US747820A

US747820A - Mail-box.

Info

Publication number: US747820A
Application number: US13211802A
Authority: US
Inventors: David J Wilson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1902-11-20
Filing date: 1902-11-20
Publication date: 1903-12-22
Anticipated expiration: 1920-12-22

Description

10.747,82'0. ,PATENTED DBG,22,1903.

D; J. WILSON.

MAIL BOX.

' APPLIGATION HLBD'Nov. zo, 1902..

No MODEL. z sums-SHEET 1.

me Nonms perras oo.. mona-mwa, wAsnlNaToN. D. c.

PATBN'TEDl DEC. y22, 1903.

D. J. WILSON.

MAIL BOX.

Y APPLIGATION P ILBD Nov. 2o. 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

N0 MODEL.

IHIIIIUMIHI-im wezuzow TH: Ndnms PETERS co, moro-uma. wAsHmcroN. D. c,

UNITED" STATES Patnted'ibeember 2 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID J. WILSON, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 747,820, dated December 22, 1903.

' Application tiled November 20, 1902. Serial No. 132,118. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known'tnat I, DAVID J. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements` in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specication.

One object of my invention is to'so construct a mailbox that when the 'same is opened all portions of the interior of the same will be visible and accessible to the collector and all ofthe contents can therefore be readily removed from the box, further objects being to properly protect the mailing-slot of the box without interfering with free access thereto and to prevent theft of letters from the box through the mailing-slot. These ob.-

- jects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal section of a mailbox constructed in accordance with my invention and showing the same partly opened. Fig.2 is asimilar View showing the box closed, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line a a, Fig. 2. v

1 represents the fixed casing ot' the box, which may be either in the form of a casting or may be built up of sheet metal, as desired. This fixed casing or body of the box has a swinging lid or cover.2 with rounded top and vertical sides, the latter being pivoted to the sides of the box at 3, and the body of the box also has at one end a swinging door 4, pivoted at its lower end and connected to the sides of the pivoted and swinging cover of the box at points in the rear of the pivots 3 by means of side links 5, the connections being closer to the pivot of the door than to thoseof the cover, whereby an outward and downward swinging movement of the door will canse an upward swinging movement of the cover 2 of the box, as shown4 in Fig. 1, thereby providing an opening ot' large area, through which th'e entire interior of the box yis visible and accessible to the collector, so that there y is no excuse for failure to remove the entire contents of the box.

The swinging lid or'cover 2 has a depending hood'at that end of the boxwhich is provided with a swingingl door 4, this hood vcooperating with the swinging door to close the end of the box, and the connections between the lid or cover and the swinging door are such that the full opening movement of the door will only cause a partial upward swing ters are being removed from the box.

. As mail-boxes are now constructed most of theinterior of the box is out of sight of the collector and many portions are difficult of access. Hence letters or other mailfmatter Whichbecome jammed in such portions of the box are frequently overlooked for long periods of time. The door 4 has side wings 6, so as tor prevent any lateral escape of letters when the dooris opened, these wings having segmental slots 7, which Vengage with transverse bolts 8, carried by the body of the box,in order to steady the door in its movements and arrest it when fully opened. The swinging cover of the box may also be provided with side wings 10 with segmental slots 11, which likewise engage the bolt 8, these wings serving to steady the movements of the swinging cover and also protecting the contents of the box from beating rain or snow when the box is` opened. l

In order to 4frustrate any attempt to pry up the cover of the box without first unlocking and opening the door 4, l'mount upon either or both-sides of the body of the boxya pivoted catch 12, which engages with an internal lug 13 on the end portion of the'cover 2, and also with an internal lug 14 on the door 4, so that any attempt to raise the Acover 2 when the door is closed will bey preve-nted, owing Vto the fact that the catch 12 cannot under these circumstances swing, because of its bearing TOO lowered sufficiently for the catch to engage with the lug, positive engagement of the catch with the lug being insured by contact of the lug 14 with the tail of the catch when the door 4 is fully closed.

