Pneumatic tube system with secure carrier storage

A pneumatic tube system, comprising:

• a workstation configured to send and receive carriers via the pneumatic tube system;
• a carrier vault configured to securely hold the carriers directed to the workstation located separately from the workstation in the pneumatic tube system, the carrier vault comprising at least one carrier port for holding carriers and a port for servicing the workstation;
• and
• a system blower configured to place an arriving carrier for the workstation into the carrier port.

A storage device of a pneumatic tube system, comprising:

• a rotatable carousel comprising at least a first tube and a second tube, each tube sized and shaped to permit passage of a carrier used to transport materials via the pneumatic tube system, the carousel being configured to rotate between a first position, where the first tube is aligned with an access tube of the pneumatic tube system, and a second position, where the second tube is aligned with the access tube;
• and
• a stop plate adjacent to the carousel comprising an open tube stub and at least one closed tube stub, the stop plate being configured to rotate between an open position, where the open tube stub is aligned with the access tube and the carrier is allowed to pass through the stop plate, and a closed position, where the closed tube stub is aligned with the access tube and the carrier is prevented from passing through the stop plate,
• wherein, when an arriving carrier is to be stored in the storage device, the carousel is rotated to or maintained in the second position and the stop plate is rotated into or maintained in the closed position to receive the arriving carrier in the second tube, and
• wherein, when the arriving carrier is received in the second tube, the carousel is rotated to the first position and the stop plate is rotated into the open position so that the arriving carrier is stored in the storage device and a workstation associated with the storage device remains available for subsequent carrier transmissions through the first tube.