US3272465A

US3272465A - Swingable mailbox structure

Info

Publication number: US3272465A
Application number: US421937A
Authority: US
Inventors: Eli J Baarsgard
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-12-29
Filing date: 1964-12-29
Publication date: 1966-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 1983-09-13

Description

Sept. K3, 1%6 E. J. BAARSGARD 3,272,465

SWINGABLE MAILBOX STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR- ATTORNEYS- W 119% E. .J. BAARSGARD 3,2?2A65 SWINGABLE MAILBOX STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,272,465 SWINGABLE MAILBOX STRUCTURE Eli J. Baarsgard, Mabel, Minn. Filed Dec. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 421,937 7 Claims. (Cl. 248145) The present invention relates to a mailbox and more particularly to a mailbox that can be swung about the support upon which it is mounted.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a mailbox having a name plate associated therewith, a signal flag associated therewith and which mailbox is supported on a structure and can freely swing in a horizontal plane should the mailbox be inadvertently struck or hit by an object.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mailbox that is freely swingable upon support means and which mailbox can be rotated or swung at various angles about the support if desired.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a mailbox support structure in which all of the parts can be made of conventional components readily available and in which any of the parts can be readily replaced without completely requiring the entire structure to be replaced.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with accompanying drawings in which FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the mailbox structure embodying the present invention. FIGURE 2 is a section taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along th eline 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is a section taken along the line 7-7 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 8 is a sect-ion taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 9 is a section taken along line 99 of FIG- URE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a view similar to FIGURE 9 but showing the name plate removed.

FIGURE 11 is a section taken along the line 11-11 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modification of the invention illustrated in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 13 is a section taken along line 1313 of FIGURE 12 and FIGURE 14 is a section taken along line 14-14 of FIGURE 12.

Referring to FIGURE 1 the reference number 10 generally designates a mailbox structure provided with a conventional mailbox 12 with a closed back cover 14 and a hinged front cover 16 for removing the mail from the mailbox.

The mailbox is supported on two T-shaped posts, with the post 18 being disposed in front of the post 20. The T-shaped cross section of the

posts

18 and 20 is clearly shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. The T posts are normally driven into the ground or soil where it is desired to position the mailbox. The front post 18 is provided with a tubular or cylindrical member 22 disposed over the upper portion thereof. The tubular member 22 is provided with a horizontal bolt 24 extending therethrough approximately half way up the member 22 .so that the lower portion of the tubular member 22 telescopes over the upper portion of the T post 18 and the bolt 24 rests on top of the T post 18 as best seen in FIG. I.

The extreme upper end of tubular member 22 is provided with a support bar 26 having a circular clamp 28 encircling the tubular member 22 with a short strap member 30 and a long strap member 32 extending horizontally from the opposite sides of the clamp 28. The clamp 28 is secured to the tubular member 22 by a bolt 34 and a name plate rectangular in shape designated 36 is disposed between the

straps

30 and 32 and has its left end disposed in a slot 38 provided in the top of the tubular member 22. The name plate 36 is secured to the

straps

30 and 32 by a pair of bolts 40.

A bracket member 42 having a circular clamp 44 is disposed on the member 22 below the bar 26 as best seen in FIGS. 1 and 4. The circular clamp 44 encircles the member 22 and is secured thereto by a bolt member 46 secure-d to the outer legs 48 of the clamp 44.

A band member 50 encircles the inner end of the mailbox 12 and has its upper and lower ends secured to the

straps

30 and 32 and the legs 48 respectively. Referring to FIGURE 2 the band member 50 consists of two identical bifurcated portions 52 facing each other with upper ears 54 secured by a bolt 56 to the

straps

30 and 32 and with lower ears 58 secured by a bolt 60 to the bracket member 42.

The forward or front end of the mailbox 12 is supported by a semicircular clamp 62 secured by a bolt 64 to the top of the mailbox and by a horizontal bolt 66 threaded through the front end of the strap 32.

A signal device is provided for the mailbox consisting of a rectangular signal flag '68 mounted on. spaced spring members 70 having one end secured to the lower end of the flag 68 and the other ends secured to the bolt 66 as best seen in FIGURE 8. The spring members 70 are disposed so as to normally bias the flag into a vertical position such as that shown in FIGURES l and 8. The upper end of the flag 68 is provided with a chain 7-2 and a wedge 74 which is positioned in the dotted line position between the

latches

76 and 78 of the mailbox. The latch 78 forms a friction fit with the latch 76 and the wedge 74 when positioned therebetween will stay there until the postman opens the hinged cover 16. The springs will then cause the flag to move to its vertical. position. At this time the notch 80 in the bottom of the flag will move into one of the corresponding notches 82 in the strap 32.

