US2869780A

US2869780A - Article depository

Info

Publication number: US2869780A
Application number: US698095A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jensen Louis
Original assignee: KELCO ENGINEERING Ltd
Current assignee: KELCO ENGINEERING Ltd
Priority date: 1957-11-22
Filing date: 1957-11-22
Publication date: 1959-01-20
Anticipated expiration: 1976-01-20

Description

Jan. 20, 1959 L. JENSEN ARTICLE DEPOSITORY Filed Novr 2.2, 1957 INVENTOR {24W yummy BY 41, 5

ATTORNEY United States Patent ARTICLE DEPOSITORY Louis Jensen, London, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Kelco Engineering Limited, London, Ontario, Canada Application November 22, 1957, Serial No. 698,095

2 4 Claims. (Cl. 232-44) This invention relates to an article depository. It is frequently of great convenience to provide means permitting the deposit of articles for safekeeping or servicing outside of regular service hours in establishments such as banks, stores, laundries, cleaners, and the like. have heretofore been proposed, they are frequently subject to one or more objectionable characteristics, such as awkwardness in use, faulty operation, lack of adequate protection, and complicated construction.

It is an object of this invention to provide an article depository which is of simple and inexpensive construction, which is subject to convenient installation, which is fully automatic and positive in operatiomwhich is easy to use, and which provides satisfactory protection for articles deposited therein.

The invention resides in an article depository comprising rear, side and top walls, an access door constituting a front wall and hingedly mounted along the lower edge thereof for outward swinging movement to openthe door, a trap door constituting the bottom wall of said depository hingedly mounted along the forward edge thereof, and manually operable means having a fixed sequence of operating movements and movable initially to close and lock said trap door and thereafter open said access door and subsequently moveable to close said access door and thereafter unlock and open said trap door.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure l is a plan view of the depository with the access door in open position,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the depository as shown in Figure l, and

Figure 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a suitable arrangement for the depository.

Referring to the drawing, the depository is arranged for support in a frame 1 which may be mounted in a door, window, wall or the like of the building in which the articles are to be deposited. The frame 1, as shown, comprises a pair of horizontal members 2 mounted in a panel 3 of the building and a pair of upright members 4 connecting the two horizontal members 2 and forming While various types of devices for this purpose.

2,869, 78 Patented Jan. 20, 1959 A trap door 13 is arranged to constitute the bottom wall of the depository and, as shown, is hingedly mounted at 14 between the lower front corner portions of side walls 7. Trap door 13 has side edge flanges 15 adapted to overlie the side walls 7 in closed position, and its rear edge may be provided with a rounded lip 16.

a rectangular frame defining a complementary opening'S in the panel.

The depository, which is preferably formed of metal, includes a rear wall 6 and side walls 7 which may be integral with the rear wall. An angle or like member 8 extends transversely between the lower front corners of the walls 7 to which the member 8 is fixed. An angle or like member 9 extends transversely between the upper front corners of the walls 7 to which the member 9 is fixed. Each side wall 7 is provided with a right angular flange 10 at its front edge. An access door 11 is hingedly mounted at 12 along its lower edge on angle member 8, and it will be observed that, in the closed position of door 11, the flanges 10 and angle member 9 form a bearing surface for the periphery of the door.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the depository is arranged for removable mounting in the frame 1 whereby it may be readily withdrawn from use. To this end, a pair of brackets 17 on the inner surface of lower horizontal member 2, provide sockets in which may be seated angle member 8. A plate 18 is hingedly mounted at 19 to the upper horizontal member 2, to constitute both a closure for the opening 5, when the depository is not in use, as shown in Figure 3, and the top wall of the depository when it is in use, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Plate 18 has a pair of catches 20 which, in the closure forming position thereof, engage lugs 21 on frame 2, to lock it in position, and, in the top wall forming position thereof, engage lugs 22 on rear wall 6.

The depository is utilized in service by manually operable means now to be described. A handle 23 in the form of a bar extending horizontally across the front face of access door 11 has an arm 24 extending rearwardly from each end thereof. Each arm 24 extends through a respective slot 25 in door 11 to which the arm is pivotally secured, as indicatedat 26, at a point which positions the handle 23 in spaced relation to the forward face of the door. Each arm 24 also extends through a respective slot 28 in flange 10 and its rear end is pivoted at 29 to one end of a link 30, the other end of which is pivoted at 31 to a respective flange 15 of the trap door 13. A roller 32 mounted on each pivotal connection 29 is arranged to traverse the cam edge surface of a respec tive cam plate 33 which is mounted in parallel spaced relation to the outer surface of each side wall 7. it will be apparent that each arm 24 and link 30 extends between a cam plate 33 and the respective side wall 7.

