US684232A - Sorting-desk. - Google Patents

Description

Patented Oct. 8, MN. 8. A. HARRISON.

SORTING DESK.

(Application filed Feb. 2, 1901.)

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No. 684,232. Patented Oct. 8, I90].

8. A. HARRISON.

SOBTING DESK.

(Application filed. Feb. 2, 1901.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL A. HARRISON, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

SORTING-DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 684,232, dated. October 8, 1901.

Application filed February 2, 1901. Serial No. 45,712. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL A. HARRISON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sorting-Desks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to appliances for sorting mail-matter and other articles, as bills or invoices, and has for its object to provide a device with a series of shelves or compartments, the sizes of which may be readily varied, the said shelves being capable of being released simultaneously by a peculiar novel construction.

The invention will be fullydescribed hereinafter and the features of novelty pointed out in the appended claims. 1

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention adapted for use as a post-office sortingdesk. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional detail on the line 3 3 of Fig. 4.. Fig. A is an inverted plan of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, drawn upon an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is a detail plan of the shelf-releasing slide. Fig. 7 is an elevation showing one of the shelf-supports with the adjacent portion of a shelf in section substantially on the plane indicated by the line 7 7 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is a plan of one of the shelves, and Fig. 9 is a front elevation of another form of shelf.

The device comprises a table A, supported on legs A or otherwise, and a rack or cabinet of shelves at the rear end of the table. This rack has a rear Wall E and a series of parallel vertical walls or partitions B, forming columns or divisions for the shelves 0. Each of the walls B has a central vertical guideway or groove B into which fit projections 0, located centrally on the shelves 0, which are adapted to slide up and down between the walls 13. At a distance forward and rearward from said grooves the walls B are provided with vertically-extending recesses B in which are located rods D, mounted to turn about vertical axes. The rods D carry teeth D, adapted to form supports for the shelves 0, which are preferably provided for this purpose with downwardly extending springs 0 Fig. 7, so that it is easy to move the shelves up, but not to move them down. The teeth D normally extend inward or toward the companion rod D to properly support the shelves 0. The recesses B however, are made of sufficient size to allow the teeth D to be received therein when the rods D are turned about their vertical axes. To effect such movement, I provide a releasingslide F, Fig. 6, having an operating-handle F, (see also Figs. 1 and 2,) projected to a point where it may be readily taken hold of, and said slide has a limited forward and backward movement (in a horizontal direction) and carries four small racks F engaging pinions D at the lower ends of the rods D. By this means the rods D can be so turned that their teeth D will release the shelves 0, when of course all the shelves will drop to the bottom. This is of great advantage when it is desired to rearrange the shelves. Inasmuch as each shelf can be moved up individually, compartments of various sizes may be formed according to requirements, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Eachrow or column of shelves has its individual independent releasing-slide F.

The manner of using the shelves 0 will be obvious. The teeth D normally prevent a downward movement of the shelves, and the projections O, fitting into the grooves B hold the shelves against forward or backward movement.

In using my invention for sorting letters at post-offices it is intended that each shelf should receive the mail of one addressee only. As some persons or concerns receive a much larger amount of mail-matter than others, it would be inconvenient to use the shelves for all addressees. In order to provide for such cases, I have located at one side of the table A a series of inclined receptacles or chutes G, to which lead apertures A in the table. These apertures are normally closed by a slide H, connected by link H with a lever I, ful

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such a position as to keep the apertures A closed. When it is desired to uncover the said apertures, the operator presses a pedal K, fulcrumed on a bracket K and pivotally connected with the lever I. Letters or other mail-matter may then be introduced into the receptacles or chutes G to be removed therefrom in any suitable manner, and as soon as the pedal K is released the slide H will return to close the apertures A In Fig. 9 I have illustrated a shelf C differing from that shown in the other figures by being provided with legs 0 and by having the springs 0 made somewhat longer than the springs 0 The central lugs or projections C are the same as before. lVhen the shelves are released by the mechanism hereinbefore described, the legs C will come to rest on the next shelf below, so that there will be left a small space or compartment between adjacent shelves Without any necessity for the post-office clerk or other attendant to raise one shelf from the other. The improved desk saves space and particularly economizes time.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the nature of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A sorting-desk comprising uprights having supports projected therefrom laterally, said uprights being mounted to turn about their longitudinal axes, shelves engaging said supports, and means for turning the uprights to release the shelves.

2. Asorting-desk comprising rods mounted to turn about their longitudinal axes and provided with lateral projections, shelves or partitions engaging said projections, and means for turning the rods to release the shelves.

3. A sorting-desk comprising parallel vertical walls, vertical rods j ournaled in recesses of said walls and provided with laterally-projecting teeth, shelves resting on said teeth, and means for turning the rods.

4;. A sorting-desk comprising parallel vertical walls, upright rods journaled at said Walls and provided with laterally-projecting teeth, shelves resting on said teeth, and means i for turning the rods.

5. A sorting-desk comprising parallel ver-' tical walls having vertical guideways, upright 1 rods journaled at said walls, both in front- 7 and rear of said guideways and provided with laterally-extending teeth, shelves engaging" said guideways and resting on said teeth, and means for turning the rods.

6. A sorting-desk comprising movable uprights provided with laterally-extending sup-. ports, shelves engaging said supports, and

means for moving the uprights to bring their supports out of engagement with the shelves.

7. A sorting-desk comprising movable upi 7 rights provided with laterally-extending supports, shelves provided with springs engaging said supports, and means for moving the uprights to bring their supports out of engagement with the shelves. 7 i

8. A sorting-desk comprising parallel rods I mounted to turn about their longitudinal r axes and provided with lateral projections,

shelves or partitions engaging said PIOjBC.

the corresponding receptacles or chutes, and V p means for moving said slide against the ten sion of the spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 7 name to this specification in the presence of r a two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL A. HARRISON.

Witnesses:

JOHN LOTKA, v EVERARD BOLTON MARSHALL.

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