GB2208528A

GB2208528A - Letter box

Info

Publication number: GB2208528A
Application number: GB8819008A
Authority: GB
Inventors: David Thomas Edwin Gregory
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1987-08-13
Filing date: 1988-08-10
Publication date: 1989-04-05
Also published as: GB8819008D0; GB8719210D0

Abstract

A protective device for a letter box having a hinged flap (7), comprises an assembly (2, 13) in the form of a hinged plate (2) and an engagement member (13) which is connected thereto and co-operates with the flap (7). A retaining member (11) is movable between a locked position in which the assembly and flap is prevented from movement and a released position in which the assembly can be pivotted away from the door (8) by movement of the flap. The engagement member (13) may be hingedly connected to the flap (7) and the plate (2) or it may be fixed to the plate (2) and abut the flap (7). <IMAGE>

Description

PROTECTIVE DEVICE FOR A LETTER BOX The present invention relates to a protective device for a letter box, and particularly, though not exclusively, to a protective device which is intended to be fitted on the inside of a door or the like over the letter box and can be locked into position to prevent the letter box from being opened.

Letter boxes render properties vulnerable to attack by vandals who may insert explosive devices through the letter box or may pour petrol through the letter box and ignite it.

It is therefore the aim of the present invention to provide a protective device for a letter box which eliminates or at least reduces the risk of such an attack.

According to the present invention there is provided a protective device having a hinged flap which is~movable between a closed position in which it covers the letter box opening and an open position in which access through the opening is permitted, said device comprising a hinged assembly for pivotally mounting adjacent the inside of the opening and co-operating with the flap in such a manner that the assembly is movable from a first position in which the flap can move to its open position, thereby permitting access through the opening and a second position in which movement of the flap to its open position is prevented, and retaining means for retaining the assembly in said second position.

Preferably the assembly comprises a hinged member, preferably a plate which in its second position covers the letter box opening.

One type of letter box with which the device of the pesent invention may be used is one which has its hinged flap attached on the outside of the opening in a door or wall, which flap pivots inwardly.

The retaining means conveniently comprises a bar which extends across the width of the plate, the ends of the bar co-operating with retaining brackets, one each side of the plate.

Additional retaining means may also be provided in the form of one or more clamps which can be pivoted into and out of engagement with the plate at its edge. The retaining brackets and the clamp or clamps may be fixed directly onto the inside of the door, or they may alternatively be fixed to or formed integrally with a frame at appropriate positions, which frame is hingedly connected with the plate, the frame then being secured to the door.

The assembly preferably comprises engagement means extending from the hinged member towards the flap and co-operating with the flap when the assembly is in its second position.

Preferably, the engagement means is hingedly connected at one end to the hinged plate and at its opposite end to the flap. When the retaining means are inoperative, pushing the flap inwardly causes said movement to be transmitted via the engagement means to the hinged plate, the relative orientation of the engagement means with respect to the hinged plate and to the flap changing as the flap is pushed inwardly. However, when the retaining means are put into their operative position, such movement is prevented.

The engagement means may be in the form of a plate or may alternatively comprise one or more spigots, such as bolts which extend through the hinged plate and are secured to the plate by nuts, the bolts extending generally perpendicularly to the plate, through the slot of the letter box, so that their free ends abut the inner face of the flap, preventing the flap from being pushed inwards.

The spigots may alternatively be moulded integrally with or welded, riveted or stuck to the plate.

Although it is intended that the free ends of the spigots merely abut the flap, it is also envisaged that means may be provided for detachably connecting the free ends of the spigots to the flap. This would serve to prevent the flap from being moved at all, and would be particularly suited to a letter box having a flap which is pulled up (outwardly) to insert letters, rather than being pushed inwardly.

The retaining bar may be a rigid one-piece member, or alternatively it may comprise a multi-piece construction in which each piece is hingedly connected to the adjacent piece in an end-to-end arrangemnet, the multi-piece bar being adapted to be folded in concertina-like manner when the assembly is in its first position and extended so as to assume a horizontal orientation when it is desired to retain the assembly in its second position.

Instead of or in addition to the retaining bar and clamps.

the bolts may be connected to the hinged plate and to the flap by fixed hinge points, and the hinge of the plate is a lockable hinge. The hinge of the plate is therefore locked when it is desired to maintain the assembly in its second position, and unblocked to convert the device back to its first position.

Some forms of a protective device in accordance with the present invention for a letter box in a door will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanyig drawings, in which:- Fig 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the device, Fig 2 is a cross-section through a door having a letter box fitted with the device shown in Fig 1 Figs 2A and 2B show the operation of the form of device shown in Figs 1 and 2, Fig 3 is a perspective view of another form of the device, Fig 4 is a perspective view of one version of a retaining means of the device, and Figs 5A and 5B are- schematic drawings of a different version of the retaining means.

Referring to Figs 1 to 2B of the drawings, the device in accordance with the present invention comprises a hinged assembly 1 having a plate 2 which is, in use, secured by a hinge 3 either directly to the door 4 or to an associated frame 5 attached to the door, in a position such that the plate is capable of covering the opening or slot 6 of the letter box. The letter box is normally kept closed by means of a hinged flap 7 which is pivoted inwardly about the hinge axis to gain access through the letter box and which is prevented from outward movement by an external frame 8.

