provements in and relating to Apparatus for Delivering and Receiving Mail Bags.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Oct., 1895-Accepted, 1st Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
mprovements in and relating to Apparatus for Delivering and
Receiving Mail Bags.
1, AUGUSTUS PHILIP HAUSS, a citizen of the United States of America,
esiding at New Albany, in the County of Floyd, and State of Indiana, United
States of America, Gentleman, do hereby declnie the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be puticularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement.
"
This invention contemplates certain new and useful improvements in mail-bag
eceiving and delivering apparatus designed to be used at points where mail pouches
are received and delivered by a moving railway mail car
The object of the invention is first, to provide a simple and efficient device to be
placed on a mail cai and adapted to operate in conjunction with a receiving and
delivering apparatus or ciane adjacent to a railway track, and second, to provide
an apparatus which shall be simple and durable and which will simultaneously
eceive a mail pouch from a swiftly moving train and securely hold the same,
also deliver a second pouch to said train without interfering with the receiving
operation.
and
The invention compuses the novel features of construction, and also the detail
combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set
forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims. In the accompanying diawings-
Figme is a view in perspective illustrating my improved crane while supporting
a mail pouch,
Figue 2 is a similar view after the pouch has been removed,
Figure 3 is a view in side elevation,
Group of Figures 5 are detail views of the receiving nim,
Figures 4, 4 and 6 me views of the receiving and delivering device designed to
Le used on a railway mail car, and
Figure 7 illustrates in detail the upper ciane arm.
Refering to the diawings, A indicates the catcher-bar o casting, the rounded
ends of which are removably mounted in bearings a secured to the sides of the
doo fame of a railway mail car, collars a' a' on said rounded end preventing
lateral movement of said catcher bar. The collar a 18 adjustably held in place
by a thumb-scren a³, and by loosening the latter said collar may be moved
whereby the bat A can be taken out of its bearings and reversed when the car
is to be un in an opposite duection. In a socket a in bar A is designed to
he seemed the inner end of an approximately semi-circular arm a³, the said arm
being additionally secmed in place by a rod or bolt a pussed through ears as
projecting from bai A, said inner end of arm a being inserted between said
eals The delivery aim B is secured to the aim a in any suitable manner,
it may be made integral therewith, said aim being curved at band having
sping catch secured on its outer end, said catch being designed to receive the
ing in one end of a mail-pouch, the ring in the other end of the latter be.ng
held in a similar catch 6 secured to an aim 3 pivoted at 4 to the side of the
car. In a chamber or recess 66 formed in an enlargement of aim A is pivoted
a clamp or locking device C which compuses a body formed of two arms
extended at night augles to each other and an upper rounded portion 68 extended
up through a lot the top of said chamber or 1ccess, said rounded portion
having ratchet teeth on its periphery which are designed to be engaged by a
or

page_text: spring-pressed pawl 1ª, seated in a banel 13 mounted on catcher-bar A. The
catcher bai is piovided with a handle B' which is secured in position by a rod 01
bolt B2 passed through said bai and said handle, as shown
A
D designates a metallic cane post, prefer ibly of cast iron, which is supported
by mutted bolts d secured in a cross-tie d and passed through a base-plite d³
of said post. Suitable biace-iods serve to additionally support said post
platform is secured to said post D, and access is had thereto by means of a
ladder ³ The post D is preferably cast with a hollow core, and its sides are
enlarged at the top thereof into flanges or brackets de between which is pivoted the
upper am E of the crane, a pivot-bult being passed though said flanges or
biackets, and said upper arm. This aim E is also cast hollow and at its inner
end is provided with a counterbalancing weight e' which is provided with an
elongated portion designed to enter the hollow end of aim E nud be secured
there in any suitable manner. At the other end of said arm is a flange or
struck-up portione against which is designed to bear a tod or aim
pivoted at by a bolt passed therethrough and through said aum E
or arm e' is designed to have a limited up and down movement, the flange e³ serving
as a fulcium, said movement being limited, however, by a coil spring & scenied on
the extended portion of bolt e, said spring serving as a cushion lo said tod or arm
A plate or leal-spring is also designed to act as a cushion for the aim E when
the mail pouch is supported thereby, and also to compensate for any sudden jeik
Di ja caused by the sudden removal of the mail-pouch from its support.