Each cam surface comprises a curved top portion 34, and a curved rear portion 35 extending downwardly from such top portion 34. Cam portion 34 is terminated by a projection 36 and cam portion 35 is terminated by a projection 37. Thus, the projections 36 and 37 define the limits of travel of the roller 32 on the cam surface.

When the access door 11 is closed, as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 2, the trap door 13 is open as shown. In this position, rollers 32 are in engagement with projections 37. A user wishing to use the deposi tory will initially depress handle 23 which will swing it and arms 24 about pivots 26. This will cause rollers 32 to move upwardly until it reaches closed position which coincides with the juncture of

cam portions

35 and 34. Thereafter, handle 23 may be pulled forwardly with rollers 32 moving forwardly along cam portions 34 such movement causing door 11 to be swung open. The full open position of door 11 is defined when rollers 32 engage projections 36. Thereafter, articles may be placed in the depository trap door 13 being rigidly locked in closed position to adequately support the same. Following placing of the articles in the depository, the handle 23 is actuated initially to close access door 11 and finally to open trap door 13 to discharge by gravity the articles from the depository.

It will be apparent that when one of doors 11 and 13 is open, the other is rigidly locked in closed position. This is a quite important safeguard, particularly in that user must close and lock the trap door 13 before access door 11 can be opened.

There has thus been provided a depository of simple, rugged construction which is subject to convenient positive operation by the user.

I claim:

1. An article depository comprising rear, side and top walls, a hingedly mounted accessdooncohstitutinga front wall, a hingedly mounted trap door constituting a bottom wall, ahandle having a pair of arms piyotally secured to 'said access door, a link iiivo'tally 'clonneicting. each said arm withsaid trap door, sai be ng v in tially swingable to move said trap door into closed, po

tion and thereafter movable to swing saida'cces's d. r into open position, and cam means 'defining sal mdve, ments ofsaid arms;

2. An article depository comprising rear, side and. top. walls, a hingedly mounted accessd'oor. constitutingf'af front wall, a hingedly mounted trap door constituting; a bottom wall, a handle havinga pair o'farms pivotally secured to said access door, a paii of links pivotally, connected to said trap door. and each having a pivotal connection with oneof said'arms,,a cam engaging mem; ber carried by each. said pivotal connection, and a pair of cam plates each. having a 'surfaceengageable by said'cam engaging member, each said cam surface hav: ing a portion defining swinging movement of said. trap; door anda' second portiondefining swinging movement, of'said'access door.

3. In combination with a frame arranged for.n1ounting in a buildingsaid frame defining an opening in Wall ofsaid' building, and a hingedly mounted plate swingable. to close said. opening, an'article depository comprising rear' an d' sidewalls removablys'eated. in s aidframe, said plate being swingablev to'fonn the top walloffsaiid pository, a hingedly mounted access dear constituting a, front wall", a hi'ngedly' mounted trap. door constituting.

a bottom wall, a handle havinga pair of arms pivotally secured to said access door, a link pivotally connecting e'aclisaidariiiwithsaid' trap dooi'fsaid arms 'b'e'iiig'ini tially swingable to move said trap door into closed position and thereafter movable to swing said access door into open position, and cam means defining said movements of said arms.

4. An article depository comprising rear, side and top walls, a hingedly mounted access door constituting a front wall, a hingedly mounted trap door constituting a bottom wall, and. manually operable means having. a fixed seq'uence of operating movements andmovable initially to close and lock said trap door and thereafter open said" access door, and subsequently 'i'nov'eable to close said access door and thereafter unlock and open said trap door, said manually operable means comprising a handle having an arm pivotally mounted on said access door, a link pivoted to said arm and to said trap door to swing said-trap door, in, response. to. pivotal. movement of. said arm, a. darnfplate. having a. cam'surface, a. cam

surface, engaging member carried by said arm, said access. door. being swingable said hznldle, said, cam;

surface having upo iio'n. defining the extent. of swinging movement ofsaid trap door, and. a. second portion definiiii'g'jthe extent of swinging movement of. said access. door.

Re e win t an W UNlTED STAIE S BATEN T S