US455126A

US455126A - Electric post-office box

Info

Publication number: US455126A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-06-30
Anticipated expiration: 1908-06-30

Description

(No Model.)

WQA. M. & R. '1'. 1-". SMITH. BLBGTRIG POST OFFICE BOX. No. 455,126.

Patented June 30, 1891.

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WM N- W $4; 94 BY w I ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OF CE.

WILL A. M. SMITH AND ROBERT T. F. SMITH, O F MORRISON, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRI C' POST-OFFICE BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 455,126, dated June 30, 1891- Application filed March 4, 1891. Serial No. 383,685. (NomodeL) I To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WVILL A. M. SMITH and ROBERT T. F. SMITH, both of Morrison, in the county of WVhiteside and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Electric Post-Oflice Box, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of our improved electric post-office box, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on line a: 00 in Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both views The object of our invention is to provide a door-catch for post-office boxes which can be released by the action of an electro-magnet.

Our invention consists in the combination, with a post-office box, of a door provided with a catch and arranged to be operated by gravity, a latch arranged to engage the door-catch and provided with an armature, and an electro-magnet supported within the post-office box and adapted to lift the latch, all as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The post-office box A, to which our improvement is applied, is of the usual form and construction. To the front of the box is attached a metallic frame B,provided with ears (1, which are secured in mortises in the front of the box. To the lower part of the frame is hinged a metallic door 0, which is perforated and is provided with aglass panel. The upper part of the door is provided with a catch 1). In the upper part of the box A is secured a casing D. containing the electromagnet E, and provided with a hollow arm F, in which is pivoted the bent latch G, which extends forward through an aperture in the front of the casing D and engages the catch b. To the latch G is attached an armature H, which is within the field of the magnet E. Wires I I, connected with the magnet, extend to a distant point and are connected with a battery and push-button. By means of this construction when the circuit is closed by pressing the push-button the magnet E is energized and the armature H islifted, raising the latch G out of engagement with the catch 0, thus releasing the door 0, when the door opens by its own gravity and the contents of the box are made accessible from the outside.

Our improved electric post-office box is applicable to all classes of post-offices. The push-button is preferably located near the desk of the attendant, so that he may release the door and deliver the mail without changing his position. There are as many pushbuttons as there are boxes, which are provided with the same number, so that when the number of a certain box is called it is only necessary for the attendant to press the push button bearing the same number.

Although we have described the door as being opened by gravity, we do not confine ourselves to the construction, as we may arrange the door to open on the side and provide a spring for swinging it open when released.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with a post-office box provided with a door arranged to open automatically, of an electro-magnetic doorreleaser, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the box A, provided with the door 0, arrangedto be opened by gravity and having the catch 1), of the latch G, adapted to engage the catch b and provided with an armature H, and a magnet E, adapted to act upon the armature H, substantially as specified.

3. The combination, with the magnet E and latch G, of the casing D, provided with the hollow arm F, substantially as specified.

WILL ,A. M. SMITH.

ROBT. T. F. SMITH.

Witnesses:

F. A. VAN ()snoL, W. L. BREWER.