US910355A - Letter-box. - Google Patents

Description

N. M. CANNADY. LETTER 130x.

APPLIOATIO nnnnnnnn PT. 18, 1905.

91 0,355. Patented Jan. 19, 1909.

F E [MENTOR NATHANIEL M. OANNADY, OF FRANKLINTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

LETTER-BOX.

No. erases.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1999.

Application filed September 18, 1908. Serial No. 453,618.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHANIEL ii. CAN- NADY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Franklinton, in the county of Granville and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful improvements in LettenBoxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and -figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in boxes especially adapted for use upon rural mail routes and comprises signal adapted to be actuated by the movement of the door of the box to indicate when mail has been placed in the box or has been previously inserted therein. to be collected by a carrier.

Another and important feature of the present invention consists in the construction of a box so arranged that a carrier in delivering the mail may conveniently place the mail within the box without stopping. As rural mail deiiverers have long distances to cover in their routes, this matter of their having to stop when they come to a box, open the door, insert the mail and close it again is the means of a considerable hindrance and is obviated by the present invention.

The invention comprises various details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claim..

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view longitudinally through a portion thereof, showing in elevation a signal moving member, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view through the box.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates a receptacle which may be of any shape or size and provided preferably with a convexed top A in order to shed water and protect the device and may be mounted upon any suitable object, such as a post B. One side, designated by letter C, is at an inclination and is provided with an opening D normally closed by the door E which is hinged at E. Said door has a flange E about its marginal edge adapted to bear against the inner face of said inclined side of the box so that, when the door is closed as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the outer face of the door will be flush with said inclined face of the box.

Mounted in suitable bearings F in the bottom of the box is a rock shaft H which is bent upon itself forming an upright portion H. Said shaft extends upward through an opening in one endwall of the box and has a signal flag K fastened thereto. Said signal flag when indicating assumes the position shown in solid lines in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, in which it is vertically disposed with the portion H parallel therewith. When the signal is in a non-indicating position, it is adapted to assume the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

In operation, when the signal is not in an indicating position and it is desired to throw it into an indicating position, it may be done by pushing in on the door E against which the portion H normally rests when the signal is not indicating. An inward pressure upon said door will cause the portion H and also the signal carrying standard to be thrown to an upright or vertical position, in which osition it will remain until returned to t e position shown in dotted lines. The signal is adapted to be set automatically by a person inserting mail in the box. For instance, if a carrier has mail to be delivered, he inserts it in the box throwing the signal to an upright position. If a person wishes to insert mail into the box to be taken up by the carrier, it is accomplished in the same manner.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that, by the provision of a box with signal apparatus as shown and described, a mechanism is aiforded which will operate automatically and will be water tight to protect the mail within the box, the weight of the shaft, when in a tilted position as shown in dotted lines, bearing against the door and serving to further assist gravity in holding the door closed.

What I claim to be new is A mail box having an inclined wall with an opening therein, a door mounted within the box and adapted to normally close said I ed upon an upright extension of said shaft, as opening, a shaft journaled in a bearing in the shown and described. 13 upper surface of the bottom of the box, a a In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my portion of said shaft being bent upon itself signature in the presence of two witnesses.

5 within the box and in the path of said door NATHANIEL M. CANNADY.

adjacent to one end thereof, said shaft pass- Witnesses: ing through the end wall of the box and A. L. HOUGH, having a bearing therein, and a signal mount- ADA R. FOW ER.

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