US1183818A - Indicator for mail-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

w.v. HUNNICUTT.

INDICATOR FOR MAIL BOXES,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 9, I914.

Patented May 16, 1 916.

'2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

w. v. HUNNICU'TT. INDICATOR FOR MAIL BOX-ES APPLICATION FILED H8. 9. I914.

1 1 8 3,8 1 8 I Pfifiented May 16, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- more fully hereinafter described and illus- QFFTCE.

WALLACE V. HUNNICUTT, 0F MEMPHIS, TEXAS.

INDICATOR nos MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed February 9, 1914. Serial No. 817,633.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VVALLACE V. HUNNI- OUTT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of Hall, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicators for Mail-Boxes; 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 appertainsto make and use the same. 1

This invention relates to'new and useful improvements in mail boxes and particularly toineans associated therewith for indicating what the operator desires to purchase. t

The object of the present invention resides in the provision of means associated with a mail box whereby the operator can indicate what he wishes to purchase in the way of stamps, envelops, money orders and the like and whereby he can also indicate the amounts of money which he wishes to apply to the various items of purchase, whereby the operator is relieved of themecessity of writing a note to the mail car rier, it being understood that this device is adapted for use in rural districts, where a persons house is often distant from his mail box;

7 It is further the object of the invention to provide such a device which may be easily read by the mail carrier.

A still further object of the invention is to provide such a device which is easily manipulated and which comprises a minimum number of parts so that it is durable in use and may be manufactured at a-comparatively low cost.

invention resides in the novel combination, formation and arrangement of parts .to be trated in the accompanying drawing and particularly pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved device. Fig. 2-is a similar view of the device, the cover being removed. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the complete device. Fig. 4: is a sectional view on the line Jr- 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear view of the upper portion of the device. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the fia'gs removed from the device. Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, the preferred form of the device is shown as comprising a rear orbody'plate 5 which is provided with apertured lugs 6 whereby the plate may be secured to the side of a mail box or any other desired support. There is provided a main indicating dial 7 which carries symbols 8 on its outer face adjacent its periphery and which'is. secured to the base plate by a shaft 9 having its rear end journaled-in the base plate. A

suitable stub shafts 16 which have their.

inner ends journaled in the bar. A suitable cover plate 17 is provided, and secured to the wall 18 of the base plate 5. The outer ends of the shaft 16 and the shaft 9 extend through and are journaled in the cover plate, said shafts being threaded for the reception 1 of suitable wing nuts 19 whereby the dials may be readily rotated; The cover plate is provided inits upper portion with a row-of openings 20, 21 and 22 respectively each of which is adapted to uncover one of the series of symbols 12, 8 and 13 respec- With these and other objects in view, the i dollar, a dial 24: is provided carrying dollar symbols 25, and this dial is fixed to a stub shaft 26 which is journaled in the cover plate and in a bar '27 secured to'the inner face of the cover plate and having its major portion inwardly offset to receive the dial 7 24. The outer end of the stub shaft 26 carries the usual thumb nut 27 whereby it is manipulated.

To indicate to which item it is desired to apply the dollar symbol 25, a star 28 is provided having its tips colored or otherwise marked to indicate respective flag faces. This star is secured to a stub shaft 29 which is journaled in the cover plate adjacent an opening 30 which is adapted to disclose one of the dollar symbols 25.

Thedials are held against accidental r0- tation by means of leaf springs 31 which surround the pivot. shafts of the dials and which have their intermediate portions riveted to that plate of the device which they are nearest. The ends of the leaf springs terminate in bent portions 32 which bear against the faces of the dial and are adapted to seat in depressions 33 formed in said faces and arranged in circles concentric to the pivots.

Each of the flags comprises a shank 34 which is oblong in cross section and which is provided atone end with a slot 35 opening at the bottom and further provided with a slot 36 spaced inwardly from the slot 35. Pins 37 are passed through the slots 36 and secured to the base plate 5 of the device to thus pivotally secure the shank, and pins 38 are disposed below the pins 37 and adapted to slide in the slots 35 to hold the flag in a vertical position. It is understood that to lower the flag it is necessary to raise the shank until the slot 35 disengages the pin 38 and thence swing the shank downward.

The upper portionof the shank is provided on each side with cut away portions 39 and plates 40 are provided, comprising the fields of theofiag which are formed with lugs 41 bent to form collars embracing'the shank at its cut. away portions 39 so that the field is thus rotatably mounted on the shank. To hold the flag plate 40 so that either of its faces is held parallel with the front of the device, a locking bar 42 is provided which has at one end depending ears 43 pivoted to the flag plate and which is provided at its other end with an oblong slot 44 adapted to receive the upper extremity of the shank. 1

When the flags are all raised and turned to the right, the one on the left presentsa red field indicating that the amount designated by the symbol 12 is to be applied to two cent stamps, the one in the center presents a white field with a red mark in the upper corner indicating envelops, and the one on the right presents a blue field indicating that the amount designated by the symbol 13 is to be applied to one centstamps.

When the flags are all raised and turned to the left, the one on the left displays the symbol 45 designating post-cards, the center one displays the signal 46 designating a postal money order and the one on the right is blank and denotes when raised that letters are to be stamped. The star is colored to correspond to the flags so that as stated whichever point it presents through the opening 30 designates which item the dollars indicated are to be applied to.

It is noted that one of the points on the star 28 is colored green, and this point-is used to designate dollars to be applied to postal money orders, although any other arrangement of identifying symbols may be used.

From the foregoing it is observed that a very simple device has been provided which may be easily manipulated. It is noted that the mail carrier can read this device from a distance and that therefore in the use of this device a saving of time on his part is effected.

What is claimed, is

1. In a device of the class described, a casing, a removable plate closing one end of said casing and being provided with a .plurality of apertures, a bar mounted within and extending across the said casing, stub shafts journaled in said bar and projecting through said plate, dials on said shafts, springs interposed between the inner face of said plate and said dials, wing nuts on said stub shafts for rotating the latter, and each of said dials being arranged to pass behind one of said apertures.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a removable plate closing one end of said casing and being provided with a plurality of apertures, a relatively large dial mounted for rotation within said casing, a bar spaced from and extending across the face of said dial within said casing and between said dial and plate, stub shafts journaled in said bar and projecting through said plate, dials on said shafts, springs interposed between said plate and said dials, wing nuts on said stub shafts for rotating the latter, a spring interposed between said relatively large dial and said casing whereby said dial is held engaged against said bar, and each of said dials being arranged to pass behind one of said apertures.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

WALLACE V. HUNNICUTT.

Witnesses FRANCES RoBERTs, AUDREY NEELEY.

Copies 01 this patentmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. (1.

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