US482292A - Philip c - Google Patents

Description

...ill

(No Model.)

P. C. BROWN. HOUSE LETTER BOX.

Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

PHILIP C. BROWN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

HOUSE LETTER-Box;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,292, dated September 6, 1892.

Application filed July 25, 1891. Serial 110.400.726. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, PHILIP C. BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n House Letter-Boxes; 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 toiwhich it ap'- pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in what are known as delivery letter-boxes, and which are intended to be applied to dwellings, oflices, andthe like to facilitate the delivery of mail by the carrier system; and it has for its object to provide a letter-box in which the mail can be inserted by the carrier with one hand and which will automatically close after the insertion of the mail and be accessible only to the occupant of the house, be proof against the entrance of rain, snow, or dust, be neat and attractive in appearance, to provide a separate receptacle for papers and the like, and to provide an in- 1(.licator to denote the presence of mail in the To these ends my invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and afterward definitely pointed out in the claims, due reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of my' improved box closed; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 3, a perspective view showing the box open, and Fig. 4 a detail view illustrating a modified form of fastening.

Referring to said drawings, the letter A indicates the box proper, which is preferably constructed of sheet metal cut from a single blank and bent up into the shape shown. One of the rear inner edges of the box is provided with loops B B to form hinges.

C indicates a metallic plate, preferably cast and provided with pintles c c and ahasp c', cast integral with said plate, the plate being provided with two or more perforations c2 cadapted for the reception of screws, nails, or rivets, by means of which the box is secured to the door or oth er part of the dwelling. Said plate C is slightly smaller than the inside of the rear of the box and is provided with a corrugation D, for the purpose hereinafter described.

E indicates a metallic partition, which extends from the'rear lower edge of the box and curves for a slight distance toward the front of the box, and thence upward to near the top of the box, where it is bent parallel with said top, and thence is inclined downwardly and rearwardly to form a detlecting-plate e. The lower inner end of the box is closed bya plate F. (Clearly lshown in Fig. 3.) The box A at its top is provided with a slot G, intended for the admission of mail-matter, and is closed by a gravitating shutter H, which is hinged to a rod h, soldered or otherwise secured to the upper edge of the deflecting-plate e. The shutter H is hinged in rear of its' center, in

order that the shutter will always close by gravity, andthe front of said shutter is bent downwardly, as at h', to prevent the entrance beneath it of rain, snow, or dust. The slot G is narrower at its rear than at its front, so that the top of the box overlaps the shutter, as at g, and excludes the elements at this point.

J indicates a staple riveted to one end of a iiat spring K, which is secured at its other end to the interior of the box, the staple projecting through a slot j in the side of the box. In closing the box the hasp o engages the staple .I and forces it inward untilthe box is completely closed, when the staple will pass through the hasp and isthen locked by means of a padlock, as shown.

L represents an indicator consisting of a rod the ends of which are bent at right angles, as at Z Z the end Z projecting outside of the box, as shown. The partition E about its center and near the top is slitted, as at f, and the metal between the slits depressed inwardly, forming a loop, through which the indicator-rod is passed and wit-hin which it is free to rotate. The bent end Z of the rod L (see Fig. 2) normally projects downwardly within the box, and any letters inserted within the box will rest against said bent end,and when the bent end Z of the rod is turned the presence of the letters will be indicated by their weight and by the resistance they offer to turning the rod.

In securing the box in place the plate C is first screwed or otherwise secured to the door, wall, or other part of the building and the loops B B on the box slipped over the pintles c c, thus hinging the boxto the said plate. When the box is closed and locked, the bottom rear edge of the box rests under the bottom edge of the plate C and prevents the box from being lifted up od the pintles c c. In order to insert mail within the box, it is merely necessary to hold the letters in one hand and press them against the rear end of the shutter H, causing the shutter to assume the po-V sition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, when the letters are released and dropped in the box. When the letters are inserted, theinclined detlecting-plate e causes the letters to strike the plate C, and the lower edges of the letters strike the corrugation D, by means of which they are deiiected against the lower curved portion of the partition E, which causes the letters to assume the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, the lower edges of the letters resting against the end l of the indicator-rod. By turning the indicator-rod by means of the projecting end lthe presence of letters contained within the box will be communicated to the person operating said rod, when the box can be opened and the inail removed. By constructing the partition as shown a compartment M is provided for the reception of newspapers, the partition forming the rear wall thereof, and said partition, being secured at the top and bottom only, will act as a spring to clasp and retain the papers inserted within said compartment. The bottom front edge ofthe boxAis turned inwardly and upwardly, forming a iiange m,

. which serves to retain any papers which may be folded very compactly in a small compass. When the box is closed, the delecting-plate e and corrugation D eectually prevent any instrument being inserted within the box to grasp the letters, and thus prevents the removal of mail by unauthorized persons.

