US877006A

US877006A - Mail-box.

Info

Publication number: US877006A
Application number: US36968807A
Authority: US
Inventors: John Morgan Scobee
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-04-22
Filing date: 1907-04-22
Publication date: 1908-01-21
Anticipated expiration: 1925-01-21

Description

No. 877,006. PATENTED JAN'.21,1908. J. M. $003551.

MAIL BOX. 1 APPLICATION FILED APR. 22. 1907.

ihuv INVENTIOR,

A TIM/v5 4 THE NORRIS PETERS 5a., WASHINGTON, n. c

in accordance with the invention. a sectional plan view of the same on the line JOHN MORGAN SCOBEE, OF BAGDAD, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1908.

Application filed April 22- 1907- Scrial No. 3691688- To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MORGAN SooBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bagdad, in the county of Shelby and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes adapted more especially for use on rural free delivery routes, and has for its principal object to so mount and arrange the box that it may serve as a signal to the carrier. to indicate that mail is awaiting collection and to the owner that mail has been deposited.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail box and mail box support of such construction as to permit the turning of the mail box to a variety of positions for the purpose of displaying different signals. A still further object of the invention is to so mount and arrange the box that it will prove convenient for the carrier in gathering mail, the box being so arranged as to display to the carrier approaching the different stations the presence or absence of mail to be collected, and the turning movement of the box being in the direction in which the carrier is traveling, so that there will be no necessity of losing time in the setting of display signals.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which may be arranged at either side of the road, and will prove equally effective for carriers traveling in either direction.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of constructionand arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed .out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size and minor details of the structure may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a mail box support constructed and arranged Fig. 2 is 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the supporting bracket detached.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

On a suitable post A at either side of the road is secured a casting 10 that is provided at its upper end with a spider 11 carrying a ring 12 in which are formed four notches 13, arranged at equi-distant intervals. ,From the lower portionpf the casting projects a lug 15, and the lug and spider are provided with openings for the reception of a pivot pin 16, the lower portion of said pin having an opening for the passage of a linch pin 17, or like securing device. The pin 16 is carried by a disk 18 that is firmly secured to the central portion of the bottom of the mail box 19, and the disk seats partly within the ring 12, so that the box will be firmly supported.

The upper side of the disk is provided with a diametrically extending recess 20 for the passage of a bolt 21 which extends toward both ends of the mail box, and depending from the bolt is a dog 21 that is arranged to I enter any one of the locking notches 13 for the purpose of holding the mail box in any position to which it may be adjusted. This dog is normally held in locked position by a helical compression spring 22, and the spring may be compressed by moving the bolt in the direction indicated by the arrow, so that the bolt being withdrawn, the box may be turned around either for a partial or a full revolution, and then looked in place by simply releasing the bolt.

The mail box is of any convenient shape and size, and is provided at one end with a hinged door 25. From the lower portion of the door projects a lug 26, that is adapted to engage a finger piece or handle 27 that is secured to the forward end of the bolt 21, so that when the door is swung down to the horizontal, or open position, the lug will ride against the handle 27 and will force the bolt 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow, thus moving the dog to release position and leaving the box free, so that it may be turned by the carrier, or by the box owner. Projecting from the upper end of the handle, or V forming a continuation of the bolt, is a lug or flange 29, against which the lug 26 seats when the door is moved to open position.

At the opposite end of the bolt is a handle 31, which may be pulled for the purpose of moving the bolt to release position, and effecting turning of the box when necessary.

In order to more fully explain the signaling advantages of the box, the latter is supposed to be arranged at the. north side of a road, while the route of the carrier is such that he approaches the box from the west. One side of the box is painted blue to indicate the absence of mail, and the other side red, to indicate that mail has been deposited. The door of the box is painted white, and when mail is in the box in readiness to be collected, the proprietor turns the box, so that the door faces the road, and the broad sides of the box are exposed to view as the carrier approaches, and as a matter of fact, it makes no difference from which direction he approaches, for the reason that theposition of'the box, and not the color displayed indicates that mail is to be collected. 7

When the carrier collects the mail and deposits mail for the owner, he turns the box to the extent of a quarter revolution in the 'direction in which he is traveling, so that the red side of the box is exposed to view from the house, indicating that mail has been deosited. If on the other hand he collects, but does not deposit any mail, he turns the box a quarter revolution in the opposite direction, thus displaying the blue side of the box to the house. In either case the device is advantageous to the carrier, in that having made a collection he moves the box to a position parallel with the road, and it is not necessary for him to stop and examine the box, whether the owner removes the deposited mail or not, thus removing one of the principal objections to mail boxes of this general class Where the carrier is compelled to open every 7 box, whether containing mail to be collected or not.

Inasmuch as the unlocking and opening of the mail box door automatically unlocks the box, it is a simple matter for the carrier to turn the box to either signaling position without the necessity of operating any other releasing devices, and it is to his own interest to move the box from a position which would otherwise necessitate his stopping to examine the box on the next trip or trips.

I claim 1. A pivotally mounted mail box arranged to swing in a horizontal plane to dill erent signaling positions, means for locking the box in any osition to which it is adjusted, and a movab e door having means which on opening movement of the door engages and moves the locking means to release position.

2. In a device of the class s ecified, a bracket having an opening an provided with a notched ring, a mail box, a pivot pin secured to the bottom of the box and extending through the opening, a sprin actuated locking bolt extending horizontal y beneath the box and provided with pendent handles near each end of the box, said bolt being arranged to enter the notches of the ring, and bolt guides secured to the bottom of the box at points adjacent the handles.

3. In a device of the class specified, a pivot bracket having a notched ring, a mail box, a pivot pin secured to the bottom'of the box and mounted in the bracket, a spring actuated bolt carried by the box and arranged to enter the notches, and means for automatically moving said bolt to release position when the mail box is opened.

4. In combination, a bracket, a spider and a lug projecting therefrom and provided with vertically alined openings, a ring formed in tegral with the bracket and provided with a plurality of equi-distantly spaced notches, a mail box, a disk secured to the bottom of the box and rovided with a pivot pin arranged to exten through said openings, said disk havin a diametrically extendin slot, a lock ing bo t extending through the s 0t, and provided with a handle at each end, a dog carried by the bolt and arranged to engage the f" notches, and a spring tending to move the/ bolt to locking position.

5. A mail box having a hinged door, a sup port on which the box is pivoted, means for locking the box in adjusted position, and means for transmitting movement from the door to the locking means to effect release of the latter when the door is opened.

6. In a device of the class specified, a pivotally mounted mail box, a locking bolt having a handle at one end, a lug projecting from the handle, a hinged door for closing the box, and a lug dependin from said door and arranged to engage the liandle and thereby force the bolt to release position.

7. In a device of the class specified, a pivotally mounted mail box, a locking bolt therefor, a handle at one end of the bolt, a stop projecting from the handle, a box door, and a lug extending from the door and arranged to engage the handle to effect movement of the bolt to release position, said stop serving to limit movement of the lug and opening movement of the door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MORGAN SCOBEE.

Witnesses:

CHAs. CoNNELL, IIIRAM F. BOHANNON.