US2579877A

US2579877A - Door-actuated dual compartment mailbox

Info

Publication number: US2579877A
Application number: US110740A
Authority: US
Inventors: Stone Fred
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-08-17
Filing date: 1949-08-17
Publication date: 1951-12-25
Anticipated expiration: 1968-12-25

Description

Dec. 25, 1951 STONE 2,579,877

DOOR-ACTUATED DUAL COMPARTMENT MAIL BOX Filed Aug. 17, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET l %23 Fred Stone 6 INVENTOR.

Dec. 25, 1951 F. STONE DOOR-ACTUATED DUAL C OMPARTMENT MAIL BOX 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed Aug. 17, 1949 Fred Stone INVENTOR.

.a hinged platform,

Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT FICE DOOR-ACTUATED DUAL COMBARTMENT .IMAILBOX Fred stone, Gladewaten'Tex. ApplicationAugus't '17, 1949, Serial l I.o.. 1 1Il,'Zall:

improved mailbox divided into an upper receiving chamber and a lower storage receptacle, with a door hinged at one endof the receiving chamher and connected with a hinged platform, ar-

ranged to'be swung to a horizontal position at the bottom of the receiving "chamber, to close the storage receptacle, whereby mail once deposited in the box and dumped into the storage receptacle cannot be removed by Way of the chamber by any person, thus safeguarding the mail and preventing access thereto by 'unauthorized persons.

Another object of the invention isto provide animprove'd mailbox'having a receiving cham her with a door hinged to one end and a lifter "hinged in the box between the chamber and the storage space thereunder, in combination with independently movable, wherebywhen the door is opened the lifter will be raised and the platform elevated to close off the storage receptacle, together with a spring "latch for latching the platform in a horizontal position so that the "chamber may be employed as a space in which to place mail to be picked up by the postman.

A construction designed to carry out the in-,

structed in accordance with thejinvention showing the signal flag in its raised position in dotted lines and in its lower position in full lines,

Fig. 2 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section showing the receiving door open and the platform and lifter elevated,

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the box,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view, and

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of the spring latch.

In the drawings the numeral I designates a mail box of the general size and shape of the boxes used largely in rural districts and constructed of sheet metal. The box involves a single container which has end walls II and I2, side walls I3 and an arched roof or dome I4. The side walls are vertical up to the base of the dome, whereby the box is divided into a storage recep- Glalims. C1. 23 2*???) '2 tacle I5 below saidbase and a receiving chamber I 6 above saidbase. The end II may be referred to as the receiving end 'andthe end I2,

as the delivery end.

The end wall II terminates at'the top of the receptacle I5 and bottom of the chamber I 6. Above the wall I I, the chamber is closed by a door I! hinged, transverselyalong its bottom to the upper edge ofsaid wall II, as is indicated at I3. The rear end'of'the chamber is closedby the wall It. The front-end of the receptacle being closed by the wall H, "the wall I2 at'the rear end of said receptaclehas an openinglll, "closed by a door 20, hinged at "2I alongone vertical side to the edge of one ofthe'sidewalls I3.

The door 20 has a medial car 22 at-its swinging edge, offset sufficiently to permit a spring latch 23, secured to one of the side walls, to catch on the edge o'f said door. "The latch has-an ear 24, adapted to register with the ear 22,-whereby the shackle )25 "of a lock 26 may be passed therethrough to lock the door '20.

The door I! is hinged to'swing down'to a horizontal position asis shown inFig. 2 to open the a short link 29 is pivoted in the eye, while the other end of the link is pivoted to the outer edge ofan arm 30 extendinglaterally from an elongate rock shaft 3I, having its ends suitably journaled in brackets 32 secured to the-inner faces of the 'end walls I I and I2. The shaft is disposed along one side of the upper portion of the-receptacle I5 and has an elongate loop or lifter 33 extending laterally therefrom in substantially the same plane as the arm 30. e

A swinging platform or shelf 34 is hinged to the shaft 3| and is rectangularin shape so as to close the top of the receptacle I5, when swung to the top thereof. The platform is loosely hinged so as to rest on top of the lifter 33 and to be swung up and down by the latter, but permitting independent movement of the lifter when the platform is otherwise supported.

