Improvements in or relating to Aerial Electric Railway or Transportation Systems.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Mar., 1895-Accepted, 1st June, 1895
Improvements in or relating to Aerial Electric Railway or
Transportation Systems.
A communication from JOHN W. KILMORE, Merchant, of 185, Dearborn Street,
Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn, in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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 :-
The object of my invention is to improve the postal service by providing means
for quickly transporting the mails by electricity to and fro between the main
station and sub-stations.
Referring to the accompanying drawings
:―
Figure 1 is a view showing a mail-bag carriage in end elevation equipped with
an electric motor and suspended on an overhead electric-cable track supported on
posts provided at intervals along the route of transportation, though only a portion
of one of the posts is represented; and Figure 2 shows the same by a view in side
elevation.
For local postal transportation it is desirable to run the line over the roofs of
houses and to that end are provided, as the preferred construction for the purpose,
a desired number of supporting posts like the post represented at A in the figures
of the drawing, at suitable intervals along the route of transportation, in vertical
position, on the roofs of houses in the locality in which the system is employed.
From each post A, which is preferably formed of metal, and need not be more
than, say, twelve feet high, there extends, at a right-angle from it, an upper
bracket B and a lower bracket B', provided at their outer extremities, respectively,
with insulated bearings r and for the track, which, as shown, comprises the
cutgoing line (cable) Č and the return-line (cable) C₁ of an electric generator
(dynamo, not shown), the strength of which may be gauged according to the load
to Le carried by it. D is a skeleton-frame, formed preferably of metal and
9 having
carrying, at its upper end and suitably insulated from it, a metal shaft
journaled on one end a peripherally grooved driving contact-wheel E, like the
trolley-wheel commonly employed on the cars of electric surface-railways; and
the driving-wheel also carries, on its sleeve-extension p, a sprocket-wheel o. On the
frame D is supported, in suitable position, and properly insulated, an electric
motor F, of any well-known or suitable type, the shaft n of which carries an
insulated sprocket-wheel n¹ geared to the sprocket-wheel o by means of a chain o'.
Below the motor F is supported in the frame D, being permanently fastened
thereto, the receptacle or case G, preferably formed of sheet-steel and of dimensions
adapting it to hold a mail-bag, (not shown) and of the general cartridge-shape
illustrated, the pointed forward extremity being provided the better to overcome
the resistance of the atmosphere, and the rear end being open and provided with a
close-fitting cap m, fastened in place by means of a hasp / hinged at one end to the
frame D at one side of the case to adapt it to be extended diametrically across the
face of the cap to the opposite side of the case where it engages a staple on
the frame and to which it may be fastened by a padlock k. At the inner side of
the frame D the latter is provided with an extension D¹ of metal, containing two
upright metal rods i and h, which serve as guides for the vertical sockets ¹ and h¹

page_text: of a shaft g terminating.at its outer end in a journal bearing for a contact-wheel E',
like the wheel E, but preferably smaller; and the wheel E is controlled, to depress
it yieldingly, by a spring on the rod h. The shaft g is conuected by a
conductor w, containing an electric switch W, of any suitable variety, with one
pole of the motor, the other pole thereof being connected by the conductor w' with
the frame D.
The carriage afforded by the mail-receptacle and its supporting frame carrying
the motor and contact-wheels, is suspended on the overhead track by placing the
wheel E on the line C; and by placing the wheel E on the line C¹ it affords a
guide. Upon closing the switch W the circuit is closed from the current-carrying
line C to the return-line C₁ through the motor and frame, whereby the motor is
driven to drive the wheel o, through its gear-connection therewith, and, conse-
quently, the wheel E, which drives the carriage along the route traversed by the
line or track.
In transmitting mail from one postal-station to another by means of my improve-
ment, a mail-bag is inserted into and locked in the receptacle G at the sending station
(into which the line C, C' may extend) and, on being placed on the line, by closing
the switch W the carriage, with its load, runs to the distant receiving station,
where it is stopped, either by opening the switch W, or by insulating the line
where the wheel E contacts with it at the end of the route, or otherwise; and the
mail-bag is taken out. The return-journey of the carriage, say, with a bag of
other mail, may be made on the same or a different line, on adjusting it thereon
pointed in the proper direction. In this manner the transportation of mail may be
accomplished with great speed, say at the rate of one hundred miles per hour; and
need not be interfered with or obstructed by any of the impediments liable to be
encountered in surface-road transportation.
The contact E' instead of extending from the side of the carriage might be under
the latter, as indicated by the dotted representation, to contact with the line C¹
then below it.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent, and in what manner
the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. In an overhead electric system of mail transportation the combination with
the outgoing and return circuit,lines supported one above the other on posts of a
mail-bag receptacle a metallic frame supporting said receptacle a driving contact-
wheel on a shaft carried by the frame and by which said frame is suspended on one
of said lines, an electric motor on the frame and insulated therefrom and from said
receptacle and having its armature shaft geared with said contact-wheel, a second
contact-wheel journalled on the frame and bearing against the other of said lines
an electrical conductor connecting the shaft of the driving contact-wheel with one
pole of the motor and a switch in said connection the other pole of said motor
having an electric-conductor connection with the frame and through the frame with
the journal of said second contact-wheel substantially as described.
2. In an overhead electric system of mail transportation the combination with
the outgoing and return circuit-lines supported one above the other on posts of a
mail-bag receptacle a metallic frame supporting said receptacle a driving contact-
wheel on a shaft carried by the frame and by which said frame is suspended on one
of said lines an electric motor on the frame and insulated therefrom and from said
receptacle and having its armature shaft geared with said contact-wheel, an
extension of the frame carrying vertical guide-rods a second spring-controlled
contact-wheel journalled to bear against the other of said lines on a shaft having
guide-sockets surrounding said rods and an electrical connection through the motor
between said contact-wheels substantially as described.
3. Means for carrying mail in an overhead electric-system of mail-transportation,
comprising a frame carrying a driving contact-wheel by which to suspend the frame
ou an overhead current-carrying track and a second contact-wheel to bear against

page_text: the return-line, an electric motor supported on the frame and electrically connected
between said contact-wheels and having its armature-shaft geared with said driving
contact-wheel and a cartridge-shaped mail-bag receptacle G supported on said
frame and open at its larger end and provided with a removable cover for the open
end of said receptacle and with means for locking the cover in place substantially
as and for the purpose set forth.
4. Means for carrying mail in an overhead electric system of mail-transportation
comprising a metallic skeleton-frame D carrying an insulated metal shaft having
journalled upon it a driving contact-wheel an electric motor F supported on and
insulated from the frame and having its shaft n geared with said driving contact-
wheel a cartridge-shaped mail-receptacle G secured in said frame and open at its
larger end where it is provided with a cover m and with a hinged basp and a
staple at which to engage and lock the hasp and a contact-wheel E¹ resiliently
journalled on the frame and electrically connected with the contact-wheel E through
the motor as and for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 26th day of March 1895.
BOULT & WADE,
Agents for the Applicant.