Improvements in Cash or Parcel Carrier Distributors.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 28th Mar., 1899
Complete Specification Left, 8th Dec., 1899-Accepted, 28th Mar., 1900
Improvements in Cash or Parcel Carrier Distributors.
I, WILLIAM HENRY SHEPPARD, of 235, West 125th Street, in the City, County
and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
-
This invention relates to devices for distributing cash or parcel carriers,
particularly that class of carriers propelled through tubes by pneumatic power.
In the present system, all the carriers passing through a tube are discharged
into one basket or receptacle from which they must be taken by the salesman.
This sometimes causes confusion and loss of time in case of salesmen at opposite
sides of a counter upon which the basket is placed, because a salesman is apt to
pick up a carrier belonging to a salesman at the opposite side of the counter
and the error cannot usually be found out without examining the contents of
the carrier. It is the object of my invention to provide a simple and compara-
tively inexpensive device for distributing or discharging carriers in opposite
directions, thus making sure of the delivery of the carriers to the proper persons.
The invention comprises a receiver for carriers placed with its pivot above the
centre of gravity when empty but below the centre of gravity when loaded,
the combination with the receiver for carriers placed with its pit above the
centre of gravity when empty but below the centre of gravity when
of means for starting the receiver and of releasing and actuating devices for the
starting means such devices being actuated by the incoming carriers, and the
combination with the releasing and starting devices for carrier receivers, of means
for actuating such devices from the incoming carriers.
The distributor comprises a cup or receiver placed with its open upper end
in line with the outlet of the pneumatic tube. The cup or receiver has trunnions
having bearings in uprights on a base, the trunnions being below the longitudinal
centre of the cup or receiver. Mounted to swing vertically at opposite sides
of the base are latch plates. The one latch plate at its free end has a central
horizontal finger and at the sides thereof are upwardly and inwardly inclined
fingers. The other latch plate at its free end has a central upwardly and
inwardly inclined finger and at the sides thereof are horizontal fingers. Movable
through an opening in the bottom of the cup or receiver is a trip rod the lower
end of which normally rests upon the horizontal finger of the first mentioned
latch plate and the upper end, which is extended somewhat into the cup or
receiver, has a head between which and the bottom of the cup or receiver is a
spring surrounding the trip rod within the cup or receiver and movable relatively
thereto is a plate held yieldingly upward by means of a spring placed between it
and the bottom of the cup or receiver. At opposite sides of the said trip rod, other
trip rods extend downward from the said plate through holes in the bottom of
the cup or receiver and normally engage their lower ends with the horizontal.
fingers of the other latch plate. It may be here stated that the two latch plates
are held yieldingly in their latching position by means of a spring. Pivoted to
lugs on the bottom of the cup or receiver is an angle lever the lower end of which
normally engages against the end of the inclined finger of the last mentioned
latch plate and also against the first mentioned trip rod. The horizontally'

page_text: disposed portion of this angle lever projects into a slot formed in the said trip
rod and this slot is somewhat longer than the width of the lever so that there
may be a slight downward movement of the rod before it engages with and
operates the lever, as will be hereinafter described. Other angle levers have their
horizontally disposed portions engaged respectively in slots formed in the other
trip rods and their lower ends engage with the inclined fingers of the first
mentioned latch plate and they also engage against their respective rods. The
slots in these trip rods are sufficiently long to allow for a short downward move-
ment of the rods before engaging and operating the levers. All these angle
levers perform two functions, that is, they serve to hold the cup or receiver in
its vertical position and also serve to start the cup or receiver in its tilting or
dumping movement, and therefore I term these holding and starting levers.
For use with this invention two forms of carrier are to be made, that is, one
carrier is designed to engage and operate the first mentioned trip rod and another
is designed to engage and force down the spring plate surrounding said trip rod,
without moving the said rod. For this purpose one carrier has its end made flat
or solid so as to engage with the said trip rod while the other carrier has a hole
in its end and into which the head of the said trip rod may pass while the end
of the carrier engages the spring plate, otherwise the carriers are of the usual
construction.
