US3612438A

US3612438A - Pneumatic transport apparatus

Info

Publication number: US3612438A
Application number: US874667A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles Herndon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1969-11-06
Filing date: 1969-11-06
Publication date: 1971-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 1988-10-12

Abstract

A device for transporting mail in cities, suburbs, and rural districts. This device utilizes fins in order to stabilize it in travel within hollow rigid tubes which extend underground. The transport vehicle within the tubes is of such structure so as to easily navigate turns in the tube and included on the vehicle are flexible rings which engage the interior surface of the tube so as to cause little or no loss of air compression.

Description

United States Patent Charles Herndon 9 John, Shelbyvillc, Ind. 46146 Appl. No. 874,667 Filed Nov. 6, 1969 Patented Oct. 12, 1971 lnventor PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT APPARATUS 2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 243/19, 243/32, 243/39 Int. Cl. 865g 51/32 Field of Search 243/32-35,

ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,248,071 4/1966 Cook 3,323,755 6/1967 V0itas....

Primary Examiner-l-larvey C. Hornsby ABSTRACT: A device for transporting mail in cities, suburbs, and rural districts. This device utilizes fins in order to stabilize it in travel within hollow rigid tubes which extend underground. The transport vehicle within the tubes is of such structure so as to easily navigate turns in the tube and included on the vehicle are flexible rings which engage the interior surface of the tube so as to cause little or no loss of air compres- S1011.

PATENTEDUEHZISYI 3,612,438

INVEN'I (1R. CHARLES HERNDON PNEUMATIC TRANSPORT APPARATUS This invention relates to pneumatic capsule-transporting devices for mail and the like.

It is therefore the main purpose of this invention to provide a pneumatic transport apparatus which will include a rigid hollow tubular structure which will have opening means for access to a capsule like carrier vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described which will have a capsule carrier vehicle that will be stable in transport.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the type described in which the capsule carrier for containing the mail and the like will be nonrigid so as to prevent possible binding within the rigid tube and the capsule will also have spaced-apart fin members on its outer periphery to impart lateral stability around the longitudinal axis thereof.

A still further objectof this invention is to provide a pneumatic apparatus which will have resilient angular rings near each end'to prevent loss of air compression during the operation of the apparatus, the resilient rings being in sliding engagement with the inner periphery of the tube carrying the capsule.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide pneumatic transport apparatus for mail or the like which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the present invention shown partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal side view of the capsule carrier vehicle shown in elevation and partly broken away; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the vehicle showing the function of one of the flexible plastic rings which serve to maintain the air compression during the operation of the apparatus.

According to this invention, a pneumatic transport apparatus is shown to include a rigid hollow tube 11 of elongated configuration which is embedded within the ground 12 and extends through a building wall 13.

Tube 11 is constructed with a plurality of bends l4 and is capped by a removable cap 15 at one end and at the other end is capped by a cap 15 which is also removable for servicing the control elements.

Cap 15 engages end 16 where the mail or other cargo is to be delivered and cap 15 engages end 16' located behind building wall 13. Within cap 15 is secured an automatic stop control 17 and perforated walls 18 and 18' are secured to the inner periphery of tube 11 near the respective caps 15 and 15'.

Walls 18 and 18' are perforated to allow for the entrance of air into apparatus 10. Encased fan and two way switch 19 are secured within apparatus 10 behind wall 13 and provides air under pressure to operate apparatus 10. An electric cable 20 provides power means for apparatus 10 when plugged into an electrical outlet or the like.

A hinged cover 21 (the hinges not shown) covers the openings 21' and projections 22 of cover 21 provide hand grasping means to open cover 21 for access to capsule vehicle 23.

Capsule vehicle 23 is of a resilient plastic material so as not to bind within tube 11. Vehicle 23 is provided with a hinged cover 24 which allows for placing and removing letters 25 when covers 21 of tube 11 are open. An elongated depression 26 of cover 24 allows grasping means in order to open cover 24 of vehicle 23. A plurality of parallel spaced apart fins 27 on the outer periphery of vehicle 23 serve to aid in preventing roll about the longitudinal axis of vehicle 23 and fins 27 abut with a pair of projecting and spaced-apart plastic rings 28, rings 28 being resilient in nature so as to flexibly engage the inner periphery of tube 11 throughout the travel of vehicle 23 in order to maintain a maximum of air compression which propels vehicle 23 through tube 11 and rings 28 are carried within an annular groove 29 which serves to render them stationary at all times.

The remote portion of tube 11 of apparatus 10 is supported by a post 30 in order that letters 25 may be removed easily from opening 21'.

What I now claim is:

1. A pneumatic transport apparatus comprising a rigid pneumatic transport tube having a plurality of bends along its length, a capsule-type carrier vehicle for delivering mail and the like to a remote point and receiving mail from said remote point, a plurality of stabilizing fins carried by said carrier vehicle, a pair of resilient plastic rings carried by said vehicle providing means of maintaining air under pressure within said rigid tube and allowing for a nonbinding action throughout the travel of said carrier vehicle, a body of said vehicle being hollow for the insertion of letters and the like, and being of flexible plastic material so to allow nonbinding action when said carrier vehicle is navigating said bends of said transport tube carrying said carrier vehicle, said body including a plurality of parallel, spaced-apart fins, said fins being aligned with a longitudinal axis of said carrier vehicle and serving to stabilize said vehicle in its travel by aiding in preventing roll about a longitudinal axis of said vehicle, said fins extending at their opposite ends up to said plastic rings which are spaced apart from each other, said plastic rings being parallel to each other and being adaptable to flexibly engage the inner periphery of said tube carrying said vehicle.

2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein said flexible plastic rings are fixedly engaged in annular grooves on opposite ends of the body of said vehicle, said grooves providing restraining means to prevent dislodging of said rings, the outer periphery of said rings serving to engage the inner periphery of said tube carrying said vehicle to prevent a loss of air compression and said rings are also flexible so as to allow said vehicle to traverse various bends within the rigid tube carrying said vehicle without said vehicle binding within said tube and the partial flexibility of said body of said vehicle further increases the efficiency of said vehicle by aiding in preventing binding within said bends of said tube carrying said vehicle.