US228911A - Thomas e - Google Patents

Description

NITED STATES ATENT FFlQE.

THOMAS E. LOWERRE, OF MOTT HAVEN, NEW YORK, N. Y.

LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,911, dated June 15, 1880.

Application filed May 1, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THoMAs It. LOWERRE, of Mott Haven, New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to letter-boxes of that class in which the opening and closing of the door at each collection of deposited mail-matter are made to actuate a register, so as to indicate automatically upon a dial the time when the next collection should be made, the object being to accomplish this by an improved and adjustable device actuating the index, by a com-" bination of fewer parts simpler and cheaper than in letter'boxes as heretofore constructed for a similar purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1? represents in full lines a side view of a closed letter-box to which my present invention is applied, and in dotted lines the position of the index as changed by the opening of the door. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, in which the exterior is supposed to be cut away along the line was of Fig. 3 to show the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a top view of the index-actuating mechanism, the dial and the exterior of the box being shown as if cut away along the horizontal section line y 3 of Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the letter-box, and B the door, hinged to it at b. O is one of the usual side pieces cast upon the inside of the door B at right angles to the latter. The piece 0 has a series of holes, 0, through it, which are bored preferably equidistant from the hinge b, and in one of said holes is fastened, by a nut upon its threaded shank, a stud or pin, 0, in position to be slid in the slot- (1 of the lever D and turn the latter upon its fulcrum or pivot 0 when the door B is being opened or closed. The inner end of the lever D is also slotted at right angles to the slot d, to receive in the thus-formed jaw a ratchet-wheel, E, and pawl H in the manner of an ordinary ratchet-drill lever.

The pawl H is pressed by a spring, h, to keep in contact with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel E, which latteris secured upon a square formed on the pivot c of the lever D.

The pivot c has its bearings in the bracketI and the plate J, the former being fastened by bolts or screws 2' to the latter, and the latter being fastened by screws to the inside of the box A. When thus fastened the pivot c projects through a hole in the side of the box, and upon its outer end is secured the index F, which points to one or other of the figures on the circular dial-plate G, which denote the hours of collection.

Then the parts are arranged as in Fig. 2 the opening of the door B will cause the pawl H to push the wheel E around a little until, when the pin 0 has reached the end of the slot d, the index F has moved from its position opposite the hour of the present collection (say at 8 oclock a. in.) to a position opposite the hour of the next collection, (say at 9.30 a. m.,) or in theposition of the dotted index in Fig. 1.

\Vhen the door is being closed the pawl H, following the sweep of the lever D, recedes from the bottom of the teeth of the wheel E, and the latter is retained in position of keeping the index opposite the hour of the next collection by the'stop-pawl K, which is pressed by a spring, L, and is pivoted at k to the plate J.

It is evident that by reversing the position of the wheel and pawl in a suitable manner the index may be moved by the closing instead of opening of the door.

The dial-plate G is fastened, by little screws 9, to the box A, within a protecting-rim, M, which latter is preferably cast upon the side of the box A, so that it may be easily removed and replaced by a new dial when the postal department sees fit to change the hours of collection. In that case the throw of the lever D must, of course, be changed to make the index F move according to the changed distance between the division-marks on the new dial. This is done by removing the stud c from the hole in the piece 0 in which it is secured, and inserting it in the outer hole 0 if a shorter throw is required, and in the inner hole 0 if a longer throw is required, the lever D in the latter case being caused to make a larger turn before the stud 0 stops against the end of the slot at than it would if the stud 0 were secured in the outer hole.

The dial is covered by a pane of glass, m,

which is secured in the open-faced cover N, hinged to a lug, a, on the outside of the box. The cover N, when closed, fits around the rim M, so as toentirelyinclose the latter, and rests against the outside of the box, to which it is secured by a bolt, 0, passing through a lug, n, on the rim of the cover N, and through the side wall of the box, the bolt being tightened on the inside of the wall by a nut, 0, fitting on its threaded inner end, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper part of the rim of the cover N is provided. with a lug, n, to which is hinged another closed cover or drop-lid, P, which latter conceals and protects the pane m and dial G from injury.

To read the dial the cover I? is raised and held in the positionshown in Fig, 1.

Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a letter-box arranged to indicate automatically the time'for the next collection, the slotted lever D, pivoted upon the index-pin e and provided with feed-pawl H, in combination with the ratchet-wheel E and stop-pawl K, and with the stud 0, attached directly or indirectly to the door B, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

2. In a letter-box arranged to indicate automatically the time for the next collection, the combination of the door-flange 0, having a series of holes, 0, and a stud, 0, adjustable in the

Images