US1305732A

US1305732A - mason

Info

Publication number: US1305732A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1919-06-03
Anticipated expiration: 1936-06-03

Description

' I. J. MASON.

MAIL PROTECTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATSON FILED NOV. l6. l9l5.

Patented June 3, L919.

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MAIL PROTECTING APPARATUS. APPUCATTON man Nov 16. 1915.

1,305,732, 7 Patented J une 3, 1919.

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JOSEPH J. MASON, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

MAIL-PROTECTING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

'Patented J 11116 3, 1919.

Application filed November 16, 1915. Serial No. 61,741.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. MASON, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Protecting Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference-numerals marked thereon.

The present invention relates to a device for the protection of mail matter and particularly in connection with the depositing of mail through openings formed in the walls of inclosures such as a room or a box for the reception of mail. One of the objects of the invention is to provide. in connection with a door or wall a protected opening through which mail may be inserted, the opening being adapted to close automatically upon the release of an 'actuatingmember arranged upon operation to cause the opening of the mail receiving apparatus. A further object of the invention is to provide in a mail receivingapparatus a protected opening of suflicient dimensions to permit of the passage oflarge pieces of mail matter, such as magazines, papers, mailing tubes and the like.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a mail receiving apparatus a protected opening through which mail matter may be inserted to be discharged into a re ceptacle, the opening being provided with means for preventing the return therethrough of the discharged mailv after the same has reached the receptacle.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: i

Figure 1 is a front view of a portion of a door showing the application of the invention thereto;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line aa of Fig. 1; V V

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 6-?) of Fig. 1; 7

.Fig.5 is a horizontal sectional plan view taken. on line c-aof Fig. 3, and v Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the operating mechanism.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

7 Referring to the drawings by numerals 1 represents a door, and 2 the middle rail thereof which is preferably formed by placing together sections 3 and 4: as shown in Fig. 3. Mounted on the outside of section 3 is a shutter frame 5 having an opening 6 formed therein cooperating with an opening 7 in the

sections

3 and 4 for receiving mail matter when the mechanism controlling the openings is operated to uncover the same. The opening 6 is normally held closed by a movable shutter 8 upon the ends of which are positioned rearwardly extending arms. 9 pivotally mounted at 10 upon extensions 11 of a. bracket 12 secured preferably to the shutter frame 5 by any suitable means. Po.- sitioned between the arms 9 on the rear side of thedoor is a chute 13 provided with end closing portions. 14; connecting with side members 15 and 16, the top and bottom of the chute being left open for the receiving and discharging of mail matter into a box 17 positioned upon the back of the door beneath' the chute. The chute 13 is provided with a pivot bearing 18 secured to the ends 14 of the chute, preferably by means of suitable screws 19. The pivot bearing is mounted on a shaft 20 carried by the extension 11 of the bracket 12. secured to the outside of one of the extensions 11 is a fulcrum bracket 21 and pivotally mounted between the extension and fulcrum bracket upon a pin 22 is an actuating lever 23 the rear end of which is bent inwardly and pivotally connected at 24: to one end of a link 25, the other end of the link being pivotally connected to the chute at 26, a point considerably below the pivot shaft 20 of the chute when the same is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. 3. The outer end of the actuating lever 23 is pivotally connected at 27 to the bottom of the plunger 28 extending through and guided in an opening formed in the slotted member 5. The top of the plunger is provided with a handle 29 for the use of the operator in depressing the plunger. The inner ends of the rearwardly extending arms 9 are pivotally connected at 30 to one end of a short link 31, the other end of the link being pivotally connected at 32' to the end of the chute '13. The ends of the chute 13 are curved to agree with the curved guard 33 secured to the rear side of the door above the box 17. The guard is provided with an opening 3 1 at its bottom through which mail from the chute is discharged into the box 17 In the operation of my improved mail receiving apparatus, when it is desired to insert mail therein, the operating member or plunger 28 is pushed down, thereby causing the lever 23 and link 25 to move the chute 13 on its pivot 20 to the position shown by dot ted lines in Figs. 3 and 4. While the chute is moving into this position the link 31 connected therewith will cause the rearwardly extending arms 9 to move on their pivots 10 for the purpose of elevating the shutter 8 to the dotted line position shown in Figs. 3 and 1. lVith the parts in these positions, the slot or opening 6 will be uncovered and the mouth or top of the chute 13 will be presented in front of the opening in position to receive mail from the outside. As soon as the mail has been deposited in the chute the operator releases the plunger and the action of gravity on the chute serves to return the same to its normal position for the reason that the pivot point 20 is located above the center line of the chute, as shown in Fig. 3. While the chute is turning on its pivot in front of the guard 33 the latter serves to prevent the mail from discharging until the chute reaches substantially a vertical position. The guard 33 being curved forwardly at its bottom toward the rear face of the door will serve to insure the proper discharging of the mail in the box 17. It will be noted that since the movable shutter 8 and the chute 13 are operated simultaneously that any one attempting to remove the mail from the box 17, by operating on the outside of the door, will be blocked by the guard 33 and chute 13, should they succeed in raising the shutter 8, in which event of course the chute will be elevated also, thus cutting off access to the box 17. WVith this arrangement, the inserting of a hand or any kind of an instrument into the box 17 is prevented and the mounting of the movable parts being inaccessible to a party on the outside of the room, there will be no way in which the device can be dismantled from the outside. as the shutter frame 5 is held on by screws positioned through the door rail from the back thereof. The opening 6 and the size of the chute 13 are preferably made large enough to receive pieces of mail of considerable length, such as magazines, mailing tubes and packages of various kinds. While I have shown my invention in connection with a door, I do not intend to limit myself to this particular form of application, as the invention is readily applicable to a wall or partition of any kind, as well as to the ordinary type of mail boxes mounted on street corners and in oflice buildings, or in connection with any kind of an inclosure for receiving mail matter.

