US2889981A

US2889981A - Mail box

Info

Publication number: US2889981A
Application number: US717899A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert L Hunt
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1958-02-27
Filing date: 1958-02-27
Publication date: 1959-06-09
Anticipated expiration: 1976-06-09

Description

June 9. 1959 R. 1.. HUNT 2,889,981

MAIL BOX Filed Feb. 27, 1958 I m "H 6 Fl G.l

2 v 1 INVENTOR; Robert L.- Hunt ATTORNEYs United States Patent MAIL BOX Robert L. Hunt, New Milford, Conn. Application February 27, 1958, Serial No. 717,899 1 'Claim. (Cl. 232-35) My invention relates to a rural mail box and particu larly to a novel means for actuating the signal device of such mail boxes.

Rural mail boxes are equipped with a signal device or indicator comprising usually an arm and a flag. The signal is set in a vertical or up position to indicate to the mailman that mail is in the box to be collected. When the mailman collects the mail in the box, he manually moves the pivotally mounted signal device to a horizontal or down position to indicate that the mail has been collected. It is inconvenient for the mailman to reach from his car to the side of the box to lower the flag and with some very large mail boxes, the mailman cannot reach the flag from his car.

My invention solves this problem by providing a means by which the signal device is operated by the opening of the door of the box by the mailman. Also, due to the unique nature of my signal actuating means conventional mail boxes can be modified to include it with a minimum of materials and labor.

Generally, the actuating means of my invention comprises an aim mounted on the front of the door of the mail box and positioned so that when the mail box door is opened, the arm contacts a lifting member movably mounted on the side of the box which member contacts the arm of the signal device and causes the signal to be moved around its pivot to a horizontal or down position.

The actuating device of my invention will be further illustrated by reference to the accompanying drawing of a preferred embodiment.

Figure 1 of the drawing is a side elevation view of the mail box of my invention with the signal device in a vertical position and the door closed.

Figure 2 is a front View of the mail box with the signal device in a vertical position and the door closed.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through section AA of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a side elevation view of the mail box with the door in the fully opened position.

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the mail box with the door in the fully opened position.

In the drawing, a rural mail box 1 is provided with a door 2 hinged at the bottom by hinge 3 and opening downwardly. Mounted on the side of the mail box is a signal or indicator device 4 comprising a signal arm or shaft 5 and a flag 6. The signal device 4 is mounted on the mail box 1 by means of a mounting bracket 7 with flanges 8 and 9 secured to the mail box, for example, by rivets. A pin 10 extends through the bracket 7 and through the lower portion of the signal arm 5 passing through an elongated slot 11 in the lower portion of the signal arm 5. The slot 11, shown at an angle to the right of vertical, can also be a vertical elongated slot. The signal arm 5 when in the vertical or up position rests on the side of the longer flange 8 of bracket 7 for support. When the flag is lowered manually the arm 5 is raised through the travel of the slot 11 and 2 pivoted around the pin 10 to a horizontal or down" position where it rests on the top of the shorter flange 9 of bracket 7. The foregoing structure is that of a conventional rural mail box.

The signal actuating means of my invention is provided by the following mechanism. An arm 12 is mounted on the door 2, for example, by rivet 13 and bolt'14. The arm is mounted parallel to the door and projects angularly downward from the vertical axis of the door when the door is closed. The bolt 14 can be removed to pivot the arm upward around rivet 13,,as desired, for example, for shipping purposes. The arm 12 extends parallel to thedoor 2, i.e., downwardly when the door 2 is in the vertical or closed position, and outwardly towards the side of the mail box 1 on which is mounted the signal device 4. Below the signal device 4 on the side of the mail box is a lifting member 15. The lifting member 15 is a flat piece with a recessed portion 16, which provides arms 17 and shoulders 18. The lifting member is mounted for vertical reciprocation on the side of the box in vertical alignment with, and below, the bracket. The shoulders 18 need not be provided, i.e., the lifting member 15 can be made the same size throughout except for arms 17 which provide for resting of the member 15 and also as a limiting means on the travel of the member 15 by contacting bracket 7. The upper portion 19 of the lifting member is of a size to fit within the inner walls of bracket 7 so that it can contact the lower end of the signal arm 5. The lifting member 15 is mounted on the side of the mail box 1 by means of a mounting bracket 20 having

flanges

21 and 22 secured, for example, by rivets. The lifting member 15 projects below the bottom of the mail box 1 so that arm 12 can contact it and raise it the necessary distance to move the signal arm 5 to cause it to pivot downwardly. The lifting member 15 is freely movable vertically within the mounting bracket 20. The bracket 20 is positioned below the bracket 7 to provide suflicient travel between arms 17 and bracket 7 for the lifting member 15 to move the signal arm 5. Also, it is positioned to allow sufficient travel regarding contact with arms 18 when they are provided. Shoulders 18 advantageously can be used to limit travel, i.e., to stop the bottom of lifting member 15 from going above the bottom of the box when the door is opened.

In operation, when the signal device 4 is in the vertical or up position and the door 2 is closed, the lifting device 15 rests on the

flanges

21 and 22 of the mounting bracket 20 by means of the arms 17 as shown in Figures 1 to 3. When the door 2 is opened downwardly, the arm 12 on the door 2 contacts the bottom of the lifting member 15 which raises the lifting member 15 into contact with the lower end of the signal arm 5 and raises it through the slot 11 causing the signal device 4 to pivot about the pin 10 to a horizontal or down position, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, where it rests on the flange 9 of the signal arm mounting bracket 7. To reset the mechanism, the door 2 is closed which releases the lifting member 15 which drops to its resting position as shown in Figure 1 and the signal 4 is then manually moved to its vertical or up position. The device is then ready to actuate the signal again.

The door arm 12, lifting member 15, and mounting means, e.g., bracket 20 can be made to fit any size mail box easily. There are three general sizes of mail boxes (small, medium and large) and the device of my invention can be adapted readily to any of the sizes by merely providing different lengths for the flag arm 5 of the signal 4. Alternatively, the length of lifting member 15 can be changed if it is not desirable to change the length of the flag arm 5. It can be seen then, that a minimum of parts, which are easily made and inexpensive, is

required to modify a conventional rural mail box to provide the automatic actuating device of my invention.

I claim:

In combination, a rural mail box having a door at one end hinged to open downwardly; a signal arnr on one side adapted to be moved to display a signal and pivotallymounted on a pin within the inner Walls of a bracket attached to the side of the box, the pin passing through an elongated slot in the lower portion of the signal arm' which permits movement of the signal; a signal arm lifting member mounted for vertical reciprocation on the side of the box in vertical alignment with,-

and below, the bracket, said liftingmember having anupper portion adapted to move in and out ofthe inner wallsrof the bracket, and a lower portion projecting below the bottom of the box; a door arm member mounted parallel to the door and projecting angularly downward from the vertical axis of the door when the door is closed and adapted to contact the lower portion of, and" urge, the lifting member vertically upward when the door is opened causing it to raise the upper portion of the lifting member into the inner walls of the bracket to contact and move the pivotally mounted signal arm around the pin from a vertical to a horizontal position by action of gravity.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 918,899" Oliver Apr. 20, 1909 1,521,397 Scott Dec. 30, 1924 2,613,031 Joyce Oct. 7, 1952 2,809,780 Doetsch Oct. 15, 1957