US595678A - Mail-box - Google Patents

Description

31. 2S eets 0'. 0. LUCAS & A. D. HARRISON.

MAIL BOX.

No. 595,678. Patented De0.14,189 '7.

UNITED STATES PATENT Enron.

CHARLES O. LUCAS AND ALBERT D. HARRISON, OF GREENVILLE, OHIO.

MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,678, dated December 14, 1897.

, A li atio fil d January 25,1897. Serial No. 620,666. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES O. LUCAS and ALBERT D. HARRISON, citizens of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in M ail- Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to an improvement in mail-boxes, designed especially to prevent the unlawful abstraction of mail-matter therefrom.

The object of the present invention is to improve and simplify the construction shown, described, and claimed in Letters Patent No. 555,948, granted to us March 10, 1896.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and then pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a perspective view of our improved mail-box, partly broken out to show the interior construction. Fig. 2 is a view in elevation with the side wall of the box-casing removed, the parts being shown in the positions they occupy when the box is closed against the introduction of mail-matter. Fig. 3 is a vertical central sectional view of our improved box, the parts being shown" in a position to receive mail-matter. Fig. 4 is a broken horizontal sectional view, showing the arrangement of the interior parts of the box.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a mail-box, comprising an ordinary thin metal casing having the usual hinged door 1, permitting the collection of mail from the box. An aperture 2, formed in the upper portion of the front wall'of the box-casing, serves to permit the introduction of mail-matter, this aperture being closed by a door 3, hinged at 4 and provided with a horizontal rib 5, which closely fits under the upper edge of aperture 2 when the door is closed, preventing dust, dirt, or the like from getting into the box.

.To the lower edge of the door 3, near each end thereof, is rigidly secured a downwardlycurved arm 6, so positioned that its forward edge will rest squarely against the inner surface of the front wall of the box when the door is closed, as shown in Fig. 2. A depression 7 is formed in the upper edge of each arm 6, near the junction of the arm and door, for a purpose hereinafter described.

B represents the receiving-pocket, comprising two side strips 8, rigidly secured on a shaft 9, pivoted in the side walls of the boxcasing, and a plate 10, connecting the strips 8 on their upper edges, as shown. A pin 11 projects laterally from each strip 8 and rests on the upper edge of the respective arm 6, for a purpose hereinafter described. The strips 8 in their normal posit-ion extend rearward some distance and are then bent upward, their inner or free ends being of greater width than their fixed ends. By this construction the upper end of pocket B is projected through the aperture 2 when mail-matter is to be deposited, the enlarged free ends of strips 8 forming sides of sufficient width to insure the entrance of mail-matter through the aperture 2, as shown in Fig. 1. The rear wall of pocket B is formed by a plate 12, pivotally secured to the side walls of the box-casing by pivotbolts 13. This plate, preferably of thin metal and curved as shown, extends some distance below and lies in close proximity to the free ends of strips 8 and is connected to said strips by links 14, pivotally secured to the strips and to the plate. On the lower edge of plate 12 is secured a thin metal strip 15, its edge being projected forward in the form of teeth, as at 16.

One end of shaft 9 projects through the side wall of box A and is provided with a handle 17, serving to operate the parts.

Assuming the box to be closed against the introduction of mail-matter, when the parts will be in the positions shown in Fig. 2, the operation of our improved mail-box is asf0l-' lows: If it is desired to introduce mail-matter into the box, the handle 17 is turned downward, rocking shaft 9, raising the free end of pocket 13, and at the same time, owing to the links 14, swinging the lower end of plate 12 forward. The pins 11 move upward along the edges of arms 6, preventing the door 3 from being opened until the pins ride into the depressions in said arms, at which time the upperedge of pocket B will have reached the door 3 and contacted therewith just beneath the rib 5. A slightly farther movement of handle 17 will cause the pocket to force the door open and thus permit the introduction of mail-matter, the plate 12 having swung to the position shown in Fig. 3, with its lower end beneath the lower ends of strips 8, the teeth 16 nearly contacting with the inner surface of the front wall of box A. The mailmatter having been introduced into the pocket B, the handle 17 is released, when the parts will assume their normal positions by gravity, the pins 11 riding down the arms 6, closing the door 3, and the mail-matter dropping out at the open side of pocket B into the lower portion of the box, from which it may be removed through the door 1. Through the contact of pins 11 with the arms 6 it will be seen that the door 3 cannot be opened until the said pins ride into the depressions 7 in the arms, at which time the pocket B will be in a position to receive the mail-matter, and that when the pocket is in such position the lower end of plate 12 and the teeth 16 project beneath the lower end of the pocket, effectual] y preventing the introduction of any instrument to abstract the mail-matter, and also that the construction of the parts renders absolutely certain the delivery to the lower portion of the box A of any mail-matter introduced into the pocket B, this latter result being principally gained by forming the rear wall of the pocket of a plate adapted to swing away from the pocket when the parts assume their normal positions.

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

1. In a mail-box, a casing having a suitable aperture through which mail-matter may be introduced,a1')ockct pivotally supported within said casin g and comprising a front wall and two side walls, the rear side of the pocket being open, and a curved plate pivotally secured in rear of the pocket, said plate being adapted to form the rear wall of the pocket when the parts are moved into operative position and a top for the pocket when the parts are allowed to assume the normal positions, whereby unlawful abstraction of the mailmatter in the box is effectively prevented.

2. In a mail-box, a oasinghaving a suitable aperture through which mail-matter may be introduced a pocket pivotally supported within said casing and comprisinga front wall and two side walls, the rear side of the pocket being open, and a curved plate pivotally secured in rear of the pocket, said plate being adapted to form the rear wall of the pocket when the parts are in the operative positions and to move backward away from the pocket when the parts are allowed to resume the nor-, mal positions, whereby mail-matter deposited in the pocket is guided into the lower portion of the box by the plate.

3. In a mail-box, a casing having an aperture through which mail-matter may be introduced, a pocket pivotally supported within the casing and comprising a front wall and two side walls, the rear side of the pocket being open, a vertical curved plate pivotally secured in rear of the pocket and extending across the interior of the casing, and a series of teeth secured across the lower end of the plate, said teeth being adapted to move beneath the lower end of the pocketwhcn the parts are in the operative positions, whereby the introduction of an instrument to unlawfully abstract mail-matter from the box when the parts are in positions to receive mail-inatter is prevented.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES O. LUCAS. ALBERT D. HARRISON. lVitnesses:

H. M. COLE, B. M. ALLEN.

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