Letters are passed into the box through a receiving-slot 15 at the end opposite that which is provided with the door 4, and in order to protect the mouth of this slot from the elements the top and sides of the cover 2 of the box are projected beyond the end of the same, so as to form a hood 16, which shields the slot at the top and on each side, and from this hood depends a swinging guard 17, which shields the front of the slot, the swinging guard having by preference a beveled inner face, as shown at 18, so that in passing the hand or a letter contained in the hand upwardly from beneath the guard the latter will be caused to swing outwardly, and will thus permit ready passage of the letter through the slot 15 and into the box. The receiving-slot is tapered, being shallow at the rear end and deeper at front, and from the inner end of the slot extends downwardly a directing-plate 20, and in order to prevent the withdrawal of letters from the box by means of the fingers or by wires or other irnplements inserted through the slot 15 I mount upon a transverse shaft 19 of the cover 2 a series of depending swinging iingers 2l, which are sharpened at their lower ends and normally bear against the directing-plate 20, whereby any attempt to withdraw a letter upwardly along this plate will cause one or more of the lingers to engage with said letter and hold the same with a force depending upon the amount of force exerted for the purpose of withdrawing it. Access of the contents of the box to the wings 6 and 10 or links 5 is prevented by lining-plates 22 at each side of the box.

A transverse plate 23 on the cover of the box serves to limit the depth of the shallow end of the receiving-slot 15, and thereby prevents the insertion of bulky packages into the box.

The bottom of the box is provided with a transversely-corrugated plate 24, of glass, porcelain, or other vitreous or ceramic material, the grooves of this plate facilitating access to letters, postal cards, or the like lying upon it and the character of the material preventing injury to the contents of the box, which sometimes results from the corrosion or oxidation of a metallic bottom.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A mail-box having a pivoted and outwardly-swinging door and a pivoted and upwardly-swinging top lid or cover with depending hood at one end, said door and hood normally coacting to close the delivery side of the box, whereby the area exposed for the withdrawal of letters from the box is due to the joint outward swinging of the door and the upward swinging of the hood of the top cover, substantially as specified.

2. A mail-box having a pivoted and outwardly-swinging door at one end and a pivotedand upwardly-swinging top lid or cover with depending hood at one end normally cooperating with the swinging door to close the delivery side of the box, and connections between said swinging door and the swinging lid or cover, said connections being closer to the pivot of the door than to those of the cover, whereby a complete opening movement of the door will elfect only a partial lifting movement of the cover, substantially as specified.

3. A mailbox having a swinging door and a swinging cover in combination with one or more pivoted latches engaging the cover and held in engagement therewith by contact with part of the door, substantially as specified.

4. A mail-box having a receiving-slot and a projecting hood therefor having a swinging guard-plate pivoted at the top and depending in front of the slot, said plate normally providing a passage for letters between itself and the front of the box, substantially as specified.

5. A mail-box having a receiving-slot and a projecting hood therefor, with depending swinging guard-plate pivoted at the top and normally providing a passage for letters between itself and the front of the box, said plate having a beveled inner side whereby it may be swung outward by contact with the letter which is being inserted, substantially as specified.

6. A mail-box having a receiving-slot and a swinging cover with projecting hood having a depending swinging guard-plate in front of the slot, substantially as specified.

7. A mail-box having a receiving-slot and a swinging cover with depending swinging guard-plate normally providing a passage for 4 letters into said slot, substantially as specitied.

8. A mail-box having a receiving-slot and a swinging cover with depending swinging guard` plate normally providing a passage for letters into the slot and having a beveled inner side whereby it may be swung outward by contact with the letter which is being inserted, substantially as specified.

9. A mail-box having a body with receivingslot therein and a swinging cover part of which constitutes the top wall of the slot, but does not close the mouth of the same, substantially as specied.

10. A mail-box having a receiving-slot with inwardly-extending plate, a swinging lid or cover having a portion which forms the upper wall of the slot, but does not close the mouth of the saine, and a series of fingers coperating with the plate which extends inwardly from the slot to prevent withdrawal of letters from the latter, substantially as specified.

11. A mail-box having a receiving-slot with inwardly-extending plate, a swinging lid or cover having a portion forming the upper wall of the slot, and a series of fingers hung upon said cover and cooperating with the plate which extends inwardly from the slot to pre- IOO IIO

vent withdrawal of letters from the latter, fingers, said cover also having a transverse substantially as specified. plate forming the upper Wall of the slot, sub- 12. A mail-box having a receiving-slot with stantiallyas specified. inclined bottom and a pivoted and swinging "In testimony whereof I have signed my I5 5 cover having a transverse plate which forms name to. this specification in the presence 0f the upper wall of said slot, but does not close two subscribing Witnesses. the mouth of the same, substantially as specied DAVID J.W1LsoN.

13. A mail-box having a receiving-slot with v Witnesses: to inclined bottom, and a pivoted and swinging VF. E. BEOHTOLD,

cover having a series of depending swinging JOS. H. KLEIN.