US461208A - House-door letter-box - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. MARKELL. HOUSE DOOR LETTER BOX.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY.

l WITNESSES:

, UNITED STATES ATENT QFFICE.

EDXVARD MARKELL, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

HOUSE-DOOR LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 461,208, dated October 13, 1891.

Application filed April 3, 1891. Serial No. 387,486. I (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD MARKELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in letter-boxes, and has reference particularly to an improved construction for securing the box in position, and also to an improved guard device for location below the receiving-slot of the box. Y

The object in view is to render the box more secure from robbery by concealing the fastenings securing it in place and by guarding the receiving-slot more effectively than heretofore.

To this end the invention consists in the novel features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, Figure 1-is a front view of the box as secured on a street-door; Fig. 2, a vertical cross-section through the same; Fig. 3, a front view, with the front of the box removed; Fig. 4, a rear view of the box removed from the door.

, it is attached. The box has in its front a receiving-slot a, closed by a flapper b, which is hinged at its upper edge and actuated by a weight b at its back above the hinge. A suitable bead or rim a, is formed on the outside of the box around the opening a to shed the water. At the top of the box on each side is a flange or ear 0, extending inward from the back edge of the box and having a vertical slot (1 with an enlarged part d at the bot tom. At its bottom partthe box has a back portion 6, provided with a horizontal slot f at each side. 7

Preliminary to hanging the box two screws (1 are fastened in the door B and project therefrom, and at the proper distance below these screws another pair of screws f are fastened in the door, and they also project- In this figure only one series ofguard-fingers is shown below the receiving from the latter. These lower screws have elongated turn-buttons f 2 on their projecting ends behind their heads. In hanging the box the inward-projecting ears 0 are fitted over the upper screws (1 the said screws entering through the lower large parts of the slots. The box is then let down, and the ears 0 drop down behind the heads of the screws, the latter occupying the upper small parts of the slots with their heads taking over the ears.

WVheu the box is in this posit-ion, the horizontal slots 7 in the lower back portion ewill be over the lower screws f, and the b1 ttons f having previously been turned tog a horizontal position, the box is pushed against the door 13, and the said buttons enter through the slots f. These buttons are then turned across the slots and over the back portion 6, and it will be seen that the box will be securely attached to the door. Access is had to the turn-buttons on the lower screws through the lid or doorj in the bottom of the box, which lid is provided for the removal of mail and has a lock j. By securing the box in place in this way all the fastenings are concealed within the box, and therefore they cannot be tampered with in attempts to fraudulently remove the box.

One or more guard devices are located in the box below the receiving-slot a, and each comprises a rod Z, extending across the back of the box, and a series of fingers m, loosely mounted to turn on said rod and spaced apart. Each of these fingers has a boss it, through which the rod Z extends, and an arm 0, projecting downward from the said boss'on an angle to the finger. This arm'rtbears against the back of the box, which in this instance is the door B, and holds the finger in a downwardly-inclined position. tirely independent of each other, and they are kept apart by their bosses n, which extend laterally. These fingers, being thus separate and independent of each other, more securely guard the contents of the box,because, while one or two of the fingers might be held down in attempts to extract the mail, the others would catch and be raised up and would prevent the removal of the matter, whereas were all the fingers integral by pressing down on one of them all the others would be held down, and while thus held mail might be drawn up past them. I prefer to employ two of these guard devices, one located below the other, as shown, with the fingers of the lower one'directly below the interstices of the upper one. This arrangement renders the box more secure from theft, because if by some means the fingers of the upper guard were all held down those of the lower one would prevent the removal of the matter in the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of a box having inwardly-extending flanges or ears at its upper back portion provided with vertical slots, said box also having a back portion at its lower part provided with horizontal slots, and upper and lower securing-screws, the upper screws for engaging the vertical slots in the flanges or ears of the box, with their heads taking over said flanges or cars, and the lower screws having elongated turn-buttons, which extend through the horizontal slots in the lower back portion of the box when the upper screwsare at the upper ends of the vertical slots and turn over the said back portion, all in the;

manner and for the purpose substantially as described.

2. In a letter-box having a receiving-slot in one side, a guard comprising a series of independent fingers pivoted in line at a point helow the said slot and close to the side of the box, said fingers inclined downward from said gersmounted to turn thereon and having projecting arms which bear against the back of the box and hold them in a downward inclined position, said fingers being independent of each other.

each other.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD MARKELL. YVitnesses:

J NO. T. MADDoX, LOUIS DUNGAN.

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