US294483A - Letter-box - Google Patents

Description

f NrTED Sii/rires PATENT OFFICE.-

CHARLES F. MAIZE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. Y

SPIECIJEICATI'ON forming part of Letters `Patent No. 294,483, dated Maich 4, 1884. Y Application tiled July S10, 1883. (No model.) l

To @ZZ whom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, CHARLES F.l MAIZE, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedV` Letter-Box, of which the .followin g is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to that class of boxes in which letters, newspapers, and other matter are deposited; and the object of the'invention is to provide such a box having better arrangements of the parts for the introduction ofthe inail-matter and affording increased security and protection to such 'matter when deposited in the box.

The invention consists in special construc- K tions of parts ofthe box, including an arrangement of guard-plates at the opening for the newspaper-drop, and a novel selfclosing lid for the letter-drop with an improvedhood, in which the letter-drop lid is tted, to exclude water from the box; also, in an improved contrivance of' the door closing the dischargeopening at the 4side of the box, with double iiang'es fitting over a flared ange on the box, and in other details of construction, all as hereinafterly described and claimed.

i in rectangular generalform, and I provide an opening, b, in its top, and one, c, in its front for the passage of mail-matter into the box, these openings being closed by'thedrop lids or covers 'd e, respectively; and at one side of the box a door, f, is hinged at g, near the bottom of' the box, to swing until stopped by the' ledge h Iof the door striking the corner or front of the box at c', as in Fig. l. The top drop- I c. lid, d, is hinged suitably at d to box a, has

any suitable knob or device, d2, by which to raise it, and a fixed stop, d", to limit its open ing or backward swing by; -ntact with the box a.

rllhe letter j represents a shield plate or guard to the opening b, said guard being hinged at k to the box a, Vor preferably along one edge of an npwardly-projecting rim or flange, @provided to exclude rainl or'snow from the interior of the box. The lid d has a fixed rod, d4, which comes beneath the upper curved portion, j', of the guard y' `whenin working-position, so that when lid d is thrown back or open, until arrested by stop cl3, the lower portion, jl, of the guard j will be carried about to a horizontal position, as in Fig. l, to

Vclose opening b, and form a platform or table on which newspapers or other bulky articles may be placed, to be automatically discharged into box a by the downswing of guard j when The curved upper plate portion, jf, of guardj is made preferably of the same width as the lower part, j, or guard proper, assuch construction is quite as cheap and much stronger than would be an arrangement vof curved arms or wires projecting upward from part i2 over the rod dt, or equivalent .pins or 'stops tted to lid dat the ends, as will be readily understood.'

`As the guard] falls in advance of the ltight closure of' the lid d, I fit to the under side of the top of box c the fixed depending plate a,

along the side of opening o, opposite the hinge joints of the lid and guard, said platen serving to effectually prevent the abstraction of matter deposited in the box.

A man-box flaca with an opening, b, nd d,

`and guard j, and either with or without the plate a, would serve well for the reception ofunassorted mail-matter; but I propose to di vide the box .a by a transverse partition, 0, into an upper newspaper and package receiving compartment, a', and a lower compartmentra?, specially intended for holding letters.

Over the opening c, through which the lett'ers are passed into the box en Ijvfix the hood p, the top q of which slants'iiward'and downward, or is flared, to shed water toward the v body of box c, and also 'prevent the water from the side of the box from flowing over the front or face of the hood p, which preferably IOO inclines outward and downward from the top, as shown, which construction prevents the entrance ot' water within hood p, and through opening c, the hood having an opening, r, opposite the one, c, through which to pass the letters. rllhe openings 'fr and c are closed by the cover or lid c, which is hinged to the hood p, at a point, c', preferably above its horizontal center, so that this lid cwill close by gravity with its upper portion, et', upon the inner face ofthe front of the hood, while the lower portion, e", of the lid will fall upon the outside face of the hood, as shown.

A weight, c", such as a heavy wire, may be fitted to or in the lower edge of lid e, to facilitate its prompt and tight closure, which is also aided by the backward incline of the front of the hood, and with a lid, e, thus arranged letters may readily be passed into the box a. by one hand only, leaving the otherhand free for holding articles, such as satchels, umbrellas, or packages, which is a great convenience and advantage.

The door f, by which access is had to thc interior of the box a, is iitted on the inside with thc fiange s, at a little distance from the outer edge lange, 1, ofthe door, so that when the door is closed the iiange if, which projects from the side of the box a, around its opening, will be inclosed between flanges s and t, to make aweat-her-proofjoint of the doorf with the box a.; and the upper tlange, Il, and it lnay be the side fiangcs, u, also, are iiared from the face ofthe box to better shed the water, as is the top q of thehoodj), above described.

I make the wings c on the door 'f as continuations or backward extensions ofthe side flanges, s, said wings serving to prevent a spilling of the contents of the box a when the door] is opened. These wings 1v may extend quite to the free end of the door j", and enter slots in the partition o, through which the mail-matter in compartment c cannot fallinto the one il below; or, if desired, the wings 11 may be dispensed with.

In practice, I shall fit the door j' with any approved spring-lock, w, to hold the door securely and self-actingly by simply closing it upon the box, and I shall also fit or form upon the bottom of the box and the partition o,when

used, the buttons or projections o, to facilitate the removal by hand of the inail-matter from the box.

My improved letter or mail box may be made of any desired size, shape, or material, as required b v the conditions of use; and it is believed that it will be found more practical, convenient, and safe than the boxes commonly employed for like purposes.

I do not abandon or dedicate to the public any patentable features set forth herein and not hereinafter claimed, but reserve the right to claim the same either in a reissue of any patent that may be granted upon this application or in other applications for Letters Patent that l may make.

Having thus fully described 1ny invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. The combinatiomwith the box a, having an opening, b, and hinged lid d therefor, of the guard j, hinged to the box a, and the rod df, iixed to lid d, for operating the guard by the lid, substantially as shown and described.

2. A letter-box having the outer iiange, u, and a door hinged thereto at g, said door being extended below the hinge to form aledge, I1., whereby the door may be held open, as shown and described.

The con1bination,with the box a, having an opening, b, and lid d, fitted with a rod, d, or equivalent devices, ot' the guard j, hinged to the 'box a at 7c, and having a slot, mf, in its lower portion, j, substantially as shown and described.

4. The combination,withthe box a, provided with opening I), lid d. fitted with bar d4, and the guardj, of the pendent plate n, substantially as shown-and described.

5. A mail-box divided by a horizontal parti tion, o, into an upper and lower compartment, a a, having a single outlet-door, f, at one end for both compartments, and two inlets-one on the top and the other on the lower half of the front of the box-said inlets having covers, as shown and described.v

(i. The doorf and mailbox a, provided with the flanges t il, upwardly inclined toward each other, and the iiangc t, overlapping iiangc u to produce a water-proofjoint, as described.

7. rlhe hood p,construeted with a iiared top, q, a front apertured at r, and falling inward at thetop, and a lid, e, arranged to close the opening r by gravity, and at the insideol' the hood front, substantially as shown and described.

S. The combination, in aletter or mail box, of the compartment ct', having an opening, b, lid d, and guard j, and the compartment a2, having an opening, c, and hood p, apertured at o', and fitted with an inwardly-opening and self-closing lid, c, substantially as shown and described.

o. F. MAIZE.

\Vitnesses:

CHARM-3s BROWN, SMH.. M. BROWN.

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