US668459A - Letter-box indicator. - Google Patents

Description

No. 668,459. Patented Feb. I9, lam. H. SDHMID.

' LETTER Box INDICATOR.

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LETTER BOX INDICATOR.

(Application filed Dec. 27 1900.) (No Model.),

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HENRY SOHMID, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

LETTER-FOX lNDlCATOR.

SFECIFIUATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 668,459, dated February 19, 1901.

A pplieation filed December 27, 1900. Serial No. 41,300. (No model.)

To aZl whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY ScnMID, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bulfalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Box Indicators; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull 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, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and. to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail-box indicators, and more particularly to that class in which the indicating device is automatically operated in the act of closing the door, so that when a collection has been made the time of the next succeeding collection appears through an openingin the mailbox and there remains until the box has again been opened and-closed by the postman.

The object of my invention is to simplify the devices of this class, thereby avoiding a multiplicity of parts and insuring their positive and reliable action at all times.

To this end my invention consists of acertain arrangement and combination of parts, which will be fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a standard mail-box embodying my improved device with portions broken away to show interior construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of Fig. 1, taken in the line 0a m. Fig. 3 is an inside face view of the disk carrying the gravity-dogs; and Fig. 4: is a similar view of the device for restricting the movement of the indicating-disk.

, Referring to the drawings, 1 is the mailbox of the standard pattern with the usual hinged lid 2 and drop-door 3, having side wings 4:. Upon the front wing 4 I have secured the lever 5, having its outer end provided with the forwardly-projecting pin 6.

Upon the front wall of the mail box 1 is the display-opening 7, protected by glass.

Inside the front wall of the box is a casing 8 for inclosing the operative parts.

The disk 9, carrying the gravity-dogs, the

indicating-disk 10, and the disk 11, carrying the circular ratchet-plate 12, are rigidly connected and provided with the front and rear pins 13 and 14:, respectively seated in the front plate 15 and the casing 8, in which they are revolved. A series of gravity-dogs 16 are hinged equidistantly to the disk 9, and between these dogs 16 are arranged the series of stops 17, (see Fig. 3,) to limit the forward play of the dogs, their backward play being unrestricted, so that they are permitted to lie close to the periphery of the disk 9.

The circular ratchet-plate 12 is provided with a series of rounded teeth 18, between which the spring 19 is adapted for successive engagement, this spring 19 being rigidly secured to the casing 8.

The indicating-disk 10 is adapted for the removable reception of an indicating-sheet 20, preferably of paper, on which is printed a series of time-figures 21, indicating the successive mail-collecting periods, to be displayed through the opening 7.

The operation of my improved indicating device, hereinbefore outlined is as follows: Referring to Fig. 1, it will be seen that 6.20 p. m. is the collecting time indicated at the opening 7. The postman arrives and unlocks the drop-door 3. In swinging it down the pin 6 on the lever 5 in its upward travel simply swings the contacting gravity-dog 16 to the right in its travel, the dog resu ming its depending position by gravity, the disk 9 in the meantime remaining stationary. As the door is closed after the removal of the mail the pin 6 travels to the left in the line of the dotted circle 22 and strikes the first depending gravity-dog. As its movement to the left on the disk 9 is limited by its adjacent stop 17, the pin 6 will cause it, and with it the disk 9, to move forward a distance sufficient to cause the next collection time to drop down and appear at the opening 7. While this action is taking place the spring 19 is permitted to ride over the rounded teeth 18 of the ratchetplate, and the instant that the pin 6 escapes by the depending dog the spring 19 engages between two of the teeth 18 and holds the disks from further rotary movement until the drop-door is again opened and closed. It will be seen that the disk 9 is placed sufficiently near to the side wall 23 of the mail-box to permit only one gravity-dog 16 to remain in the operative path of the pin 6.

It is apparent that with my improved construction the number of collections to be indicated is in no way limited, and if any one of the times for collection is either missed or is intentionally to be skipped the proper time can be adjusted at the display-opening by a eegr a display-opening and a drop-door provided with an operating-pin, of a revoluble indieating-disk, provided with a series of hinged gravity-dogs, with limited play in one direc tion, upon the disk, and means for limiting the movement of the indicating-disk as and for the purpose stated.

3. The combination with a mail-box having a display-opening and a drop-door provided with an operating-pin, of a revoluble indicating-disk provided with a series of hinged gravity-dogs with limited play in one direction, upon the disk, and a circular ratchetplate and spring for limiting the movement of the indicating-disk, as and for the purpose stated.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY SOHMID.

Witnesses:

AUGUST F. HANDERERK, W. T. MILLER.

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