New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Working Carriers for Cash Checks or Goods in Stores.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1896
Complete Specification Left, 28th Nov., 1896-Accepted, 2nd Jan., 1897
New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Working Carriers
for Cash Checks or Goods in Stores.
I, HENRY ARTHUR WHEAT of 43 Eastern Arcade, Bourke Street, Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
to be as follows:-
My invention relates to an improved method of and apparatus for conveying
cash checks, or other articles, along a single rail or track that may be carried in
any direction required to suit the building or shop in which such apparatus may be
employed but is more particularly designed to overcome the difficulty of conveying
such aforesaid articles in a car or carrier suspended from wheels suitable for
running round curves at a rapid speed.
The improvements I claim for ny apparatus are embodied in the following,
riz.-
1. A specially constructed car or carrier for carrying the articles aforesaid
suitable for running either on a straight or curved rail at a rapid speed.
2. A single rail or track for supporting such car or carrier aforesaid, that may
be hung from the ceiling, walls, or other fixtures or supported on standards secured
to the counters or floors.
3. The method of and means employed for giving the necessary impetus to the
car or carrier aforesaid so that it will travel the distance required, together with
the method of releasing the same from the trigger that holds it.
I will now proceed to describe the several parts connected with my invention as
aforesaid. The car or carrier is suspended from the rail, when the latter may be
required to be diverted from a straight line, by means of three wheels but when
the rail does not require to be bent or curved at any part of its length I make
use of only two wheels to support the car. In either case the car is hung from
one side only of the wheels so that the other side of the rail may be used for the
attachments required to support such rail. In cases where I employ three wheels
for supporting the car, the centre wheel is supported in a slotted casting supported
a short distance from the centre line of the car at either end of such casting, by
means of rods or brackets secured to the upper face of the frame or body of the
car which is immediately below the rail so that these rods or brackets supporting
the car have sufficient clearance from the side of the rail to allow of the car
adjusting itself to almost any shaped curves without such rods or brackets
rubbing against the side of the rail. On account of the car being hung out of
the centre it is necessary to counterbalance the opposite side of same so as to
ensure the steady running of same. The two outer wheels running in forked
rods are pivotted at pins in the ends of the casting carrying the centre wheel
so that while the car is running on a straight part of the rail the three wheels
will track one another and the car will be ceutral with regard to the rail. The
pivot pins for the outer wheels are equidistant from the centre of the car and
preferably so as to the wheel centres. These pivotted wheels while giving a
bearing to the car easily accommodate themselves to curves in the rail so that a
high speed is attained throughout. In place of two rod or brackets supporting the

page_text: car I might employ only one opposite the centre wheel but prefer the former
arrangement as giving better support to the car.
When I employ only two wheels I support the same in a slotted casting suitably
secured to rods or brackets as aforesaid the wheels in this case continually
track one another. Close to the ends of the frame of the car and below the rail I
employ a small wheel or roller the upper faces of which are close to the underside
of the rail, so that should the car tend to mount the rail, these wheels revolving
against the underside of the rail will prevent any such tendency and the ear will
continue smoothly cn its course.
The rail employed for conveying the car either in a straight or diverted course
I prefer to make of wood of any suitable section with a U shaped-groove sunk in
its upper face, the position of such groove being either central or otherwise on the
face of the rail.
The wheels of the car are made of narrow width at their periphery and are
preferably rounded at their outer edge and the bottom of the groove in the rail
similarly rounded so that the car is free to accommodate itself to-curves in the rail
as well as to prevent any side friction of the wheels.
In place of a groove sunk in the face of the rail I could use a very narrow rail
with the top edge rounded and flanged wheels suitably grooved to give perfect
freedom in running.
To the opposite side of the rail from which the ear is hung 1 secure suitable
brackets or supports secured either to the lower ends of hanging rods from above
or to standards secured either to the floors or counters or to the walls or other
fixtures as most convenient these brackets are preferably adjustable as to the rods
they are secured to and to save making use of several such supports for the rail so
that the latter may be rigid I would secure a stout wire to the outer ends of such
brackets and fix the other ends to any suitable fixture and make use of a strainer
for drawing such wires to the requisite tension so that the rail itself would itself
be put in tension, and by the use of guy wires, where necessary, the rail could be
made very rigid at the curves as well as at the straight parts. At any convenient
distance from the ends of a rail I may either employ a hinge or other suitable
device or may rely solely on the flexibility of the rail so that the same may le
easily elevated (by suitable apparatus attached to its outer extremity and to be
bereafter described) to any desired height, so that the car which is held thereon by
means of a trigger or catch may, when released from such trigger or catch, gain
sufficient impetus running down the inclined rail to travel to the other end of same and
be detained by the trigger thereon until such time as the car may be again despatched.
