US1824881A - Mail-receiving device for doors - Google Patents

Description

Sept. 29, 1931. B. F. Foss 1,824,881

MAIL RECEIVING DEVICE FOR DooRs r'iled May 51, 1930 L2e factory service.

Fal-:elated Sept. 29, 1931 f BENJAMIN F. FOSS, vF PORTLAND, MAINE MAInRncEIvING l-DEVICEv ron :oooRs `A11-p11mami med May'i, 1930.k serial No. 457,876.

The invention hereinafter to 'be described relates to mail-receiving devices for house doors and embodies lin its structure certain improvements inthe inventiony for which I iled an application for U. S. patent of date February 28th, 1929Ser. No. 343,471.

The primary object of thepresent inven# tion is to provide'facilities whereby, through the actuation vof the buter cover, the inner 1c cover of the`v apparatus may he` suiiciently opened to permit of unobstructed passage of mail matter throughtheopening in the door, particularlywhen the device `is mounted on an e-'Xtra thick door andthe mail matter is somewhat bulky in character.

VIn my vformer inventiononeof-the covers lcontacts'with andoperates directly on the other `cover to' open-- it-an arrangement whichwhenapplied to thin doors givessatisyBut on thick doors the front cover is not suiiiciently wide to actuate the rear cover, so for this type of door I employ an element pivotally suspended intermediate 'the'tvvo covers in'sucha mannerthat what amounts to, an

extension ofthe front cover is provided which' projects outwardly when engaged by the front cover vand vcontacting with the rear cover raises it so vas tov `provide ample space to ladmit the mail matter without interference.

The sliding contact of the interposed element with the covers lengthens the possible travel or are of movement of the inner cover '35 beyond what would be possible were the moving parts positively connected and, furthermore, greatly simplifies the whole structure. The character of the invention may best be understood by reference tothe description found in the following specification when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which v Fig. l is a front elevation `of the device, showing the outer cover; p

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation vof the same, showing the inner cover;

Fig. 3 is atransverse sectional elevation of the device, the section beingl taken on line 3 3, Fig. 2. The covers are shown in closed positions in this view; and

Fig. 4'is the sameas Fig. 3 except that the v .i d

covers are shown in open positions.

Similar referencecharacters are employed to identify like parts in all the viewsof the drawing i Y QReferring to the drawings, D represents a portion of' a door rail equipped with my improved mail-box door plate combination.` IOn the front or outer side of. thedoortis a skeleton*door-plate l provided with a cover 2 which seats,y when the passage-way P for mail is closed, on. the ledgelaV of the plate. On'the rearward or inner side of the door is another plate, 3, having a cover 4 vadapted to seat on its inner'faceSa. These covers,`2 and 4,' are hinged kon pins 5 andsupported inlugs'projecting from the plates l 'and' 3, respectively.

LThe foregolng 'elements are constructed substantially like the corresponding elements in myk previous invention hereinbefore referred to, except in certain particulars which will presently disclose.

By examination of Fig. 3 it willbe ob,-V served that a v'lug 7 projectsinw'ardly from the door plate 3', and that pivoted on the pin 8 in this lug is an oiisetarm 9, the pivotal pointbeingfin the offset portion 9a.

Vhen the covers 2 and 4 are on their seats,

closing, respectively, they openings 10 and 11 throughl the door-plates `land 3, the arrn9 depends into vthe space intermediatelthe two covers, butwhen it is required to pass mail matter through'.thefapparatus the cover 2 is manually swung inwardly into engagement with the arm, and upon continuing'the in- Award movement of the cover 2 the yarm willn be .brought into contact with the cover 4.- the position'of the parts at this point in the operation of thedevice 'being shown indot and dash lines, Fig. 3. Y v

Upon still further movement of the plate 2 the parts will bedisposed as seen in Fig.

4", the vcover 4 being raised toa substantially horizontal position. j o

`Itis obvious that by varying the length or extentV o'fprojec'tionv ofthe foot 9b on the` arm 9 the elevation'to whichthe cover 4may beraised ycan bevaried; vAndv bycorrespond-- inglyfchanging the" length of the lug 7 the Vum tween the pivotal point of the cover,` at 6,- and the point of contact of the footQa with the inner face of the cover 4'.

So that, although the cover 2 has `completed a considerable portion of its maximum swinging movement before the cover has even started from its seat, the inner cover gains in its speed of travel to such an extent that both covers finally reach their eXtreme upward movement with each in substantially a horizontal position. i

This leaves a full and clear passage-way throughl the door with no impediment to the delivery otmail matter to the interior of the house. Y

The advantage of supplying two covers,

y an inner and an outer, has been previously set forth in my former application. Especially in the case of thick doors and more par-l ticularly with large door-plates which I construct or' a size in accordance with postal rules and regulations, the inner or rear cover greatly assists in maintaining a weather proof mail box device.

Although I provide yielding means to normally hold the covers on their seats, their face areas are so large that, in the case of the outer one, the :torce of the wind has a tendency to slightly jar it open or away from its seat.

However the dead airspace between the covers acts to prevent the passage of rain or even air through the rear opening 1l and should a very small amount of water pass the outer cover it will lodge in the catch basin l2 and pass outwardly through the drains 13.

The embodiment herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings is preferred construction; but it is to be understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantagesof the invention. y

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus of the class described comprising in combination with an outer and an inner door-plate and two covers hingedly connected, respectively to said 4door-plates, an arm ,pivotally suspended' between -said doorplates, a foot on the lowerend of said arm adapted to engage said inner cover when said arm is sWung-theretoward, said armbeing so Yhaving an opening in alignment with the opening through said door, a cover on each of said door-plates hingedly connected thereto to swing rearwardly, relative to said door, and means disposed in the spaceinterjacent said covers but non-attached thereto, whereby said innercover may be raised from its closed to its full open position during vthe/time occupiedby'said outer cover in completing but a portion of its full swinging movement, said outer cover co-acting with said-means toeiect the raising of said inner cover.y y

' 3. In apparatus of the class described adaptable for use in connection with mail-re-v ceiving devicesvffor doors havingfa 'mail-re# ceiving opening therethrough, comprisinv in combination an outer andan innerdoo'rfp ate each thereof havingan-o ening in alignment withk `the opening throng said door, acover pivotally secured on each of said doors-plates and adapted, normallyto seal the space between said covers, a lug projecting inwardly from and located at the top of saidmnerrdoorplate, an arm, having an offset upper end, depending from'a pivotal connection withk said lug, said arm being disposed within the spaceV between said covers and operable in thepath of movement of said outer cover, and a foot Ion the lower end of said arm adaptable, when said arm is swung theretoward, of slidableengagement with said innerc'over. A

In testimonywliereof I atIX myvsignature.

BENJAMIN F. FOSS.

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