which is
The rod
6
In an opening F of post D is poted the lower arm F, which is adjustably
supported by a pivot-bolt passed through flanges or extended portions of the
sides of said post. These flanges are provided with a vertical series of holes f² for
the pivot-bolt whereby said aim F may be placed on a higher or lower plane to
accommodate pouches of diflcient lengths The opening F is of tapering formation,
being higher of wider at its outer end, sand opening being so formed in order that
arm may have a free up and down movement therein The am F' is also
provided at its inner end with a counterbalancing weight similar to weighte', the
other end of said am being provided with a flange f, rod or aim f, securing rod f
and spring, which are identical in operation and construction as the same features
or elements on aim o bai E. The outer or forward end of this aim is enlarged
at G, and from the end of this enlargement extend two arms g, said aims being at
ight angles to said aim and secured thereto in any suitable manner, or they
may be formed integral therewith. I prefer, however, to form these arms with
stems which fit in the open end of enlargement G and are there secured by spring
keys Adjacent to these aims and pivotally secured between lugs or cars g of
the enlargement G are two ans g', winch, together with aims q, are provided with
approximately hook-shaped ends g³, the hooked portions of the pivoted arms being
designed to coincide with the corresponding portions of said rigid aims, and act in
conjunction therewith to form Jaws g³ for receiving a mail pouch from a moving
train. The atms E and F' may be cast with a hollow coie if dested, or they
may be made solid, as may be found convenient, but I prefer the former
construction.
A spring II is seemed on the mine side of the post D, said spring having a
curved upper portion and an elongated lower portion. This spring is designed
to serve as a cushion to break the shock experienced by the aims E and F when
the same separate by reason of the mail pouch supported thereby being removed,
the weighted ends of said aims being designed to come in contact with sand
spling.
The operation is as follows:-
The mail pouch to be delivered by the mail car is secured at one end to the
delivery aim B, the other end thereof being seemed to catch on the aim b³.
At the same time, the pouch to be taken on by sand car is supported by the upper
and lower arms E and of the clane D by means of the 1ods or arms, being
passed through the upper and lower rings respectively, of said pouch. As the mail

page_text: cat approaches, the receis mg aim a stukes the mail pouch supported by the crane
about midway between said upper and lower arms and draws the same off the 1ods
o aims by which it is supported, the leaf sping and coil springs e and f
serving to break iny shock oi jar caused by said receiving arm striking said pouch.
As soon as the pouch is diawn off by the car the counter balancing weight on aim E
will draw the latter out of a horizontal line, in which position it will remain until
another pouch is to be supported thereby, sand weighted end resting against the
sping H. Simultaneous with the foregoing operation the delivering arm B of
the mail ear passes out a second pouch which is engaged by one or the other
of jans go, the pivoted member thereof falling on said pouch and securely holding
the same until iemoved theicfiom by an attendant. As the pouch is taken on by
arm a of the mail car, said pouch will strike against one of the aims 67 of clamp Č
which will seemely hold said pouch on said aim
From what has been said it will be seen that I have produced a mail bag
catching and delivering apparatus which is efficient in operation, and as the same
compuses but few paits, it is not able to readily get out of order or be
deianged.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said ven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what [
claim 19.
1. A metallic post, an atm or bar pivoted on the upper end thereof, a second
aim oi bai pivoted to said post below said former arm, each of said aims having
a counterbalancing weight at one end and an upturned portion or flange at its
other end, and bai's or hugers pivotally connected to said aims or bats and designed.
to beat on said flanges, substantially as and for the purpose set forth
2. A metallic post, an arm or bai pivoted on the upper end thereof, a second
am o bar pivoted to said post below said former aim, each of said aims having a
counterbalancing weight at one end and an upturned portion or flange at its other
end, a ba o finger designed to bear against each of said flanges, pivot bolts for
said bars or fingers, and coil springs enenching said pivot bolts, substantially as-
and for the purpose set forth
'
3. A metallic post having flanges at its upper end, au am o bai pivotally
mounted between sari flauges, a second arm or bar extended through said post and,
below sand former aim, brackets o flauges in which said latter am o bar 15-
pivoted, each of said aims oi bais being provided with a counterbalancing weight
at one end and a Bange at its other end, bars or fingers designed to bear against
each of said flanges, pivot bolts for securing said bars or fingers to said ains or-
bais, and coil springs encircling said pivot bolts, substantially as and for the
pui pose set forth.
