Pneumatic mail station for the delivery, pneumatically decelerated reception and transit of pneumatic dispatch cases

• US 4,437,797 A
• Filed: 01/15/1982
• Issued: 03/20/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1981
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kardinal, Hans J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Love, John J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WILLIAMS, LAWRENCE E
• Application Number:
  US06/339,420
• Time in Patent Office: 795 Days
• Field of Search: 406/110-112, 406/63, 406/74, 406/182
• US Class Current: 406/110
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 51/32 for despatch, delivery, and transit

Abstract

In an exemplary embodiment, a reception tube chamber closed at one end and a transit tube chamber open at both ends can be displaced in common, whereby, in the reception position of the pneumatic mail station, the reception tube chamber closed at one end is located with its open end area in front of a tube section associated with a forwarding tube path entering the pneumatic mail station from below. The disclosure is especially favorable in pneumatic mail systems with relatively large or, respectively, heavy pneumatic dispatch cases which are to be received in the pneumatic mail station pneumatically decelerated.

Claims

1. A pneumatic mail station for the transmission, reception and transit of pneumatic dispatch cases, comprising two tube sections for coupling with an incoming and an outgoing forwarding tube path, wall means providing mutually opposite limiting walls of the pneumatic mail station at which the respective tube sections are located, said wall means having an inward transfer opening means for pneumatic dispatch cases to be sent out and an outward transfer opening means for received pneumatic dispatch cases at the same limiting walls, carrier means disposed between the limiting walls and having a reception tube chamber (8, 23) for the reception of pneumatic dispatch cases which can be introduced into alignment with the tube section associated with the incoming forwarding tube path, said reception tube chamber (8, 23) having closure means effective at one end of the reception tube chamber for creating an air pillow which decelerates an incoming pneumatic dispatch case and an air conduit (10, 20) pneumatically connecting the tube section associated with the incoming forwarding tube path to the tube section associated with the outgoing forwarding tube path in the reception position of the reception tube chamber (8, 23), characterized in that the reception tube chamber (8, 23) has said closure means at the end thereof closer to the outgoing forwarding tube path, said carrier means having a second tube chamber (9, 22) which extends parallel to the reception tube chamber (8, 23) and is displaceable in common with it, said second tube chamber (9, 22) being in alignment with the two tube sections (3, 29;

6,

     30) in one position and being in alignment with the inward transfer opening means in another position; and

in that the air conduit (10,

     20) joins at one end with the reception tube chamber (8,

     23) and can be displaced in common with said reception chamber (8,

     23) and the second tube chamber (9,

     22) in such manner that, given the position of the second tube chamber (9,

     22) in alignment with the two tube sections, the communication of the air conduit (10,

     20) at least with the tube section (3,

     29) associated with the outgoing forwarding tube path is blocked but, in contrast thereto, is released at the position of the reception tube chamber (8,

     23) in alignment with the two tube sections.

2. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube section (6, 30) for the incoming forwarding tube path is disposed at the lower limiting wall (4) so that an incoming pneumatic dispatch case enters the reception chamber (8, 23) from below.

3. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conduit (10, 20) enters the reception tube chamber (8, 23) close to the open end of said reception tube chamber.

4. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that said carrier means comprises a carrying body (7, 21) having end faces parallel to the adjacent limiting walls at least adjacent the open ends of the two tube chambers.

5. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 4, characterized in that sealing rings (15, 32;

16,

     33) encompassing the tube sections associated with the incoming and outgoing forwarding tube paths are disposed at the limiting walls.

6. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 5, characterized in that annular grooves in the limiting walls accept the sealing rings.

7. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 5, characterized in that the sealing rings are pressed against the end faces of the carrying body (7, 21).

8. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the reception tube chamber has a shorter length than the second tube chamber and the region between the closure means of the reception tube chamber and the limiting wall having the tube section for the outgoing forwarding tube path is at least partially incorporated into the air conduit.

9. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 4 characterized in that the carrying body is substantially comprised of a single-piece structural part in which the air conduit is also worked out in addition to the two tube chambers.

10. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 9, characterized in that the air conduit (20) is formed at least partially in the area between the two tube chambers (22, 23).

11. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 10, characterized in that the air conduit (20) exhibits cross-sectional dimensions which increase proceeding from its central area.

12. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 4, characterized in that the carrying body (7) is mounted by the wall means and driven so as to be linearly displaceable.

13. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 12, characterized in that the carrying body (7) has straight guidance means, and drive means therefor comprises a crank disk (13) having a dog (12) engaged with said guidance means.

14. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the axes of the two tube chambers is identical to the distance between the axis of the inward transfer opening and the axes of the tube sections.

15. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance between the axes of the two tube chambers is identical to the distance between the axis of the outward transfer opening and the axis of the tube section associated with the incoming forwarding tube path.

16. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 4, characterized in that the carrying body carries a blocking detent (18) in the area of its end face facing the limiting wall exhibiting the inward transfer opening means, said blocking detent (18) projecting at least slightly into blocking relation to the inward transfer opening means in a transit position of the carrying body.

17. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 16, characterized in that the blocking detent (18) is constructed and arranged in such manner that, when the carrying body is displaced into a reception position with the second chamber in alignment with the inward transfer opening, the blocking detent is deflected by means of a lateral limiting wall.

18. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 17, characterized in that the blocking detent (18) has a pivot axis which is parallel to the axis of the second tube chamber.

19. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that a contact which can be actuated by pneumatic dispatch cases is disposed at least in the vicinity of the second tube chamber in a transit position of the carrier means.

20. A pneumatic mail station according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure means of the tube chamber (8) has an elastic buffer (19, 24).

21. A pneumatic mail station for the transmission and reception of pneumatic dispatch cases, comprising tube section means for coupling with incoming and outgoing forwarding tube paths, wall means having inward and outward transfer opening means for pneumatic dispatch cases to be send out and for received pneumatic dispatch cases, carrier means mounted by the wall means for movement between first and second positions, and having a reception tube chamber operable in the first position of the carrier means for the reception of pneumatic dispatch cases, said reception tube chamber having an open end disposed in alignment with the tube section means in the first position of the carrier means for the reception of a dispatch case arriving via the incoming forwarding tube path, said reception tube chamber having a closed end for creating an air pillow which decelerates an incoming pneumatic dispatch case and having an air conduit pneumatically connecting with the reception tube chamber between its open and closed ends, and means comprising said air conduit for accomodating air flow toward said reception tube chamber in the first position of said carrier means.