US1199581A - Mail-box. - Google Patents

Description

H. T. LUCKETT.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30. |9T5.

Patented sept. 26,1916.

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H. T. LUCKETT.

MAIL BOX.

APPLlcAloN mio SEPT. 30. 1915.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

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HENRY THOMAS LUCKETT, OF ST. JOSEPH, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BOX.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed September 30, 1915. Serial No. 53,306.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY T. LUCKETT, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Daviess, State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Mail-Box; 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.

This invention relates to the art of deposit and collection devices, and particularly to an improved mail box adapted for use in connection with rural free delivery routes.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a device of this nature which is storm proof, and is a great convenience, and may be manufactured at a comparatively small cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chute closure, which has such connection with the top or cover, that by opening the closure chute, the top or cover will correspondingly and simultaneously open.

Another object of the invention is to pro` vide a sliding rock joint between the top or cover and one of the edge portions of the body of the box as to permit the top or cover to open simultaneously with the closure chute, through the medium of said connection.

Another object of the invention is to pro vide a signal or an indicator adapted to be actuated by the closure chute when opened, to indicate that mail has been delivered by the mail man to the addressee, or that the box contains mail to be removed by the mail man for forwarding. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a plurality of means for limiting the top or cover and the closure chute to their open position, said plurality of limiting means acting simultaneously.

Another object of the inventionis to provide means to limit the indicator or signal to its vertical position.

, In practical fields the details of construction may necessitate alterations, falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure l is a view in perspective of the improved mail box constructed in accordance with the invention,

showing the same closed. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the mail box showing the same open. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. l, but showing the indicator down. Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4.-4 of Fig. 2 showing the box open.

Referring more especially to the drawings, l designates the body of the box, which may be any suitable contour or configuration, and constructed of any suitable material, preferably sheet metal, such as galvanized tin or iron. One of the longitudinal sides of the box is cut away as shown, therebyforming a longitudinal side 2 substantially half as low as the opposite longitudinal side 3. The upper edge portion of the side 2 is bent slightly laterally and upwardly to form a flange 4, the extreme edge portion of which is bent under, as shown at 5. The edge portions 5a of the ends 6 of the box extend laterally and beyond the longitudinal low side 2, and hinged at 7 adjacent these extended parts of the ends 6 of the box are the end pieces or parts 8 of the chute closure 9. The lower part of the chute closure is provided with a laterally extending flange 10, which, when the closure is thrown open, contacts with the low side 2, thereby limiting the closure in its open position. This flange 10, when the'closure is closed as shown in Fig. 3 acts to shed water from the space 11 between the edge part of the flange 4 and the corner 12, where the flange 10 is bent from the closure. It is observed that the end parts or pieces 8 of the closure adjacent where they are pivoted to the ends 6 move between the ends ofthe flange 4 and the ends of the box.

