PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

Z. PI DEDERICK. AUTOMATIC MAIL` AND PARCEL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO. 6. v1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 845,765.l PATENTED MAR. 5, 1907.

Z. P. DBDERICK.

UTOMATIG MAIL AND PARCEL `DELIVERY APPARATUS.

APPLIGATION FILED DB0. s. 190e.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N' Q N. Nxga o l liv.:

box, either of which could be employedl ZADOC P. DEDERICK, OF SHERMAN, TEXAS.

AUTOMATIC MAIL AND PARCEL DELIVERY APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters atent.

Patented March 5, 1907'.

Application filed December 6, 1906. Serial liloA 346,559.

T0 a/Z wiz/0m it ivi/(ty concern.;

Be it known that I, ZADoc P. Dnnnnrox, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sherman, in the county of Grayson and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Mail and Parcel Delivery Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to mechanism for automatically delivering and collecting mail, and relates particularly to mechanism for use on rural mail routes.

The object of the invention is to provide a device that can be loaded with mail at the post-office and sent out through the country over wires supported by poles, to automatically deliver the mail to the respective mailboxes along the route, and at the same time to receive from said boxes mail which has been deposited for forwarding to other local1- ties, Lthis collecting also being made automatically and simultaneously as the device proceeds on its journey.

The invention further relates to other uses and details of construction, as will be pointed out in the specification and claims appended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail-car traveling upon two wires arranged one above the other at suitable distances apart and carried by poles set at intervals to support the same. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the mail-car, wires upon which it travels, also a pole supporting the wires and retaining them in their proper relative positions. l art of the mail-car is broken away to show a mail-box within in the act of receiving and delivering mail and a motor by which it is propelled. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the main body of the car. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a shelf secured cen trally within body of car for receiving mail to be placed in a mailbox, and it also shows a depending leaf or scraper at its forward end for brushing any mail from within a mail-b ox that such mail may be deposited and carried along in the bottom of mail-car to the post ofi-ice. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a rural mail-b ox to be used with this device. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a two-comp artment box into which mail to be delivered along a route is piled. It is shown resting upon top of car in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Figs. and 9 show, respectively, a three and four compartment should one of two compartments not have suiicient capacity to carry the outgoing mail. Figs. 10 and 11 show a metal sheet used to separate the mail for the diiferent mail-boxes along the route when it is placed in a compartment for distribution. Fig. 12 is a view showing a building from which wires extend supported by poles and showing a mail-car traveling on such wires. Figs. 13 and 14 are detail views of the spring-catch attached to mail-boxes.

In Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4 the reference-letter A indicates the car for carrying mail. Four deeply-grooved wheels B, two at each end of this car, travel on two overhead wires C C, placed one above the other and supported by brackets D and D', attached to posts E. The wires C C are arranged for conducting an electrical current out along the route taken by the car, said current being transmitted to and from a suitable motor F within the car, as shown in Fig. 2.

It will be understood that proper insulation and other well-known electrical a pliances Vwill be necessary, but cannot e claimed specifically in connection with a device of this character.

Secured tothe motor-shaft is shown a` sprocket-pinion F', from which a link belt B' passes to and around sprocket-wheel B2, secured to one end of grooved-wheel shaft B3. Attached to the opposite end of this shaft is a similar sprocket-wheel B4, that imparts motion through link 'belt B5 to another sprocket-wheel B, attached to end of shaft B7, carrying one of the upper grooved wheels B. These grooved wheels may be lined with rubber, if deemed advisable, and should the driving of two of them not be found adequate for a very hilly mail route all four of the wheels may be driven ina manner similar to the two described. A2 are vertical supports in which the two upper grooved wheels are journaled.

The body of car A is made of sheet metal and provided at each end with an opening sufficiently large to admit of the inail-box G passing through it without touching'.

Extending along the side of car passing nearest to post E is a slot A', which admits of the car passing supporting-bracket G' of mail-box, This slot is covered to keep out wind, rain, or snow by a folded strip of sheetrubber A2, as shown in Fig. 4.

Centrally within the body of car A is a IOC) shelf H, secured to lower side of slot A. This shelf is shown in detail in Fig. 5. It is provided with two raised sides H, ribs a, ex-

tending from front to rear, and a semicircular leaf b, pivoted at b in such a manner that it rises freely outwardly, but will swing back to a vertical position only. This leaf conforms in shape to the lower half of mail-box G, through which it and the shelf freely pass.

