This invention relates to the end station, where the material is loaded and received in pneumatic tube systems which is used to transport negotiable instruments and materials to close distances.

The present invention relates to a simpler and safer end station compared to the current technique, since the loading station does not move, the capsule fitting foot at the lower end of the station is withdrawn from the capsule path when the station is in the receiving state and the capsule is allowed to pass and has no moving parts other than the capsule fitting foot.

Prior Art

The history of transport of substances from one place to another in a closed pipe with the help of moving air exceeds 100 years. Written documents states that between 1856 and 1876, the grain was transported from ships to warehouses in the ports of London, Rotterdam, Hamburg and Leningrad via pneumatic systems. The encapsulated pneumatic conveying system used by Wyatt J. West for pneumatic conveying of granulated material and the one nowadays used in hospitals and large workplaces was invented by William Murdoch and was introduced in 1836 after the construction of the first transport capsule. The first patent regarding this issue was obtained in 1853 by Josiah Latimer Clark, who established the 200 m long pneumatic transmission line between the London Stock Exchange and the building of the“Electric Telegraph Company” in Lothburry in 1854. Later, some inventors, though not many, registered various patents on pneumatic systems and its accessories.

In 1966, the West German company Siemens registered the pneumatic transport system used today in the United Kingdom with patent number GB1148422, as well as in its own country. In 1980, Jeffrey B. Mallory and Charles M. Campbell described a tube transmission system in the structure used today and registered the structure of the capsules to move within these tubes with patent number US4362443. In 1998, Teutenberg J. Dipling, Vogelphol F. Dipling, Moll H. Dipling and Untired Ulrich, on behalf of Krupp Polisyus AG, patented a pneumatic transport system that can be used without removing the capsules out of the tubes with the patent number DE19714500. In 1992, Harutomutsuto Rangu patented a carriage system using pistons in addition to air propulsion, known by the number JPH04361920. The method of routing the transport capsule into the desired channel with the help of a piston is seen in the patent from the People's Republic of China with number CN207361356, received by Chen Yulshin in 2018. Another patent from the People's Republic of China, CN105217315, describes a pneumatic conveying system with a rectangular section.

In addition to conveying systems, some accessories have been patented for use in tube pneumatic systems. Sundulm Goeran has patented the method and accessory for connecting tubes used in transmission with number US2013306187, Renoux Frederic and Gatto Dominique have patented the transport capsule commonly used today in 2010, with application number EP2397427, and Barnett C. Morrison, also in 2010, patented an apparatus for sealing the caps of transport capsules with application number US3788577.

The end station, which is still used in existing systems, has two points at which the capsule loading tip is positioned. When the station is in the sending mode, the capsule loading tip rests below the delivery pipe and the loaded capsule rises directly to the pipe. In the case of a station that is in a receiving mode, the capsule loading tip is pulled to the side to avoid damage from the rapidly incoming capsule and the capsule falls into the basket at the bottom or is taken to the deceleration line. This movement requires a transmission mechanism that includes a large number of engines, chassis parts and a rail system.

The Purposes Of Invention

The purpose of the invention is to redesign the end station in pneumatic tube systems used to transport negotiable instruments and materials to close distances, where the material is loaded and reloaded, enabling it to be transported to users in a simpler and more reliable way compared to the current technique.

Another purpose of the invention is that the structure does not contain any moving heavy and large parts and that the loading point of the transport capsule remains constant at all times.

Another purpose of the invention is to enable the simple system called the platform, to be placed on the lower part of the end station before the transport capsule is placed before the delivery, and to be able to move under the transport capsule to be transported to the transport pipe by a simple mechanism while it is in the delivery state.

Another purpose of the invention is to allow the plane, called the platform, to be seated on the bottom of the end station before the receiving of the transport capsule, to be moved by a simple mechanism so as not to interfere with the passage of the next transport capsule through the transport pipe.

Another purpose of the invention is to reduce the probability of failure and provide ease of maintenance due to its simple structure compared to the structures used in the current technique.

Brief Description of the Figures

Figure -1. The two-dimensional view of the end station of the invention in a receiving position.

Figure - 2. The two-dimensional view of the end station of the invention in a sending position.

Figure - 3. The two-dimensional view of the operating mechanism of the end station of the invention from the bottom.

Figure - 4. The schematic view of the process steps of the system of the invention.

Reference Numbers

1. End station

2. Cut pipe

3. Moving capsule

4. Soft seal

5. Decking foot

6. Bearing plate 7. Bearing shaft

8. Propulsion mechanism

9. Bearing element

10. Sensor

Detailed Description Of The Invention

In Figure 1 , the end station (A) in which the material is loaded and received is illustrated in the pneumatic tube systems used to transport the negotiable instruments and material to the close distances by means of the moving capsule (2). In this position, the bearing plate (5) is in the open position. In Figure-2, the bearing plate (5) is in a closed position. The said bearing plate (5) allows the positioning or transition of the moving capsule (2) by making a rotary motion on a horizontal axis.

