Pneumatic tube system

• US 4,058,274 A
• Filed: 09/23/1976
• Issued: 11/15/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ernest Hochradel, Frederick A. Reuter, Martin R. Meyer, Werner Hauer
• Original Assignee: Ernest Hochradel, Frederick A. Reuter, Martin R. Meyer, Werner Hauer
• Inventors: Hauer, Werner, Hochradel, Ernest, Reuter, Frederick A., Meyer, Martin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rowland, James L.
• Application Number:
  US05/725,850
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 243/1, 243/2, 243/5, 243/7-12, 243/16 R, 243/17-21, 243/23, 243/24, 243/25, 243/28, 243/31, 243/38, 104/138 R, 104/155
• US Class Current: 406/2
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/40 Automatically distributing the carriers to desired stations

Abstract

Different embodiments of multiple branch systems in which each branch includes multiple stations, a carrier reversing tube closed at one end, and a diverter having separate ports individually connected to (a) a branch tube which facilitates carrier transfer to and from the branch, (b) station tubes respectively associated with the different stations of the branch, and (c) the carrier reversing tube. The branch diverters selectively complete carrier-conveying paths between (a) the stations of their respective branches or their respective branch tubes and (b) their respective carrier reversing tube. Each branch has a single air supply connected to its carrier reversing tube to alternatively and selectively transfer carriers between stations of the branch via the station tubes, diverter and carrier reversing section, as well as transfer carriers to and from the branch via the branch tube.

The multi-branch system, in one form, includes a further diverter and associated carrier reversing tube which selectively interconnects a pair of branch tubes respectively associated with a carrier sending and a carrier receiving branch. Inter-branch transfer is effected by utilizing the air supply of the sending branch in the pressure mode to push the carrier into the carrier reversing tube of the inter-branch transfer network via the sending branch tube and network diverter, and utilizing the air supply of the receiving branch in its vacuum mode to pull the carrier from the network carrier reversing tube to the receiving station via the network diverter and receiving branch tube.

Claims

1. A pneumatic tube system for conveying carriers, comprising:

two carrier-conveying pneumatic tube branches, each branch including;

a. at least two stations and a branch tube,

b. a carrier reversing tube closed at one end,

c. a diverter having separate ports individually connected to said branch tube, different ones of said stations, and to said carrier reversing tube for selectively completing carrier-conveying paths between (1) said stations and branch tube and (2) said carrier reversing tube,

d. only one air supply connected to said carrier reversing tube to alternatively and selectively transfer carriers into and out of said carrier reversing tube via said diverter,

an inter-branch carrier transfer network including;

a. at least one carrier reversing tube closed at one end,

b. a diverter connected between said carrier reversing tube and said branch tubes for selectively connected said branch tubes to said carrier reversing tube, and

said inter-branch carrier transfer network having no air supply associated with it except for said branch air supplies,

a controller for operating said branch and network diverters and said branch air supplies to sequentially draw a carrier from a sending station in a sending branch into the carrier reversing tube of said sending branch via said sending branch diverter using said sending branch air supply, thence propel said carrier into said carrier reversing tube of said inter-branch carrier transfer network via said diverter and branch tube of said sending branch and said diverter of said inter-branch carrier transfer network using said sending branch air supply, and thereafter draw said carrier from said network carrier reversing tube to a destination station in said destination branch via said diverter of said inter-branch carrier transfer network, said branch tube and diverter of said destination branch using said destination branch air supply.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said network includes at least two carrier reversing tubes each selectively connectable to each of said branch tubes to facilitate simultaneous transfers of carriers between said carrier reversing tubes and branch tubes via said diverter using both said branch air supplies.

3. A method of transferring a carrier from a sending station in a multi-station sending branch to a receiving station in a multi-station receiving branch, comprising:

setting a first diverter, which interconnects a) the open end of a first carrier reversing tube sealed at its other end and b) a sending branch tube and multiple station tubes each connected to different sending stations, to connect only the station tube of a predetermined sending station to the first carrier reversing tube, the first diverter and first carrier reversing tubes being in said sending branch,

applying sub-atmospheric pressure to said first carrier reversing tube from a first air supply connected thereto to pull a carrier from said predetermined sending station to said first carrier reversing tube via said first diverter and said sending station tube associated with said predetermined sending station,

setting the first diverter to connect the first carrier reversing tube to the sending branch tube, which sending branch tube at its other end is connected to a second diverter,

setting the second diverter to connect the sending branch tube to a second carrier reversing tube via the second diverter,

applying super-atmospheric pressure to said first carrier reversing tube from said first air supply to push the carrier from the first carrier reversing tube into the second carrier reversing tube via the first diverter, the sending branch tube, and the second diverter,

setting the second diverter to connect the second carrier reversing tube to a receiving branch tube, the receiving branch tube being connected between the second diverter and a third diverter in the receiving branch,

setting the third diverter to connect the receiving branch tube to a third carrier reversing tube via the third diverter,

applying sub-atmospheric pressure to the third carrier reversing tube from a second air supply connected thereto to pull the carrier from the second carrier reversing tube to the third carrier reversing tube via the second diverter, receiving branch tube and third diverter,

setting the third diverter to connect the third carrier reversing tube to the station tube of a predetermined receiving station, and

applying super-atmospheric pressure to the third carrier reversing tube from the second air supply to push the carrier to said predetermined receiving station via the third diverter and receiving station tube associated with said predetermined receiving station.

