US904081A - Mail-box. - Google Patents

Description

G. W. PALMER.

MAIL Box. APPLICATION FILED APR. 6, 1908.

904,081. Patented No v. 17, 1908.

1 d l/ f j UNITED STATES P kTNT FFIGE.

CHARLES W. PALMER, Oh ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

MAIL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Crmnnns \V. Pxnuun, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the county of St. Louis City and State of Wissouri, have invented a new and useful MailBoX, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and more especially to mail boxes used on rural free delivery routes.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved means of forming a letter-receiving slot in the door.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved closure for the letter receiving slot.

Vith these and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consist in the various novel details of construct-ion and combination and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out particularly in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, and

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device with the front door open. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal median section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a transverse section of the rear of the box. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the arrangement of the flap covering the slot in the door, the same being in perspective. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side elevation of a portion of the flag staff and the socket therefor. Fig. (3 is a plan View of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional View showing the manner of connecting the back plate to the top plate.

The number 10 indicates the body of the box which is provided with a back 11. The back 11 and the body 10 are joined together by curling one of the plates upon the other, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2. Hinged to the body 10 is a door 18 provided with a slot let therein. The slot 14 has at its end a rabbet 15 formed to project laterally from the slot, as shown clearly in Fig. 1. The metal cut out in forming the slot 14 is not detached at the lower end thereof, but is bent inwardly as shown in Fig. 2 at 16 to form a surface which slants toward the outside of the box, in order that any moisture that may accumulate thereon may drain to the outside, rather than to the inside, of the box. In order to protect the inside of the box Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 6, 1908.

Patented. Nov. 1'7, 1908.

Serial No. 425,441.

thoroughly from moisture, there is mounted in the slot it a protecting flap which has an upper portion 17 arranged to extend beyond the end of the slot 14 and above the top of said slot. By notching the end of the slot, as at 18, there is formed an intermediate reduced portion, and below this intermediate reduced portion there is a portion 19 which extends beyond the ends and below the bottom edge of the slot. These portions are so bent with relation to each other that the portion 17 will lie close against the inner face of the door while the reduced portion extends out thercthrough and the portion 19 will lie close against the outside of the door, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Mounted upon the body portion 10 is a socket 20 preferably provided with an up- 'ardly extending ear 21. This car 21. and the body portion 10 have mounted. thereon a pivot pin 22. There is provided a signal flag 23 having a stall 24: provided with a slot therein, shown at 25 in Fig. 5. This slot is arranged to engage the pivot pin 22, as clearly shown in that figure, and when the signal is down, the socket. 2* is a stop therefor. lVhen it is desired to raise the signal, all that is necessary is to turn the signal up on the pivot and to drop it in the socket when it will be held therein in a firm and secure manner which will make it im possible to be blown off or accidentally knocked down. When in this socket, the slot is entirely covered up, preventing lodgmcnt of any foreign substances.

I claim 1. In a mail box, a sheet metal door provided with a slot formed by incising the metal along the top and end of a quadrilateral and bending the incised portion inward at an obtuse angle along the bottom of the (piadrilateral, and notching the metal at the upper corners of the said quadrilateral, in combination with a closure for said slot comprising a strip of sheet metal of greater length than the extreme length of said slot, and having notches at each end to co-act with the notches of the slot and hold said strip in position therein, the portion of said strip inside said door being of less width than the portion outside, and offset therefrom to permit each portion to lie against said door.

2. In a mail box, a sheet metal door provided with a slot formed by incising the metal along the tops and ends of a trapezoid, and bending the incised portion inward at an obtuse angle along the bottom of the trapezoid, and notching the metal at the upper corners of the trapezoid, in combina tion With a closure for said slot, comprising a strip of sheet metal of greater length than the extreme length of said slot, and having notches at each end to co-act with the notches of the slot and hold said strip in position therein, the portion inside said I l l l door being of less Width than the portion outside, and ofi-set therefrom to permit each portion to lie against said door.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 15 as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES WV. PALMER.

Witnesses FREDK. C. MEYER, JOHN L. WVHEELER.

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