US1309328A - Mail-box - Google Patents

Description

MCCLYIVIONDS.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.I7. 1918.

Patented July 8, 1919.

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J. R. McCLYMONDS.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FlLED DEC. 12. 19111.

Patented July 8, 1919.

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JOHN R. MGCLYMONDS, OF ELWOOD CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 8, 1919.

Application filed December 17, 1918. Serial No. 267,174.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN R. McCLY- MONDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elwood City, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to depositing and collecting receptacles, and more especially to letter boxes; and the object of the same is to produce an improved box into which the passing postman may quickly deposit letters and the like and from which he may take pieces of mail which are to be forwarded.

Specifically, the purpose of the invention is to protect the mail left by the postman so that it will not be injured by the weather and cannot be reached by birds or animals and the like.

Details are set forth below and attention is invited to the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of this box complete a Fig. 2 is an end view Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view Fig. 4: is a plan view and F ig. 5 is an enlarged detail in section on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

The numeral 1 designates the body of this box whose front is closed by a door 2 hinged at 3 and having a knob 4: and a lock 5; and within the body behind the door is a drawer 6 having a knob 7 by which it may be withdrawn when the door is swung open and downward. Obviously, the door cannot be opened until the lock is actuated, but in some instances I may not employ the lock.

Within the body above the drawerv are two trap doors 10 hinged at their outer edges to the body as at 11 and supported by springs 12. Above these doors when in their normal horizontal closed position, the box is by preference enlarged as by means of outside beading 13, each side strip of beading rising from a shoulder 1 1 on which is a track 15 from front to rear of the box.

On this track is movably mounted a slide 16 preferably having a groove 17 along each edge to rest on the track with extremely little friction, and a cleat 18 overlies the edge of the slide and the track so as to thoroughly protect the same from the ele ments. A rack 19 is carried on the front of the body so that the householder can put letters therein which the postman can pick up. Posts 20 rise from the rear corners of the box and support a cross bar 21 at the top, a cross bar 22 just above the cleats 18, and an upright 23 connecting the cross bars, and to this upright at 2 1 is hinged an arm 25 normally elevated by means of a spring 26 and carrying at its front end a pocket or, receptacle 27 adapted to receive pieces of mail matter. A link 28 connects the arm with a point on the slide 16. When now the arm descends to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, the link pushes the slide 16 to the rear; and when the spring 26' restores the arm and receptacle to their normal position as shown in full lines, the link draws the slide again to the front so as to close the enlarged upper end of the body 1.

With this construction of parts, the box being mounted on an upright such as a post along the roadway in case the house owner should be a farmer or a suburbanite, letters which he desires the postman to take up are placed within the rack 19. When the postman passes he has but to throw the mail within the receptacle 27. Immediately the same descends as the tension of the light spring 26 permits, and the mail is dropped through the opening disclosed by the rearward movement of the slide 16. It falls onto the doors 10 which in turn descend to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, and the mail is dropped into the drawer 6. The doors are now returned to their normal horizontal position, and the receptacle and arm and slide to theirs. Thereafter rain and snow cannot enter the box or drawer and dirt and dust cannot enter it. If a bird or animal should rest on the slide, nothing would result. Even if a bird should alight upon the receptacle, his weight might depress the same and slide would move, but the bird would be frightened away; It is practically impossible for an animal to get into the device, because his weight must be applied to the receptacle to move the slide before he can get at the doors. From time to time the householder comes to the box and, unlocking the lock 5, opens the door and withdraws the drawer 6 and takes out the mail. I have spoken of my device as a mail box, but it is obvious that other small articles could be delivered therein. The springs of course must be extremely light so that they will be put into action by the lightest mail matter.

The foregoing description and the drawings have reference to what may be considered the preferred, or approved form of my invention. It is to be understood that I may make such changes in construction and arrangement and combination of parts, materials, dimensions, et cetera, as may prove expedient and fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. I11 a mail box, the combination with a box-like body having a door in the front, a drawer slidably mounted in the body, a trap door hinged within the body, and yielding means for holding it raised; of tracks along the sides of the body, a slide movably mounted thereon, an arm hinged above the body, a link connecting the arm with a slide, and a receptacle carried by the arm.

