US378955A - Edward a - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

E. A. DUBEY.

LETTER BOX. No. 378,955.

Patented Mar. 6, 1888.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. DUBEY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-FOURTH TO J AMES LANGAN, OFv SAME PLACE.

'LETTER-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,955, dated March 6, 1888i.

Application iled September 20, 1887. Serial No. 250.194. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern;-

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. DUBEY, residing in Brooklyn, Kings county, New York, have invented a new and Improved Mail-Box, of which the'following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved mail-box in which letters, newspapers, and packages can be deposited through a comparatively large opening without fear of their being stolen.

The invention consists in the combination, with a box adapted to hold mail matter and having an opening of sufficient size to admit letters, packages, Sto., of a winged roller or. turnstile carried within the box below said opening. Preferably just room enough is left between the wings of the turnstile and the sides of the box to permit said turnstile to revolve. This turnstile prevents a person putting his hand into the box to remove the matter within the same. A suitable cover is placed over the opening in the box to exclude rain, dust, 85e. The box is also provided with a door to permit removal of the mail matter. A bag of suitable construction may be placed within said box to receive the mail matter deposited, if desired.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a mail-box constructed according to my invention, the door being shown thrown open, revealing a bag containing the mail matter in position within the box; and Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section on the line c c, Fig. 1.

A represents a box of suitable construction provided with a door, a, preferably near the bottom. The door a may be fastened shut by a padlock, b, and hasp, or by any other suitable means.

At the'upper part of the box A is an open ing of sufficient size to admit newspapers and packages. This opening is closed by a cover, d, (shown in the form of a cylinderroll top,) which is pivoted in the box A at e e; but other forms of the cover d may be used, if desired. By using the form of cover shown the 0penings may always be kept closed, the weight of the cover tending to keep it down.

D is a winged roller or turnstile hung horizontally at f j' within the box A and below the cover d. The turnstile D is arranged horizontaily, as shown, so as to act as a partition between the cover d and the bottom of the box A. The edges of the wings g of the turnstile D are preferably arranged so as to pass close to the sides of the box A, as shown. For greater security, two turnstiles may be used in the same box, one below the other. In order to prevent each turnstile from being turned back in an effort by thieves to steal mail matter, I secure a spring, B, against the inner wall of the box at or near the back, as shown. This spring will allow the stile to be turned in one direction, but prevents rotation in the other; but other means for preventing the reverse movement of this horizontal turnstilesuch as apawl and ratchet-wheel--may be used.

Letters, newspapers, and packages may freely pass the turnstile D; but said turnstile prevents a person putting his hand far enough down in the box to remove any matter from within the same.

Eis a bag to receive the mail matter. It is preferably suspended, with its mouth open, within the box A by means of loops h, carried by it, passing over hooks z', carried by the box. The bagE is thus held opposite the door a with its mouth wide open. The bag E may be of any desired construction-'such asa sell'- closing bag, to close when removed from the hooks-and made of any suitable material.

In use the coverd is first moved back and a newspaper' or other article passed in through the upper opening. It falls upon the turnstile D, which immediately revolves and lets the paper fall to the bottom of the box A, or into the bag E, if this is used. IVhen the handis withdrawn from the opening, the cover d immediately falls shut by its own weight. Vhen the mail matter is to be removed, the collector opens the door a and removes the bag E, with its contents, and replaces it by an empty one; or when the bag is not used he removes the matter i'n the usual way.

Although I have shown the opening for inserting the papers at the top of the box, it is evident that it may be in the side and provided with a suitable cover, preferably a self; closing one.

With this box it will be seen that a large opening can be used to admit the matter, and carried Within said box, spring B, andthe bag without fear of a person robbing the mails by putting his hand through said opening.

These boxes may be placed upon streetcor- 5 ners, in stores and hotels, and in any convenient locality.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is The box A, having' au upper opening to ad- Io mit mail matter and the sclf-closing oscillat ing cover d, combined with the turnstile D,

E and hooks i i, for holding said bag with its month wide open within said box and below said turnstile, as and for the purposes specied.

The above specification of my invention signed by me this 15th day of September, 1887.

p EDWARD A. DUBEY. Witnesses:

JAMES LANGAN, ARTHUR v. BRIESEN.

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