Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering or Transferring Mail Bags or other Parcels from or to Trains in Motion.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 26th Aug., 1891
Complete Specification Left, 26th May, 1892-Accepted, 2nd July, 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering or Transferring Mail
Bags or other Parcels from or to Trains in Motion.
I EDWARD DAVIES of Whittington Hall Farm, near Stourbridge in the County
of Stafford do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
My invention relates to apparatus for delivering or transferring mail bags and
other parcels from and to a railway train in motion and it has for its object to
provide means whereby these operations may be performed with less concussion and
consequent liability of injuring the contents of the bag or parcel than by the means
at present in use for the purpose. And it consists essentially in means whereby
the parcel is constrained to move in such a path that its transition from a state of
motion to a state of rest and rice versa will be accomplished at a diminishing or
accelerating velocity as the case may be, the motion of the parcel being so controlled
that the path described by it in its transit from or to the train will approach more
or loss to that of a semi-parabola or other elliptical curve and the velocity of the
parcel being so proportioned to the speed of the train that on arriving at its point
of landing whether at the road side or on the train it will be practically at rest
relatively to such point of landing. This communication or control of the velocity
and direction may be imparted or exerted either by flexible connections acting alone
as radius links or by a flexible in conjunction with a rigid connection acting in a
similar manner and also as a support or carrier or by either of these forms of
radially controlling devices acting in conjunction with a rigid guide curved con-
formably to the path to be described by the parcel and with which the parcel is
adapted to engage and by which it is supported in its flight.
Means are in each case provided whereby the parcel is connected and disconnected
proper times with the said controlling and operating devices whereby its transition
from a state of motion to a state of rest or vice versa is effected.
at
I will first describe one arrangement of the apparatus as applied for pioking up
a parcel at the roadside by a train in motion. The parcel is situated at the vertex
of the semi-parabolic or other elliptical path along which it is constrained to move,
either by a guide or support upon which a slider attached to the parcel is adapted
to engage and slide or by a flexible connection acting as a radius link of variable
radius and with a varying centre of motion, the vertex of the curve being towards
the direction from which tho train is coming and at a sufficient distance laterally
from the path of the train, the curvilinear path of the parcel approaching near
enough to the path of the train to cause the parcel to be deposited on or in the
railway carriage in the manner hereafter described. To the parcel is attached a
flexible or jointed connection supported horizontally at right angles to the railway
and terminating in an attachment, an eye for instance, adapted to be engaged or
seized by a hook or other contrivance on the carriage in the path of which the said
eye or other attachment is supported. In this manner the force exerted by the
train upon the parcel during ite transition from rest to motion at a velocity equal.
to that of the train will always be in the direction of a tangent to the curve at the
point at which the parcel is for the time being situate and consequently the
transition will be effected with a more or less gradually accelerating velocity.
Means are provided whereby the control of the parcel by the roadside apparatus
is made, to cease at the moment when the parcel acquires the same or nearly the
same velocity as the train in a direction nearly coinciding with that of the train but
such as to cause the parcel to be carried over the space which must be left between
the roadside apparatus and the side of the carriage, and be lauded within the latter,
provision being made by the form or arrangement of the roadside apparatus

page_text: whereby the parcel will leave it with sufficient centrifugál tendency to produce this
result.
Assuming a rope or other flexible connection to be used the loop or eye at its
end which is to be caught by the hook on the carriage would be supported in
position for that purpose by a crane jib adapted to hold the loop distended and
supported on a frame at the roadside, and the curvilinear guide for the parcel
would be preferably formed by two similar rails one above the other with which
clips or sliders attached near the top and bottom of the parcel would engage or
one slide rail and one or more guide bars may be used.
Instead of the parcel being constrained to move in an elliptical path by a rigid
guide, this may be effected by a rope or other flexible connection to which the
parcel is detachably connected the rope being attached at its other end to a fixed
point and lapping round one or more abutments whereby its effective radial length
and the centre of motion are gradually varied so as to cause the parcel to describe
the elliptical path desired. In this case it would be necessary to provide a con-
trolling guide to bear the end of the radius rope so as to cause the parcel to move
in the required plane.
