US660329A - Letter-box. - Google Patents

Description

y Patented Oct. 23, I900. 'A. L. HENRY.

L ETT E B B0 X (Appliqation filed Aug. 4, 1900.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR flndTewzJyenr A T70 E)" "ms nonms Pnsas coy. vncrou'ma, WASHINGTON b. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW L. HENRY, OF LADOGA, INDIANA.

LETTEER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,329, dated'Octo'ber 23, 1900.

Annlioatiou filed August 4, 1906. Serial No. 25,917- No model.) 7

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ANDREW L. HENRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ladoga, in the county of Montgomery and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to produce a convenient and efficient letter-box by means of which mail-matter can be both de-; livered and collected. signed for use in what is known as the rural-f delivery system, where the letter-boxes are commonly placed on posts, trees, or fences at the roadside, frequently some distance from g the houses of the users of said boxes.

Sa1d1n vention consists in a letter-box of any usual or desired form and having a simple door through which delivered mail may be rein question being adapted to be locked by a lock selected by the user of the box and the shifting receptaclebeingadapted to be locked by a regular-mail-lock, which can only be unend under the hood-like projection h, secured locked by the postmans key.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figure l is a front elevation of a mailbox embodying my said invent-ion; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, a longitudinal vertical sectional view thereof on asomewhat-enlarged scale; Fig. 4, a transverse vertical sectional view looking tothe left or toward the front end of the box from the dotted line 4 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a similar View looking to the right or toward the rear of the box from said dotted line 4 5 in Fig. 3; Fig. 6, a view similar to the upper portion of Fig. 4 when the internal portion or introducingreceptacle for the mail is revolved, as when delivering mail into the box; and Fig. 7, a horizontal sectional view as'seen when looking downwardly from the dotted line 7 7 in Fig. 3.

The box B may be any suitable box desired. I prefer to make it of substantially the ordinary or conventional form. It is provided with a door D, preferably hinged at the upper edge on a suitable hinge-pintle d and is It is especially deadapted to be locked at the lower edge by any lock preferred by the user, as an ordinary padlock P, the hasp portion of which may pass through a perforation in a projection on said door and through a corresponding perforation in the adjacent lower edge of the box, as is best shown in Fig. 3, or otherwise, as may be desired. A circular opening is form ed in the front end of this box B above the door D, and a cylindrical receptacleO, corresponding in size to said circular opening, occupies the upperportion of the box. Itis nota complete cylinder, as the upper side is open, and the body portion between the ends may be termed a semicylinder; but the ends or heads should be circular.

As best shown in Figs. 4 and 5,-flanges ff extend out into the box from the sides thereof and constitute tracks upon which corresponding flanges c 0' along the sides of the receptacle 0 rest. This receptacle 0 is adapted to be drawn out endwise from the main box after the manner of a drawer, as shown by means of the dotted lines in Fig. 2, and when so drawn out anything which has been placed therein by the boxmser may be removed by the postman. This receptacle can be drawn out also to receive mail, or mail can be inserted through the slit in its circular front thereto. When this receptacle is pushed in, it is adapted to be locked by the regular postmans lock L, the hasp portion of which is t adapted to pass through a perforation in an ear e thereon and in a corresponding ear e on the body of the box.

As shown in Fig. 7, one of the flangesfand the corresponding flange 0 each extend about one-half the length of the device, so that when the receptaele G is pushed clear in the flanges on one side are clear of each other, so that it is no longer supported by the flanges on said side. It is, however, provided with a gudgeon g, which enters a bearing b in the rear end of the box just before the short flange c escapes from the short flange f. When in thisclosed position, therefore, except when thelock L is in place, this cylindrical receptacle or drawer can be rotated axially a halfrevolution, so that whatever it contains may be dumped into the box proper when in this position. A strike or stop 8 prevents any greater movement. It also prevents the I do tirely out, and some means for preventing this is necessary to the best results. As the cylindrical receptacle or drawer is being moved in and out it is prevented from tilting too much by an arrp a, secured to its circular rear end and which bears against the under side of the upper portion or top of the box, while the bottom of said receptacle rests on the edge of the portion of the front end of the box through which itpasses.

