US465867A

US465867A - Street letter-box

Info

Publication number: US465867A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1891-12-29
Anticipated expiration: 1908-12-29

Description

2 Sheets Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. P. LINDSAY.

STREET LETTER BOX.

. Patented Dee. 29, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. J. P. LINDSAY.

STREET LETTEE BOX.

No. 465,867. y Patented Deo. 29,1891.

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.duit to convey away dust and water.

UNITED STATES YPATENT OFFICE.

JOHN P. LINDSAY, OF TEST DERBY, VERNON".

STREET LETTER-Box.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,867, dated December 29, 1891.

Application'iiled March 17, 1891. Serial No. 385.405.

(No model) To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN P. LINDSAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at West Derby, in the county of Orleans and State of Vermont, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in OombinedLetterBox and Parcel-Receiver; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to combined letter-boxes and parcel-receivers; and it has for its objects to combine in a neat and artistic manner a box adapted to receive letters or first-class mail-matter and another box for receiving newspapers, parcels, and packages; further, to provide a box so constructed and arranged that the interior thereof is protected from the entrance of dust and water and provided with interiorly-arranged operating mechanism for receiving the mail and depositing it upon the bottom ot the box and at the same time effectually prevent pilfering through the receivingopeningg to provide convenient means for removing the mail from the box without admitting dust and water, and, finally, to provide an annunciator to indicate the insertion of a letter and which operates automatically with the interior protecting mechanism.

W'ith these ends in view my invention con sists of a mail-box having its sides united by a joint formed of a curved ring and a flange fitted therein, and these sides are provided in their inner faces with lugs or flanges at or near their upper and lower ends, through which flanges are passed suitable bolts or screws, which are screwed into the top and bottom, respectively, of the b ox, thus securing all the fastening devices inside the box. The front face of the box is provided with a large opening near the top thereof, which is protected by a projecting hood or cover, and below the receiving-opening is a small con- Above this conduit and separating it from the receiving-opening is the perforated receivingplate, which discharges water or dust accumulating on the surface into the conduit below. Iivoted on the hood or cover is an angular closing-plate operating across the receiving-opening and conduit, and the upper weighted end of the closing-plate is connected by a series of intermediate links and arms with two flaps or tables pivoted on the front and rear sides of the box, respectively, and arranged to lie in the same horizontal plane to form a continuous divided plate or cover across the box when the closing-plate is lifted or opened, said flaps dropping to a perpendicular position when the plate is closed.

Connected with the upper weighted arm of the closing-plate, or to a convenient part of the mechanism operating the plates, is a rod or wire adapted tooperate a bell or equivalent, which is located in the upper part of the box or at a distance inside of the house, and when the closing-plate is opened this bell is rung, thus announcing to the occupants of the house that a letter has been deposited in the box. Secured on the face of the box beneath the conduit and protected therefrom by a projecting flange is a smaller box adapted to receive parcels and packages, and thislattcr box is constructed and arranged to conform to the lines of the other box and make asyminetrical attractive addition. The lower part of the inail-receiving box is provided with a tray hinged near the center and forming a part of the bottom of the box, and said tray has individual sides extending' laterally and operating within the sides of the box, the lines of juncture of this tray with the box being' protected by flanges, which prevent dirt and water from getting inside.

Instead of plates with the sid es of theletter-box, as above mentioned, I contemplate in some cases constructing the top and bottom and side plates with a dropniolding arranged on the edges and lapping each other, and when joining the top and bottoni tightened by the bolts passing through suitable flanges a complete tained.

To enable others to more readily understand my invention, I have illustrated the and strong box is obsaine in the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure I is a side elevation of my invention, showing the parcel-box attached to the letter-box. Fig. Il is a sectional elevation taken centrally through the letter and parcel boxes. Fig. III is a sectional elevation on the line os a: of Fig. I, showing the tray. Fig. IV is a sectional view showing the manner of securing the sides and the top or bottom of the boxes together, and Fig. V is a modified IOO form of construction. Fig. VI is a detail view of the angular lever. Fig. VII is a sec-l tional view taken transversely through the front portion of the tray and showing the construction thereof.

