US1019554A

US1019554A - Mail-box.

Info

Publication number: US1019554A
Application number: US57063110A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank W Taylor
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1910-07-06
Filing date: 1910-07-06
Publication date: 1912-03-05
Anticipated expiration: 1929-03-05

Description

F. W. TAYLOR. MAIL Box;

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1910. 1 01 9 554 Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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F. W. TAYLOR.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1910. I 1 01 9 55% Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH CO WASHINGTON, D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. TAYLOR, F CANUTE, OKLAHOMA.

MAIL-BOX.

Application filed July 6, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK lV. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canute, in the county of Vashita and State of Oklahoma, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements 1n mail boxes and is more particularly intended for use with rural mail boxes.

One object of the invention is the pro-- vision of an attachment for a mail box adapted to sound an alarm to the owner of the box when matter has been deposited in the box by the carrier.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims; it being understood that yarious changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details of the device may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of the specification;Fignre 1 is a vertical section through the mail box provided with my improved device and also showing the connection between the device and the alarm. Fig. 2 is a sectional end view of the device. Fig. 3 is a sectional end view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

The mail box includes in its construction a bottom 5 which is oblong in contour. The bottom 5 is provided at one end with a depending extension 6, said extension 6 ending in a bottom plate 7. Rising from the opposite sides of the bottom 5 and also from the opposite sides of the extension 6 and bottom plate 7 are side walls 8 and 9, and rising from the end of the bottom 5 is an end wall 10 and from the end of the bottom Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1912.

Serial No. 570,631.

plate 7 a similar end wall 11, the upper end of which is in a plane with the edges of the side walls 8 and 9-and end wall 10. A suitable top or cover is designated by the numeral 12 and is arranged on the upper edges of the side and end walls. The end wall 8 is provided with the letter entrance slot adjacent to its upper end, which is normally sealed by a pivoted strip 18, and a door opening is formed preferably in the end wall 10 which is normally sealed by the hinged door 14.

A mail receptacle or platform 15 is arranged within the box, and said receptacle is of less width than the box, and is secured to the side walls 8 and 9 by means of

screws

16 and 17 which are threaded through the side walls of the receptacle or platform, and which engage

pins

16 and 17 which are secured to the side walls 8 and 9 of the mail box below the plane of the letter slot. By tightening the screws against the pins the receptacle 15 may be held against movement and bydisconnecting said screws from said pins the receptacle may be placed against the bottom 5 so as to render a circuit closing device inoperative as might be desired in the case of the owner leaving his residence for a limited time or for other reasons. The receptacle or platform 15 is engaged at one end by a leaf spring 18, which has one of its ends secured to the bottom of the mail box, and which is sufficiently weak to yield when a relatively light weighted object is placed in the receptacle or platform. An arm 19 secured at one end to the end wall 10 is adapted to limit the upward movement of the receptacle or platform.

By reference now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that one end of the receptacle or platform 15 extends to a point in a plane with the downward extension 6 and fixedly secured to the medial portion of this end of the receptacle or platform is a rod 20. Slidingly fitted on the rod 20 is a weight 21 the said weight having a set screw 22 by means of which it is adjustably secured to the rod, the weight serving to properly balance the receptacle or platform so that the latter will yield under a comparatively light weight.

Secured to the end wall 11 are a pair of spaced

angular contact plates

23 and 24, the lower sides of said plates being a trifle above the plane of the receptacle or platform and arm, when the said platform and arm are in their normal horizontal position. Secured to the extremity of the rod or arm 20 is a transversely disposed circuit closer 25, of a length somewhat greater than the distance between the contact plates 23 and 2 1 and directly underlying the latter so that when the receptacle or platform is depressed and the arm 20 moves upwardly the circuit closer will abut against the lower sides of the contact plates 23 and 2 1.

