IMPROVEMENTS IN MAIL-ELEVATORS
Year: 1882

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to William Edward Gedge, of No 11, Wellington Street,
Strand, London in the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, for an invention
of "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAIL-ELEVATORS A Communication to him from
abroad by John, W. Paine, of Baltimore, Marvland. United States of America.
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said William Edward Gedge at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 8th June 1882.
"
"
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE, of No 11 Wellington Street, Strand, London, in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, IMPROVEMENTS IN MAIL-ELEVATORS
A Communication to me from abroad by John. W. Paine, of Baltimore, Maryland,
United States of America,
This Invention has for its object to supply a long-felt want by furnishing a
device adapted to deliver mail-matter to upper stories of a building and obviate
the necessity of sending down a messenger to receive the mail from the carrier, or
of compelling the latter to bring the mail up stairs. In all cases where the
destination of a letter is on an upper floor (and in most instances, especially among
the business houses of large cities, this is the case) one of the means named must
be resorted to, causing much inconvenience and trouble and unnecessary delay to
the carrier. To obiate this, this Invention provides a simple device, under the
control alike of the carrier and the occupant of the upper apartment, adapted to
receive and transınit the mail, and so constructed that the nail-matter cannot be
tampered with, or even seen, by unauthorized persons from the time it is deposited
by the carrier until it reaches its destination.
This improved device consists of a box, by preference formed of metal, having a
door, provided with a lock. The locks on all the boxes are by preference made
alike, so as to be opened by a common key carried by the letter carrier. This box
is secured to a shaft, which is formed against the wall and leads to the upper
apartment. A platform is hinged in the box, and to lugs on its bottom is pivoted
a bar, which is hinged to a bent lever, that is pivoted to lugs on the underside of a
stationary chute or shoot. A spring coiled about the bent lever, tends to lift it
normally to a position causing the platform to close the bottom of the box. To
the elbow of this lever is hinged a rod or bar that extends down through. the
lower part of the box, and is bent at right angles, entering the shaft through a
suitable slot. A supplemental shoot is attached to the elbow of the bent lever by
ית.

page_text: a rod, so that when the platform is horizontal the supplemental shoot swings under
the first mentioned shoot; but when the platform descends the supplemental shoot
is swung forward.
The elevator car or box has an opening and a door. It is suspended by a cord
or wire, in which is strung, by preference, a rubber ball.
The shaft extends, as before stated, to the upper apartment, where it is
surmounted by a box in which is mounted a wheel over which the wire is lead, a
weight heavier than the car being attached to the other end. This weight descends
in a shaft partitioned off from the first mentioned or car shaft, the wire being led
over little pulleys so as to enter the shaft centrally. The car shaft is provided
with a door, opposite which the door of the car or box comes when the car is at
the top. A crank serves to turn a wheel to lift the weight.
A trigger or catch is pivoted in the box and to it is attached a bar which
projects through the front of the box and into a recess formed on the door. A lug
is formed on this bar, against which the end of a bent lever is arranged to bear.
A wire leads from the end of this lever to a handle on the car shaft in the apartment
above. A spring serves to normally thrust the lower end of the catch outward
into the shaft.
Such is the construction of the device. When used in business-houses it is most
conveniently secured against the elevator-post, which is almost always near the
front door, it being only necessary to cut a square hole in the ceiling for the
passage of the shaft; or the device may be secured against the front or side wall.
The Carrier, as stated, is furnished with a key for the lock and on his arrival opens
the door and deposits the mail in the box. If the elevator car is down (and it is
normally so) the platform is depressed and the supplemental shoot is thrown
forward by reason of the bottom of the car resting on the bent arm and drawing
down the hinged rod. The box is secured at the bottom of the shaft by the
aforesaid trigger or catch engaging with the top of the box. As soon as the mail
has been deposited in the box and has slid down over the shoots into the car the
carrier pushes on the bar of the catch and shuts the door. On pushing the said
bar back ward the catch is disengaged from the top of the car, and the latter
immediately rises in its shaft. As it reaches the top it encounters a hammer that
is thereby made to strike a bell signaling the arrival of the mail. The doors being
opened, the latter is removed, after which the doors are closed and the box or car is
lowered by turning the crank. As soon as the car rises in the shaft the platform
rises and closes the bottom of the box. The object of this is to prevent any mail-
matter from finding egress from the box unless the car is at the bottom of the
shaft to receive it. This is important, because otherwise the letters would fall into
the bottom of the shaft. The descending car strikes the lug as it reaches as it
reaches the bottom of the shaft, causing the platform to fall and projecting the
supplemental shoot forward. This movement of the supplemental shoot is designed
to prevent the possibility of a letter falling between the car and the walls of the
shaft, this shoot constituting, when thrown forward, practically an extension of the
first mentioned shoot over the joint between the car and the shaft.