4. A pneumatic tube system for conveying carriers, comprising:

at least three carrier-conveying pneumatic tube branches, each branch including;

a. at least two stations and a branch tube,

b. a carrier reversing tube closed at one end,

c. a diverter having separate ports individually connected to said branch tube, different ones of said stations, and to the other end of said carrier reversing tube for selectively completing carrier conveying paths between

     1) said stations and branch tube and

     2) said carrier reversing tube,

d. an air supply connected to said carrier reversing tube to alternatively and selectively transfer carriers to and from said carrier reversing tube via said diverter,

a pneumatic carrier conveying loop including at least three carrier-conveying loop tube sections connected in series,

at least three branch/loop carrier transfer networks associated, respectively, with different ones of said branches, each transfer network including;

a. a carrier reversing tube closed at one end,

b. a diverter having separate ports individually connected to the other end of said carrier reversing tube, said branch tube of said associated branch, and two of said loop tube sections, said network diverter in cooperation with said air supply of said associated branch being operative to selectively propel (1) carriers from said associated branch tube into said network carrier reversing tube via said network diverter;

said network diverter in cooperation with the air supply of a nonassociated branch being operative to draw, (2) carriers from said network carrier reversing tube section to one of said two loop tube sections via said network diverter, and (3) said network diverter being operative in combination with said air supply of said associated branch to draw carriers from the other of said two loop tube sections to said associated branch tube, and

a controller for sequentially switching said diverters and said air supplies to transfer carriers between two of said three branches via said respectively associated branch/loop carrier transfer networks and branch and loop tubes.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein there are at least four carrier-conveying pneumatic tube branches, loop tube sections and branch/loop transfer networks to facilitate simultaneous inter-branch carrier transfers between different adjacent pairs of branches on said loop;

and wherein each said diverter of said branch/loop networks completes a carrier path between its said two associated loop tube sections when a carrier path is complete between said associated branch tube and said network carrier reversing tube for facilitating transmission of a first carrier in said loop simultaneously with transmission of a second carrier from said branch to said network carrier reversing tube.

6. A method of transferring a carrier from a sending station in a multi-station branch to a receiving station in a multi-station branch, comprising:

setting a first diverter, which interconnects (a) the open end of a first carrier reversing tube sealed at its other end and (b) a sending branch tube and multiple station tubes each connected to different sending stations, to connect only the station tube of a predetermined sending station to the first carrier reversing tube, the first diverter and first carrier reversing tubes being in said sending branch,

applying sub-atmospheric pressure to said first carrier reversing tube from a first air supply connected thereto to pull a carrier from said predetermined sending station to said first carrier reversing tube via said first diverter and said predetermined sending station tube,

setting the first diverter to connect the first carrier reversing tube to the sending branch tube, which sending branch tube at its other end is connected to a second diverter associated with the sending branch,

setting the second diverter to connect the sending branch tube to a second carrier reversing tube via the second diverter,

applying super-atmospheric pressure to said first carrier reversing tube from said first air supply to push the carrier from the first carrier reversing tube into the second carrier reversing tube via the first diverter, the sending branch tube, and the second diverter,

setting the second diverter to connect the second carrier reversing tube to a first loop tube section of a continuous loop, the first loop tube section being connected between the second diverter and a third diverter associated with the receiving branch,

setting the third diverter to connect the first loop tube section to a receiving branch tube associated with the receiving branch via the third diverter, the receiving branch tube being connected to a fourth diverter,

setting the fourth diverter to connect the receiving branch tube to a third carrier reversing tube via the fourth diverter,

applying sub-atmospheric pressure to the third carrier reversing tube from a second air supply connected thereto to pull the carrier from the second carrier reversing tube to the third carrier reversing tube via the second diverter, first loop tube section, third diverter, receiving branch tube and fourth diverter,

setting the fourth diverter to connect the third carrier reversing tube to the station tube of the receiving station, and

applying super-atmospheric pressure to the third carrier reversing tube from the second air supply to push the carrier to the receiving station via the fourth diverter and receiving station tube.