. 5 is an end view of the carriage.
Fig. 6 is an elevation shewing one line of a modified form of apparatus embodying
the above invention, and
Fig. 7 is an enlarged view of that part of the apparatus at the left of Fig. 1
shewing the parts in a different position.
Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, B B represent hangers, brackets or supports of any
suitable construction, one arranged at the cashier's desk and the other at one of
the stations of the shop or store, and to these supports are pivotted two
levers D D¹, so as to swing in the same vertical plane and the upper ends of the
levers are connected by a wire, cord or band f, while the lower ends are connected
by another wire, cord or band e.
The wire fis of such length that when one of the levers is in a vertical position,
the other will occupy a nearly horizontal position, the end attached to the wire
being nearest the opposite lever while the other wire is sufficiently longer to extend
between the lower end of the vertical lever and the farther end of the horizontal
lever, so that by swinging either of the levers to a horizontal or vertical
direction, the opposite lever will be brought to a position nearly at right angles to
the first.
which
The carrier A, travels between the stations along the wires ef pass
hetween wheels arranged one above the other, there being one or more wheels a,
above the wires, and one or more wheels b below the wires, the frame of the carrier
supporting a receptacle of any suitable form.
If the carrier is in position upon the wires adjacent to the horizontal lever,
as D, and the latter is suddenly turned to a vertical position, the two wires at the
left of the carrier will be suddenly spread or separated so as to bear obliquely
against the edges of the wheels to force the carrier to the right, this movement
being facilitated by the swinging of the opposite lever D to a horizontal position,
whereby the wires at the right end of the way are brought together so as not to
impede in any way the movement of the carrier. By then swinging the lever D
to a vertical position, a like effect is produced to propel the carrier to the opposite
end of the track.

page_text: Different means of swinging the levers D from the stations of the cashier or
salesman of a shop may be employed, that shown consisting of two cords pr
provided with operating handles qm', each attached to the lower end of one of the
levers, and by pulling upon either of which, the adjacent lever may be vibrated to
the extent of a quarter of a revolution, the movement imparted to one lever to set
it in one position being transferred by the wires to the opposite lever to set it in a
position at right angles to the first.
Where the apparatus is accessable to the cashier or salesman or both, the
levers D D may be swung by the direct contact of the hands of the operators.
In order to lessen the shock as the carrier is arrested it is provided with an
elastic buffer i, supported by the frame at each end so as to come into contact with
the support for the track wire, or with the end of the lever, and in order to prevent
the carrier from rebounding in consequence of the elasticity of the buffers, a spring
catch may be provided for holding the carrier in its terminal position until it is to
be propelled in the opposite direction..
A serviceable spring catch and ready means of operating it are shown in Fig. 1,
each catch consisting of a spring blade h, secured to one of the levers in a position
to overhang the track when the lever is horizontal, so that the wheel of the
carrier will be wedged between the spring and the track and the carrier held
frictionally in place, the end of the spring being curved upward to facilitate the
entrance of the wheel below it and then bent down to afford a frictional resistance
and pressure which aids in retarding the incoming movement of the carrier. As a
consequence of this arrangement of the catch it is lifted from the wheel
as soon as the lever begins to swing to propel the carrier towards the opposite end
of the way.
The ends of the wires may be connected in different ways to the levers. Thus
a stud m may extend through an opening near the end of the lever so as to turn
freely therein in a line parallel to the axis of the lever, and the track wire for e
passes through a transverse opening n of the stud, and is bent or knotted at the
end to retain it in position.
As the lever swings upon its pivot the stud turns in its socket so as to
accommodate itself to the movement of the wire and avoid any increase or decrease
of tension which might result if the wire was wound upon the stud.
Referring to Figs. 6 and 7 which illustrate the invention above described
embodied in a different form of apparatus.
In this construction A represents the carrier provided with two upper grooved
wheels a a, and a lower grooved wheel b, supported to turn in bearings upon the
frame e, from which hangs the basket or other receptacle d.
Between the wheels ab extends the track, which may for a part of its length
.consist of a single wire e, but as shown, consists of two wires ef, which wires are
suitably supported at their ends and connected with appliances whereby when the
carrier is at the limit of its movement in either direction the wires may be
separated from each other, so as to bear against the wheels of the carrier each in
a direction oblique to the line of travel, with a resulting wedge-like action tending
to drive the carrier forward towards the opposite end of the apparatus, from which
it may be returned by separating the wires at the rear of the carrier wheels at
said end.
In the construction shown in said figures, the wires are supported by two pendant
hangers B B', the wires e being secured to an arm g, tapering below or extending
from the hanger B, and the opposite end of the wire e being connected to a tapering
horn h', constituting the part of the frame of a carriage C, having two rollers,
bearing upon the. hanger B', upon which the said carriage may travel vertically
between stops jj so as to alter the angle of the wire e which is a little slack.
The wire passes over two elevated pulleys k k¹, one adjacent to each hanger
and supported thereby, and the ends of the wire are provided with operating
handles m² m², and the wire is attached at any suitable point as n¹, Fig. 6, to the
wire e.

page_text: The carriage C is provided with a pendant cord p, and operating handle q, by
means of which the carriage may be drawn down.