Arranged in the pocket formed by the downward extension 6 and bottom plate 7 are one or more battery cells designated by the numeral 26. A conducting wire 27 connects one terminal of the battery circuit with the contact plate 2 f, the opposite contact plate 23 being connected with one post of an electric bell 28 by means of a conducting wire 29. A conducting wire 30 connects the opposite terminal of the battery circuit with the opposite post of the bell. It will be understood that the bell 28 is arranged in the house the conducting wires 29 and 30 being extended from the box which is generally at the roadway to the house. A. switch 31 is arranged in the conducting wire 80, the said switch being located adjacent to the bell and in the house, the said switch serving to keep the circuit open when the receptacle or platform 15 accidentally descends.

In the operation of the device and assuming that the switch 31 is closed it will be seen when the carrier drops an object into the box and the said object falls in the receptacle or platform 15 one end portion of the receptacle or platform will descend, whereby the opposite end will move upwardly until the circuit closer 25 engages with the contact plates 23 and 2-1 thus closing the circuit between the batteries and bell, whereby the operator will be notified that there is mail in the box. It will be seen when the switch 31 is open which is generally the case when the owner has left the house, and mail deposited in the box, the bell will not ring, when the owner returns to the house and desires to ascertain whether or not mail has been deposited in the box he simply closes the switch whereupon the bell will ring if the receptacle or platform has been depressed as before described.

The letter receptacle 15 is located directly below the horizontal plane of the letter entrance slot, so that any letter passed through this slot into the box will fall directly into the receptacle, and instantly depress the end of the receptacle bearing on the spring 18, while causing the arm 20 to rise and the transverse terminal or circuit closer 25 to engage the free ends of the

angular contact plates

23 and 24.

By locating the screws laterally of the central point in the letter entrance slot the receptacle is supported within the box so that the major portion of any mail inserted in the slot and dropping into the receptacle will positively tilt the receptacle so as to close the alarm circuit, and it will be impossible for a letter to so engage the receptacle as to hold said receptacle against the stop 19 by reason of the increased weight on the end ofsaid receptacle between the pivot screws and the circuit closer.

From the foregoing, it is evident that I have provided a device which is comparatively simple in structure and inexpensive in manufacture, embodying few parts and these so arranged that the danger of derangement will be reduced to a minimum.

1 claim 1. In combination a mail box having a letter entrance slot in one of its side walls, pins secured to the side walls, of the box below the horizontal plane of said slot and projecting inwardly of said side walls, an open receptacle adapted to receive letters passed through the slot into the box, screws for pivotally supporting said receptacle, said screws having conical ends extending through the side walls of the receptacle and bearing at their conical ends against the free ends of said pins, said screws being adjustable to hold the receptacle against free movement or to permit of free pivotal movement, an arm secured to one end of the receptacle and provided with a transverse terminal circuit closer on its free end, a weight adjustably mounted on the arm to balance the receptacle, angular contact plates secured to the box in spaced relation from each other and with their free ends supported in position to be engaged by the circuit closer of said arm, a leaf spring secured to the box and bearing at its free end against the bottom of the receptacle, and an alarm circuit connected with the contact plates.

2. In a mail box, a box having a side wall formed with a letter entrance slot extending longitudinally thereof, pivot pins secured to the side walls of the box in registering positions and laterally of the central point in said slot, a receptacle movable with in the box and disposed below the letter slot to receive the letters inserted in said slot, screws extending through the side walls of the receptacle and engaging the pins to support said receptacle for pivotal movement within the box, said screws removably supporting the receptacle on the box, a spring adapted to support the receptacle in a normal horizontal position, a. stop for limiting the upward movement of the receptacle at one end thereof, a weighted arm mounted on one end of the receptacle and extending In testimony whereof I afi'lX my signature longitudinally thereof and formed on its in presence of tWo Witnesses.

terminal With a transverse circuit closer, T 1

angular contact members secured to the box FRALK TAYLOR and adapted to be engaged by the transverse \Vitnesses: circuit closer and an alarm circuit con- E. O. BIRD, nected with the contacts. J. WV. HOWE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.