US898000A - Signal-lock for mail-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

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UNrTED sTATEs PATENT oEEroE.

SAMUEL PATTERSON AND JOHN W. WISEMAN, OF GONZALES COUNTY, TEXAS, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO OLIVER T. PAYNE, OF LAVAOA COUNTY, TEXAS.

SIGNAL-LOCK FOR MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 8, 1908.

Application filed June 5, 1907. Serial No. 377,426.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we, SAMUEL PATTERSON and JOHN W. WIsEMAN, citizens of the United States, residing in the county of Gon- Zales and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signal-Locks for Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to devices for locking the signals used on mail boxes to indicate the presence or absence of mail matter in the box and is especially adapted for use with boxes used in the rural mail service and has for its object the provision of a lock that can be ap,- plied to the boxes already in use as well as being manufactured as the part of a complete box, tliat can be operated only from the inside of the box, and that will require but one hand to operate it.

The construction and operation of our iinproved lock will be described in detail hereinafter and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view cut longitudinally of a mail box, which is partly broken away and showing our improved signal lock in position, and Fig. 2, a plan view of the lock partly in section.

In the drawings similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

1 indicates a mail box of any selected construction and 2 a signal therefor having its staff 3 bent at right angles as shown at 4 and inserted through a hole 5 in the side or end of box 1. The signal staff is made preferably rectangular in cross-section or, if desired, only the portion 4 may be so formed, while in either case the end of portion '4 is formedv with screw-threads 6.

7 indicates a bearing washer placed on the portion 4 before inserting through hole 5.

8 indicates a segmental plate secured on the inner side of the box 1 having a hole 9 therein to register with hole 5, while the circular edge 10 is provided with projections 11 and other projections 12 with slanting top edges, the two sets of projections forming stops 13 substantially ninety degrees apart.

14 indicates a latch arm of metal secured to the inner end of the bent portion 4 of staff 3 and having a square hole 15 therein to fit the square portion of said inwardly bent portion 4 while its outer end is bent outwardly as shown at 16 to form a handle for convenient operation.

17 indicates a curved retaining strip secured to plate 8 over its circular edge 10 to prevent the arm 14 from being lifted over the projections 13.

As the latch arm 14 can be reached only from the inside of the box it will be understood that the signal staff can not be moved except when the box is opened by its owner or the mail carrier.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is- In combination with a mail box having a hole therein, a segmental plate secured on the inside of the box having a hole therein to register with the hole in the box and proj ections on the curved edge of the plate forming stops, said projections being arranged in pairs adjacent to the ends of the curved edge of the plate, the inner one of each pair of projections having a slanting upper edge on which the arm rides when reaching its extreme positions, a rectangular L-shaped signal staff having its end extending through the holes in the box and plate, an arm secured to the inner end of the stai and engaging the projections on the plate, and a curved retaining strip secured over the arm and the curved edge of the plate, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof we hereto affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL PATTERSON. JOHN W. WISEMAN. Witnesses:

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