Patent ID: 8382401

Claim:
A brake for use in a pneumatic tube carrier system, comprising: a pneumatic tube having a sidewall that at least partially defines an internal bore extending between an inlet and an outlet, wherein said internal bore has a first cross dimension sized to accommodate the passage of a pneumatic carrier there through; a deflectable sidewall portion of said pneumatic tube, wherein said deflectable sidewall portion is selectively deflectable relative to the internal bore to establish a second cross dimension at least at one axial location along a length of the pneumatic tube between the inlet and the outlet, wherein the second cross dimension is less than the first cross dimension; and an actuator in operative communication with the deflectable sidewall portion via a compression band disposed around the pneumatic tube, wherein the actuator is operative to constrict the compression band to displace at least a portion of the deflectable sidewall portion relative to internal bore of the pneumatic tube.