US1197713A - Mail-box support and signal. - Google Patents

Description

F. A, DECKER.

MAIL BOX SUPPORT AND SIGNAL? APPLICATION FILED IULYJO, 1 915.

Patented Sept.112, 1316.

FRED A. DECKER, OF CLEAR LAKE, SOUTH DAKOTA.

MAIL-BOX SUPPORT AND SIGNAL.

Application filed July 10, 1915.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, FRED A. DEOKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Clear Lake, in the county of Deuel and State of, $outh Dakota, have invented certain new and-useful Improvements in Mail- Box Supports and Signals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to mail box attachments, and particularly to attachments for supporting rural free delivery mail boxes and'a signal mounted thereon and connected thereto to indicate whether the box is full'or empty.

' The primary object of my invention is the provisionof. abracket so constructed that it willsupport almost any make of rural free delivery mail box now on the market, and further. provided with means for supporting a mail sack. v

A further; object. of my invention is the provision, in connection with the bracket, of a signal carrying cap adaptedto be supported upon the pipe or standard to which the bracket is attached and having actuating means supported uponthe bracket.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a mail box support which may be vertically adjustable as desired,,so that the bracket and mailbox may be raised or-lowered; according to the circumstances of any particular. case, without, however, disengaging the-signaling device from the operating mechanism carried by the bracket.

A further object is to so construct the signal and operating mechanismtherefor that the signal may be made of a large and due rable character, so mounted that it cannot readily get. out of order or be broken off, and easily operatedby the carrier. or person depositing the mail.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My inventlon is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my mail boxsupport in operative position, the mail box and the signal cap being broken away; Fig. 2 is an elevation partly in section ofv the supporting bracket, the mail box, the standard, and the signal; Fig. 3 is an under side plan view of the bracket detached from the standard; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the operating rod and the cap 12,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Serial No. 39,117.

showing the manner in which the operating rodshifts the cap.

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates the bracket proper. The bracket is preferably aniron casting with holes 3 provided for, the attachment of a mail box 4 thereto. This bracket is preferably formed with a medially disposed depending rib, the holes 3 being disposed in staggered relation on each side of this rib. At one end the bracket is thickened and formed with a, vertically extending opening having approximately the size of'the pipe 5 which formsa support. for the bracket or standard. The thickened end of the bracket therefore acts as a collar 2, giving a rigid support to the bracket upon the pipe or standard. The bracket may be raised or lowered upon the standard and held in its adjusted position by means of a set screw. 6 or other suitable means.

Attached-to the bracket adjacent the base thereof, that is, adjacent. the collar, is a transversely extending bar 7 formed with outwardly extending hooks 8 at its extremities, this bar being attached to the collar by means of a screw 9. This sack supporting bar. 7. is preferably about 12 inches long, and it may be attached to'the bracket 2 in any suitable manner whichwill giveit sufficient rigidity to support upon it the mail sack 10. This mail sack may be of any desired'character, but is shown. as provided with, reinforced openings through which thehooks 8 pass. The mail sack is preferably of water.- proof, material and preferably has a flap closing the opening at the upper end, of the sack so as to prevent the entrance of rain or. snow.

The signal flag 11 is preferably made of heavy galvanizediron, and it may be about 6 inches in length by 4 inches in width. Attached to the signal fiag is a hollow shank or. cap 12 about 14 inches long which fits over the upper end of the standard 5 and is rotatable thereon. One side of this shank or cap is formed with a projecting arm 13 with a slot or hole near its outer end. Mounted in guides 14: attached to the under face of the bracket 2 is a rod 15, the outer end of which projects beyond the bracket and preferably beyond the outer end of the mail box and is bent so as to form a convenient handle. The guides 14 are attached to the bracket with the same bolts that attach the mail box to the bracket.

bracket 2 within a convenient range.

The rod 15 extends to the rear end of the bracket and is then deflected to pass around the collar 5 and the set screw if it is on this side of the bracket, and is then operatively connected to a section 16 which is connected to the arm 13. Thus the signal may be operated by slightly pulling on or pushing this rod, which will cause the cap 12 to rotate and cause a rotation of the signal into a position either transverse to the bracket or in line therewith.

The advantages of my invention are as follows: The bracket, and of course the mail box with it, are vertically adjustable upon the standard and thus the mail box can be readily moved up or down or turned around the iron post or standard 5. In most rural communities snow piles up under the mail boxes in the winter and this snow often makes it unhandy, if not impossible, to get at the box. By my construction the mail box can be raised as occasion requires, or lowered to suit the convenience of the carrier or of the patrons or to suit the exigencies of any particular situation. Also the mail box may be very readily adjusted into any desired position with relation to the rod so as to permit the carrier to readily obtain access to the mail box.

The purpose of the sack 10 is of course obvious. Under present parcel post laws many packages are sent through the mail which are too large for the rural mail boxes. .Vith this sack hanging attachment a sack may be supported beneath the mail box to receive any large packages, and this sack of course may be locked, if desired, the carrier having one key and the patron having the other. This sack will protect the packages against wind, rain, snow, and accidents caused by live stock. The signals now in use practically with almost all forms of rural free delivery mail boxes are easily broken and are often out of repair. It will be seen that the signal above described is very firmly supported by the cap 12 and is not dependent upon a small pivot bolt or rivet for its support. It is, furthermore, readily operated and when operated is not likely to become accidentally changed in position.

It will be seen that the cap 12, because of its elongated form, will have a relatively firm bearing upon the post 5 and that this cap 12 will be raised or lowered with the Fi 1 of course shows the bracket in its fulfv lowered position, but it is obvious that it may be raised without disengaging the cap 12 from the post. It is also clear that the operating mechanism for the cap will move with the bracket and that the complete device comprises the bracket and the signal cap with the operating means therefor, and the mail bag hanger may be sold separately from the mail box and from the post.

lVhile I have illustrated a form of invention which I have found to be particularly efiective in practice, I do not wish to be limited to this as it is obvious that many changes might be made in the minor details without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is:

1. A mail box support and signal comprising a vertically disposed standard, a rotatable cap mounted upon the standard and carrying a signal flag, an arm extending from the cap, a mail box supporting bracket, and a signal actuating member supported in guides upon said bracket and having operative engagement with the arm of the signal cap.

2. A mail box support comprising a standard, a bracket mounted upon the standard, a cap rotatably mounted upon the upper end of the standard and carrying a signal flag, said cap having an outwardly projecting arm, guides formed upon the under face of the bracket, a longitudinally movable operating rod carried in said guides, and a rod section pivotally connected to the arm and the operating rod.

8. As an article of manufacture, a mail box support and signal comprising a bracket having a collar adapted to surround a standard and be clamped thereto, a hollow cap ex tending upward from the butt end of the bracket and rotatable thereon and adapted to be disposed over the standard, a signal member carried upon the cap, and an actuating device mounted upon the under side of the bracket and operatively engaging the cap to rotate the latter, said operating device holding the cap in conjunction with the bracket.

1. A mail box support and signal comprising a vertically disposed standard, a bracket vertically adjustable upon the standard, a cap rotatably mounted upon the stand ard having a signal flag and a projecting arm, and an operating device slidably' mounted upon the under side of the bracket operatively connected at its rear end to the arm on the cap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED A. DECKER. Witnesses A. W. LAW, T. J. LAw.

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

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