1018 Transactions of the American Institute. 



ez^n^vings having been successfully tested upon the Boston and 

 Albany Railroad has proved an exception to the rule, and is now 

 bi ongh before the public by the inventors as an apparatus the value 

 of which has been proved by the crucial test of use! 



The larger of the two engravings is an external view of a mail car 

 fatted Math the invention, and the smaller is an internal view of the 



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In one side of the car, near the roof thereof, is formed an oblong 

 openmg in which, on a vertical axis, is arranged a scoop, A. Tl^ 

 shape of this scoop may be described as that of die one-half of an oval 

 vessel divided longitudinally through its center. The pivots,."^ 

 which the scoop IS attached in place, are arranged at its center close 

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ti ) ough Mdiich passes the horizontal portion of an angular hook, ., lie 

 pu pose of which will be presently explained. Attached by a staple 

 to the inner surfa.>e of the side of the car, and adjacent to dther eiid 

 of the scoop, IS a rod, B, furnished at its fi-ee extremity with a hook. 

 By hooking the extremity of one of these rods upon the contiguous 

 end of the scoop the scoop will be held in a position at an angle to 

 tiie side of the car, as indicated in the above engraving. One or the 

 other of the rods being used according as the car is moving in one 

 direction or the other, that the end of the scoop which is foremost 

 when the ear is in motion projecting outward from the side of the 

 car while the opposite end, as a matter of course, projects inward as 

 will be understood by a reference to the smaller cut. 



In order to use the apparatus the mail bag, C, to be delivered to or 

 deposited within the car, is suspened as represented in the larger 

 engraving, upon a suitable hook, supported bv a fixed post dose to 

 the track, at the same height from the level of the track as the open- 

 ing m the car; this hook being at snch distance from the track that 

 when the bag is suspended therefrom it will be in the same line with 

 the outwardly projecting portion of the scoop as the car advances. 

 The bag, D, to be delivered from the car is suspended from that one 

 of the hooks, c, behind the rear or inwardly projecting part of the 

 scoop. . ' 



As the car passes along, the forward portion of the scoop passes 

 outside of the bag to be taken aboard, and striking the bag pushes it 



