Mail-Receiving Apparatus Page: 3 of 5
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UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.
WILLIAM L. VIAINEIy OF LAMB, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. M. HUBERT, OF
LAMB, TEXAS.
MAIL-RECEIVING APPARATUS.1,028,756.
Specification of Letters Patent.
Patented June 4,1912.
Application filed February 10, 1912. Serial No. 676,790.
To all whom it may concern:
Be it known that I, WiurAM L. MAINER,
a citizen of the United States,. residing at
Lamb, in the county of Liberty and State
5 of Texas, have invented certain new. and
useful Improvements in Mail-Receiving
Apparatus, of which the following is a
specification.
This invention relates to improvements in
10 railway mail receiving devices and particu-
larly to an apparatus for automatically re-
moving mail bags from moving trains.
The primary object of my invention is to
provide a simple and efficient construction
15 which will automatically remove mail bags
from 'a moving train and cause said bags
to enter a receptacle or housing and simul-
taneously close said receptacle against un-
authorized access.
20 As will be hereinafter more fully ex-'
plained, the particular advantage of my
device is to overcome any necessity of the
postmaster or station-master having charge
of the mail, remaining on watch to receive
25 the mail which may be delivered at the sta-
tion by moving trains, 'my invention being
adapted especially' to insure its proper
safety in delivery as well' as prevent like-
lihood of the mail being exposed to-the ele-
30 ments and thereby injured.
For a full understanding of the present
invention, reference is to be had to the fol-
lowing description and the accompanying
drawings, in which-
35 Figure 1 is a perspective view of. my' in-
vention, showing the same in position to re-
ceive a bag of mail. Fig. 2 is a front eleva-
tion of the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation,
.partly in section, showing the catching arm
40 after the bag has been deposited in the box
in dotted lines. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sec-
tional view on the line 4---4 of Fig. 2 show-
ing the arm in position to receive the. mail
bag. . .-
45 Throughout the following detail descrip-
tion and on the several figures of the draw-
ings, similar parts are referred to by like
reference characters.
Referring now to the drawings, a re-
50 ceiving apparatus constructed in accordance
with my invention consists of a plurality of
standards 1 having secured on their upper
portions a receptacle or housing 2 which may
be of any size or shape most suitable for the
55 purpose for, which it is desired. 'The receiv-ing apparatus is designed to be located ad-
jacent the track 3 of the railroad or con-
tiguous to the platform of a station, the
side of the receptacle 2 adjacent the track
being preferably provided with outwardly 60
opening doors 4 hinged thereto.
In the lower portions and adjacent the
outer edges of the doors 4 is secured.in any
desired manner a flexible connecting mem-
ber such 'as a rope 5., . The bottom of the 65
receptacle 2 is provided with an open slot 6,
said slot extending from the front portion
to approximately its center, and directly be-
neath the slot is pivotally mounted for ver-
tical movement' a lever or arm 7, the pivot 70
8 of said arm having its bearings in the
transverse bars 9 and 9' secured to the. op-
posite sides of the upper ends of the stand-
ards 1. The arm or receiving member 7
has adjustably mounted at one end a counter- 75
balancing weight 10, the tendency of which
is to bring the arm into vertical position,
and the end opposite. the weight being
adapted to swing into the receptacle as
clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. 80
This tendency above, referred to'is assisted
further by mounting the pivot at one side
of the center of.the arm.
The end of the arm 7 opposite the weight
10 has mounted thereon a grabbing hook 11 85
formed with a U-shaped portion. 11' and
elongated end 11", the shape. of the hook
being especially. provided to most readily
catch -a bag of mail impinged thereagainst.
The hook 11 is furthermore mounted in the 90
arm for partial rotation, the' inner end 12
thereof being bent laterally and adapted to
move in the notch 12' as will be hereinafter
more fully described.
At a suitable point near the upper por- 95
tion of the front standards 1.is a small plat-
form 13 supported by means of the brackets
14 secured to the standards aforesaid.
Mounted on the upper surface.of the plat-
form 13 are the retaining hooks: or triggers 100
15, each 'having a shank,15' secured to the
platform as by the staples 16, the, extremity
of said shank being bent at right 'angles
thereto to form a stopfinger 15" to permit
said hook to rotate only in-one direction 105
from its vertical position.
As thus described the operator having
charge of the. mail opens the doors 4 of. the
casing 2, access to said casing' being pro-
vided by. the ladder 16' at one side of the. 10
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Mainer, William L. Mail-Receiving Apparatus, patent, June 4, 1912; [Washington D.C.]. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth513101/m1/3/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.