US2656138A

US2656138A - Sliding mailbox apparatus

Info

Publication number: US2656138A
Application number: US177619A
Authority: US
Inventors: Anthony H Kaschak
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1950-08-04
Filing date: 1950-08-04
Publication date: 1953-10-20
Anticipated expiration: 1970-10-20

Description

Oct. 20, 1953 A. H. KASCHAK 2,656,133

sunmc MAILBOX APPARATUS Filed 4, 1950 1th a IN VEN TOR.

VY KHSCHHK ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 20, 1953 SLIDING MAILBOX APPARATUS Anthony H. Kaschak, Bristol, Conn.

Application August 4, 1950, Serial No. 177,619

1 Claim.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and more particularly to mailboxes for use on rural'delivery routes.

It is common knowledge that R. F. D. mail routes are usually on unpaved roads that are often obstructed along the sides by snow drifts in the winter, and mud ditches in the spring.

Because of this, the ordinary mail box, fixed on a post at the edge of the road, is often inaccessible, both to the mail delivery man leaning from his delivery vehicle, and the householder in receiving the mail.

It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide a mail box having a rod fixed thereto which is slida-bly mounted on a fixed support so that said box may be pulled forward to a position accessible to the mail carrier by means of a hook which may be detachably engaged in an eye on said rod, thus facilitating a mail delivery under conditions where it would otherwise be the above nature which will allow the mail man the free use of both hands for sorting and distributing and receiving mail when the box is in the fully extended position.

A further object of the invention is to enable the mail man or householder to return the box to its retracted position by the use of an S-shaped hook without re-engaging the hook in the eye on the sliding rod.

A further object is to provide a visual means of indicating that mail has been delivered, which may be accomplished by leaving the box in a partly retracted position.

With these and other objects in view, there has been illustrated on the accompanying drawing one form in which the invention may conveniently be embodied in practice.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the mail box in its fully retracted position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mail box in its fully extended position.

Referring now to the drawing, in which like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral ill indicates a vertical post mounted in the ground I I,

said post having a pair of spaced apertured upstanding plates I2 and 13 secured at the top end thereof. The forward plate I2 is raised slightly higher than the rear plate l3, so that a sliding rod M loosely fitted within apertures 15 in said plates l2, l3 and attached to a mail box It will remain level when pulled forward by a hook 2|. The mail box It is rigidly fastened to the rod H by means of two T-shaped brackets I! having curved ears Ha which are, in turn, secured to the mail box by bolts or other suitable means. The rod I4 has a removable headed stop screw l8 at its rear end, and a closed eye H! at the forward end. The stop screw I8 is made removable to permit the rod H to be inserted through the apertures l5 of the plates l2 and I3.

Provision is also made of a rod 2| having an S-shaped hook 20 at its rear end for engaging the eye IQ of the sliding rod H. The front end of the rod 2| has a handle 22 for facilitating the gripping of same by the operator.

Operation When encumbrances, such as snow or mud, are encountered during the delivery of mail, it is only necessary for the mail man to drive his vehicle reasonably close to the mail box, then insert the S-shaped hook 20 of the rod 2| in the eye I!) of the rod H, and pull the mail box Hi from the rear position shown in Fig. 1, to the forward position shown in Fig. 2 using the base loop of said hook. The hook 20 may be allowed to remain engaged with eye l9 until mail is inserted into or removed from the box IE, which may then easily be returned by the rod 2| to its fully retracted position (Fig. 1) using the free loop of said hook, or it may be only partly returned to thereby serve as a signal that the mail has been delivered. Alternately, the mail box may be left at a partially extended position so as to be readily accessible by either the mail delivery man or the householder for the duration of the obstruction at the edge of the road.

One advantage of this invention is that the parts of the attachment may be sold as a kit ready to be assembled to any standard mail box and supporting post.

While there has been disclosed in this specification one form in which the invention may 'be embodied, it is to be understood th'at'this form is shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosure but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes OFFICE 3 3 all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claim.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

said rod is slidably guided, one strip serving as.

an abutment to limit the forward movement oi said stop member, the other strip extending above the front strip so as to cause said rod'toremain level under the weight of said box when pulled forwardly. a closed eye on the forward end of said rod, and a manually-operated handle rod having an S-shaped hook at its extremity detachably insertable in said eye to facilitate pulling said rod outwardly with respect to said post using the base loop of said hook and pushing it inwardly with respect thereto using the free loop of said hook. I

ANTHONY H. KASCHAK.

References- Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 661,146 Henry Nov. 6, 1900 839,607 Lanier Dec. 25, 1906 898,487 Lanier Sept. 15, 1908 1,037,498 Lanier Sept. 3, 1912 1,368,432 .Hahn- Feb. 15, 1921