When it is desired to prevent access to the letter box, the hinged plate 2 is pivoted into position over the slot 6, and is secured there by a retaining bar 9 which has downwardly curved ends 9a, 9b, these ends resting within appropriately shaped slots or recesses in respective retaining brackets 10a, lob. Additional retaining means may be provided in the form of an angled clamp 11 which may be pivoted in a plane which is perpendicular to the plane of the door, so as to be brought into and out of engagement with the bottom edge 2a of the plate.

Both the brackets iota, lOb and the clamp il tof which there may-be more than one) may be fixed directly to the door 4 adjacent the slot or instead they may be fixed to the frame 5. In this case the frame 5 would be screwed or otherwise fixed to the door so that the slot of the letter box is in the centre of the frame.

The assembly 1 further comprises engagement means which in the preferred form of the device of Figs 1 to 2B comprises a second plate 13 which is hingedly connected along one edge of the plate 2 for pivotal movement about hinge axis 13A and along its opposite edge to the flap 7 for pivotal movement about hinge axis 13B. When the retaining bar 9 is in position as shown in Fig 1, flap 7 cannot be pivoted inwardly, however when bar 9 is removed, flap 7 may be pivoted inwardly as shown in Fig 28.

In the form of the device shown in Fig 3, the engagement means comprises two spigots in the form of bolts 24, 5 that are passed through holes 14 and plate 2 and are secured there by nuts 15, 16 so that the bolts extend generally perpendicularly from the plate towards the hinged flap, and are positioned so that they will pass through the slot. The bolts are of a sufficient length so that when the plate 2 is pivoted into its second (closed) position, the free ends 24a, 25a of the bolts abut the inside of the flap to prevent it from being pushed in.

When not in use, the plate 2 may be pivoted about the axis of hinge 3 into its first position (shown in Fig 3) to allow free access through the slot of the letter box.

As an alternative the spigots may be mouided with or welded, riveted, stuck or otherwise attached to the plate.

Furthermore, the lengths of the spigots may be adjustable to accomodate different depths of opening 6 or thickness of door 4.

Fig 4 shows another form of the device in which the retaining brackets 20a, SOb, which are either screwed to the door or formed integrally with a frame 21, have curved slots or channels > 2a, 2b along which the respective ends of a retaining bar 23 may travel. Bolts 24, 25 may be formed integrally with the hinged plate 26 or welded to it. The assembly comprising plate 26 and bolts 24, 25 may be converted from its first to its second position simply by causing the bar to travel along the channels in the required direction from a position remote from to a position closely adjacent the plate 26, and vice versa.

As shown in Figs 5A, 5B, the retaining bar 29 may comprise a plurality of pieces 30, 31, 32 hingedly connected together in an end-to-end arrangement about hinge points 33, 34. The multi-piece bar 29 may be folded by pulling on a handle 35 in direction X, the folded bar then being pivoted about hinge point 36 so that it is located on one side of the plate 2, as shown in broken lines in Fig SA. When in this position, free access is allowed through the letter box, i.e. the assembly is in its first position, but the assembly may easily be retained in its second position to prevent such access by pulling handle 35 in direction Y and locating the free end of piece 30 within a slot in a side bracket 38, attached to the door 4.

Claims

1. A protective device for a letter box having a hinged flap which is movable between a closed position in which it covers the letter box opening and an open position in which access through the opening is permitted, said device comprising a hinged assembly for pivotally mounting adjacent the inside of the opening and co-operating with the flap in such a manner that the assembly is movable from a first position in which the flap can move to its open position, thereby permitting access through the opening. and a second position in which movement of the flap to its open position is prevented. and retaining means for retaining the assembly in said second position.

A A protective device according to claim 1. wherein the assembly comprises a hinged member for attachment adjacent the opening.

3. A protective device according to claim 2. wherein the retaining means comprises a lockable hinge that secures the hinged member adjacent the opening.

4. A protective device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the member is a plate which in its second position covers the opening.

5. A protective device according to any of claims 2 to 4.

wherein the assembly comprises engagement means extending from the hinged member towards the flap and engaging the flap when the assembly is in the second position.

6. A protective device according to claim 5 wherein the engagement means is permantly, hinged 1 y connected to the flap and to the hinged member at respective spaced-apart hinge points.

7. A protective device according to claim 5. wherein the engagement means comprises one or more p got that extend from the plate generally perpendicular to the plate and through the slot so that in the second position of the assembly the free end of the or each spigot abuts the inner face of the flap.

8. A protective device according to claim 7. wherein the or each spigot can be detachably connected to the flap.

9. A protective device according to any of claims 1 to 8.

wherein the retaining means comprises a bar that extends across the width of the opening. the bar being co-operable with retaining brackets located one on each side of the opening and with the assembly to prevent movement thereof from its second position.

10. A protective device according to claim 9. wherein the bar is a multi-piece construction pivotally secured at one end adjacent one side of the opening. each piece being pivotally connected to its adjacent piece in an end-t.o-end arrangement. the bar being foldable away from the hinged member to permit movement thereof and being extendab 1 e across the opening to engage a lat secured at the opposite side of the opening. whereby to retain the assembly in its second position.