US1200915A - Letter-slide for rural free-delivery mail-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

F. J. BANTA.

LETTER SLIDE FOR RURAL FREE DELIVERY MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I5, 1915.

1 200,9 1 5 v Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

lm/knew I I igg I /aum I W0 FERDINAND J". BANTA, OF RED BIRD, MISSOURI.

LETTER-SLIDE FOR RURAL FREE-DELIVERY MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed October 15, 1915. Serial No. 56,054.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, FERDINAND J. BANTA, a citizen of the United States, residing at Red Bird, in the county of Gasconade, State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Letter-Slide for Rural Free-Delivery Mail- Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Heretofore, the postmen in rural free delivery routes have experienced great difliculty and inconvenience, in removing the mail from the rural mail boxes, particularly in extreme cold weather, and when the postman is wearing gloves. In other words, it has been found difficult, in cold weather to pick the letters or mail matter up from the bottom of the mail box by a gloved hand.

Therefore, this invention relates to an improved letter slide for rural free delivery mail boxes, the object of which is to provide means consisting of a slide, so connected to the door or closure of the mail box, that when the door or closure is open, theslide is moved forwardly, bringing the mail with it, so that it may be easily and quickly grasped by a gloved hand of the postman.

In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the rural free delivery mail box, showing the letter slide applied thereto in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View through the mail box showing the slide therein. Fig. 3is a detail view of the slide.

Referring more especially to the drawings, 1 designates the mail box, which may be any suitable construction or configuration, and which is provided with a closure 2 hinged at 3. The closure is provided with a handle 4, and secured in the free moving end of the closure by means of the nuts 5 is a bolt 6 having an eye 7 to which the eye 8, of the link 9 is connected. The link 9 is in turn connected at 10 to the letter slide 11,

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and in section in Fig. 2. The slide 11 consists of a plate constructed from a single piece of sheet metal having its rear end portion bent at 12, extending upwardly substantially at right angles to the plate forming a flange 13. The forward end of the plate is bent at 14:, and is extended downwardly forming a flange 15, to which the link 9 is connected. The portion of the slide between the flanges 13 and 15, it will be seen extends at an angle to the bottom of the mail box, so as to hold the letters up from the bottom of the box. It will be noted that when the closure 2 is swung open downwardly, the link 9 pulls upon the slide, and moves it to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, so that the postman may easily insert a gloved hand and easily and quickly grasp the letters or mail matter upon the slide, and extract them.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is In combination with a mail box having a hinged closure, a slide resting upon the bottom of the box, said slide consisting of a plate constructed from a single piece of sheet metal having its rear end portion bent up at right angles to the body of the plate, and its forward end portion bent downwardly at right angles to the body of the plate, connection between the forward downwardly bent portion and the closure, the body of the plate between the forward and rear bent portions extending at an acute angle to the bottom of the box, said plate forming the slide being of less width than the width of the box, said plate and the connections between it and the closure being of such proportion that the upwardly bent portion at the rear of the plate extends substantially to the rear of the mail box when the closure is closed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FERDINAND J. BANTA.

Witnesses:

CLEM. C. SEWELL, HERMAN KINKEAD.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0}-

Images