In case the occupant of the upper apartment finds the car at the top of the
shaft on his arrival, he immediately lowers it to the bottom by means of the crank,
and in case there may have been a second delivery of mail subsequent to the
sending up of the car by the carrier, the aforesaid handle is lifted causing the
release of the catch and the car again rises.
The peculiar arrangement of the bent lever and arm is such that direct pressure
on the platform will not cause it to fall, and it can only be lowered by drawing the
binged bar downward.
As the receiving box is locked and the bar which actuates the catch is covered
by the door, all meddling with the device is prevented, its interior being only
accessible to a party furnished with a proper key.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said William Edward Gedge in the Great Seal Patent Office on the
2nd December 1882.
WILLIAM EDWARD GEDGE of No 11, Wellington Street, Strand, London in
the County of Middlesex, Patent Agent, "IMPROVEMENTS IN MAIL ELEVATORS
A. Communication to me from abroad by John W. Paine of Baltimore Maryland
United States of America
This invention has for its object to supply a long felt want by furnishing a
device adapted to deliver mail matter to upper stories of a building and obviate the
necessity of sending down a messenger to receive the mail from the carrier, or of
compelling the latter to bring the mail upstairs. In all cases where the destination
of a letter is on an upper floor-and in most instances, especially among the
business houses of large cities, this is the case-one of the means named must be
resorted to, causing much inconvenience and trouble and unnecessary delay to the
carrier. To obviate this, this invention provides a simple device under the control
alike of the carrier and the occupant of the upper apartment, adapted to receive
and transmit the mail and so constructed that the mail matter cannot be tampered
with, or even seen, by unauthorized persons from the time it is deposited by the
carrier until it reaches its destination.
The invention will first be described, and then pointed out in the claims.
:-
In the accompanying Drawings:-
Figure 1. Is a perspective view of the receiving box and shaft
Figure 2. Is a central vertical sectional view of the same
Figure 3. Is a sectional elevation on an enlarged scale of the tilting platform of
the receiving box and its actuating mechanism
Figure 4. Is a similar view of the trigger for releasing the elevator car; and
Figure 5. Is an elevation of the delivery box.
A, is a box, by preference formed of metal, having a door a, provided with a
lock, a,. The locks on all the boxes are by preference made alike, so as to be
opened by a common key carried by the letter carrier. The box A, is secured to
a shaft C, which is formed against the wall and leads to the upper apartment. A
platform, c, hinged in the box at b, and to lugs on its bottom is pivoted a bar, c¹,
which is hinged to a bent lever, D, that is pivoted to lugs d, on the underside of a
stationary chute E. A spring e, coiled about the lever D, tends to lift it normally
to the position shown in Fig: 3 in heavy and in Fig: 2 in dotted lines, causing the
platform c, to close the bottom of the box A. To the elbow of the lever D, is
hinged a rod or bar G, that extends to the lower part, A', of the box, and is bent
at right angles at g, entering the shaft C, through a suitable slot. A supplemental
chute F, is pivoted at f", and is attached to the elbow of the lever D, by a rod ƒ,
as shewn, so that when the platform c, is horizontal the shoot or chute F, swings
under the shoot or chute E; but when the platform descends the shute F, is swung
forward (see Fig: 2)
H is the elevator car or box, having an opening h', and door h. It is suspended
by a cord or wire, J, on which is strung by preference, a rubber ball K.
The shaft C, extends, as before stated, to the upper apartment, where it is
surmounted by a box N, in which is mounted a wheel, n, over which the wire J, is
led, a weight, W, heavier than the car H, being attached to the other end. This
weight descends in a shaft partitioned off from the shaft C, the wire J, being led
over little pulleys n¹, n', so as to enter the shafts centrally. The shaft C, is
provided with a door P, opposite which the door h, comes when the car H, is at the
top. A crank O, serves to turn the wheel n, to lift the weight.

page_text: L is a trigger or catch, pivoted at 1, in the box A, and to it is attached a bar, k,
which projects through the front of the box and into a recess formed on the door a.
A lug, ¹, is formed on the bar k, against which the end m, of a bent lever, N, is
arranged to bear. A wire m¹ leads from the end of this lever to a handle, p, on
the shaft C, in the apartment above. A spring, o, serves to normally thrust the
lower end, of the lever L, outward into the shaft C.