I claim my invention:

1. A mail protecting apparatus comprising an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the walls thereof, a movable chute normally disposed out of registry with said opening, a shutter normally closing said opening and movable into said inclosure away from said opening, and means for effecting a relative movement of said chute and shutter to disclose said opening and bring the chute into registry with said opening.

2. A mail protecting apparatus comprising an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the walls thereof, a movable chute normally disposed out of registry with said opening, a shutter normally closing said opening disposed within said inclosure and having a movement transverse to said opening substantially in the plane thereof, and means for moving the shutter and chute in opposite directions to disclose said opening and bring the chute into registry with said opening.

3. A mail protecting apparatus compris ing an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the walls thereof, a chute in said inclosure normally disposed out of regis try with said opening, a shutter within said inclosure to normally close said opening, and an operating member outside the inclosure having link connecting means for moving said chute and shutter relatively to each other to disclose said opening and bring the chute into registry with said opening.

1. A mail protecting apparatus compris-. ing an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the walls thereof,a chute in said inclosure normally disposed out of registry with said opening, a shutter pivotally supported within said inclosure at a point removed from said opening and movable to close and unclose said opening from within, 110 and an operating member without said inclosure having link connecting means for moving said chute and shutter to disclose said opening and bring the chute into registry with said opening.

5. In a mail protecting apparatus, the combination with a door havin a mail re ceiving opening therein, of a dilute on the inner side of said door normally disposed out of registry with said opening, a shutter 120 on the inner side of said door normally closing said opening, and an operating member on the outer side of said door having link connecting means for moving said chute and shutter relatively to each other to dis- 125 close said opening and bring said chute into registry with said opening.

6. A mail protecting apparatus comprising an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the walls thereof, a pivotally 130 mounted chute positioned in the inclosure adjacent the opening, the opening through the chute being normally out of alinement With said first mentioned opening, a pivotally mounted shutter disposed Within said inclosure and normally closing the first mentioned opening, a link pivotally connecting the shutter and the chute, a lever, a link connecting one end of the lever with the chute, and means for operating the lever to cause the shutter and chute to move simultaneously, the former to uncover the first mentioned opening and the latter to present one of its open ends in registering engagement With said opening.

7. A mail protecting apparatus comprising an inclosure having an opening formed through one of the Walls thereof, brackets positioned in the opening at the sides thereof, a chute positioned in the inclosure adjacent the opening and pivotally mounted upon the brackets, the opening through the chute being normally out of alinement with the first mentioned opening, a shutter Within said inclosure pivotally mounted upon the brackets and normally closing said first mentioned opening, a link connecting the shutter and the chute, a lever supported by the bracket, a link connecting one end of the lever with the chute, means for operating the lever to cause the shutter and chute to move simultaneously in opposite directions, the former to uncover the first mentioned opening and the latter to present one of its open ends in registering engagement With said uncovered opening, and means for closing the other end of the chute during the time said openings are in registering position.

JOSEPH J. MASON.

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

' Washington, D. G.