A NEW SYSTEM OR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION OF PACKAGES OR OTHER OBJECTS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER BY LAND, BY WATER, OR IN THE AIR BY INSTANTANEOUS OR BY GRADUATED SPEED
Year: 1864

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Rundle Hammond at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th September 1864.
I, THOMAS RUNDLE HAMMOND, of the City of New York, United States of
America, actually residing in the City of Paris, France, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for " A NEW SYSTEM OR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
OF PACKAGES OR OTHER OBJECTS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER BY LAND, BY WATER,
OR IN THE AIR BY INSTANTANEOUS OR BY GRADUATED SPEED," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of india-rubber, properly vul-
canised to the soft or elastic state, as a means of rapidly taking away and
carrying from one place to another, whether accross land or water or in the
air, of any object attached to said rubber while in a state of tension.
It is a fact well known that the gum known as india-rubber, if of good
quality and properly vulcanised to the soft or elastic state, is capable of
being distended to several times its length, and that upon its being released
from this forced distension it will immediately its former position and length
within a fraction; for this fraction due allowance is to be made on the ad-
justment of the rubber cord as herein-after described. The mode of transpor-
tation will vary somewhat, according as it may be required to transport
accross land or accross water, the principle, however, that of distended rubber
as the means remaining in all cases the same. For instance, accross land a

page_text: tube or other contrivance, placed either upon or under the ground, and large
enough the free passage through from one end to the other of the object to
be transported, might or might not be essential. Accross water no other
tubing than that running inland, and serving as a protection for the rubber
cord, would be necessary. To transport an object across a peice of water, I
would procure a solid cord of vulcanised rubber of a suitable size for the
object to bo transported, and of one-fifth, or one-fourth, more or less, according
to the elasticity of the rubber, of the length of the distance between the
extreme points of land, and having selected a suitable point for departure, I
would carry thence one end of this rubber cord inland to a distanco corre-
sponding with the length of said rubber cord and somewhat further, equivalent
to the fraction carefully calculated which the rubber in its contraction would
necessarily fall short of, here it should be firmly fastened, and its entire length
protected as before explained by means of a tubo or other contrivance. I would
then attach solidly at the outer point of my rubber cord a hemp or other cord
of a length corresponding with that of the space to be traversed or crossed
and one end of this hemp cord, the outer point would then be taken by a
steamer or other vessel and carried to the opposite point of land. Arrived at its
destination the hemp cord would be attached to an apparatus, wheel or other,
and its entire length wound in upon this wheel or other contrivance by means
of a stationary steam engine until the end of the distended rubber cord should
arrive. The rubber cord being firmly fastened, the object, mail bag or other
enclosed in a bag made of vulcanised india-rubber, and hermetically sealed,
would be solidly attached, the 'hemp cord also remaining attached, in order to
serve to bring back the rubber cord to its former degre of tension, and at a
given time, the rubber cord being released, would with its attachment imme-
diately fly accross the intervening space, to regain its natural and original
position.
I do not pretend to give here all the details respecting the placing of the
rubber cord or the precise distance under water at which I would place it.
These will vary with circumstances.
That which I have endeavoured to show is that vulcanized india-rubber can
bo advatageously used as an agent in transporting from one point to another,
whether on land or on water or in the air, different.objects, and that which I
claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the application
of distended and released vulcanised india-rubber for the instantaneous or for
the graduated transportation from one point to another, whether on land or
water or in the air, of any object to be attached to said rubber while in a state
.of.tension, as mail bags or other packages, boats, waggons, or balloons, or any

page_text: other object so attached to distended rubber. The rubber cord may be com-
posed of several peices if so joined together as to form a continuous whole.
Graduated speed is accomplished by simply graduating the size or thickness
of the rubber cord to the weight to be transported and the speed desired.

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Thomas Rundle. Hammond at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
14th September 1864.
I, THOMAS RUNDLE HAMMOND, of the City of New York, United States of
America, actually residing in the City of Paris, France, do hereby declare the
nature of the said Invention for "A NEW SYSTEM OR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION
OF PACKAGES OR OTHER OBJECTS FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER BY LAND, BY WATER,
OR IN THE AIR BY INSTANTANEOUS OR BY GRADUATED SPEED," to be as follows:-
This Invention consists in the application of india-rubber, properly vul-
canised to the soft or elastic state, as a means of rapidly taking away and
carrying from one place to another, whether accross land or water or in the
air, of any object attached to said rubber while in a state of tension.
It is a fact well known that the gum known as india-rubber, if of good
quality and properly vulcanised to the soft or elastic state, is capable of
being distended to several times its length, and that upon its being released
from this forced distension it will immediately its former position and length
within a fraction; for this fraction due allowance is to be made on the ad-
justment of the rubber cord as herein-after described. The mode of transpor-
tation will vary somewhat, according as it may be required to transport
accross land or accross water, the principle, however, that of distended rubber
as the means remaining in all cases the same. For instance, accross land a

page_text: tubo or other contrivance, placed either upon or under the ground, and large
enough the free passage through from one end to the other of the object to
be transported, might or might not be essential. Accross water no other
tubing than that running inland, and serving as a protection for the rubber
cord, would be necessary. To transport an object across a peice of water, I
would procure a solid cord of vulcanised rubber of a suitable size for the
object to be transported, and of one-fifth, or one-fourth, more or less, according
to the elasticity of the rubber, of the length of the distance between the
extreme points of land, and having selected a suitablo point for departure, I
would carry thence one end of this rubber cord inland to a distance corre-
sponding with the length of said rubber cord and somewhat further, equivalent
to the fraction carefully calculated which the rubber in its contraction would
necessarily fall short of, here it should be firmly fastened, and its entire length
protected as before explained by means of a tube or other contrivance. I would
then attach solidly at the outer point of my rubber cord a hemp or other cord
of a length corresponding with that of the space to be traversed or crossed
and one end of this hemp cord, the outer point would then be taken by a
steamer or other vessel and carried to the opposite point of land. Arrived at its
destination the hemp cord would be attached to an apparatus, wheel or other,
and its entire length wound in upon this wheel or other contrivanco by means
of a stationary steam engine until the end of the distended rubber cord should
arrive. The rubber cord being firmly fastened, tho object, mail bag or other
enclosed in a bag made of vulcanised india-rubber, and hermetically sealed,
would be solidly attached, the hemp cord also remaining attached, in order to
serve to bring back the rubber cord to its former degre of tension, and at a
given time, the rubber cord being released, would with its attachment imme-
diately fly accross the intervening space, to regain its natural and original
position.
I do not pretend to give bere all the details respecting the placing of tho
rubber cord or the preciso distance under water at which I would place it.
These will vary with circumstances.
That which I have endeavoured to show is that vulcanized india-rubber can
be advatageously used as an agent in transporting from one point to another,
whether on land or on water or in the air, different objects, and that which I
claim as my Invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is the application
of distended and released vulcanised india-rubber for the instantaneous or for
the graduated transportation from one point to another, whether on land or
water or in the air, of any object to be attached to said rubber while in a state
of tension, as mail bags or other packages, boats, waggons, or balloons, or any

page_text: other object so attached to distended rubber. The rubber cord may be com-
posed of several peices if so joined together as to form a continuous whole.
Graduated speed is accomplished by simply graduating the size or thickness
of the rubber cord to the weight to be transported and the speed desired.