In operation when a carrier with flat or solid ends falls into the cup or receiver
it strikes and moves the trip rod downward and such movement of the rod forces
the first mentioned latch plate down to release its inclined fingers from the angle
levers by which they are engaged. At this time the upper end wall of the slot
in the main trip rod will have reached the angle lever with which it is engaged so
that by a further downward movement of the said trip rod the said angle lever
will be rocked and as it bears against the inclined finger of the other latch plate
it will move the cup or receiver to such position that the cup or receiver will
tilt by gravity to such position that it will be discharged after which as the
lower on of the cup overbalances the upper portion it will automatically
swing to its normal position. When a carrier having a hole in its end falls into
the cup
it will engage the spring plate and force the last mentioned latch plate down,
releasing the inclined finger of said plate from the angle lever by which it is
engaged when the cup will be caused to tilt in the opposite direction by the
operation of the other angle levers. In brief, it may be stated that the receiver
is pivoted at a point above its centre of gravity when empty but below the
centre of gravity when loaded so as to be tilted when loaded to discharge the load.
A device embodying my invention will be found useful not only in large
stores but in telegraph offices, newspaper offices, and the like.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Cash or Parcel Carrier Distributors.
I, WILLIAM HENRY Sheppard, of 235, West 125th Street, in the City, County 45
and State of New York, United States of America, Engineer, 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 devices for distributing cash or parcel carriers,
particularly that class of carriers propelled through tubes by pneumatic power. 5
In the present system all the carriers passing through a tube are discharged

page_text: into one basket or receptacle from which they must be taken by the salesman.
This sometimes causes confusion and loss of time in case of salesmen at opposite
sides of a counter upon which the basket is placed, because a salesman is apt to
pick up a carrier belonging to a salesman at the opposite side of the counter
and the error cannot usually be found out without examining the contents of
the carrier. It is the object of this invention to provide a simple and compara-
tively inexpensive device for distributing or discharging carriers in opposite
directions, thus making sure the delivery of the carriers to the proper persons.
In order that the invention may be clearly understood reference is made to
the accompanying drawings in which;-
Figure 1 is a vertical side elevation partly in section of a distributor made in
accordance with this invention.
Figure 2 is a similar view when a carrier is being delivered upon one side of
the distributor.
Figure 3 is a sectional elevation at a right angle to the elevation in Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan view on line A A Figure 1.
Figure 5 is a plan view on line B B Figure 1, and
Figures 6 and 7 are perspective views of two forms of carriers, reduced in size.
The distributor comprises a cup or receiver 1, placed with its open upper end in
line with the outlet of the pneumatic tube or top receiver 2. The cup or receiver
has trunnions 3, having bearings in frame 4, the trunnions being below the
longitudinal centre of the cup or receiver so that the normal tendency of said
cup would be to fall over upon one or other side say as indicated in Figure 2 if
a carrier were placed in it but otherwise so weighted that when empty it would
naturally return to its upright position.
On opposite sides of the base are mounted latch plates 5, 6 normally held in
their raised position by springs 7 and adapted to engage with pivotted angle
levers 9 and 8 respectively.
Movable through an opening in the bottom of the cup or receiver 1 is a trip
rod 10, the presser foot 11 upon lower end of which normally rests upon the
latch plate 6, and the upper end which is extended somewhat into the cup or
receiver is provided with a head between which and the bottom of the cup or
receiver a spring 12 is arranged. Surrounding the rod 10 within the cup or
receiver and movable relatively thereto is a plate 14. This plate is held yieldingly
upward by means of a spring 15 placed between it and the bottom of the cup or
receiver. At opposite sides of the rod 10, trip rods 13 extend downward from the
plate 14 through holes in the bottom of the cup or receiver 1, and the presser
feet 16 thereon normally rest on the latch plate 5.