Referring to the drawings, in which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts in all the figures, 1 designates the primary letter-box, which is designed to receive letters or other Iirst-class mail-matter. This box is secured to a door or wall by bolts, which are provided with nuts on one end and a head on the other, the nuts being always screwed on the ends of the bolts extending inside the box, while the other end is headed. The face-plate of the box is substantially the same as that described and claimed in an application filed byon me on March 4, 1891, Serial No. 383,745, and it is provided with a receiving-opening 2, a conduit-opening 3, and the perforated receiving-plate 4 above the conduit. In the present case, however, I construct the stationary parts of the face-plate in one piece, eit-her of cast or sheet metal or wood, and the outwardly and downwardly extending hood is somewhat different. The top plate 6 of the box extends somewhat forward of the faceplate and has a vertical piece 6 projecting downward to form the chamber 7, and there are suitable side pieces joining the vertical extension 6 and the receiving-plate, which are also cast with the face-plate. Pivoted in the sides of the chamber 7 is the weighted end of the angular closing-plate 8, the lower angular end of which normally rests on the upper end of the receiving and conduit openings. Just below the inwardlyextending part of the faceplate, which forms the base of the conduit, and on the inside of thebox, is pivotally secured a flap or table 9, which is adapted to extend half-way across the box, and a corresponding iap or table 9 is pivoted opposite thereto on the rear of the box, the pivoted aps or tables being designed to close lthe opening in the box when elevated to a horizontal position. These flaps or tables are operated by means of two short links 10 10', one of which 410 is loosely connected to the angle of the long angular lever 11 and the other link 10 is connected to the end of said lever. This angular' lever 11 is fulcruined inside the face-plate substantially in the same horizontal plane with the pivot of the angular closing-plate 8, and the upper ends of this lever 11 and the plate 8 are connected loosely by a short rod 12, slightly bentJ at an obtuse angle. This operating mechanism for the aps or table is arranged close to one of the sides of the box. the links 10 10 being connected to one end of the flaps or tables, and the short rod 12 is connected at one side of the closing-plate, so that there is no obstruction in the path of the letter inserted in the box through the receiving-open ing therein. As the closing-plate 8 is pushed inward and upward the flaps or tables are raised automatically, and they will thus assume a horizontal position in line with each other as the closing-plate is elevated, thus closing the lower part of the box from access through the receiving-opening and protecting the mail therein. Another and important object of these fiaps or tables is to receive the mail-matter as it is inserted through the receiving-opening, and when the person withdraws his hand and the closing-plate drops back into its normal position the iiaps or tables also fall or assume a vertical position, and at the same time deposit the mail-matter which rested on the iiaps or tables directly onto the bottom of the box in a flat horizontal position, so that it will take up very little room.

In the old-style boxes the Vmail is usually deposited in the box and falls on its end, and when several letters have been dropped in a box by their irregular arrangement and the endwise position they assume the box is almost filled and prevents other mail from being deposited; but in my improved box the letters fall on the bottom in horizontal positions and pack close together, thus providing a box of medium size adapted to hold alarge quantity of mail.

lIn order to attract the attention of the occupants of the house to the fact that the closing-plate is operated by the deposit of :mail in the box l, I provide an audible alarm, consisting of a bell 13, which may be arranged in the upper rear corner of the box itself, as shown, or at some convenient place inside the house, and this bell is connected by meansof IOO a wire or rod 13 with the upper end of the closing-plate 8 or some other movable part of the operating mechanism inside the box, so that whenever the closing-plate is raised the bell will be rung. This is an additional precaution against pilfering, aswell as announcing the arrival of the mails.

In one side of the lower part of the box is a tray 14, which is hinged at 14 on the bottom of the box, and this tray isprovided with side pieces 15, arranged to work within the sides 1 of the box, (shown in dotted lines in Fig. IIL) and the bottom of the tray forms a part of the bottom of the box. The upper end 15 of the front of the tray is inclined inwardly at an obtuse angle to the line of the tray and extends under the side of the box, to which it is secured by any suitable fastening device, and this prevents dust or water from entering the tray or bottom of the box. On the bottom of the box, beneath thehinge, is a downwardly -projecting lugl 16, which limits the downward movement of the tray; but it allows the trayto fall down a sufficient distance to permit easy access to the mail contained within the box.

