US818241A - Mail collection and delivery box. - Google Patents

Description

No- 818,241. PATBNTED APR. 17, 1906l J. I. FULLWOOD.

MAIL COLLBGTIONAND DELIVERY B0X.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3, 1905.

A UGH/v5 YS i means for holding collected mail-matter andv UNITED STATES PATENT OFTEE.

IVIAIL COLLECTION AND DELIVERY BOX..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 17, 1906.

Application filed August S, 1905. Serial No. 272,507.

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN IRWIN FULLwooD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oedartown, in the county of Polk and State of Georgia, have invented a new and Improved Mail Collection and Delivery BOX, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention particularlyl relates to means for safely holding mail-matter that is collected or distributed by mail-carriers traversing suburban or rural mail routes, and has for its object to provide novel simple details of construction for a mail collection and delivery box to be carried in or on a suitable vehicle which affords safe and very convenient also for distributing other mail-matter addressed to patrons living on rural delivery and suburban mail routes traversed by Federal mail-carriers.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter definitely described and claimed.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings and characters of reference thereon, similar characters designating corresponding parts in all the figures. i

Figure l is a partly-sectional end view of a mail collection and delivery boX embodying details of the invention, a novel supportingbracket, and a portion of a vehicle whereon the bracket and box are mounted. f Fig. 2 is a rear side perspective view of the improved collection and delivery box supported upright by two novel brackets and showing the interior of the boX by an opened adjustment of a pivoted section of the casing of the boX, which serves as a.closure therefor. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mail-box in closed condition. Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view substantially on the line 4 4 in Fig. 8, showing a weatherproof joint formed between the door of the boX and one edge of the opening in the boX guarded by said door. Fig. 5 is an end view of the im roved mailbox embodying a flag or signa to indicate mail for delivery at a point on the route of the mail-carrier. Fig. 6 is a partly-sectional plan view of the maill-boX provided with the signaling means; and Fig. 7 is a transverse sectional view substantially on the line 7 7 in Fig. 6, showing a spring-lock that may be employed.

The mail-box is preferably constructed of plate metal and comprises a casing of partially cylindrical form having a suitable length and diameter, the peripheral wall l0 thereof being closed at each end by transverse walls 10a, but is open at the normally inner side thereof. A closure for the open side a of the casing l0 is in the form of a curved wall 11, having transverse walls 11a, that are preferably angular on their edges, and at the radial centers of said end walls which loosely embrace the end walls l0a the walls 1la are pivoted upon the end walls l0, as at l). The curvature of the door side walls l 1 is such that when the door is rocked on its opposite pivots t said wall 11 will move closely to the casing-wall l0 and occupy but little room when in opened condition.

Near one end in the box-body a vertical partition c is erected, which appears plainly in Fig. 2, affording a compartment that may be divided into two mail-holders c and d by the introduction of a slidable drawer e be-` tween the end wall l()a nearest to it and the partition-wall c, as shown in Fig. 2. The remaining space within the mail-box is preferably subdivided into three compartments g h by the central upright partition 7c, which is about half the height of the interior of said box and joins a longitudinally-disposed shelf m.

yThe drawer e may be used for holding United States postage-stamps of different denominations to supply patrons therewith, or prepaid envelops may be carried and also placed in the drawer e for a like purpose.

The spaces g, h, and i may be utilized for holding assorted mail-matter in packs for their convenient distribution, and newspapers may also be carried and distributed to persons to whom they may be addressed.

In the door-wall 11 a slot lis formed, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, itA being of a sufficient size to permit the free insertion of letters or the like within the compartment c above the end drawer e, that is directly below the slot, the latter being normally covered by a hin ed flap door Z. The compartment d is esigned to hold letters for distribution to patrons.

The door-o ening a is defined in part by a transverse e ge on the casin '-wall l0, on which is formed a hook n, an lon the transverse edge of the door 11a, vwhich approaches.;`

the hooked edge n when said door is closed, a

similar hook 'n' is bent, which will interlock ,with the hooked edge n and form a closure that will practically exclude the elements when the rockable door l1CL is closed, this detail being plainly shown in Fig. 4.

Preferably the bottom wall 10b of the casing for the mail-box is flat and may be of wooden board material faced with plate metal, whereon the lower transverse edge of the door will impinge, and for securing the door in closed condition when the mail-box contains mail that is not being delivered it is preferred to employ a suitable padlock o. (Shown applied in Fig. 1.)

