US837442A - Combined stamp, stationery, and cash box. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.-

- H. A. WHITEHEAD. COMBINED STAMP, STATIONERY, AND CASH BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED OUT-30. 1905.

I/IIIII UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COMBINED STAMP, STATIONERY, AND CASH BOX- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed October 30, 1905. Serial No. 285,128.

To to whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY A. WHITE- HEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brownsville, in the county of Haywood and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Stamp, Stationery, and Cash Box, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to a receptacle particularly adapted for use by mail-carriers on rural free-delivery routes, one of the objects being to provide a handy, simple, and inexpensive device of the character described for the purpose of carrying stamps, envelops, registry-receipts, cash, &c., said receptacle comprising compactly and conveniently arranged compartments in such relation to each other as to enable the carrier to easily and quickly obtain access to such compartments and to carry the box with him from place to place without disarranging or damaging any of its contents.

Other objects and advantages of my invention, as well as the structural features by means of which these objects are attained, will be made clear by an examination of the specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals indicate corresponding portions throughout, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my comlete device, showing the cover or lid thrown back. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section taken through the complete receptacle, showing the compartments and also showing the cover in closed position' Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section showing the comartment es ecially adapted for registrybooks and t e like and also showing the fastener-clasp whereby the lid is held in position when closed, and Fig. 4 is a detail of parts.

1 designates a box open at the top and at one end, as shown at 2. Hinged or pivotally mounted thereon at the other end is a lid or cover 3, provided with the extending edges 4, disposed at right angles therewith and which when the lid is closed down overlap the edges of the box to afford protection to the contents from dust, rain, &c. The box is divided into compartments, (designated as 5,

6, 7, and 8,) which are formed by the sides of the box, the inner horizontal plate 9, the two vertical partitions 10 and 11, and the hinged or pivoted inner cover 12, which is provided at its free end with a strap 13 in order that it may be easily raised when desired. This cover in lowered or closed position rests upon the sto s 14, projecting from the inner sides of the 0x 1. The compartment 5 is primarily intended for the reception of registry-books, registered letters, and the like and may also be used for currency. The compartment 6 is for the rece tion of coins received for stamps, &c. T e compartment 7 is designed for stamped envelops, postal cards, and stamps of any denomination and may also be used for small registered packages, and its contents tend to hold the cover 12 in place when closed, and the compartment 8 is preferably for twocent stamps, that denomination being most largely used, and in order that the stamps may not adhere to each other or to the sides of the compartment I prefer to line the compartments 7 and 8 and the lid or cover 3 with oilaper, so that they may be kept perfeet y dry.

At the point of the lid or cover 3 which when closed rests directly above the compartment 6 I provide a slot 15, through which coins may be passed to the compartment 6 without removing the lid, and in order to prevent dust from passing into the box through said slot Iprovide a cover 16, pivotally mounted, as shown at 17, on top of the lid 3, so as to be actuated horizontally to cover or uncover the slot, the free end of said coverbeing held in place when closed over the slot by means of the stop 18, under which it slides and which is secured to the top of the lid. This lid 3 is also provided with a stra handle 19 for convenience in carrying tfie same, and in order that said lid may remain securely in place when closed I provide a spring catch or look 20, which works in a notch or opening 20 in one side the body 1 and engages a lug or stop 21, secured to the interior thereof. Fixed on the spring-catch or look is a plug 22, passing through an opening in the side of the box, and by bearing upon the same with thumb or finger said spring-catch may be pushed back out of engagement with the stop to release the lid when desired, and for the purpose of convenience in raising the same I have attached means of the handle 23, and it will be ob-- served that in order to obtain access to compartment 5 it is only necessary to raise the lid a short distance, whereas in other devices of this character it is necessary to throw the lid entirely back to reach any other compartment, thus exposing the contents. By the use of my device this objection is overcome. It will further be observed that I have provided means for depositing coins in the coinreceptacle without raising the lid, an advantageous feature not possessed by other similar devices. When the lid or cover is raised, exposing compartment 7, access to compartment 8 is obtained by means of the leather strap 13, mounted on the lid 12.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my device, it is obvious that modifications of form and arrangement of parts may be made within the limits of the claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be restricted to the precise construction and arrangement shown.

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

A receptacle of the character described comprising the rectangular body portion 1 having its top and one of its ends open, the flanged cover 3 of right-angular form to close the open top and side of said body, said cover being hinged upon the closed end of said body portion and having in its top the slot 15, means for locking said cover in its closed position, the horizontal plate 9 and the vertical partitions 10 and 11 fixed in said body portion to form the compartments 5 and 6, the compartment 6 being beneath the slot 15, the closure 16 for said slot, the partition 12 hinged in said body portion to form the compartments 7 and 8, the stops 14 to limit the inward swinging movement of said hinged partition 12, and a handle upon said hinged partition, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY A. WHITEHEAD.

Witnesses H. L. JEFFERIES, J. C. MooDY.

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