Description

• Cylinder-shaped containers are pulled through tubes by a vacuum or compressed air.
  
  

History

• In 1810, Englishman George Medhurst invented the pneumatic dispatch tube and the pneumatic railway for the transportation of heavy objects.
  
  

Development

• George Medhurst's ideas were then developed and used mainly for delivering documents for businesses and government agencies.
  
  

Significance

• Although it was popular in the past, pneumatic transportation is rarely used today. In America, pneumatic tubes are sometimes used by bank tellers and hospital staffs.
  
  

Fun Fact

• Pneumatic transportation was developed in the late 19th century, but the basics of pneumatics can be traced back to 100 B.C. or earlier.