At either end of a rail requiring to be elevated I secure a short metal terminal slotted
to receive a slide or sleeve to the lower end of which is pivotted the trigger that
retains the car. This terminal may either embrace the lower end of a hanging rod
to the lower part of which are attached suitable guy wires or it may embrace the
upper end of a standard the lower end of which is secured to the floor or counter or
it may embrace a rod suitably supported at either end by brackets secured to the
walls or fixtures or in place of embracing these rods or standards it may pass
through the slotted ends of same with a similar result. In the lower part of
the slide carrying the trigger and in the front end of same is inserted a rubber
pad to receive the blow of the looped end of the car after it has entered the
trigger. To the other end of the slide a rod is secured with suitable spiral
springs embracing the same-this rod passes through a stop on the metal
terminal and may either be situated in the centre of the terminal or below the
same and the springs engaging either side of the stop as well as the end of
the slide and a collar on the opposite end of the rod. The car, after it has
entered the trigger, strikes against the rubber pad and drives the slide back,
the spiral spring. behind the same being comprèssed against the stop and the
spring on the other side of the stop serving to minimise the rebound of the car.
The upper part of the trigger rod, which is at right angles to the lower part,
and passes through the slide and terminal may terminate in a loop. or with an

page_text: inclined face and notch similar to the lower end for retaining the car. Where
I might employ the looped end it would be necessary to have a corresponding
catch with an inclined face and notch attached to or part of the end of au
overhanging adjustable arm secured to the standard or hanging rod terminal
(which. forms the guide for the rail terminal) so that when the rail is elevated
with the car attached to same the looped end of the trigger will strike against
the inclined face of the catch and be pressed forward and as soon as it has
passed over the inclined face will strike against a rubber pad provided above
the same and, by means of a spring connecting the back of the trigger rod to
the slide, will spring back and strike against the notch which latter will retain
it until such time as the car (which has been simultaneously released by the
lower part of the trigger being depressed) has gained sufficient, impetus, and the
wheels or other projection on the top of the car have struck against a hinged
flap hung from one side of the rail which is instantly pressed forward and by
means of a small lever attached to said flap with a rod or wire attached to
said lever as well as to the upper part of the trigger rod, the latter is simul-
taneously drawn forward off the face of the notch holding same and the rail
descends immediately to its normal position, ready to receive the return of
the car.
In lieu of the looped end to the trigger rod I may prefer to use the inclined
face and notch and cause the same to engage a pin secured to the sides of a recess
in the overhanging adjustable arm, when a similar result would be attained.
When it may be necessary on account of either heavy grades, sharp curves, or
long runs to give more speed to the car than can be derived from the elevated rail,
I employ a double coiled spring lever pivotted at such coils on the projecting end
of a socket embracing the lower part of the aforesaid standard and adjustable as to
such standard, and projecting from the back of this socket (where a standard
of this description is employed) is a short arm or casting terminating with an
enlarged end to which is attached a rubber pad, this pad forms a cushion for the
rail when returning from its elevated position-this socket and arm are secured to
the standard preferably by means of a set screw on the socket.
This coiled spring lever is made preferably of one length of wire with its upper
end bifurcated and projecting at any required angle from the standard. The rail
passes through the bifurcated end of the spring so that the latter is guided thereby.
The same pins that carry the rollers for preventing the car leaving the rail are
allowed to project on either side of the looped end of the car and small rollers may
also be employed on these projecting ends so that when the car is elevated with
the rail it will engage the lever spring lying in its path and according to the
height the rail is raised so will the spring be wound up at its coils ready to give
the additional impetus required for driving the car to its destination when the latter
has been released from the trigger.
At the opposite end of the adjustable arm (which serves to hold up the elevated
rail and is adjustable both vertically and horizontally when a slotted standard or
terminal is used as a guide for the rail,) is pivotted a pulley, over which a cord
passes, one end of this cord may pass round the lower part of a pulley pivotted at
the end of the rail terminal and be secured to any suitable part of the adjustable
arm with a pull handle attached to the other end or in place of the pulley in the
end of the rail terminal one end of the cord may be secured thereto and the other
end may be fastened to the lower part of the standard, (or other suitable fixture)
with a pull handle and sheaved pulley, hung from the looped end of such cord.
one end of a rail I might dispense with the elevated rail and fix, the rail to the
hanging rod or standard allowing sufficient fall to the rail so that the car. would
gravitate to the other end.
Dated this och d
L 2000
At
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant,

page_text: New or Improved Method of and Apparatus for Working Carriers
for Cash Checks or Goods in Stores.