'
The arrangement for delivering a parcel from a train would be the converse of
that above described, the vertex of the curvilinear path travelled by the parcel
being towards the same direction as the direction in which the train is travelling
and means being provided for detaching the connection of the parcel with the train
at the moment when the parcel reaches the vertex of the curve, the transition from
a state of motion to rest being so controlled as to be effected with a gradual
diminution of velocity until it reaches a state of rest, its momentum being overcome
in practically the same way that its inertia was overcome in the other case.
In delivering a parcel from a train it would be suitably supported at the side of
the carriage in position to engage with the roadside controlling guide or radius
rope as the case may be and it would be attached to another radius connection
extending along the side of the carriage towards the rear and detachably connected
thereto, means being provided at the roadside whereby this connection is severed
on the said radius rope assuming a position at right angles to the motion of the
train which coincides with the parcel reaching the vertex of its elliptical path.
Or in case a controlling guide of a large radius, or a long radius rope as the case
may be were used and the momentum of the parcel allowed to be overcome and
brought to a gradual state of rest by friction of the slider along the controlling
guide or on the guide bearing the long radius rope, then the radius connection
(extending along the side of the carriage) may be dispensed with, but it would be
necessary to continue the arc of the controlling guide or the long radius rope to a
greater distance than that of a semi parabola.
Instead of a rudius rope a crane jib mounted at the side of the carriage might
be used acting in the same way as a radius rope except that it also supports the
parcel preferably at two points or otherwise so as to prevent canting of the parcel
during its flight, the connection being made by hooks and loops or otherwise so as
to be readily detachable at the proper moment.
By suitably arranging the delivery and picking up apparatus in the order named
a parcel may be delivered and another picked up to and from the same spot and by
the same carriage.
The carriage would have a receiving doorway and internal parcel catching plat
form or net towards the rear end and a delivering doorway towards the front fitted
with a supporting platform or other means of holding the parcel in position to be
caught by the roadside apparatus.
1001

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Apparatus for Delivering or Transferring Mail
Bags or other Parcels from or to Trains in Motion.
1, EDWARD DAVIES of Whittington Hall Farm, near Stourbridge, in the County
of Stafford, Farmer, 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 :-
My invention relates to apparatus for transferring mail bags and other parcels to
and from a railway train in motion, and it has for its object to provide means
whereby these operations may be performed without concussion and consequent
liability of injuring the contents of the bag or parcel. And it consists essentially
in means whereby the parcel is constrained to move in such a path that its transfor
to or from the train in motion will be effected and while being so transferred it will
be caused to gradually acquire or gradually cease to partake in, the travelling
motion of the train so as, when finally landed on the train, or at the roadside, as
the case may be, it will come gradually to a virtual state of rest.
To accomplish this result, the parcel is controlled throughout its transit to or
from the train so as to impart the desired direction and varying velocity of motion,
the control being exerted both from the roadside and from the train conjointly, the
means employed being preferably, but not necessarily, such as to cause the path
described by the parcel in its flight to approach more or less the forin of a semi-
parabola or other elliptic curve. The means by which this control is effected aud
the desired direction and varying velocity of motion are imparted, comprises two
main members, one on the mail car and one at the roadside, acting conjointly on
the parcel.
These two members may either act as radius links in such manner that each is
always approximately tangential to the curve described by the end of the other;
or the one member may act as a radius link and the other as a rigid guide
determining the curvilinear path described by the parcel and to which the said link
is always approximately tangential. Generally the parcel would be supported in
its transit by sliding on a platform or on the fixed guide, means boing, in each case,
provided whereby the parcel is connected and disconnected, at proper times, with
the said controlling devices.
The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings,
forming part of this Specification, wherein I have illustrated various arrangements
of apparatus for picking up and delivering parcels by a train in motion.
Figure 1 is a plan of a parcel-delivering apparatus consisting of two radial
connections, the apparatus being shewn in two phases of its operation.