The roller bis either clastic or covered with elastic material, or is supported by
a spring support a (as shown in dotted lines Fig. 6), so that at the carrier passes
quickly on the horn, the contact of the yielding roller b, with the under inclined
edge of the horn will result in a gradual reduction in the speed of the carrier
until it is arrested without a violent shock, while the pressure of the roller
against the horn acts as a retaining device to hold the carrier frictionally in its
position.
Assuming the carrier to be in the position shown in Fig. 6 with the carriage C
in contact with the lower stop j', a downward pull upon the cord f, resulting
from pulling downward upon the handle m', will first lift the carriage C and
the carrier A and the adjacent ends of the wires until the carriage strikes the
top j.
A further downward pull upon the handle m' will now cause the wire f to be
drawn so forcibly against the adjacent wheel a, as to overcome the frictional
adhesion of the carrier to the horn and drive it towards the hanger B, and as soon
as the said friction is overcome and the carrier released from the horn, the weight
of the carriage which is no longer supported will cause it to descend and the wire e
will be caused to bear obliquely against the rear of the roller b.
The effect of the separation of the two wires e and f, at the rear of the wheels
between which they pass and their oblique bearing against said wheels, is a
propulsive force tending to shoot the carrier forward towards the opposite end of
the line, where it will run upon that portion of the wire f beyond the point n',
and lay it beneath the wheels a, parallel to the wire e, until the carrier is upon the
tapering arm or horn g.
When the handle m¹ is released, after starting forward the carrier, it will descend
by its weight until the wire f is in the position shown in dotted lines y, Fig. 6,
while the wire e remains in an inclined position as at first.
Upon pulling downward the handle m² the wire fis caused to bear against the
rear of the adjacent wheel a, until the friction between the carrier and the horn g
is overcome, when the carrier will be shot backward towards its first position, the
downward inclination of the wire e, accelerating its movement.
may be
In some cases the arrangement of parts shown at the left in Fig. 6
duplicated at the right, so that the car is shot forward from each position by the
divergence of both the wires from the line of travel of the car.
When it is desired to give additional effect as for instance when the carrier is
heavily loaded or the track is a long one, the carrier C may be pulled down
by means of the handle q, and the cord p, so as to supplement the weight
of the carrier and cause the wire f to bear with additional force against the
wheel a.
When the wire f extends the entire length of the wire e, the two wires together
constitute what may be termed the track wires or double track upon which the
carrier travels. When, however, it is not desired to have the track double for its
whole length, the wire f, adjacent to each station may extend only a part of the
length of the wire e, which would make the intermediate portion of the track
consist only of a single wire.
While the two lines in both of the foregoing arrangements have been referred to
only by the term "wire" it will be understood that the said lines may consist of
cords or metallic bands, or of any suitable material.
While certain means for separating the wires at the rear of the wheels of a
double wheeled carrier for the purpose of propelling the latter, have been described
and shown, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the
particular devices shown for moving the wires, as it will be obvious that any skilled
mechanic could contrive various operating devices to effect this result without
departing from the main features of same.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to us by
our foreign correspondents we declare that what we claim is :
1. The combination with a carrier provided with two sets of wheels, of track
wires extending between the wheels and separated from each other at the rear of
the wheels to propel the carrier, substantially as described.
2. The combination with a carrier having suitable wheels of track wires leading
between wheels and extending from station to station, and suitable mechanism
substantially as shown for spreading the wires rearward of the wheels and
converging or bringing parallel the wires forward of the wheels, substantially as
set forth.
3. The within described improvement in store service apparatus consisting of
two wires extending between the cashier's desk and the stations, a double wheeled
carrier between the wheels of which the said wires extend, and an operating handle
at each station whereby the wires may be separated to propel the carrier from said
station, substantially as set forth.
4. The combination with a carrier and wheels, and track wires leading between
the wheels and extending froin station to station, of pivoted levers located at the
stations, the wires being attached to the levers on opposite sides of the fulcra, the
length of the respective wires being such that the levers are made to stand
substantially at right angles to each other, substantially as set forth.
5. The combination with track wires, a carrier adapted to travel on such track
wires, and mechanism substantially as indicated for pressing the wires obliquely
against the rear of the carrier wheels for propelling the carrier, of bumpers
and a spring catch located at each station for engaging the carrier, substantially as
set forth.
6. The combination in a store service apparatus, of two wires one attached to a
carriage having a limited vertical movement, and the other passing over an
elevated guide roller and a carrier having upper and lower wheels between which
the wires pass, and operating handles connected with said wires, substantially as
set forth.
7. The combination in a store service apparatus, of a carriage C, and a wire
connected at one end thereto, a vertical track for said carriage, and a separate wire
'passing over an elevated guide pulley, both wires passing between the wheels of a
carrier, and an operating handle connected with the wire passing over said pulley
and a retaining device for holding the carrier frictionally in connection with the
carriage, substantially as set forth.
Dated the 21st day of July 1892.
PHILIP M. JUSTICE, Fel. Chart. Inst. P.A.,
55 & 56, Chancery Lane, London, Agent for the Applicants.