4 A metallic post having flanges at its upper end, an arm or bai pivotally
mounted between said flanges, a second aim on bar extended through said post and
pivotally mounted below said former aim o bai, each of said aims or bats being-
provided with a counterbalancing weight at one end and a flange at its other end,
bais or fugers designed to beni against each of said flanges, pivot bolts for
secuing said bais or fingers to said aims or bars, coil springs encueling said pivot
bolts, and a plate or leaf spring secured to the underside of said lower aim of bai,.
substantially as and for the pui pose set forth.
5. A mail bag catcher, compusing a metallic post, an arm oi bai pivoted
thereto, a rigid arm seemed to the outer end of said am or bai, a second aim
pivoted to the end of said aim oi bai and designed to bear against said rigid nim,
and means for holding said former pivoted arm of bar in a horizontal position.
6 A mail bag catcher, comprising a metallic post, an aim or bar pivoted
thereto, and having an enlargement at the outer end thereof, a rigid aim secuted
to the said enlargement a second arm pivoted to said enlargement and designed to
beni against said igid aim, and means for holding said former pivoted aim on bar-
in a horizontal position, substantially as set forth.

page_text: 7 A mal bag catcher, compitsing a metallic post, an atm or bai pivoted
thereto and having an enlargement at the outer end the cof, one or more gid
aims projecting from said enlargement, said arms being of approximate hook-
shape, one or more arins pivoted to said enlargement and designed to beat against
sau igid aims, and means for holding said former pivoted aim of bai in a
honzontal position, substantially as set forth
8 A mail bag catcher, comprising a metallic post, an arm or bai pivoted
thereto and having an enlargement at the outer end thereof, one or more rigid
arms cf approximate hook-shape projecting from said enlargement, ears or lugs
also projecting from said enlargement, movable armis also of approximate hook-
shape pivoted between said eais on lugs and designed to bear against said igid
aims, and means for holding said former pivoted aim or bai in a horizontal position,
substantially as set forth
9. A metallic post, an aim o bar pivoted to the upper end thereof, a socond
aim oi bai pivoted on sand post below said formet arm or bar, each of said aims
or bais being provided with a counterbalancing weight at one end and a spung-
held bar or finger pivoted to the other end thereof, igid aims seemed on the
outer end of said lower aim oi bai, and pivoted arms designed to bear theleagainst,
substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
10. The heiein-described appaintus to receiving and delivering mail pouches,
compusing a pivoted bar provided with an enlarged portion having a recess or
chamber formed therein, a locking clamp pivoted within said chamber, said clamp
being composed of an upper ratchet portion projected through a slot in sand
recess or chamber, and two lower retaining atins, a spring-pressed paal sliding
in said chamber and adapted to engage said ratchet portion, a receiving aim
projecting from said pivoted bar, and a delivering aim formed integial with sail
receiving arm, substantially as set forth.
11. The heiem-described apparatus for receiving and delivering mail pouches,
compusing a pivoted bar provided with an enlarged portion having a recess 01
chamber formed therein, a locking clamp pivoted within said chamber, said clamp
being composed of an upper ratchet portion projected through a slot in said
enlargement, and two retaining aims, a spring-pressed pawl sliding in said chamber
and adapted to engage said ratchet portion, a receiving arm projecting from
said pivoted bar and extending beneath said clamp, a delivering aim formed
utegial with said receiving aim, a sping-clamp secured on said delivering aint
at its outer end, and a second spring-clamp secured to an adjacent portion of a
cal, substantially as set forth.
12. A metallic post having upper and lower crane aims pivotally mounted
therein, said lower arm having an enlarged end poition provided with holes
o openings therein, the receiving arms having icduced ends inserted in said
openings, and spring-keys for securing said receiving aims in said holes or
openings, substantially as set forth.
13. A mail pouch handling device, comprising a crane-post having an upper
am pivoted thereto, flanges projecting from the outer edges of said post and
provided with a vertical series of adjusting apertures, and a lower ciane aim
adjustably pivoted between said flanges by a removable pivot bolt, said aim being
also projected through a slot or opening in said post, substantially as set forth.
14. A mail poucli handling device, comprising a ciane-post, pivoted upper and
lower crane-aims supported by said post, and a spring buffer secured to said post,
sand butter having an upper cui ved portion and a lower elongated portion
substantially as set forth.
Dated this 22nd day of October 1895.
JENSEN & SON,
77, Chancery Lane, London, W.C, Patent Agents.