US1065078A - Street letter-box. - Google Patents

Description

E. L. PHIPPS.

STREET LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION rum) JULY 2, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON. I)v c.

E. L. PHIPPS.

STREET LETTER BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2, 1912.

Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Fig.2.

coLunnlA PLANOGRAPH UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD L. PHIPPS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 WILLIAM B. ANDERSON, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN.

STREET LETTER-BOX.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. PHIrrs, a citizen of the United States, resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Street Letter-Boxes; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a section on the line 11, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the invention partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2.

The object of the invention is to provide a mail box in which the facilities for depositing letters and for protectin the same when deposited are designed to e of improved character.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2 indicates a hollow post or downward extension, which serves as the support of the mail box. This support may be made of gas pipe and threaded near its lower end to engage a pavement casting 3, the lower end of the post being designed to extend down into the concrete or other foundation. Openings in the lower portion of the post provide for the introduction of a lever or treadle 1, which is pivoted in said post and is preferably weighted at its rear end. To this treadle is attached a wire or chain 5, which extends upward through the post and is connected to the hinged cover 6 of the mail box, which is usually of rectangular form and made with a rounded top, in the rear of which is provided a curved conduit 7 through which the wire or chain 5 extends, through the upper end of the supporting post. The front portion or mouth of this conduit extends over and protects the rear or hinged edge of the cover, and guards an upward extending lug 8 thereof, to which the wire or chain connection 5 is attached. The rear and lower portion of the conduit is flanged as at 9 for attachment to the supporting post, in such wise as to cover and protect the same.

The rear edge of the cover or its hinge connection with the top is designed to be Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2, 1912.

Patented Jun 0 17 1 91 3.

Serial No. 707,301.

provided with a stop lug 10, to limit the extent to which the cover can be raised. And as a further protection the top of the box is provided with an offset overhanging extension or guard portion 12 above the letter opening at 13 and projecting in front of the lower margin of said opening. And the hinged cover is provided with a front flange 14, adapted to close down over this overhanging portion of the top and past its front edge. If the cover should be removed this overhanging guard extending in front of the letter slot will protect it sufficiently to prevent the letters from being fished out of the box.

The treadle is weighted in rear so that it will always present its front portion in raised position for operation, and it is designed to facilitate materially the deposit of letters, especially in wet weather, or when the depositor has a large number of letters to mail.

In the lower portion of the box the walls are offset at 15, below shoulders 16, to accommodate the pivotal edges 17 of the bottom sections 18, the meeting edges of which lap closely, to prevent tampering. To these bottom sections are secured quadrant gears 19, which engage each other and insure even movement of the sections in opening or closing. The gears are located in a wall pocket of the box, at right angles to said shoulders, and said wall pocket communicates with the interior offset portions by bearings 20, through which extend the journals of the bottom sections. To one of these journals is secured a lever 21, whereby the bottom sec tions are raised to closed position.

The carrier, in collecting the mail, unlocks and disengages the lever; the bottom sections then gravitate to vertical position below the shoulders 16 in such wise as to form sheer extensions of the upper portions of the walls, thereby obviating any tendency to catch or clog the letters in their fall from the box.

The operation of the treadle serves to raise the cover sufliciently to permit letters to be passed under its front edge into the letter slot. The hands of the depositor are left entirely free for attention to the mail matter, and when the letters are placed in the box and he releases the treadle, the cover will fall, closing the letter opening.

Having described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1s:

1. A mail box having a front letter slot, a hollow post for said box, a conduit extending upward from said post centrally of the top of said box, a cover for said slot having a rear hinge and a rear upward extending lever arm located within said conduit, a pedal lever mounted upon said post, and a chain having connection with said lever arm and extending upward through said post and said conduit and having connection with the upper end of said arm.

2. A mail box having a front letter slot, a top extending over said slot, a rear conduit attached to said top, a cover for said slot pivoted in rear and having a rear upward projecting arm located within said conduit, a hollow post support connected to said conduit, a pedal lever mounted upon said post support, and a chain engaging said pedal lever and said lever arm and extending through the top conduit and the post support.

3. A mail box comprising sides having arcuate upper edges, a front terminating be low the top of said upper edges, a top wall having an overhanging guard portion pro-- jecting over and separated from the upper edge of said front to leave a letter slot, said guard portion having downward projecting sides to close said slot at the sides, a cover normally parallel to and resting upon said guard portion, said cover having a downward projecting front end to normally close the front of said slot, a hollow post support for said box, a conduit extending upward from said post centrally over said box, said cover having a rear hinge and a rear upward extending lever arm located within said conduit, a pedal lever mounted upon said post, and a chain having connection with said lever and extending upward through said post and conduit and having connection with the upper end of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' EDWVARD L. PHIPPS. Vitnesses:

R0131. F. GROVER, EDWARD JAooB HANSY.

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

Images