When the box is secured to a door, the padlock may be dispensed with, a pin or key N being employed in lieu thereof, said pin passing through a perforation n, formed in the door, and through a corresponding perforation y formed in the plate C, the pin passing behind the spring K and staple J and preventing the staple being pressed inward until the pin has been withdrawn from the inside of the door.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. A house letter-box having a closed and an open compartment and a clamp for yieldingly holding the mail-matter in the open compartment, substantially as described.

2. A house letter-box divided into a closed and an open compartment by a spring-partition which acts as a clamp to hold the mailmatter in the open compartment.

3. The combination, with the plate C, adapted to be secured to a building and provided `with the corrugation` D, ofthe box A,

hinged thereto and provided with a slotted top and .shutter and the deflecting-plate e,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the plate C, adapted to be secured to a building and provided with ahasp c', of the box A, hinged to said plate and provided with a staple J, secured to the free end of a spring K, said staple projecting through a slot in the box and engaging the hasp, and means for locking said staple and hasp, substantially as shown and described.

5. The combination, with the plate C, adapted to be secured to a building, of the box A, hinged thereto and having a slotted top and shutter and provided with a partition E, curved at its lower end and extending from the lower inner edge of the box to near the top thereof, forming a receptacle for mailmatter and a compartment open at the bottom for the reception of newspapers, substantially as shown and described.

6. Thecombinatiomwith the plate C and the box A, hinged thereto, of the curved partition E, secured within said box at its top and bottom and constituting a spring, said partition, in connection with said box and plate, forming a closed receptacle for mail-matter and an open receptacle for newspapers, substantially as shown and described.

7. The combination,withtheplateCand box A, hinged thereto, of the spring-partition E, curved at its lower end and extending from the rear lower edge of the box to near the top thereof and dividing the box intoa closed receptacle for mail-matter and an open compartment for newspapers, the lower front edge of the box being turned inwardly and upwardly to form a ange, substantially as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

8. In combination with a letter-box, an iudicator consisting of a pivoted rodv provided with a finger projecting within the box and engaging the mail contained therein and provided with a finger projecting without the box, by means of which the rod is rotated, substantially as described.

9. In a house letter-box, the combination,

l'OO

IIO

with the slotted top thereof, of a flat hinged shutter projecting partially within and partially without said slotted top and opened by the pressure exerted by the insertion of the letter and closed by gravity and constituting a guide to cause a letter when inserted in the box to drop vertically therein, substantially as described.

10. In a house letter-box, the combination, with the slotted top thereof, of a flat hinged shutter H, projecting partially within and partially without said slotted top, and a corrugation D, formed in the box at a point beneath the rear end of the shutter, said shutter opening by pressure exerted by the insertion of a letter and closing by gravity and constituting a guide to cause the letter to strike the cort'ugaticn D to deect the same to the position shown, and forthepurpose specified...

l1.' In a house letter-box, the combination, with a box provided with a slotted top and having a curved bottom and a corrugation D, of a hinged shutter H, projecting partially Within and partially Without said slotted top and opened by the pressure exerted by the insertion of a letter and closed by gravity, said shutter constituting a guide to cause the letter to strike the corrugation D and be deilected over upon the curved bottom of the box, substantially as shown and described.

12. In a house letter-box, the combination, with a slotted top, of a at shutter hinged in said slotted top and serving as a guide to direct the letters toward the rear Wall of the box and a corrugation formed in said rear Wall and acting to deflect the letters in the manner shown, and forvthe purpose specified.

13. In a house letter-box, the combination, With the slotted top, of a fiat shutter hinged within said slotted top and projecting partially Within and Without said top, the rear end of the shutter normally resting against the under side of the top of the box and the forward end resting upon the upper side of the top, said shutter being automatically opened by the insertion of a letter and closing by gravity, substantially as shown and described. In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PHILIP C. BROWN. W`itnesses:

J. HENRY KAISER, JOSEPH O. STACK.

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