Figure 2 is a cross-section, on line 1-1 Figure 1, drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 3 shews a slight modification of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a plan of a modification of one of the radial connections.
Figure 5 is a detail clevation of part thereof.
Figure 6 is a plan illustrating the adaptation of the same apparatus for picking
up a parcel.
Figure 7 is a plan of the same drawn to a larger scale, and
Figure 8 is a detail part sectional elevation of part thereof, on a larger scale.
Figure 9 is a plan of a parcel picking-up apparatus, consisting of a fixed guide
5 in combination with a radial connection, the apparatus being shewn in three positions
or phases.
Figure 10 is a cross-section, on line 2-2 Figure 9, drawn to a larger scale.
Figure 11 is a plan of part of Figure 10 in two positions or phases.
Figure 12 is a cross-section on line 3-3 Figure 9, also on a larger scale.
Figure 13 is a plan of a parcel delivering apparatus, consisting, like Figure 9, of
n fixed guide, in combination with a radial connection.
Figure 14 is a detail section thereof,

page_text: I would here observe that I distinguish the apparatus which is best adapted to
transfer a parcel from a train to the roadside as a delivery apparatus, and that best
adapted to transfer a parcel from the roadside to a train as a picking up apparatus,
but it will be perceived that each of these is in-principle, and in some cases in
practice, adapted to perform either operation as will be hereafter explained.
Referring to the parcel delivering apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2, A is the
mail car B is the parcel to be delivered contained in a sheet iron carrier C and
supported on a tray D in such position as to project through a doorway in the side
of the car in position to be engaged by the radial member at the roadside, the
tray D being preferably pivoted at d so that it may be swung inboard when
required. The doorway at which this tray is situated is towards the forward end
of the car and to the parcel carrier is connected the one radial connection E being
a rope extended along the outside of the car and connected at its other end to a
point near the rear end of the car in such manner as to be easily detachable when
the rope reaches a position at right angles or thereabouts to the line of travel of
the car.
A convenient mode of attachment is by a loop e to a rearwardly-directed
hook F. G is the other radial connection situated at the roadside, being made fast
to a fixed point g and normally extended in a direction at right angles to the line of
travel of the car, said rope terminating in a loop g¹ which is held distended in
position to be caught by a hook c on the parcel carrier C. The loop g' is supported
and distended by a fork H, as in Figures 2, 10, and 11, pivoted on a vertical axis on
a suitable support, so as to hold the rope securely stretched and the loop extended
and yet swing aside easily out of the way at the moment when the loop is caught
by the parcel hook, as shewn in dotted lines in Figure 11. The radial connection G
may either swing about the point as a centre, as in Figure 1, in which case the
parcel will be caused to describe a circular are about such point or it may be made
to.swing round a variable centre in which case the parcel will be caused to describe
a more or less parabolic path, as in Figure 3, in which the rope G is made fast
at g and is caused to curl around a fixed curved abutment, or a succession of
posts ³ whereby its effective length is gradually shortened. P is a platform on
which the parcel is received and slides, situated slightly below the level of the
tray D.
C
In either case the operation is as follows:-Assuming the mail car to be at
position No. 1 (Figure 1) and to be travelling in the direction of the arrow, the
hook will-catch the loop y' and thereupon the parcel will be caused to swing away
from the car on to the platform P upon which it describes a curvilinear path under
the conjoint control of the radial members E and G, the one moving about the
hook. F as a travelling centre and the other about the point y or the points o³ ³ as
a fixed or variable stationary centre the effect being that when the position No. 2
is reached, the advancing motion of the parcel is arrested by the rope G and the
outward motion by the rope E so that the parcel is brought to a state of rest.
this moment the loop e of the rope E meets a post J which knocks the loop off the
hook thus disengaging the parcel from the train. In order to guard against
the possibility of premature detachment of the hook c from loop g', I may
duplicate the attachment of the parcel to rope G, so that both ends of the parcel
are under control, as shewn in Figures 4 and 5.