I, HENRY ARTHUR WHEAT of 43 Eastern Arcade, Bourke Street, Melbourne,
in the Colony of Victoria, 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 has been devised to provide useful improvements in that class of
appliances known as "cash or parcel carriers or railways" in shops, stores and the
like places, and has most particular reference to the construction and apparatus,
and the method of operating the latter, of cash carriers, and when in the specifi-
cation hereinafter I refer to the "cash-carrier" or "car" of same I wish it to be
understood that I include the carriage of parcels &c.
In order that my invention may be the better understood, reference may be made
to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1 is an elevation, partly in section, and Figure 2 a plan view of my
invention;
Fig. 3 an elevation shewing the truck and rail in an altered position, while
Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the slotted standard supporting my apparatus.
Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and sectional elevation of some of the details of Figs. 1
to 4.
Fig. 7 is a side view of the truck or car shewn on Figs. 1 and 3;
Fig. 8 a plan view of Fig. 7, shewing the manner in which the wheels are centred
to links, while
Fig. 9 is a plan of Fig. 7 with the top wheels and rail removed.
Fig. 10 is a section of the truck and the wheels upon which it hangs and of the
single rail which I employ in my system.
Fig. 11 is an enlarged view of a detail shewn upon Figs. 1 and 2.
Fig. 12 is an elevation of an alternative form of truck.
Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the coiled lever-spring shewn in Figs. 1, 5 and 6
and hereinafter to be referred to, said figure shewing also the slotted standard and
parts of the latch mechanism.
In the drawings A represents a track, shewn as composed of a single rail,
preferably of wood, and having a V-shaped groove cut through its length on its
top side (see Fig. 10). The groove, which is continuous throughout the whole
length of the rail, is arranged to receive the wheels B¹ of the car B, care being
always taken to provide that the sectional width of wheels B' is less than the width
of groove in rail A, the reason for this being to allow the said wheels B' and the
car B to slightly rock or oscillate and freely adapt themselves to altering levels or
curves of the line of rail A.
D (see Figs. 1, 3 and 4) is a slotted vertical standard, by preference depending
from the ceiling of the store at D. Upon this slotted standard D is mounted an
adjustable socket or sole plate G, and higher up a socket-piece F. In this latter,
and proceeding through same and the slotted standard D, is an adjustable arm E,
in one end of which (see Figs. 1 and 3) is a box or recess E¹, across which
is placed a pin E, arranged to engage with a trigger as H (see Figs. 1, 3
and 6).
In the centre of socket-piece F a screw-pin F¹ is placed to rigidly secure the
arm E against moving in any direction. The other or back end of the said arm E
terminates in a grooved pulley E, Figs. 1 and 3, arranged, as shewn, to receive a
cord K', manipulated by a handle K. It will be seen that I have varied the
arrangement of this cord K' in Figs. 1 and 3 by placing the grooved pulleys at

page_text: altered points. In Fig. 1 a pulley would be placed at K³, but in the arrangement
shewn in Fig. 3 the pulley is pivoted at K in the rail. terminal J.
The rail terminal J is practically a continuation of although of more stanch
construction than the single rail A and carries in it and with it certain locking and
releasing appliances, as follows. Referring to Figs. 3 and 6, H is a double or
L shaped trigger pivoted at H' and provided with a central rectangular projecting
rod H, said rod H passing through a slot H³, formed in the terminal piece J.
The end of the rectangular projecting rod H2 is attached to a wire H, which latter
runs alongside a portion of the rail A as far as the tripping device M, (see Figs. 1, 2
and 11) where the wire is attached to the arm M' of a lever which is pivoted on a
stud m, projecting from a bracket m', attached.to the side of the rail. The sleeve
of said lever has an arm m2 in the path of movement of a car or truck on the rail,
so that when a descending truck strikes arm m³ the lever oscillates, and through
arm M' a pull will be exercised by the wire H' upon the rectangular rod H²; so as
to draw back the top trigger H out of engagement with the pin E in box E¹
(see Figs. 1 and 6). It will be seen that the double trigger H is arranged in such
a manner by being pivoted at H' that when the terminal piece J has been raised
by the cord K and the top of trigger H slightly oscillates on meeting the pin E
the bottom trigger will correspondingly descend sufficiently for its nose or stop
piece to free itself from the end B, Fig. 7, of the car, where an engagement had
been previously made. It is at this point-i.e. the release of the bottom trigger
from the car at B-that the coiled lever-spring L, Figs. 1 and 6, comes into
operation and may now be described. Spring L consists of a lever-spring, of wire
or other flexible material, having its normal position at the angle shewn in Fig. 6
and again in dotted lines at Fig. 1 and in its strained position, as shewn also on
Fig. 1. This spring is preferably made of a piece of bent wire commencing at its
top in a curved, yoke (see Fig. 13), the two ends, converging inwardly by coils and
finally resting or pressing into a recess in the adjustable socket G.