Bearing in mind that the padlock P and that the postmans lock L are separate and distinct locks, and that the postman only has a key to the lock L, while the user of the box only has a key to the lock P, it will be readily seen that this mail-box furnishes an exceedingly-convenient means for distributing and collecting mail. It further provides a device whereby the delivered mail may be kept locked against all persons but the box-user,

irrespective of whether the upper receptacle be locked or unlocked. If the postman has mail to deliver, he stops at the box, pulls out the cylindrical receptacle, deposits the mail therein, pushes said receptacle in to the limit of its movement, turns it a half-revolution, thus dumping said mail into the box proper, revolves it back to its original position, and drives on. The box-user at his convenience unlocks the padlock P, opens the door D, and receives his mail. When the box-user desires to leave mail in the box to be collected by the postman, he places it in the cylindrical receptacle 0, pushes it in, and locks it with the postinans lock L, which, as is well known, is commonly a spring-lock. The postman, in passing under such circumstances, seeing that the box is locked will understand that there is mail to be collected and will stop,

unlock the cylindrical receptacle, pull it out,

and take the mail. If the cylindrical receptacle is not locked and he has no mail to leave, the postman will drive on without stopping. The fact of whether the receptacle 0 is locked or unlocked therefore constitutes a signal to the postman. As on a majority of the trips a large proportion of the, box-users on the route have no mail to be collected and receive none, it will be seen that this arrangement saves a considerable portion of the postmans time and enables him to do his work much more promptly and expeditiously than where he is compelled to stop at each box to ascertain the facts. After the box-user has placed mail in the rotary receptacle or drawer and has locked the same by snapping the postlnans lock L, should it be desired to put additional mail therein it may be done through the slit in the front end thereof under the hood h. The user therefore is not precluded from frequent uses of the box by reason of the fact that the same is locked.

Having thus fully described my said in vention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A mail-box comprising two compartments one of which is provided with an ordinarydoor adapted to be independently locked and the other of which consists of a receptacle adapted to be pulled out but provided with means whereby it is prevented from being entirely separated from the box and adapted when pushed in to be rotated whereby its contents can be dumped into the bottom of the box, said drawer also being adapted to be secured by an independent lock.

2. The combination, in a mail-box, of the box proper, a cylindrical structure mounted therein adapted to be pulled out and pushed in after the manner of a drawer, flanges constituting the drawer-slides, the flanges upon one side being of such length that when the drawer is pushed in completely they will pass each other,whereby said structure is adapted to be rotated, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a mail;box, of the main box structure, a door thereto, a drawer positioned above said door and adapted to be independently locked, said drawer being pi votally mounted whereby it is adapted to be rotated, and a strike whereby excessive rotation of the same is prevented.

4. The combination, in a mail-box, of the box proper provided with a door, a rotatable drawer mounted therein above said doorand adapted to be independently locked, said rotatable drawer being provided with an arm, as (6, whereby it is sustained in position and excessive tipping prevented, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a box provided with a door, a rotatable sliding-drawer structure therein, said door and said structure being adapted to be independently locked, and said rotatable structure having a slit in its end through which mail may be inserted after the same is locked, and a hood over said slit, substantially as set forth.

6. A mail-box, the bottom portion whereof constitutes a main receiving-compartment the same being provided with an ordinary door, and a receiving and delivering com partment slidably and rotatably mounted in the upper portion of said box adapted to discharge mail into the main compartment in delivering, and to receive and hold mail for collection, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, in a mail-box, of the main box structure containing asuitable ordinary drawer-support along one side and a short drawer-support along the other side, and a rotatable drawer mounted on said supports which support said drawer in right-sideup position when pulled out but permit the rotation thereof when pushed in, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and sea], at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 2d day of August, A. D. 1900.

ANDREW L. HENRY.

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