2. In a. mail box, the combination with a box-like body having a door in the front, a drawer slidably mounted in the body, a trap door hinged within the body, and yielding means for holding it raised; of tracks along the sides of the body, a slide movably mounted on the tracks, uprights carried by the body, cross bars connecting said uprights, a forwardly projecting arm hinged at its rear end to an upright carried by said cross bars, a receptacle on the front end of the arm, a spring normally raising the arm and receptacle, and a link pivotally connectin g the arm with the slide.

3. In a mail box, the combination with a box-like body, a drawer therein, and a pair of spring closed trap doors within the body above the drawer; of tracks along the upper edges of the sides of said body, a slide movably mounted on said tracks, an upright carried by the rear of the body, an arm hinged thereto, yielding means for raising said arm, a receptacle on the arm, and connections between the arm and slide whereby the descent of the arm pushes the slide to therear, for the purpose set forth.

4. Ina mail box, the combination with a box-like body, and means for gaining access thereto; of a pair of tracks along the upper edges of the sides of said body, cleats overlying said tracks, a slide movably mounted on said tracks beneath the cleats, an arm movably supported above said slide and carrying a receptacle, and connections between said arm and slide whereby descent of the receptacle causes the slide to move to the rear, for the purpose set forth.

5. In a mail box, the combination with a box-like body, and means for gaining access thereto; of a pair of tracks along the upper edges of the sides of said body, cleats overlying said' tracks, a slide movably mounted on said tracks beneath the cleats, a pair of posts rising from the back of the body, cross bars connecting them, an upright connecting the midlength of the cross bars, an arm hinged at its rear end to said upright, a spring'normally urging said arm to a horizontal position, areceptacle at the forward end of the arm, and a link pivotally connecting said arm with the slide for moving the latter to the rear when the front end of the arm and receptacle descend, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a device of; the'character described, the combination of a boxhaving a yieldably supported trap door, and tracks a slide movably mounted on said tracks, an arm hinged above said box, a link connecting the arm to said slide, and a receptacle carried by the arm.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box having a yieldably supported trap door, tracks carried by said box, aslide movably mounted on said tracks, uprights carried by the body, cross bars connecting theuprights, a forwardly projecting arm hinged at its rear end to an upright carried by said cross bars, a receptacle on the front endofsaid arm, a spring normally raising the arm and receptacle, and a link' connecting the arm with the slide.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of a body having a yieldably supported trap door, tracks carried by said box, a slidemovably mountedon said tracks, an upright carried by said box, an arm hinged thereon, yielding means for raising said arm, a receptacle on the arm, and connections between the arm and slide, whereby the 'distent of the arm pushes the slide to the rear, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a device .of the character described, the combination of a box, a slide movably mounted on said box, and means for automatically moving said slide to one side and turning the same to its normal position, for the purpose set forth.

. 10. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a box, a slide movable on said box, a receiving means carried above said slide, means for normally retaining said receiving means in set position and connections between said receiving means and said slide for moving the slide to one side when articles are placed in said receiving means, for the purpose set forth. I

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box, a slide movably mounted on said box, a yieldable retained arm positioned above said slide, and a connection between said arm and slide for shifting the slide as said arm is moved, r'or the purpose set forth.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box, a slide movably mounted on said box, an arm hingedly supported above said slide, means for normally retaining the arm in a set position, and a link connecting said arm to said slide, Whereby when the arm is shifted, it Will move said slide, for the purpose set forth.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination of a box, a slide movably mounted upon said box, uprights carried by said box, cross bars carried by said uprights, an arm hingedly mounted to an upright carried by said bars, a spring conneoted to said arm and one of said cross bars for normally retaining the arm in a set position, and means connecting said arms to said slide for shifting the slide as the arm is swung.

In testimony whereof I ai'fix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN R. MQOLYMONDS. l/Vitnesses:

S. Y. Dorms, BELLE DILLAN.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

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