The top of mail-car A is flat and provided with an upwardly-projecting pin c, lateral and transverse opening I, raised catch d, and transverse slot e, all of which will be more definitely referred to hereafter.

J represents a two-compartment mail-receptacle. Each compartment should be of sufficient width and length to receive letters and papers usually sent out by rural carriers. The depth might be about twice its length. This mail-receptacle has an aperture on the bottom side that fits pin c. The top side is provided with a pin f, that is journaled in pivoted cover K, thus enabling the receptacle to turn freely when necessary. The inwardly-bent flanges J prevent the sheets O from dropping downward when mail-matter is arranged as shown in Fig. 2.

On the outer ends of the receptacles and near the lower side are pivoted T-latches g, provided each with a downwardly-proj ecting leg g', and a spring 7L serves for retaining the latch in engagement with the catch d, all of which is shown connected in Figs. l, 2, and 3. If three or four compartment receptacles are required, the one with two compartments can be instantly removed by raising cover K and either of the others as quickly substituted, or for a very populous route two receptacles with four compartments each can readily be provided, which should handle mail for more than four hundred rural boxes.

The rural mail-boxes G required to operate with this device are shown in detail in Fig. 6. They are constructed of sheet-iron, preferably, have a circular bottom and fiat top, and are provided with an opening or slot G2, extending the whole length 0f one side, and from the top edge of slot the metal is bent outward, G, thence downward at a gradual taper, the end terminating in a bend outward and perforated at G3, which perforation lits loosely the guiderod i, Fig. l. The outward bend G is also perforated at j j, through which perforations pass the guiderods k 7c. To the top side, at front end of box G, is hinged a leaf K. (Shown clearly in Fig. l.) The lower edge of this leaf is serrated to loosely cover the raised parts on shelf H and are provided principally to guard against the possibility of the leaf K failing to rake all mail from the shelf H even if the mail box or car after protracted use should need adjustment.

' oted rod p.

The leaf K swings freely inwardly, but outwardly can come to a vertical position only. The semicircular door Z, also at front end of mail-box, is secured by a single arm m to a rod n, that is pivoted in both sides of mailbox. This door is prevented from swinging inwardly by raised strips 0 on lower inside of mail-box, but is free to swing outwardly when required.

L is another section of 4a door free to swing both inwardly and outwardly when required, K and L both being hinged to the rod n, and their relative requirements will be referred to again. At the opposite end of mail-box is another semicircular door, shown by dotted lines and carried by an arm secured to a piv- It is similar to that of l, but arranged to swing inwardly only. The leaf or door M is pivoted loosely to rod p, drops down over the outside of circular door, and may swing freely either way. Secured to the top side and projecting over front end of mail-box is a spring-catch N. The forward end is bent down and recessed, forming a rearwardly-projecting tongue N In Figs. l() and 11 are shown metal sheets O, made preferably of aluminium and should lit loosely within the compartments of mailreceptacle J. One end of the sheet has a slight bend downward, as at O, and centrally located.. At the lower edge of this bend is a narrow baclwardly and upwardly projecting tongue O2, terminating at and secured to lower side of the sheet. The raised U-shaped projection O3 on top side of sheet is used only on the last sheet placed in a mailreceptacle that has been filled. W'hen this sheet is drawn from the receptacle, the raised U-shaped portion will engage the projecting leg g, raising the spring-latch g from catch d, allowing the coiled spring P at top of receptacles to quickly whirl them half way around, bringing the other receptacle in position for distributing its supply of mail. lt will be noted in this connection that either a three or four compartment receptacle, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, can readily be employed, as the catch would prevent either swinging only to the next successive compartment when latch is alternately lifted.