At
The rope G is duplicated or bifurcated as at G G and may either terminate
each in a loop distended as before in position to be caught by hooks c on the
parcel carrier, one year the forward, and one near the rear, end but at different
heights so as to each catch its respective loop; or the one end of the bifurcated
rope may terminate in a hook g* and the other in a loop g the two being connected
together by a tie rope and supported in position to be engaged by the
corresponding devices on the parcel carrier which in this case consist of a forwardly
directed horn e' at the leading end and a laterally-projecting loop at the tail end,
the former adapted to pass clear of the hook and to enter the loop y which
projects nearer to the line of travel of the parcel than does the hook gt which is
rearwardly directed so as to be in the path. of, and be engaged by, the loop e³ the

page_text: engagement of the parcel carrier being thus made simultaneously with both
members G' of the rope.
In Figure 6 a similar apparatus is adapted to transfer a parcel to the train the
parts being represented in two positions or phases and the operation being
substantially the reverse of that before described, that is to say, the parcel is
detachably connected to the rope G and placed on the roadside platform P in
position No. 1 the rope G being radial to a constant or variable stationary centre
as before and in its initial position being stretched in a direction towards the
advancing train. To the parcel is also connected the rope E which is stretched in
a direction at right angles to the line of railway and terminates in a loop e held
distended by a pivoted fork H (as in Figure 2) in position to be caught by a
forwardly directed hook F' on the leading end of the car whereupon the parcel is
dragged upon the platform Pi in a curvilinear path under the control of rope G
and at a gradually accelerating velocity until on arriving at position No. 2 where
the rope G reaches a position.at right angles to the line of railway the parcel has
acquired a velocity of motion equal to that of the train and nearly coinciding
therewith in direction whereupon the rope G meets a knocking-off post J' whereby
it is detached from the parcel which continues its flight and under the combined
influence of the pull of the rope E and of contrifugal force is thrown from the
platform P, through a doorway in the side of the car near the rear end: The
platform Pia slightly higher than the floor of the car or other parcel receiver,
and the lengths of the ropes GE and the positions of their centres of motion are
of course such that on reaching the positions shewn the parcel will come opposite
to and pass clear through the doorway of the car.
The rope G is preferably bifurcated, as in Figure 7, one end terminating in a
loop & adapted to engage with a rearwardly directed horn on the rear end of
the parcel carrier and the other terminating in a latch engaged in a laterally
projecting loop at the forward end of the parcel carrier, the said latch consisting
of two principal members m, m', to the former of which is hinged a short link m*
to which is in turn hinged a latch piece m³ adapted when passed through the loop!
to be folded back and engaged with the hooked end m' of the member m'. The loop k
and the member mare connected by a tie rope to prevent undue spreading and
accidental detachment of the parcel during flight. The action is as follows:-On
the member m¹ striking the knocking-off post J' it is forced back, releasing the
latch m³ which swings open and becomes disengaged from the loop 1, after which
the loop k on striking the post J' becomes disengaged from the horn k' by which
time the parcel is deposited in the car.
to 12 in
I will now describe the picking up apparatus represented in Figures
which one of the radial connections, namely the rope G, is replaced by a fixed
guide. This is preferably composed of two iron fences N N on platform P¹
between which the parcel is guided, the operation of the rope E boing the same as
before, that is to say the engagement of rope E with the hook F occurs when the
car is at position No. 1 (Figures 9, 10, and 11). The parcel is thereupon drawn
between the curved fences N N', as shewn in position No. 2 (Figure 9) and finally
projected through the doorway near the roar of the carriage, as in position No. 3
(Figures 9 and 12). For picking up a parcel this combination of a fixed guide and
a radial connection is preferred as the parabolic or other curvilinear path described
by the parcel being rigidly prescribed by the form of the guides N N' is constant
whatever may be the speed of the train and the guide N¹ being continued beyond
the guide N may approach so closely to the train and be of such form as to ensure
the parcel being transferred, even at a very low speed, whereas with the two ropes.
shewn in Figure 6 should the train happen to be travelling very slowly when the
parcel is picked up the transfer of the parcel might not be completely effected, to
remedy which a guide such as N' might be used as well as the rope G. before
described.
