US777026A - Mail-box. - Google Patents

Description

No. 777,026. i PATENTED DEC. 6, 1904. W. G. JONES & R. M. GEORGE.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12,1903.

N0 MODEL.

IDGDOIRS.

r f a NIE STATES Patented December 6, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM G. JONES AND RICHARD M. GEURG-E, OE CHA'ITANOOGA, TENNESSEE.

MAIL-BOX..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 777,026, dated December 6, 1904.

Application filed August 12, 1903. Serial No. 169,263. (No model.)

To (If/ZZ 'La7/1,011 'llt may cm1/cern:

Be it known that we, l/VILLIAM G. Jonas and RICHARD M. GEonGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Chattanooga, in the county of Hamilton and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following' is a specilication.

This invention relates to inail-boxes; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully set forth, and illustrated in the accoi'nliianying drawing's.

The general object of the invention is to provide in a letter-box of sheet metal of suitable thickness certain mechanism whereby unlawful access to the box is positively obviated and a large free opening provided for the introduction of mail-matter.

A special object of the invention is to provide in a box of the character specified an oscillatory receiver and Ineans associated with the lid of the box to oscillate the receiver, which shall be of the simplest possible desig'n and of such character that its operation will be positive and certain at all times.

A further object of the invention is to provide in connection with an oscillatory receiver a lid pivoted at its upper margin and adapted to serve as a shelter that projects over the opening of the box even whenthe lid is raised for the introduction of mail-matter, thereby completely preventing' the entrance of rain or snow into the box.

In describing' the invention reference will be had to the accompanying' drawings, in which is shown one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that various changes in the form and proportion of the elements exhibited may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Eigure l is a front elevation of a mail-box embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the mail-box shown in Eig. l, the parts being shown in full lines as in the position for the introduction of mail-matter within the box and being' shown in dotted lines in the the forward wall of the box and the front ed g'eV of the top is an opening' 3 for the introduction of mail-matter, which is closed by a lid 4L, hinged at 5 and limited in its upward nievement by the forwardly-curved Vflange Tatthe front margin of the top Q.

On the inner face of the lid f1 is rigidly secured near each end thereof anarm 6. which has pivotally connected therewith at 7 a link 8, pivoted at its front end, by means of a pin 9, to the side wall of the receiver l0, which is mounted for oscillatory movement on a pivotpin Il in each end wall of the box at the eenter of curvature of the top 2. The receiver is open along one side, as shown, and along the other side has a curved wall adapted to move just within the top 2 of the box when the receiver is oscillated on its supportingpivots. At the upper margin of the opening' in the front side of the receiver the material forming the top of the receiver when in receiving position is bent backward to form a curved guard 12, the curvature of which corresponds to that of the top 2 of the box and the lid 4, which when in closed position is substantially continuous with thetop. At the lower margin of the opening 3 in the box the material forming the front wall thereof is bent inward and extended downward to form a curved guard 13, over which the receiver may swing' and barely escape contact therewith.

It will be observed from an inspection of the drawings that when the lid 4L of the box is raised and the receiver is swung' by means of the arm 6 and the link 8 inte the position indicated in solid lines a large opening is presented for the introduction of Inail-matter within the receiver, thus adapting the box for i the reception of letters, newspapers, and packages of moderate size. It will also be noted that the lid 4 is when raised to uncover the opening 3 of the box still held in such position that it projects forward some distance beyond the front wall of the box and forms a protective shelter for the opening, such that rain and snow are excluded from the interior of the box.

From an inspection of the drawings, particularly the parts shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, it will be seen that when the receiver is directed.downward to permit the discharge of mail-matter into the box the overlapping` guards l2 and 13, formed upon the receiver and the box, respectively, prevent any possibility7 of unlawful access to the interior of the box by slightly raising the lid 4 and introdncing within the opening 3 a wire or other slen der implement. It will also be seen from careful examination of the drawings that the guard 13, formed at the lower margin of the opening' 3, serves effectively to prevent unlawful access to the box when the lid 4 is lowered slightly from the solid-line position in Fig.

A special feature of the invention lies in the extremely simple form of connection between the pivoted lid 4 and the receiver', this connection comprising only two members so connected that any failure to act satisfactorily is impossible.

Having thus described the construction and operation of our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A mail-box comprising an outer casing having an arched top rigidly mounted thereon and provided with a relatively large mail-receiving' opening in the front wall thereof, said top presenting an upwardly and forwardly curved iiange along the upper margin of said opening, a lid pivotally mounted at one edge just beneath said iange and limited in its pivotal movement by said flange, an oscillatory receiver closed at one side and having at the opposite side an opening of the same size as the opening in the casing, a downwardly and inwardly curved guard-plate at the lower margin of the opening in the casing, a rigid arm fixed upon the inner surface of said lid, and a link pivoted at one end to said arm and at the other end to said receiver so that the raising of the lid will swing the receiver into position to receive mail and the lowering of the lid will swing the receiver into position to empty its contents.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as ourown we have hereto afxed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM G. JONES. RICHARD M. GEORGE. Vitnesses:

J. H. J oHNs, I/V. J. GRIFFIN-is.

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