It will now be seen that when the truck B is in position at and held by the
lower trigger H (see Figs. 6 and 3) and when the knob K, Fig. 1, is pulled and
the whole construction raised up to a point at which the top trigger H.commences
to engage with the pin E, the spring L has become energised and will be severely
pressing upon the projecting pins B at. back of the car B, and when, as previously
explained, the top trigger H-is pushed slightly aside in engaging with pin E², the
lower trigger of H will synchronously disengage from its hold in end B² of the
car, Fig. 7. The car B being thus released from its position is instantly shot
forward, by the forward action of spring L, down the inclined rail A. The latter
rail A remains in its elevated or inclined position until the front wheel of car B
meets or presses forward the flap of tripping device M (Fig. 11), and therewith
the lever M', which latter operates the wire H (Fig. 2) and causes a pull to be
exercised upon rod H', so as to. draw, the top trigger H out of engagement
with E. Upon this engagement being broken the terminal J and rail A will fall
to the horizontal line, as shewn dotted on Fig. 1...In order to cushion the shock
caused by the sudden descent of and upon, the terminal J, a block of india-
rubber or analogous buffer O is placed under the end of terminal (see Figs. 3
and 6) and thus softening the shock which would otherwise be caused by J
meeting G.
Referring to the grooved rail A, it will be seen on Fig. 1 that I rely upon
natural elasticity of the. said rail between the terminal and the supporting
standard P to permit of the curved elevation of rail; but if desired or where
necessary the rail A might be pivoted in one or more places in the vicinity of the
support P.
Reverting again to the block or construction, (Fig. 6) in which the trigger H
and the rectangular rod H are set, it will be seen that such block may slide slightly
backward or forward in accordance with the elasticity of a spring R, provided for
the purpose, while the operation of the trigger H is also made more effective by

page_text: .
the small spring S, placed as shewn, said spring having its ends connected so as to
draw the trigger to the left, as shewn in Figs. 3 and 5.
Referring to Figs. 7 and 8 it will be seen that I construct the truck B so as to
hang upon three wheels, the two outer ones being each mounted in a fork B', said
fork being permitted to have a slight oscillating movement on the pivotal point B,
the central wheel being fixed in its lineal position by the plates B, which latter
are secured to the uprights B. This arrangement permits the two outer wheels to
follow the contour of any curve occurring in the line of rail A.
In Fig. 7, B and B are two rollers or small wheels running loosely under the
rail, their object being to prevent the wheels of the car B from rising up in the
groove of the rail A and the car from rubbing against the under side of said rail
and thus interfering with its travel.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I
claim is-
1. In combination with the rail A, the car or truck B having uprights B
connected by plates B' a wheel mounted between said plates and the pivoted
fork B³ at each end carrying a wheel, and means for raising said rail and truck
and for releasing the latter, substantially as described.
2. In combination with the rail A, the tripping device consisting of a lever
having arm M and an arm m³ over the rail, a truck movable along the rail,
trigger mechanism for holding one end of the rail elevated, and a connection
between said trigger incchanism and the arın m³ whereby the truck, when passing
the tripping device, releases the said trigger mechanism.
3. In combination, a rail as A, three wheeled car as R and its fittings suspended
from one side of said rail, the slotted standard as D having the socket F and
arm E adjustably attached thereto, the adjustable socket as G provided with
cushion or stop O, the railed terminal J, and the double-locking trigger as H and
lever-spring as L, carried by said terminal all substantially as and for the purposes
set forth.
4. The combination with the track and means for raising one end thereof, of a
catch for holding said end elevated, a tripping device located in the path of
movement of a car on said track, and connections whereby movement of the
tripping device releases the catch and permits the end of the rail to descend.
5. The combination with the track and means for raising one end thereof, of a
catch for holding said end elevated, a tripping device located in the path of
movement of a car on said track, connections whereby movement of the tripping
device releases the catch and permits the end of the track to descend, a car, and a
spring adapted to be compressed between the car and a stationary part of the
mechanism and to impel the car down the track.
6. The combination with the rail A, of the double or L-shaped trigger H pivotally
connected with one end of the rail and vertically movable therewith, a stop adapted
to be engaged by the upper arm of the trigger to hold the rail elevated, a car
movable on the rail and adapted to be engaged by the lower arm of the trigger,
and means operated by the movement of the car after it leaves the trigger, to
operate the latter and release it and the rail from the said stop.
Dated this 28th day of November 1896.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.