US 5,181,805 AGranted

Pneumatic tube system

AssigneeDiebold, Incorporated

InventorsLeo J. Grosswiller, F. Michael Theriault, Lawrence F. Mannella, Walter G. Anders

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Abstract

A pneumatic tube system comprising: a pair of terminals; an overhead cylindrical tube connecting the terminals; a captive carrier for passage through the tube, the carrier having an internal cavity for carrying articles and removable caps at the distal ends thereof enclosing the cavity; a carrier receiver enclosed within each of the terminals for receiving the carrier, the carrier receiver being operable to reciprocally move the carrier axially along a pre-determined axis which is angularly movable relative to the tube; and a cap removing assembly in each of the terminals operable to remove a cap from one end of the carrier to permit access to the carrier cavity and to replace the cap to permit transfer of the carrier through the tube.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A carrier for use in a cylindrical pneumatic tube system, the carrier being a generally cylindrical, normally closed container for transporting articles through the system, the carrier comprising:

a generally cylindrical, tubular body symmetrical about a central axis, said body having opposed open ends communicating with an interior cavity for holding said articles to be transported;
flange means formed about the periphery of each of said open ends of said body:
a pair of removable caps, one cap mounted on one open end and the other cap mounted on the other open end of said body, each of said caps being dimensioned to correspond to said one or the other of said open ends of said carrier body, and having an axis oriented to generally correspond to said central axis of said body when said cap is mounted thereon, each of said caps including:
a plurality of latch elements operable to grip said flange means, each of said latch elements movable along an individual path perpendicular to said axis of said cap between an attached position wherein said latch elements engage said flange means and secure said cap to said carrier body and a release position wherein said latch elements are disengaged from said flange means wherein said cap may be removed from said carrier body,
an actuator movable along the axis of said cap between a first position and a second position,
link means operable to connect said actuator to said plurality of latch elements, said latch elements being in said attached position when said actuator is in said first position and being in said release position when said actuator is in said second position, and
means for biassing said actuator toward said first position;
and
means for pneumatically sealing at least one of said caps with said tubular body when said at least one of said caps is in said attached position.

6 more elements

A carrier for use in a cylindrical pneumatic tube system, the carrier being a generally cylindrical, normally closed container for transporting articles through the system, the carrier comprising:

a generally cylindrical, tubular body symmetrical about a central axis, said body having opposed open ends communicating with an interior cavity for holding said articles to be transported,
flange means formed about the periphery of each of said open ends of said body,
a pair of removable caps, one cap mounted on one end and the other cap mounted on the other open end of said body, each of said caps being dimensioned to correspond to said one or the other of said open ends of said carrier body, and having an axis oriented to generally correspond to said central axis of said body when said cap is mounted thereon, each of said caps including:
a plurality of latch elements operable to grip said flange means, each of said latch elements movable along an individual path perpendicular to said axis of said cap between an attached position wherein said latch elements engage said flange means and secure said cap to said carrier body and a release position wherein said latch elements are disengaged from said flange means wherein said cap may be removed from said carrier body along the axis of said cap between a first position and a second position,
link means operable to connect said actuator to said plurality of latch elements, said latch elements being in said attached position when said actuator is in said first position and being in said release position when said actuator is in said second position, and
means for biasing said actuator toward said first position.

3 more elements

A carrier for use in a cylindrical pneumatic tube system, the carrier being a generally cylindrical, normally closed container for transporting articles through the system, the carrier comprising:

a generally cylindrical, tubular body symmetrical about a central axis, said body having opposed open ends communicating with an interior cavity for holding said articles to be transported,
flange means formed about the periphery of each of said open ends of said body,
a pair of removable caps, one cap mounted on one open end and the other cap mounted on the other open end of said body, each of said caps being dimensioned to correspond to said one or the other of said open end of said carrier body, and being generally symmetrical about an axis oriented to generally correspond to said central axis of said body when said cap is mounted thereon, and each of said caps including:
a cap housing, a plurality of latch elements within said housing operable to grip said flange means, each of said latch elements movable along an individual path perpendicular to said axis of said cap between an attached position wherein said latch elements engage said flange means and secure said cap to said carrier body and a release position wherein said latch elements are disengaged from said flange means wherein said cover may be removed from said carrier body,
an actuator within said housing movable along said axis between a first position and a second position, said actuator including engagement surface means external of said housing, said actuator moving from said first position to said second position when said engagement surface means is moved away from said housing along said axis,
link means within said housing operable to connect said actuator to said plurality of latch elements, said latch elements being in said attached position when said actuator is in said first position and being in said release position when said actuator is in said second position, and
means for biassing said actuator toward said first position.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.