Pivoted to lugs on the bottom of the cup or receiver is the angle lever 9, the
lower end of which normally engages against the end of plate 5 and also against
the rod 10. The horizontally disposed portion of this angle lever projects into
a slot formed in the rod 10 and this slot is somewhat longer than the width of the
lever, so that there may be a slight downward movement of the rod before it
engages with and operates the lever 9 as will be hereinafter described. Angle
levers 8, 8 have their horizontally disposed portions engaged respectively in
slots formed in the rods 13, 13 and their lower ends engage with the end of the
plate and they also engage against their respective rods. The slots in the
rods 13 are sufficiently long to allow for a short downward movement of the rods
before engaging and operating the levers 8. These levers 8 and 9 perform two
functions, that is, they serve to hold the cup or receiver in its vertical position,
and also serve to start the cup or receiver in its tilting or dumping movement,
and they may be called both holding and starting levers.
To operate this form of distributor two forms of carriers are employed, one
carrier is designed to engage and operate the rod 10 and another is designed
to engage and force down the plate 14 without moving the rod 10. For this
purpose one carrier 17 has its end made flat or solid, so as to engage with the
rod 10, while the other carrier 18 has a hole 19 in each end and into which

page_text: the head of the rod 10 may pass while the end of the carrier engages the plate 14,
otherwise the carriers are of the usual construction.
In operation when a carrier like 17 falls into the cup or receiver 1 it strikes and
moves the rod 10 downward and such movement of the rod forces the plate 6 down
to release the plate from the levers 8, 8. At this time the upper end wall of the
slot in rod 10 will have reached the lever 9, so that by the further downward
movement of the rod 10 the lever will be rocked, and as it bears against the plate 5
it will move the cup or receiver to the position indicated in Figure 2; then the
cup or receiver will tilt by gravity to the position indicated by dotted lines
when the cup or receiver will be discharged, after which as the lower portion of the
cup overbalances the upper portion, it will automatically swing to its normal
position. When a carrier like 18 falls into the cup, it will engage the plate 14
and force the plate 5 down, releasing the plate from the lever 9 when the cup will
be caused to tilt in the opposite direction by the operation of the levers 8, 8. In
brief it may be stated that the receiver is pivoted at a point above its centre
of gravity when empty, but below the centre of gravity when loaded, so as to be
tilted when loaded to discharge the load.
To prevent a second carrier entering when the cup or receiver is being tilted for
discharge a movable stop frame 20 is employed, such a frame is pivoted at 21 and
is operated by plates 22 pivoted to the main frame at 23 and to the stop frame
at 24 and is operated by pius 25 carried by the cup or receiver which enter the
slotted ends 20 on plates 22 and cause frame 20 to partially close the outlet
from top receiver or tube 2 as indicated by dotted lines in Figure 2.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:- -
1. A distributor for cash or parcel carriers, comprising a receiver, for carriers,
pivoted at a point which is above its centre of gravity when empty, but below it
when loaded, so as to be capable of tilting with the load, means for starting
the receiver, and devices in the path of incoming carriers for releasing and
actuating the starting means whereby the receiver may be tilted sufficiently to
discharge the carrier, substantially as specified.
2. A distributor for cash or parcel carriers, comprising a receiver pivoted at
a point which is above its centre of gravity when empty, but below it when
loaded, so as to be capable of tilting when loaded, two starting devices for the
receiver, and a releasing and actuating device for each starting device, the said
releasing and starting devices being in the path of incoming carriers and
differently formed to be actuated by correspondingly formed carriers, substantially
as specified.
3. A distributor for cash or parcel carriers, comprising a tilting receiver,
spring-held pivoted latch plates below the receiver, a trip rod extended through
the bottom of the receiver and engaging with one of the latch plates, a plate in
the receiver below the plane of the top of the trip rod, a trip rod extended from
said plate and engaging with the other of said latch plates, an angle lever for
engaging with one of the latch plates and actuated by the first named trip rod,
and an angle lever for engaging with the other latch plate and operated by the
second named trip rod, substantially as specified.
4. The improved distributor for cash or parcel carriers adapted to sort carriers
of different constructions and deliver or discharge them accordingly, substantially
as specified.
Dated this 8th day of December 1800
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.