A dual clamp 84 is provided on the lower end of the tubular member 22 and the T post 18. Referring to FIGURE 5, the dual clamp 84 has a circular upper clamp 86 encircling the tubular member 22 and securing it thereto by a bolt 88 and a lower semicircular clamp 90 with a bolt 92 securing it to the post 18. It will be noted that the dual clamp has the forwardly extending legs of the upper and lower clamps spaced apart from each other as best seen in FIGURE 1 while the rear portions of the clamps are formed integral with each other.

With the structure already described it is sufiicient to support a conventional mailbox so that should it be desired to position the mailbox 12 in any direction with respect to the post 18 it is only necessary to push or shove the mailbox in a horizontal direction and the tubular member 22 will turn on and with respect to the T post 18. It is also apparent that this swingable mailbox permits the mailbox =12 to be inadvertently struck or hit and not be damaged since the mailbox is freely swingable on the T post 18 under such conditions.

Where the mailbox is rather heavy another support clamp 94 may be provided to give additional support to the mailbox. In FIGURE 3, the clamp 94 is provided with a circular clamp portion 96 encircling the tubular member 22 with rearwardly extending spaced legs 98 turned inwardly adjacent the T post as designated at 100. The clamp 94 is provided with bolt members 10-2 and a bolt 104 for clamping it to the

post

18 and 20.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGURE 12, this is substantially the same as that described in connection with FIGURE 1 except that there is no dual clamp 84, but there is a bracket 106 disposed above the bracket member 42. The bracket 106 as best seen in FIGURE 14, has a circular clamp 108 encircling the tubular member 22 with rearwardly extending legs 110 clamped to the tubular member by a bolt 112. In this embodiment the horizontal bolt 114 extends through the tubular member 22 and the circular clamp 10 8. A spring 116 has one end secured to a bolt L18 extending between the legs 98 of the support clamp 94, and the lower end secured to the bolt 112.

From the foregoing description it will be observed that the present invention provides a novel mailbox structure in which the mailbox is mounted on a tubular member in turn mounted on a T-shaped member and which mail box and tubular member can be freely swung or rotated about the T post to be positioned at any desired predetermined laterally location, and which mailbox can further be swung around the T post if it is inadvertently struck or hit by an object so that there will be no damage thereto.

Inasmuch as changes may be made in the form, location and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the principle of the invention, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited except by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A mailbox support comprising an elongated post, an elongated tubular pipe telescopically engaged over said fence post, means in said pipe engaging the upper end of said fence post for limiting the penetration of said fence post in said pipe, a first support member, with a circular clamp and two horizontal straps secured to said pipe, a second support member with a circular clamp and two horizontal straps secured to said pipe and spaced below said first support member, a mailbox, and vertical band means encircling said mailbox and having upper and lower ends secured to said first and second support member straps respectively.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein securing means are secured to one of said straps of said first support member and the front portion of said mailbox.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein another elongated post is provided spaced from the first mentioned post and a support clamp is provided with a circular clamp portion secured to said pipe adjacent its front end and another portion clamped to said another post adjacent the rear end thereof.

4. A mailbox support comprising an elongated post, a tubular pipe telescopically mounted over said post, means in said pipe engaging the upper end of said post for limiting the penetration of said fence post in said pipe, a first support member with a circular clamp encircling said pipe to secure it thereon, a short and a long strap extending horizontally from opposite sides of said circular clamp, a second support member spaced below said first member with a circular clamp encircling said pipe to secure it thereon, two short horizontal legs extending from opposite sides of the second member circular clamp, a vertical bifurcated band having its upper and lower ends secured to said first and second members respectively, a mailbox having its rear portion clamped within said band, and means connected to the front end of said mailbox and said long strap for supporting said mailbox.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein a dual clamp consisting of an upper circular clamp portion and a lower semicircular clamp portion is provided with said upper portion mounted on said pipe and said lower portion mounted on said post.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein a short T support clamp is mounted on said pipe between said first and second members, and a second post is provided spaced from said first mentioned post, and an elongated support clamp is mounted on both said second post and said pipe above said short clamp and below said first member and a spring is secured between and to said elongated and short support clamps.

7. The device of claim 4 wherein a signal flag consisting of a rectangular plate with springs secured to its lower end is provided, a chain and wedge are attached to the plate, said springs are attached to said means connected to the front end of the mailbox, and latch means are provided on said mailbox to frictionally engage said wedge.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,888,111 11/1932 Brown 248- 2,194,900 3/1940 Helten 232 39 2,562,021 7/1951 Dotten 248-122 2,874,895 2/1959 Oppetal 232-35 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

R. P. SEITTER, Assistant Examiner.