USRE8839E - Improvement in electric letter-boxes - Google Patents

Description

W. H. RODGERS. -Blec-tric Letter-Boxes.

No. 8,839. Reissue d'Aug. 5,1879.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. V

WILLIAM H. RODGERS, OF BROOKLYN, n. Y., ASSIGNOR TO MOLAUGHLIN BROTHERS.

IMPROVEMENT m ELECTRIC LETTER-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.'2l4,007, dated April 8, 1879; Reissue N 0. 8,889, dated August 5, 1879; application filed June 30, 1879.

' To all whom it may concern: a I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM=H. RODGERS of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented an Improvement.

in Electric Letter-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

-Letter-boxes have been connected to a alarm by wires' and a circuit-closing; device, so that the letter-box may be placed near the entrance-door, and the alarm be given in a distant or upstairs oifioe or room whenever a letter is placed in the box. In this case the weight of the letter as it fell into the box caused a movement of a balanced platform that closed the circuit to the distant instrument.

My present invention is made for rendering letter or card to pass by it.

By this device the electric circuit is closed. bythe movement imparted to the letterfre gardless of the weight of the letter itself.

Furthermore, I combine with the flapand circuit-closer a latch, by which the parts. are held with the circuit closed until liberated by the attendant, and I arrange the circuit-closing device in such a manner that the opening of the door of the letter-box shall cause the breaking of the circuit and the stopping of the alarm. r

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents the alarm; Fig. 2, the letter-box by a vertical section at the line a: w of Fig. 3, which Fig. 3 is a sectional plan below the line 9 y,- and Fig. 4 is' a vertical section at the line 2 z.

The alarm, Fig. 1, is to be located at the oflice or room, and the letter-box near the frontdoor or other convenient location for the postman. The wires a a. extend from the letter-box to the alarm, and in the circuit a suitable battery is to be placed.

The alarmis to be of any desired or proper character. I have represented a bell, b, electro-magne't c, and a hammer, d, operated by the armature of the electromagnet, so that the alarm will be sounded continuously as long as the circuit is closed. 1 v

- Theletter-bo'x is of any suitable size or shape. 1 have represented the back 8, sides f, bottom g, and top h as in one, and dis the door to give access to the contents of the box, the same being hinged at'k, and secured by a suitable lock or fastening.

The slit 6 is'representedas in the top of the box, through which a card or letter can be thrust. The flap m is of thin light material, extending out from the tubular stock n, that turns freely on a stud or gndgeon, o. p is a balance-weight that'is sufficient to keep the flap m up to its place near theletter-slit 1 The stop-block when not otherwise acted on. g may be used to limit the upward movement.

' The circuit-closing arm r is upon the stock a, so thatwhen the flap m is moved by the insertion of a letter the arm 1' will close the electric circuit and operate the distant alarm.

pivot u, that is moved by the spring 41 in one direction to the stop 0, and in the other di-' rection by the door as it is closed. When the door i is closed the spring 4) is strained, and the end of the lever is moved away from the latch s,- but when the door is opened for the removal of the contents of the letter-box the spring '0 moves the lever, and that lever acts upon the latch s and liberates the circuitcloser and breaks the current.

The dotted lines, Fig. 3, represent the position of the lever and door when open.

I I claim asmy inventiona 1. In combination with the letter-box and an alarm operated by electricity, a circuit- .closer and'a flap for operating the same, said flap. being placed within the box adjacent circuit until the latch is removed, substantially as set forth.

3. Inau electric letter-box, the combination,

with the circuit-closer, of means for operating the same by the letter to close the circuit, and of mechanism to break the circuit, and the door of the letter-box to operate upon. such circuit-breaker, substantially as set forth.

' Signed by me this 26th day of June, A.v D.

1879. WILLIAM H. RODGERS.

Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, WILLIAM G. Moc'rr.

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