Such is the construction of the device. When used in business-houses it is most
conveniently secured against the elevator-post, which is almost always near the
front door, it being only necessary to cut a square hole in the ceiling for the passage
of the shaft; or the device may be secured against the front or side wall. The
carrier, as stated, is furnished with a key for the lock a¹, and on his arrival opens
the door a, and deposits the mail in the box A through the opening B. If the
elevator-car H, is down, as shewn in Fig: 2, (and it normally is so), the platform e
is depressed and the chute F, is thrown forward by reason of the bottom of the car
resting on the arm g, and drawing down the rod G. The box H, is secured at the
bottom of the shaft by the catch L, engaging with the top of the box, as shown in
Fig: 4. As soon as the mail has been deposited in the box A, and has slid down
over the chutes into the car H, the carrier pushes on the bar k, and shuts the
door a.
On pushing the bar k, backward the catch L, is disengaged from the top
of the car, and the latter immediately rises in the shaft C. As it reaches the top
it encounters a hammer, s', that is thereby made to strike a bell s, signaling
the arrival of the mail. The doors P, h, being opened, the latter is removed, after
which the doors are closed and the box or car H, is lowered by turning the crank O.
Now, it will have been observed that as soon as the car H rises in the shaft the
platform c, rises and closes the bottom of the box A. The object of this is to
prevent any mail matter from finding egress from the box A unless the car H is at
the bottom of the shaft to receive it. This is important, because otherwise the
letters would fall into the bottom of the shaft C. The descending car strikes the
lug g, as it reaches the bottom of the shaft, causing the the platform c, to fall and
projecting the chute F forward. This movement of the chute F is designed to
prevent the possibility of a letter falling between the car and the walls of the shaft,
the chute constituting, when thrown forward, practically an extension of the
chute E over the joint between the car and the shaft.
In case the occupant of the upper apartment finds the car at the top of the
shaft on his arrival, he immediately lowers it to the bottom by means of the
crank O, and in case there may have been a second delivery of mail subsequent to
the sending up of the car by the carrier, the handle p is lifted, causing the release
of the catch L through the medium of the lever M and lug k¹, and the car again
rises.
The peculiar arrangement of the bent lever D and arm c¹, is such that direct
pressure on the platform C will not cause it to fall, and it can only be lowered by
drawing the bar G, downward.
As the box A, is locked and the bar k, which actuates the catch L, is covered by
the door, all meddling with the device is prevented, its interior being only
accessible to a party furnished with a proper key.
Having now described and ascertained the nature of the Invention communicated
to me as aforesaid and in what manner the same is or may be performed
I would have it understood that I have described and shown what I believe to
be the best form of device embodying this invention; but it is obvious that the
details of construction may be varied in many ways without departing from the
spirit of this invention; and
I therefore claim as secured to me by the hereinbefore in part recited Letters
Patent-
Firstly: In a mail-elevator, a box adapted to receive the mail and discharge
the same into a suitable car, in combination with a hoisting device and means for
lowering the car to a position to receive the contents of the box.
Secondly-In a mail-elevator, a box adapted to receive the mail, a car provided

page_text: with suitable hoisting and lowering mechanism, and means for retaining mail-
matter placed in the box until the car is lowered into position to receive it, as
set forth.
Thirdly: In a mail-elevator, a receiving-box, a hoisting car, suitable elevating
and lowering mechanism, and a slide or bottom which normally closes the bottom
of the receiving-box, and is automatically operated to open by the descent of the
car, as set forth.
Fourthly: In a mail-elevator, a receiving box, a hoisting car, suitable elevating
and lowering mechanism, a latch for securing the car in position to receive mail-
matter placed in the box, and the cover for the bottom of the box which auto-
matically closes as the car rises and opens as it descends, as set forth.
Fifthly-In combination with the receiving box and hoisting car, a latch for
securing the car concealed when the box is closed, and an automatically-operating-
delivery-chute or shoot, as set forth.
Sixthly-In combination with the receiving-box and hoisting-car, the swinging
bottom and supplemental chute automatically operated, as set forth.
Seventhly In combination with the receiving-box and shaft, the hoisting car
and automatically-operating delivery-chute and bottom, and mechanism at the top
of the shaft for sounding an alarm on the arrival of the car and for lowering the
same as set forth.
In Witness whereof I the said William Edward Gedge have hereunto set
my hand and seal this First day of December in the year of Our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and Eighty two
WE GEDGE. (L.S.)