Combined sectional operating-table unit and conveyer section

Application filed April s, 1929. Serial No. 351,956. ,

This invention., relates to the equipment of telegraph offices and has special reference to an instrument desk or table equipped with a novel arrangement of the conveyer.

.5 The principal objects of the present invention are to provide an improved arrangement of instrument desk or table for telegraph operators which will be equipped with a conveyer section, the desks being arranged 10 for positioning side by side in alineinent and the conveyer sections, upon the desks being, thus positioned, interlocking to form a continuous conveyer frame; to. provide a series of desks equipped with interlocking conveyer 15 frame sections adapted to support a continuous conveyer belt, the end members of the series being provided with belt drive and take-up means, whereby three or more of such desks may be assembled side by side and 20 provision being made at the delivery end of the conveyer for receiving messages carried thereby.

With the above and other objects in. view the invention will now be described in detail 25 and specifically claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein:— Figure 1 is a perspective view of three such desks assembled.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view so of the desk at the left hand end of the series, the conveyer belt being omitted.

Figure 3 is a view of the middle desk, or of one of a plurality of intermediate desks.

Figure 4 is a view of the desk at the de35 livery end of the series. ,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the lap joint between two of the conveyer frame sections.

Figure .6 is a section on the line 6—6 of •to Figure 5..

Figure 7 is a side view of the lap joint.

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8—8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of a modi-45 fied form of desk, and conveyer, wherein: the conveyer is carried by the desk behind the upper part thereof.

Each of the desks here shown is provided with the usual top -10 supported on legs 11 .50 and having a drop leaf portion 12 to receive the typewriting instrument used in connection with the modern receiving sets, this leaf being also used to hold, any other associated instruments as desired. In' the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 to 8 there is se- _ggcured to the top of each desk at the rear thereof a plurality of U-shaped brackets 13 for the support of the conveyer section. In the .form shown in Figure 9 U-shaped brackets 14 are'secured to the back of the desk ₆₀or table by the. upper part of one leg so that, these brackets hang down below such desk or table. Each of the conveyer frame sections includes an upper trough portion having side, walls 15 converging from the top ₆₅downwardly and terminating at the bottom in outwardly extending portions 16 having depending flanges 17 at their outer edges, these flanges being, secured to a channel-bar 18 arranged with its web extending -across m the space between the flanges and having its flanges directed downwardly..' At the top the. sides 15 are flanged outwardly, as at 19 and rebent as at 20 to engage beneath the horizontal leg. of a respective, reinforcing angle 75 iron 21.. The angle irons 21 and flanges 1.7 are secured to the sides of the brackets 13, or 14 in, the form shown in .Figure. 9, and below,this part of the conveyer there is provided a channel member, 22 having its flanges _soupstanding anti carried by the sides of the supporting brackets. ' An endless, conveyer belt 23 is. used, in connection with this conveyer frame,; the upper , or active, run of the belt lying in the space, between the flanges 17 85 on .the web 18. arid having its side edges covered by. the .portion 16. The, inactive or return run of. the belt travels in the channel 22.

These conveyer frames thus extend, transversely across the rear of -the respective tables/ 90 and. when, these tables are arranged side by : side in a1 inemerit the conveyer sections will likewise, be .alined.·, In order to connect the proximal, ends: of these sections the end of . one. section, to. which another is to be con- 95 nected has’the angle irons 21 cut to terminate short pf-the end edges of the trough members 15 as shown at 24 in Figure .5. The end .intended to. join this end has the. angle irons 21.projecting, beyond the. upper part of the 100

1,780,118 side trough members as at 25, these projecting ends being of such length as to abut against the shortened ends 24. Also the trough sides 15 are stuck outwardly as at 26 and the por₆ tions 16 are struck upwardly as at 27 so that when assembled these parts lie on the outside of the corresponding parts of the adjacent conveyer section. Furthermore, the flanges of the channel 22 are struck outwardly as at 28 jq and downwardly as at 34 to engage the outer sides or faces of the legs in the corresponding channel of the adjacent conveyer frame. Obviously, each terminal section may have but one end equipped for connection to the ad25 jacent section but the intermediate section or sections will have both ends equipped in this manner, one end having the angle irons shortened and formed as shown at the left Of Figure 5 while the other end will be formed 2o as shown at the right of Figure 5.

One terminal section is provided with an idler pulley 29 supported on a belt tightener or tensioning device 30 while the other terminal section is provided with a drive pulley 31 Ϊ5 driven by any suitable means, here indicated by the belt pulley 32. The belt 23 runs around the pulleys 29 and 31 and, in the form here shown, the upper or active run of this belt moves to the right. At the right or delivery 3o end of the conveyer there is provided a tray 33 to receive the messages. It is obvious that the tray may be replaced by an ordinary conveyer if desired.

The multiple unit outfit above described 33 provides a means for collecting the typed telegraph messages from the entire group of operators, transferring them in upright position and assembling them in the same order, face up in the receptacle. As the conveyer 40 is within easy reach of the operators, the messages are immediately placed in the conveyer trough in upright position and expeditiously transferred and collected in proper position while the operators remain continuously at their positions to receive the incoming messages without interruption. By thus concentrating the incoming telegraph channels into a single unit which embodies a single message collecting means so So Organized that the messages continuously move in upright position and are likewise assembled in proper order without necessitating any operator to move from his operating position, the work of receiving mes55 sages is greatly facilitated.