In the ordinary mailboxes, as well as the one herein described, it is difficult to insert a package or parcel, and as an opening of-a size to admit parcels would be dangerous to the safety of the mail I obviate this inconvenience by securingasmaller box 17 on the front IIO or side of the letter-box, which is adapted to receive packages and parcels too large for theV letter-box. This parcel-box 17 is secured to the letter-box by screw-bolts or otherwise, and its upwardly-sloping hinged cover 1S extends a short distance into the conduit 3, and is protected from the dirt and water discharged from said conduit by a flange 1S', projecting from the face-plate of the letterbox. rlhe lower rear end of the parcel-box is provided with a rearwardly-extending liange 19, which-bears upward against the bottom of the letter-box, and a screw-threaded bolt -is passed through said mail-box and secured in the flange to secure the parcel-box in place. This parcel-box is constructed to conform with the lines of the mail-box, and when secured thereto it forms a neat and symmetrical appearance.

In the construction of letterboxes and other boxes of similar character, it is important that all the joints and openingsshould be protected to prevent the admission of dust and water, and also that proper means should be employed to prevent evil-disposed persons from removing the box or taking it apart from the outside. To provide for this,I construct the sides of the box with projecting curved flanges 20, extending along its vertical edges, and these are arranged to fit snugly in vertical recesses 2l on the edges of the front and back of the boya-and by this means the box is secured together in rectangular shape. Each side may be provided with a vertical ring on one edge and a lange on the other; but it is not material how this is arranged, so that the flange fits in the recess snugly. 0n the inner faces of the sides and the front and back, near the upper and lower edges thereof, are small laterally-projecting lugs 22, and these lugs are provided with openings to receive bolts 23, which are screwed into the top and bottom, respectively,'and hold the box together. By this arrangement and construction access cannot be had to the bolts, except from the inside of the box, and it is impossible to open the box or take it apart without unscrewing the bolts from the inside.

In Fig. V,I have shown amoditied form of constructing the box, which consists, essentially, in forming a drop-molding 24 on the meeting edges of the sides and front'and back,

with the top and bottom, which interlap eachn other, and when tightened by the bolts a complete and tight box is obtained.

I am aware that changes in the form and proportions of parts and details of construction can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to makesuch changes as fall within the scope of my invention.

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

l. A letter-box provided with the receivingopening and conduit in its face-plate, the receiving-plate, an angular closingplate arranged to close the receivingopening, the iiaps or tables pivotally secured within the box and adapted to rise and fall as the closing-plate is operated by suitable connections therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A letter-box provided with the receivingopening and conduit in its face-plate and the receiving-plate, the hood projecting over said receiving-opening, the angular closing-plate pivotally secured within a space formed by the hood, and the flaps or tables pivoted within the box on opposite sides thereof and adapted to be elevated to a horizontal position 4when the closing-plate is operated by intermediate connections with said closing-plate, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a combined letter-box and parcel-receiver, a hood projecting over the receivingopening, an angular closing-plate pivotally secured within the chamber formed by the hood, the iiaps or tables pivoted within the box on opposite sides thereof, the angular lever pivoted on one side of the box and linked to the tables and the closing-plate to operate the same simultaneously, and an audible alarm mechanism connected with the angular lever and adapted to be operated when the closing-plate is moved, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a combined letter-box and parcel-receiver, theletter-box having a receiving-open` ing and a conduit, and the parcel-receiver secured to the face of said letter-box beneath the conduit by bolts or screws arranged wholly within said boxes,substantially as described.

5. A letter-box, substantially as described, having its sides, front, and back united by a iiange in the vertical edges, which is arranged to interlock with a vertical projection on the alternate edges, as and for the purpose described.

6. A letter-box having its sides, front, and back united at their edges by vertical flanges, which interlock with vertical curved anges in alternate edges, and the lugs on the inner surface of the box with bolts or screws, by which the top or bottom is secured in place, substantially as described.

ICO

IIO

7. In a combined letter-box and parcel-re ceiver, the letter-box provided with the receiving-openings and the conduit, the parcelreceiver secured to the letter-box below the conduit and having its cover projecting into the conduit and hinged therein, and the flange above the hinge to protect t-he same from water f and dirt discharged from the conduit, substantially as described.

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

. JOI-IN P. LINDSAY.

Witnesses:

ADELAIDE H. LrNDsAY, C. B. Dow.