US740861A - Adjustable indicating-dial for letter-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

No. 740,351. PATE TBD 001. 6, 1903.

G. H. HUNTINGTON.

' AD JUSTABLB INDIGATING DIAL FORLETTER BOXES.

APPLIDATION FILED 0U'1.16, 1902.

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PATENTED m. 6, 1903.

. e. H. HUNTINGTON. ADJUSTABLE INDIGATING DIAL FOR LETTER BOXES.

APPLIOATIOK FILED OCT. 16, 1902.

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view of the device before it is applied to the UNITED STATES Patented October 6, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ADJUSTABLE INDICATING- "DIAL FOR LETTER-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 740,861 dated October 6, 1903. Application filed October 16, 1902. Serial No. 127.446. N0 modem To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. HUNTINGTON, acitizen of the United States, residing in New York city, county and State of New York, have invented-a new and usefullmprovement in Adjustable Indicating-Dials for Letter- Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to adjustable 'indi eating-dials for letter-boxes,particularly that class of dials which are arranged to be adjusted by the letter-carrier to indicate the time of the next collection.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, my invention is fully illustrated, with similar letters of reference to indicate corresponding parts, as

knobs which pass through the face of the lettor-box, by means of which the indicatingdials are turned. Fig. 2 represents a face view of the device mounted on the front of the letter-box A, indicating the Next collec- Fig. 3 represents a rear letter-box, showing themanner in which the dials are held adjustably in place by means of the clamping-springs; Fig. 4 is a section through the'center of Figs. land 2, showing the manner in which the knobs act the dials a pass through the face A of the letter-box, so that the dials may be operated from'the inside of the box only. Fig. 5 represents a face view of the indicating-dials in position as they would appear if the casing g, Fig. l, was removed. y I

One of the principal objects of my invention is to confine the indicating and operating mechanism within a case or hood that can be readily applied to the outside of the lettor-box, with the operating-knobs passing through the front A of the letter-box, so as to permit of the dials being operated only from the inside of the letter-box. The manner in which I accomplish this is to first construct the hood or casing g, (of the shape illustrated,) which is cupped out the desired depth to hold the operating mechanism. This casv ing g is provided with two depressions or countersunk centers h, into which the trunnions '21, formed on the hub of the indicatingdials, rest and rotate, and surrounding the depressions h are twelve smaller depressions, as It, one of each being directly opposite each of the numerals on the dial a, (radial liue,)

thus bringing one of the numerals (such asv 7, Figs. 2 and 5) directlyin the center of the opening when the three pins m, located on the face of the indicating-dial, are engaged with three corresponding depressions it, which would be radially opposite the numerals 2, 6, and 10, Fig. 5, the indicating-dial being held in position by the spring supporting- 'arm 0, which will be hereinafter explained.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, two small bolts, as it, pass through the casing g from the outside, and these bolts are each provided on the inside with a small washer, as 0, Fig.

4, which is about as thick as the distance between the indicating-dial and the inside of the casing g, and'on top of these washers is placed a strap 19, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The flat springs o are provided with forked ends which fit within the annular grooves g, provided in the hubs of the indicating-dials, and embrace said hubs, and said springs are bolted down tight upon the strap p by means of the nuts 3, thus holding the pins m of the indicating-dials within the depressions k, as above described, and making it impossible to rotate either dial in either direction until it is drawn far enough back to disengage the pins m from the depressions it, after which it may be turned to the desired indication and released, it being then forced into the locked position by the tension of its springs c. 7

In Fig. 4 it will be seen that the bolts 11. are sufficiently longto pass through the front A of the letter-box, and by means oft-he nuts 25seing device to the front of the letter-box, consisting of the two bolts 91 and nuts't, is also utilized to combine the parts of the indicator by means of the additional nuts s.

The pressure of the retaining-springs 0 can be regulated to any desired amount to force the pins m within the depressions 70, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, and by using three or more pins m the indicating-dial acted upon by the retaining-springs c keeps the face of the dial parallel with the inside face of the casing g and far enough away from the casing to prevent any scratching of the dial-face.

Another principal objectin the construction of this locking device is to avoid the possibility of the dials being turned from the outside through the indicating-slot n, Fig. 2, by any malicious person should the glass which the indicating-slot contains become broken.

The manner of operating my improved indicating device is to grasp either of the knobs e, as the case may require, from the inside of the letter-box, then draw -the knob back, so as to disengage the pins m from the depressions 76, then turn the dial by means of the knob until the desired numeral shows in the slot 1; through the face of the casing then release the knob, and the fiat retaining-spring 0 will force the pins m within the suitable depressions 7c and the device will be locked.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casing having a depression formed therein, a symbol-bearing dial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnion rotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other face an operating-knob, a spring supporting-arm having a forked end engaged with the operating-knob of said dial and exerting its tension to maintain said trunnion in said depression, and means for locking said dial against rotation.

2. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casing having a central depression formed therein and a series of smaller depressions arranged around said central depression, a numeral-bearing dial arranged in said casing and having at oneof its faces a trunnion rotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other face an operating-knob, a spring supporting-arm having a forked end engaged with the operating-knob of said dial and exertingits tension to maintain said trunnion in said depression, and pins carried by said dial and engaging said series of depressions for locking said dial against rotation.

3. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising an open-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearing dial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnion rotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other face an operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing, and a spring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with said dial, said arm exerting its tension to maintain said trunnion in said depression. 4

4. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising an open-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearing dial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnion rotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having atits other face an operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing, a spring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with said dial, said arm exerting its tension to maintain said trunnion in said depression, and means for locking said dial against rotation.

5. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising an open-sided casing having a depression formed therein, a symbolbearing dial arranged in said casing and having at one of its faces a trunnion rotatably mounted in said depression, said dial having at its other face an operating-knob which projects through the open side of said casing, and a spring supporting-arm carried by said casing and engaged with said dial, said arm exertingits tension to maintain said trunnion in said depression, in combination with a mailbox having an opening formed therein to receive said operating-knob to position the latter for operation from the interior only of the box, and means for attaching said casing to said box.

6. A collection-indicating device for mailboxes, comprising a casing, symbol-bearing dials arranged in said casing, a strap also arranged in said casing, bolts for securing said strap therein, spring supporting-arms carried by said strap and secured thereto by said bolts, said arms being engaged with said dials to hold the same in the casing, and operatingknobs carried by said dials, in combination with a mail-box having openings formed therein to receive said operating-knob to position the latter for operation from the interior only of the box, and means for attaching said casing to said box.

7. A collection-indicating device for letterboxes, consisting of the casing 9 provided with the depressions h circular indicatingdials aprovided with indicating-numerals and mounted upon suitable hubs, the trunnions of which rest within the depressions it, retaining-springs for holding the said trunnions within the depressions, and a suitable lock-.

ing device for holding the indicating-dials in a fixed position, substantially as described.

8. A collection-indicating device for letterboxes consisting of a casing g provided with an opening v and two central depressions 72. small depressions 7c surrounding the said cen- ICC tral depressions, suitable nu meraled dials provided with trunnions, adapted to rotate Within the said central depressions, and suitable pins as m arranged to engage with the surround- 5 ing depressions 1c in combination with retaining-springs for locking the same in position substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing specification I have hereunto set my hand this 15th day of October, 1902.

GEORGE H. HUNTINGTON.

In presence of- E. G. DUVALL, E. PEEBLES.

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