The box has the usual signal flag 35 which includes an arm 36 medially pivoted on the box at 31, whereby the lower end of the arm overhangs one of the side walls. A spring latch finger 38 has one end fastened on the box wall and is bent outwardly so as to engage the inner face of the lower end of the arm 36 when the latter is swung to a vertical position. A pin 39 secured to the finger enters an aperture 40 in the box wall and a coil spring 4| surrounds this pin between the box wall and the finger. When the flag is down, as is indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, the inner end of the pin will be out of the path of the platform 34. With the door 11 open and the platform elevated, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pin 39 will be slid under the platform, when the flag is moved to a vertical position; however, the door may be closed and the lifter 33 swung downward.

In using the mail box the flag 35 is down and the doors I! and are closed, the latter being locked. The postman opens the door I! and when he swings it downwardly the arm 21 pulls the link 29 upwardly, whereby the lifter 33 and platform 34 are swung to horizontal position; said platform closing the receptacle l5. After depositing mail in the chamber 16, the postman closes the door 11 which swings the platform downwardly and deposits the mail in said receptacle. Should any one thereafter open the door H, the platform 34 will be elevated and access to the mail prevented.

To remove mail the lock is unfastened so that the door 20 may be opened. When it is desired to leave mail in the chamber 16 for the postman to pick up, the door I1 is opened to elevate the platform 34 to a horizontal position. The flag 35 is then swung upwardly to cause the arm 36 to ride onto the finger 3B and depress the latter which will project the pin 39 under the platform. When the door is closed the lifter will be swung downwardly, but the platform will be supported by the pin. When the flag is swung down the pin will be withdrawn and the platform will be released.

The box is comparatively simple in construction and makes it difficult, if not ordinarily impossible, for an unauthorized person to remove mail. Latching the platform 34 in its elevated positions provides a very effective mailing chamber which is substantially weatherproof.

The foregoing description of the invention is explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A mail box including, a container having upright end and side walls, a platform hinged horizontal along the medial portion of one of the side walls arranged to swing up and down in the container, an upper door in one of the upright walls of the container extending above the platform, a lower door in one of the walls of the container below the hinge of the platform, a lifter hinged in the container along one of the upright side walls thereof under the platform,

a connection between the upper door and the lifter arranged to move the lifter upwardly to a horizontal position under the platform when the upper door is swung open, the platform and lifter being hinged to swing in unison or independently of each other, and a latch mounted in one of the upright walls of the container engaging the platform to hold the latter in a horizontal position independently of the lifter.

2. A mail box as set forth in claim 1, wherein the latch is spring pressed and is normally out of the path of the platform, and a flag signal member pivoted on the wall in which the latch file of this patent:

is mounted located to engage and move said latch into engagement with the platform when said signal member is swung upwardly.

3. A mail box including, a container having upright side and end walls, a platform hinged within the container along one of the side walls adapted to swing up and down to and from a horizontal position and when swung to a horizontal position dividing the container into an upper receiving chamber above the platform and a lower storage receptacle below the said platform, an upper door in one of the upright walls of the receiving chamber, a lifter hinged along the inside of one of the side walls to underlie and to normally support the platform, the platform and lifter being independently swingable, and a movable connection between the upper door and the lifter disposed to swingthe lifter to a horizontal position, whereby the platform is swung to a horizontal position when the door is opened.

4. A mail box as set forth in claim 3, and a latch mounted in one of the upright walls of the container disposed to engage the platform and support it in a horizontal position independently of the lifter.

5. A mail box as set forth in claim 3, with a latch mounted in one of the upright walls of the container disposed to engage the platform and support it in a horizontal position independently of the lifter, and a movable signal member mounted on the same wall with the latch located to be moved into signalling position and into engagement with the latch to move the latter into engagement with the platform.

FRED STONE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 587,744 Leuschner Aug. 10, 1897 672,943 King Apr. 30, 1901 728,353 Barnes May 19, 1903 1,315,914 Dubbs Sept. 9, 1919