The main feature of the invention is that it contains at least one bearing plate (5) in the moving structure that allows the positioning or transition of the said moving capsule (2) and at least one propulsion mechanism (7) that allows the movement of the said bearing plate (5).

It comprises a bearing shaft (6) where movement is transferred to the bearing plate (5) through the propulsion mechanism (7), and the bearing element (8) where the bearing shaft (6) is connected at one end with the propulsion mechanism (7) at the other end. On the other hand, it comprises the decking foot

(4), which serves as an intermediate element that connects the said bearing plate

(5) with the bearing shaft (6). The soft layer (5.1 ) is also fixed on the said bearing plate (5). Due to the existence of the soft layer (5.1 ), the bottom base of the moving capsule (2) sits softly on the surface. In this way, impact, sound and surface wear are minimized.

The end station (A) of the invention contains the cut pipe (1 ) end connected to the tube system and the rotation bearing shaft (6) working together with this cut pipe (1 ) end. The decking foot (4) that is fixed to the bearing shaft (6) may or may not exist. The bearing plate (5) on which the moving capsule (2) will sit is fixed directly to the decking foot (4) if it is available, and to the bearing shaft (6) if it is not available. At least one surface of the decking foot (4) may preferably be covered with a different layer. The bearing shaft (6) is connected to the propulsion mechanism (7) which enables movement from one end. The other end is supported by a bearing element (8). The propulsion mechanism (7) preferably includes a motor and may also include mechanical, electrical, magnetic, hydraulic, pneumatic, or different motion systems. By means of this motor, the rotational motion is transmitted to the bearing shaft (6) and by the rotational motion of this shaft, the bearing plate (5) opens or closes the transition path.

All end stations in the system are positioned in the position of Figure 1 when they are not operating, i.e. , the capsule bearing plate (5) is such that it does not interfere with the passage of a capsule from the pneumatic system. This positioning is detected and set by the software running the system. A sensor (9) has been integrated into the system to determine the position of the capsule decking foot (4). Mechanical, electronic, ultrasonic, magnetic, capacitive or mass sensors can be used for this sensor (9), or the control software can also utilize speed counter, pulse counter or current measuring devices.

When any button on the control panel is pressed on any station, the system respectively takes the other stations as“busy.” On the screens of these stations, a sign indicates that the system is in use, and the buttons on the control boards of these stations are temporarily disabled. The bearing plate (5) at the end station (A) where the button is pressed is located at the bottom of the cut pipe (1 ), providing the surface on which the moving capsule (2) will be seated.

Once the bearing plate (5) is seated in the sending position, the operating system starts counting the elapsed time. If no action is taken on this station after a predetermined period of time, the operating system will put the bearing plate (5) back on standby, remove the other end stations in the system from the“busy” position and move them to the“ready” position. In the meantime, if the moving capsule (2) is placed on the bearing plate (5), this capsule falls into the basket where the incoming capsules are collected.

When the end Station (A) is in the sending state shown in Figure 2, within a predetermined time, at least one of the soft seals (3) on the moving capsule (2) is placed on the bearing plate (5) so that the end of the cut pipe (1 ) is enclosed, and in the control panel, the address button or combination of buttons containing the number of the end station to which the moving capsule (2) is to be pushed. After the address button is pressed, the system waits for the arrival time of the capsule from the destination station for a time set by the user; and, if this information is not received, it puts the bearing plate (5) back into the standby state, moves the other end stations in the system from the“Busy” position to the“Ready” position. This position is also returning to the initial position. The current diagram of the detailed description above is given in Figure 4.

Working process steps of the system:

10- The bearing plate (5) is in the receiving position and then goes to step 20.

20- If any button is pressed, it goes to number 30, if not pressed, it goes to number 10.

30- Switching the entire system to“busy” except for the station where the button is pressed.

40- Lifting the bearing plate (5) in a“sending” position,

50- Starting the signal wait time counter after "send" button.

60- If the waiting period has expired, it goes to number 130, if not, it goes to number 70.

70- If the signal is received from the "send" button, it will go to number 80, if it is not, it will go to number 60,

80- Reseting and stopping the standby counter.

90- Putting the pneumatic system to the suction position.

100- Initiating the transfer time counter.

110- If the transfer counter has expired, it will go to number 180, if it hasn't, it will go to number 120.

120- If the tube has reached the sent station, it went to number 130, if it did not, it went to number 110.

130- Bringing bearing plate (5) to a receiving position.

140- Taking system from "busy" to a "ready" position.

150- Stopping the pneumatic pump, and goes to number 10. - Reseting the standby counter, stopping it, reset and stop the transfer counter and go to 140.

- Stopping the pneumatic pump, and goes to number 10.

- Fault alarm and go to number 130.