In all the above described arrangements, the hooks F F are adjustable, boing
made to slide so that they may be withdrawn when not in use

page_text: 4
:
Referring. now to 'Figure 13, this illustrates the application of the fixed guide
for the parcel in combination with a radial connection, to the operation of
delivering the parcel from the train. For this purpose the fixed guide N is on
the floor of the car and leads out through an aperture in the side thereof, and the
parcel carrier instead of moving between two fences is provided with a lug n,
preferably near one corner, which engages in the fixed' guide which in this case is
in the form of a groove wherein said lug is imprisoned during the motion of the
parcel. To the opposite corner of the parcel carrier is connected the rope E
stretched across the car at right angles to the direction of travel and terminating
in a loop which is held distended by a pivoted fork (such as that shewn at H
Figure 2) so as to project from the side of the car in position to be engaged by a
hook E supported on a post at the road-side and attached to a rope E' also
stretched at right angles to the track and made fast to a fixed point. Upon the
'engagement of rope E with hook E' the ropes E E' virtually form one, the parcel
"commences to turn about lug n as a centre and having swung round, it is then by
-the continued advance of the car in the direction of the arrow drawn backwards
under the control of the fixed guide in the slot of which the lug n continues to
travel until it passes out at the rear end thereof whereupon the parcel is delivered
on to the platform P. As in the first example described, the parcel is acted on
gradually, in such manner that at the moment of delivery the travelling motion
in which it participated is almost neutralized and the parcel is therefore
approximately at a state of rest with regard to the platform on to which it is
delivered.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the Baid inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is-
་
1. The herein described method of transferring a parcel to or from a train in
motion with an accelerating motion gradually coinciding in direction and velocity
with the motion of the train, or a diminishing motion gradually diverging from
the line of motion of the train, as the case may be, which consists in causing the
parcel to be acted on through the medium of a radial connection' which in its initial
position is approximately at right angles to the line of travel of the train, the
parcel being constrained to move under the control either of a fixed guide to which
the said radial connection is always tangential or of a second radial connection at
right angles to the first and moving about a fixed point whereby the effect of
centrifugal action is controlled and the parcel is constrained to move in a prescribed
curvilinear path, as specified.
2. The herein described means of delivering a parcel from a train in motion,
consisting of two radial connections acting conjointly on the parcel in directions
approximately at right angles to each other, the one extending in its initial position
along the exterior of the car and being detachably connected thoreto and the other
connected to a fixed point extended initially in a direction at 'right angles to the
motion of 'the train in combination with means whereby the latter is connected with
the parcel and the former detached from the train at the proper moments and with
a platform to receive the parcel, substantially as specified.
3. The herein described means of picking up a parcel by a train in motion,
consisting of two radial connections acting conjointly upon the parcel in directions
approximately at right angles to each other, the one being attached to a fixed
point extended in a direction towards the advancing train and connected detachably
to the parcel and the other being connected to the parcel extended in a direction
approximately at right angles to the travelling motion of the train in combination
with means whereby the latter is connected with the car and the former discon-
nected from the parcel at proper times and with a platform to support the parcel in
its transit, substantially as specified.
4. The herein described means of picking up a parcel by a train in motion,
consisting in the combination of a radial connection attached to the parcel extended

page_text: initially in a direction approximately at right angles to the line of travol and
adapted to connect at the proper time with the mail car and of a fixed curvilinear
guide or guides to which the radial connection approximately tangential and
acting, conjointly therewith and serving to control the direction of motion of the
parcel, substantially as specified.
5. The herein described means of delivering a parcel from a train in motion,
consisting in the combination of a curvilinear guide upon the car controlling the
direction of motion of the parcel and of a radial connection attached to the parcel
extended iuitially in a direction normal to the direction of travel and approximately
tangential to the curved guide, means whereby such connection is, at the proper
moment, made to connect with a fixed point, and of a receiving platform for the
parcel, substantially as specified.
Dated May 20th 1052.
E. DAVIES,
By A. M. & Wm. Clark,
58; Chancery Lane, London, Chartered Patent Agents.