US3794240A

US3794240A - Mail delivery signal device

Info

Publication number: US3794240A
Application number: US00261008A
Authority: US
Inventors: D Myers
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-06-08
Filing date: 1972-06-08
Publication date: 1974-02-26
Anticipated expiration: 1991-02-26

Abstract

A signal device for use with rural mail boxes comprises a laterally extending bracket having laterally spaced depending legs. A signal flag of any desired shape is mounted at or near its aft edge to pivotal mounting means for free swinging by gravity. A latch lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket and has a hook at its lower end to engage the forward portion of the flag and hold it in retracted position. The upper end of the lever is in the path of movement of the mail box door and is angularly displaced by opening of the door to release the flag for swinging down to signaling position. The bracket may be mounted in various ways but preferably a bail overlies the box with its free ends extending through apertures in the bracket and secured thereto. The two moving parts are freely pivoted and operate by gravity. There are no springs or sliding members and no modification of the basic mail box.

Description

[111 3,794,240 [451 Feb. 26, 1974 MAIL DELIVERY SIGNAL DEVICE [76] lnventor: Douglas T. Myers, 206 Jackson St.,

Macon, Mo. 63552 221 Filed: June 8,1972

21 Appl.No.: 261,008

[ 52] US. Cl 232/35, 116/134, 232/37 [51] Int. Cl. B65d 91/00 [58] Field of Search... 232/35, 36,39, 37; 116/134,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/l952 Price..; .l 232/35 11/1958 Paschke et a1.

5/1961 Stapleton 232/35 Primary ExaminerBobby R. Gay

, Assistant Examiner-Peter A. Aschenbrenner [57] 7 ABSTRACT A signal device for use with rural mail boxes comprises a laterally extending bracket having laterally spaced depending legs. A signal flag ofany desired shape is mounted at or near its aft edge to pivotal mounting means for free swinging by gravity. A latch lever is pivotally mounted to the bracket and has a hook at its lower end to engage the forward portion of. the flag and hold it in retracted position. The upper end of the lever is in the path of movement of the mail box door and is angularly displaced by opening of the door to release the flag for swinging down to signaling position. The bracket may be mounted in various ways but preferably a bail overlies the box with its free ends extending through apertures in the bracket and secured thereto. The two moving parts are freely piv oted and operate by gravity. There are no springs or sliding members and no modification of the basic mail box.

14 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures MAIL DELIVERY SIGNAL DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention lies in the field of signal devices for rural type mail boxes and is directed to a device of this type which is simple and reliable and which is very durable in use. It is particularly directed to such a device which requires no modification of the basic mail box structure and which obviates the need for various components which have frequently deteriorated or malfunctioned in earlier mechanism.

The rural type mail boxes presently in almost universal use are of the same shape and may be obtained in two or three sizes. Basically they are elongate with flat bottom and sides and with a semicylindrical upper wall and are open at one end. A door is provided to close this end and is normally of the same shape as the cross section of the box and hinged adjacent its lower margin to open outward and downward. They are usually mounted on posts or fence rails, and sometimes on elongate horizontal bars where several are located at one mail stop.

It is well known that most such boxes are located at the road edge for the convenience of the mail carrier and thus are frequently at a considerable distance from the house for which the mail is destined. Consequently, it has become common practice to attach signal devices to the boxes to be actuated by the carrer to indicate that he has left some mail in the box. The most usual signal is a plate of some kind to serve as a flag which may be swung to a visible position to indicate the deposit of mailIUnfortunately, postal regulations do not permit mail carriers to operate any signal arrangement for indicating that mail has been delivered. Consequently the signal device must be arranged to operate automatically in response to opening of the mailbox door by the carrier.

A great many mechanisms have been devised to perform this function, and some of them .work quite well when newly installed. However, they have various drawbacks which reduce their desirability. Practically all of them require some alteration of the box itself,

' SUMMARY OF INVENTION The present invention overcomes the difficulties mentioned above and provides a construction and mode of operation which are extremely simple and reliable, reducing first cost and requiring no maintenance.

Generally stated, the signal device disclosed herein comprises a bracket having means for fastening it to a support, such as the mail box itself, laterally spaced depending legs on the bracket, and a signal flag pivotally connected to the legs for swinging between a retracted generally horizontal position and a generally vertical signaling position. In the preferred form, the flag is gen- .erally rectangular and the pivotal axis is adjacent to its aft margin which is well aft of its center of gravity. Thus it extends forwardly in the direction of the forward end of the box when in its forward, retracted, position and is adapted to swing downward and rearward by gravity alone to its extended, vertical, signaling position.