Asindicated in Figs. 6 and 7, the door 11 may also b'e held temporarily closed with a spring-pressed latch-bolt p of ordinary form, this being used only for holding the door shut while the box is in use and must be opened frequently for delivery of mail-matter.

The improved 'mail-box may be utilized for collectionv of mail from patrons along the route by placing it at a convenient point on a post or the like, and thus enable the postman toremove mail-matter from the box that is tobe mailed and also to receive mail that is to be delivered. If the improvement is to be used'for the'purpose just mentioned, it is preferred vvto mount a signal-arm 12 on one end wall ofthe door 11, said arm when rocked into an upright position, as indicated in Figs. 5 and byfull lines, indicating that mail is tobe taken out of the box either by the postmanor by the receiver of mail. Vhen the arm is hanging pendent, no mail is within the box', thus notifying the mail-carrier to that effect.

The improved mail-box when used for delivery of 'mail `by a carrier is for service arranged to be carried upon a traveling conveyance, which may be a wheeled vehicle drawn by one or more horses or be otherwise propelled, a four-wheeled vehicle `or roadwagonA being shown to illustrate a novel means for the detachable support of the mailbox on the front of the conveyance.

As appears in Figs. 1 and 2, there are two similar bracket-frames provided, each embodying the following details: A right-angularly-bent bar forms the lower portion of each lbracket-frame, the bend r providing a foot-piece 13 and an upright standard 14. The'foot piece 13 is formed with spaced openings s therein for reception of bolts s/ for securing the foot-piece and standard on the bottom of the vehicle-bed, as is shown in Fig. 1, thus disposin each standard 14 closely to the front enc wall of the vehiclebody. A extension-arm 15 is provided as a complementary member for each standard 14 these similar arms each having a longitudinal slot t therein for reception of a clamping-bolt u, that may be inserted through either of a plurality of s aced perforations o, formed in the standar 14, said bolts that pass through the slots t each having a winged nut u mounted thereon, that serves to clamp the standard and its extension-arm together when the nut is properly adjusted. Two flanges t2 are formed on the side edges of each standard 14, at or near the upper end thereof. These iianges, which loosely embrace respective extension-arms 15, together with the clamping-bolts u, hold the arms and standards alined edgewise, so that lateral displacement or swagging is prevented. To stiffen the connection between each of the arms 15 and foot-pieces 13, a diagonal brace 16 is removably secured by its ends, respectively, thereon, this connection for one brace appearing in Fig, 1. The extensionarms 15 are preferably T-shaped, each having a flat wing 15a projected an equal length forward and rearward from the upper end of a respective extension-arm. The rear wing 15a on each extension-arm 15 is slotted longitudinally, as shown at w for one wing in Fig. 1, these slots each receiving a clampingbolt w', that passes down through the bottom wall of the mail-box and through arespective slot w, receiving onthe projecting end a winged nut wz, which by its clamping adjustment holds the mail-box securely on the standard extensions 15.

It will be seen that .the mail-box may be adjusted forward or rearward to suit the situation by slacking the nuts 'L02 and subsequently tightening them when the mail-box is properly positioned. Furthermore, the extension-arms 15 may be raised or lowered, as may be desired, by slacking the nuts u and after adjusting the box for height again tightening them.

The improvement maybe carried on amailcar, an automobile, a sleigh, or any vehicle that is adapted for speedy traverse of outlying streets in a city, town, or over a route in a rural district and enable the proper carriage, careful protection, and accurate delivery of mail-matter it'may conveniently carry, and it is obvious that mail collections and supplying of stamps or stamped envelops may also be conducted for convenience of the .public living along country roads that are embraced in the Federal rural free-delivery system.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A supporting-frame for a mail -box, comprising duplicate standards having vertical extensions, and lateral wings on upper ends of said extensions, said wings being se curable on the bottom of a mail-box mounted thereon.

2. In a device of the character described, the supporting-frame for the mail-box, comprising two upright standards havinghorizontal base portions, a slotted extensionarm clamped upon each standard by an ad- IIO justable bolt and. nut7 the slotted extensionname to this specification in the presence of arms eaohhaving a slotted horizontal Wing on tWo subscribing Witnesses. its upper end, and a bolt enravin@r said slot and also engaging the bottolzil 5f a? Inail-box JOHN IRWIN FULLWOOD' 5 body for adjustably securing the boX on the Witnesses:

standard. C. G. WRIGHT,

In testimony whereof I have signed :my B. A. BROWN.

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