Attention is now directed to the arrangement of poles for carrying the wires and inailboxes, and the same may be understood from the following: In erecting a system the wires and boxes are carried at considerable height above the ground, so as to interfere with nothing. Wherever a mail-box is to he located, the pole should be of iron pipe set firmly in the ground, and it is thought preferable to have all poles of the same material. Near the top end of each pipe are secured projecting arms D and D, the outer end of each being bent upward, adapting y them to the passage of the grooved wheels IOO of mail-car. To the upper portion of these bent ends the wires C C are secured in a suitable manner. Centrally located between the arms D and D and secured to the pipe is a bracket Q, consisting of two projecting arms, at the ends of which are secured the guide-rods 7c 7c and centrally between them the guide-rod i. pass loosely through apertures y' y' of mailbox, and the rod i passes through aperture G3 of same. To the outward bend Cr of mail-box is secured a cord or chain R, passing j upward and over a pulley g, secured near top of pole E, thence downward within the pipe, where it is attached to a weight. (Shown dotted at S, Fig. l.) By means of this cord and weight the mailbox is held firmly against the under side of bracket Q and is in proper position to receive the inail-car when it passes over the route. .To place mail in the boxes for forwarding or to remove any matter the car has deposited, the box is pulled down by means of cord R', attached to lower portion G3 of mail-box. /Vhen the cord is released, weight S quickly elevates it to its proper position adjacent to bracket Q. It will be noted that the guide-rods c 7c are bent backward after leaving the bracket Q to a line with'the post E at the point where lower bracket D is secured, thence downward and outward again about the same dis` tance, whence they descend vertically to a point a few feet from the ground, where they are secured to bracket Q. These bends are provided to admit of the mail-box when ascending or descending passing the lower wire. Also to admit of the passage of the mail-box the bracket D is provided with a later al bend, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8.

In placing the mail within the receptacles provided for this mail-car the various articles are arranged in the order in which they are to be deliveredthat is to say, in rural delivery perhaps fifty or one hundred lots oi' mail are to be delivered, in doing which the mail-carriers usually have the various deliveries arranged in the order in which they successively arrive at their destinations. Therefore the postmaster will place mail to be left in the first box on the shelf H within. the car. The mail-receptacle J then being in place on top of car, as shown in Fig. 2, a sheet C is placed within., where it rests on the flanges J. Mail for box No. 2 is placed on this sheet and another sheet inserted, and so on alternately for all the boxes. /Vhere there is no mail for a box or any number of boxes, sheets are inserted for all of them, and when a box is reached for which there is mail it is placed on the sheet. It will be noted that a sheet must be inserted for every mail-box the car is to pass, whether there is mail for the box or not, which renders it avery simple matter for the device to pass any number of boxes for which The rods 7c 7c there is no mailand when it reaches a box for which there is mail as readily deposit it.

Now, assuming that all the outgoing mail has been placed in the receptacles, the current will be turned on and the car started over the route. Upon reaching the iirst mailbox the shelf H will be carried through it', when i'f any outgoing mail has been placed therein it will be brushed out by the depending leaf b and dropped to the bottom of the car. r shows a package being removed from the box, and r the same deposited at bottom of car. As the shelf continues its passage through the mail-box the package placed upon it for delivery strikes the outwardlyimmovable leaf K, Fig. l, and as the shelf slides along from under it is dropped within the mail-box. At this juncture the ilange O of the leaf C engages the spring-catch N, secured to top side of inail-box, and as the car passes along said leaf is drawn from the re-r ceptacle J, when the mail, if any was placed on it, drops to the shelf H and is carried along to the next box, where it is brushed off by another depending leaf K, as has been already explained. The leaf O is held by the spring N until the slot e, Fig. 4, reaches it, when the downwardly-turned corners of this slot forces it loose, whence it drops to the bottom of car and is carried along by same. This operation is repeated at every box the car passes until the last sheet in a mail-receptacle is reached. This sheet is provided with the U-shaped projection, and when it is drawn from the receptacle it engages the leg g', lifting the latch g, when the coiled spring P revolves the receptacles one-half way around, bringing the one from which the mail has not been removed to the position occupied by the one just emptied, when the process of delivery continues until all the mail-boxes have TOO been passed. If the route is a belt-line, the

car continues its course around same and back to the post-oiiice, but provision is made for it to pass out, say, twelve miles on a route, reverse at the end of same by passing under a wire or other suitable means for reversing a lever, and return car over the same wires without disturbing the mail it has deposited in the boxes on its outward journey. This is rendered possible by the construction of the depending leaf b, attachedto shelf H. It opens outwardly, but not inwardly, and when the car is propelled backward on its return this leaf raises when coming in contact with the semicircular door Z of mail-boxes and glides through them above the mail they contain.

If desired, rural telephones maybe provided along a route equipped with this device by making connection with the wires C C in a suitable manner and extending a wire to the building in which such service is desired. A proper switchboard at the post-oilice from IIO which the cars are forwarded would also be necessary.

