US1315914A - Ail-box - Google Patents

Description

E. DUBBS.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 23. 1911.

Patented Sept. 9, 1919.

j'wuenfop m8 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPP! co.. WASHINGTON, I). c.

UNITED- srr .EDWARDDIIBBS, OF'MAYELOWER, x...

runaway .AND .a is. warm, meme LMAIL-BOX,

"Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @ept. 2, rare.

mi 'ilicatioafilcdt'une"23, 1917. Serial No. 176,526.

To all to 7mm it may concern:

'Bedtiknownzthatl, EDWARD DUBBS, a citizen of the United States, residing'at .Mayflower, in th-econnty of Faulkner, State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in .Mail-i'Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following tobea 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.

This invention relates to improvements in mail boxes, and particularly to the type of mail boxes used in rural districts.

One object of the present invention is to provide a novel means for automatically elevating a signal device when mail has been deposited in the box.

Another object is to provide a signal device which will automatically return to normal position when the mail has'been removed from the box.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail box equipped with my improved signal device.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the box showing the signal in side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the accompany-- ing drawing 10 represents a mail box which includes the side walls 11 and the end walls, as well as the bottom 12, and 13, respectively. The upper portion of the box is closed by a hinged cover 14, and the means 15 for securing the same in closed position.

The side walls are divided longitudinally on the lines 16, while the end walls are divided on the horizontal lines 17. The portions of one of the side walls are hinged together at 18, while the portions of the other side wall and the end walls are arranged to be secured together by means of the detachable bolt means 19. This provides ready access to the interior of the box for adjustment and repairs, of the mechanism which will be later described. The lower portion of the front sidewall is also hinged at its lower edgeto the bottom, so that it is capable of being swung down whendesired, the hinges being shown at20.

One end of the box isprovided with a do l 21 which permitsaccess to the box for .purposes ;of inserting or removingmail matter.

In the lower portion 11 of the side 11 of the box, rthere is formed a vertically extending elongated slot 22. Secured to the outer face of this portion of the wall is a substantially U-shaped plate 23, the intermediate portion of which is formed with a vertical slot 24 which is disposed in registry with the slot 22. The said intermediate portion of the plate is formed with a pair of parallel apertured ears 25 between which, and pivotally connected thereto, is a flag staff 26. One end of this staff extends through the slots and is formed with a metal signal flag 27. The portion of the staff which projects within the box is formed with a laterally directed and horizontally disposed pair of wings 28, and disposed between the upper wing and the lower face of the platform 34 is a coil spring 30, while a similar coil spring 31 is disposed between the lower wing and the bottom of the box. These springs are so arranged and constructed that they balance the staff and hold the same in a nor mally horizontal position.

A platform 34 is disposed in the box, a short distance above the bottom thereof. The end of the platform remote from the in nor end of the flag staff is loosely mounted .on a transversely extending shaft 35, the

ends of which are j ournaled in the brackets 36 on the side walls of the box. Secured to the lower face of the free end of the platform 34 is a depending stem 37 which extends through the springs 30 and 31 and through openings 28 in the wings 28 of the flagstafl 26. A depending rigid stem 37 is also carried by this portion of the platform 34 and normally rests on the inner end of the flagstaff 26. as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. It will be noted that the lower end of the stem 37 terminates a slight distance above the bottom of the box whereby the platform is permitted to swing downwardly under the weight of the mail matter deposited thereon. The tension of the lower spring is such that it will not compress under the normal weight of the platform, but will compress when any added weight, such as mail matter is placed on said platform. In this case the platform will move downwardly so that the stem 37 will depress the inner end of the flag staff and cause the raising of the outer end. Thus when mail matter is on the platform the flag will be in elevated position which will indicate that mail is in the box.

What is claimed is:

A mail box including a receptacle, a platform pivotally mounted at one end in the receptacle, a signal member pivotally mounted on. the receptacle below the free end of the platform and extending through the ad jacent side wall of the receptacle, said signal member having superimposed and laterally extending wings on the end within the receptacle, said wings having vertically alined openings, a vertical stem carried by the bottom of the platform and extending downwardly through the openings of the wings, coil springs encircling the stem and disposed respectively between the wings and the platform and between the wings and the bottom of the receptacle, and a depending stem carried by the platform for engagement with a rocking movement of the signal member.

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

EDWARD DUBBS. Witnesses W. O. DURHAM, J. F. THOMAS.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). 0.

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