The chute closure is provided with a bead 13 on its upper edge, in order to present a neat appearance, and to prevent cutting of the hands. The upper edges of the ends 6 and the longitudinal side 3 are provided with beads 14 to afford the same function as those of the bead 113. The chuteV closure is so pivoted to the ends 6 of the box, that when the chute closure is opened as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the corner where the flange l() merges from the chuteclosure, will move under the flange 4. In other words, the flange 4 overlies the corner portion 12 of the chute closure, when the chute closure is open, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, so that the rain will drain down the chute closure, when opened, between the flange 10 and the longitudinal side l2,. The chute closure on its inner tace is provided with a coin, paper money and stamp holder 15, and additional coin, stamp and paper money holder 1,6. rEhe box is provided with a top or cover 17, which has overlianging downwardly extend'- ing end and longitudinal side flanges 18 and 19, to shed water ott the box. The upper edges et' the ends 6 are inclined, so that the cover or top will correspondingly incline, for shedding water. The top or cover has secured to its under face a strip 20, the Vends of which are bent as shown at 21, so that ,thel strip 2O is spaced apart from the under face of the cover or top. This strip 20 extends through a slot 22 in the longitudinalside 3 adjacent its upper edge, so that when the cover o r top is rocked open, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, the strip 20 will move through the slot 22, until the bead 14 adjacent the slot 22 contacts with one of the bent ends 21, as shown in Fig. 4, to limit the cover or top in its open position. h lounted in bearings 23 upon the under surface of the top or cover is the elongated portion 24 ot' the arched or U-shaped rod or member 25, the arms 26 of which are pivoted at 27 to the ends 6 ot the box. `The parts 28 of the arms 26 beyond the pivot 27 extend angularly lto the body portions of the arms 26, and are pivoted at 29 to the links 30, which in turn are pivoted at 31 to the end `parts 8 of the closure chute. 1t is to be observed that when the closure chute is open the top or cover will simultaneously open, owing to the connections, such as the rocking U- shaped member 25, its arms and the links 30, between the cover or top and the closure. These connections between the top or cover and the closure are so arranged and proportioned, that the flange 10 will abut against the side 2 at the same time that one oi' the ends 21 of the strip 20 contacts with the bead 14, to limit the top or cover and the chute closure to their open position. An angular member 33 having a laterally extending angular part 34 is pivoted vat 35 to one of the ends 6. The upper part of .the angular portion 34 has a signal blade or indicator 36, which is angular in cross section, and is designed to be painted some suitable color, such as red, to indicate that mail has been placed in the box. rThe arm 37 of the angular member 83 has a laterally extending projection or lug 38, which is contacted with by the chut-e closure when it is opened, in order to throw the signal and the angular member to vertical position, to indicate that mail has been deposited in the box, the bright red coloring on the indicator enabling the indicator to be seen at considerable distance.

When throwing the chute closure open, the arm 37 contacts with an extension lug y39 of one of the pivotal connections 7 of the chute closure, in order to limit the signal or indicator and the angular member to a vertical position. Carried by the outer face of the ychute closure is an tangular plate 40 having an aperture 41, and carried by the under face ot the top or cover is an angular .i

plate 42 having an aperture 43, designed to register with the aperture 41, when the chute closure and the Ytop or cover are closed, in order that the apertures 42 and 41 may receive the padlock, in order to lock `the box. From the inner :tace one of the ends 6 is provided withl a depression ,6a formed on an are with the pivot 35 as a center, .thereby forming a bulge 6b on the enter face of the end 6, with which a part of the angular member 33 frictionally engages, to hold Athe member 33 in the position shown in Figs. 1 `and ,2. llhe lug 38 extends transversely through the arm 37, as shown at 38a, Whereby the member 33 may be operated Ina-nually. Arranged on the interior of the body ot the box and ysecured to the bottom -is a plate 2a having Spring arm 2F constituting a letter or article clasp.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new and useful is 1. In combination with a mail bOX, a mail indicator pivoted to .one end of the box, comprising a metallic bar having an L- Ishaped portion, one end of which has a lateral part terminating in a right angle extending portion, which, in side elevation, alines with Aone arm of the L-shaped portion, said right angle extending portion having a mail indicator, the other arm yof said L- shaped portion having at its extremity a transverse rod, means on .the end of the box .to be engaged by the last .named arm, to limit the bar in a vertical position, means vhingedly connected to the box-to yenga ge said transverse rod to throw the bar to a vertical position, and means on the end ofthe box to hold the bar in such vertical position, said transverse rod acting to .engage the side edge of one end of the box, to limit the bar to its downward position.

2. In a mail box, the combination of a body havingone-hal the height of one side out away and a top closure slidably and hingeably yconnected to the upper portion of the opposite side of said body, of a side chute closure in said cut away portion and having its ends pivoted in the ends of the body, an elongated rocking rod extending longitudinally of the under face of said top and mounted in bearings thereon, said rocking rod having laterally extending end portions pivoted to the ends of the body axially and beyond said pivots having angulark extremities, and links connected to said extremities and having their othery ends pivoted to right angle extending portions of the ends of the chute closure, whereby when either the top or the closure is' opened, the other simultaneously opens, the top when so Y open partly inclined over the open top por- In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification in the presence of 10 two subscribing Witnesses.

tion of the body, to shed the rain partly from the interior of the boX, said side chute adjacent Where it is hinged having a longitudinal flange to abut the sicle of the body HENRY THOMAS LUCKETT' having the cut away portion to limit the Witnesses:

chute and top closures in their open posi- JOSEPH H. BALLARD,

tions.

J. BERT. BALLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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