Another use to which this device would seem applicable is a parcel-delivery system for towns and cities. The receiving-boxes should be carried by poles similar to those used for mail service and large enough to receive ordinary packages of about ten pounds weight. The car, also wires upon which it travels, would require to be larger for this service.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States of America,

1. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising a car A, wires C C for carrying the same, a mail-receptacle J carried by the car, lid K for supporting the upper portion thereof, spring lJ for revolving the receptacles, latch g and catch g for retaining the receptacles after each successive movement, in combination with mail-boxes Gr situated along the mail route, the springcatch N thereon, the raised members 0 within and the doors at either end of mail-box, all arranged substantially as shown and described and operating simultaneously.

2. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising a car for carrying the several packages of mail to be received or delivered, a mail-receptacle carried upon said car, means for supporting and actuating said receptacle, a series of metal sheets for carrying and separating the inail-packages, means for drawing the sheets in an intermittent manner for dropping the mail for delivery held between them, and other means for releasing the sheets and depositing them at the bottom 'of car, whereby they are returned to the postoflice to be again thus employed.

3. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising a car for carrying receptacles containing mail to be distributed, metal sheets within such receptacles by which mail for the different inail-boxes are separated, such sheets adapted to deliver their mail in successive order and means for withdrawing the sheets at the proper time, in combination with inail-boxes placed along the route, and means on the car for removing mail from the said boxes simultaneously with the drawing of the sheets and depositing the mail thus removed within the mailcar, substantially as shown and described.

4. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising a receptacle having compartments for containing the mail to be distributed, the same carried by a car arranged to receive mail from boxes along the route, a series of metal sheets adapted to be placed within the compartments of such receptacles for separating and delivering the mail in successive order, means for withdrawing the sheets from said compartments and dropping the mail upon a shelf within the mail-car7 whence it is deposited alternately within a series of mail-boxes along the route, from which, at the same time mail is received from the said mail-boxes in successive order as they are reached, dropped therefrom into the mail-car and carried to the postoiiice for forwarding.

5. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising car A for carrying the mail to be distributed and collected, deeplygrooved wheels B mounted on said car, an electric motor F located centrally within same, a sprocket-pinion F secured to motorshaft, a link belt B extending from said pinion to sprocket-wheel B2 secured to groovedwheel shaft B3, a similar sprocket-wheel B4 secured to opposite end of shaft B3 around which passes link belt Bi to and around sprocket-wheel B6 attached to upper groovedwheel shaft B7 enabling the motor, when started to revolve the two grooved wheels thus connected and propel the car along supporting-wires C for the purposes set forth and described.

6. An automatic mail and parcel delivery apparatus comprising a car A, a receptacle J carried thereby for containing the mail for delivery, the metal sheets O provided therefor, the downwardly projection O and tongue O2 formed on one end of each of these sheets enabling th'em to be drawn from the receptacle, and a shelf H centrally located within body of car, in combination with a series of inail-boxes G carried by poles at the roadside for holding mail to vbe collected or delivered by said car, these boxes being constructed with circular bottom, a slot at one side extending from end to end, a spring-catch N for engaging the sheets O, and doors at each end for closing same, all as herein set forth.

7. In a mail deliveryand receiving apparatus, poles set at intervals adapted to carry two overhead wires arranged at suitable distances apart, one above the other, a car adapted to travel thereon, a mail-carrying member on the car arranged for delivery of mail-packages, a means for removing mail from mail-boxes placed at intervals along the route, and likewise depositing any mail for said boxes within them while successively passing through body of car, suitable doei s at each end of inail-boxes that will be simultaneously opened and closed by the passage of the car, substantially as described.

8. In a mail delivery and receiving apparatus, a car carrying mail-receptacles, overhead wires upon which the car travels, suitable brackets for the support of said wires, said brackets secured to pipe posts firmly embedded in the ground, depending guide-rods ICO IIO

'for the inail-box provided therefor, a suitable reach from the ground, all as and for the purcord extending upward from Inail-box, over l pose specified. IO pulley near top of post, thence downward In testimony whereof I aEX my signature within said post and attached to a Weight for l in presence of two witnesses.

retaining said box adj acent to the bracket Q ZADOG l?. DEDERICK. where it is in position to receive or discharge Witnesses: its mail, and a similar oord R passing down- J. P. GEREN,

ward from mail-box to a point Within easy W. W. JENNINGS.