A latch lever is provided to retain the flag in retracted position between mail deliveries. A support arm is attached to the bracket and exends downward and forward to provide a pivot mounting below and forward of the mailbox door hinge. The latch lever is connected intermediate its ends to the pivot mounting and is provided with a weight at its lower end to continuously urge it to an upright attitude with its upper end close to or in contact with an intermediate portion of the face of the mail box door. The lower end is provided with an upwardly concave hook formation which passes through a fore and aft elongate slot in the flag and engages the under side of the flag to retain it. When the carrier opens the door, it swings downward and forward and angularly displaces the lever. This causes the hook formation to release the flag and allow it to swing down and back to its signaling position. The presently preferred manner of supporting the bracket is toapply a downwardly open bail over the box with its free ends passing through apertures in the bracket, the free ends being provided with threads engaged by nuts to clamp the bracket to the box.

The entire device includes only four major compone nts all of which are very simple and durable and easy to connect. It is not necessary to make any holes in the box or to deform any part of it, and the location of the bracket below the box leaves maximum freedom for placement of name plates and the like at the upper side. The device operates entirely by gravity, obviating any need for springs, complicated links or levers, or sliding members, all of which are subject to deterioration, breaking and jamming. Furthermore, it may be re-set with the use of only one hand while the delivered mail is held in-the other.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION I OF THE DRAWINGS Various other advantages and features of novelty will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the-accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view'in perspective of a signal device incorporating the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the device;

FIG. 4' is a top plan view of the device, partly in section; a

FIG. 5 is a schematic side elevational view, partly in section, of a modified form of the device;

' FIG. 6 is a front elevational view of the device of FIG.

5; and

FIG. 7 is a tp plan view of the device of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A typical signal device incorporating the features of the invention is schematically illustrated in FIG. 1, in which bracket 10 may be in theform of a plate of substantial area but preferably comprises a bar 12 which extends laterally of the longitudinal axis of the mail box 14 with which it is to be used. Securing apertures 16 are formed through the bar near its ends, and screws may be passed through the apertures'to fasten it directly to the mail box or to any suitable support on which the mail box may rest. However, in order to avoid modification of the box and to facilitate placement at any selected point, an inverted or downwardly open bail 18 with legs 20 is provided and is made of a size to fit freely over the box with the free ends of legs 20 extending down through apertures 16 to receive nuts 22 to clamp the device to the box.

The ends of bar 12 are provided with preferably integral downwardly and rearwardly extending legs 24 wich may incorporate vertical, horizontal, and

vertical sections

26, 28, and respectively. Sections 30 are provided with pivotal mounting means in the form of apertures 32 which are aligned on a horizontal axis extending laterally of the longitudinal axis of the mail box, and may be provided with cotter pins 34 as shown, or rivets, or bolts and nuts.

The signal flag 36 is shown in its preferred form as a substantially rectangular plate slightly wider than the span of the bracket and having cut-out and downwardly depending mounting ears 38 with apertures 40 at or near the aft margin. Apertures 40 are laterally aligned with apertures 32 in the legs, and cotter pins 34 provide a free pivotal mounting. Since the center of gravity of the flag is near its center of area, the pivotal mounting axis is well aft of the center of gravity so that the flag wll freely swing down from its horizontal retracted position to its vertical signaling position in response to the force of gravity if it is released.

In order to retain the flag in retracted position prior to mail delivery, a latch lever 42 is pivotally mounted at an intermediate point by means of pivot 44 to a support arm 46 which is mounted on bar 12 by bolt type fasteners 48, although alternatively it may be welded to the bar or made integral with it. Several holes 50 and .52 may be formed in the lever and arm respectively as shown to. provide for adjustment as desired. The support arm preferably extends downward and outward as shown to locate pivot 44 below the level of the bottom of the box and forward of the hinge 54 of the box cover 56.

As best seen in H0. 2, flag 36 is formed with a central, axially elongate slot 58, at the forward end of which is provided a downwardly directd laterally ex: tending lip 60. The lower end 62 of the latch lever is provided with an upwardly concave hook formation 64 which passes down through the slot to underlie the flag and engage lip 60 at a right angle. This small area of contact provides a slight drag to prevent'accidental releasing movement. The upper end 66 of the lever is curved somewhat backward so that only its tip 68 will contact the intermediate portion of the face 70 of the box cover 56.

When the carrieropens door 56 to place mail in the box, the door swings out and down about its hinge 54,

and the contact of face 70 with tip 68 angularly displaces the latch lever with the result that hook formation 64 swings back and up, disengaging lip and allowing the flag to swing down to its signaling position. It will be noted that the position of pivot 44 below the bottom-of the box insures that portion 66 of the lever will not interfere with opening of the door to its maximum extent. Weight 72 is secured to lower end 62 by rivets 74 and serves to continuously urge the lever to its upright attitude. Because of this, the flag 36 may be retracted and latched simply by raising it with one hand while the other hand is free to hold the delivered mail. The lever may be adjusted so that tip 68 is lightly in contact with face or slightly spaced from it as desired.

Legs 30 extend well below pivotal mountings 32 to stop the flag at the bottom of its swing. If it is desired to prevent the flag from swinging in the wind, retaining means may be provided adjacent to the lower ends of the legs. These may be of various types, such as spring latches, but it is presently preferred to use magnetic discs 76. The flat may be made of ferrous metal or it may be of other material such as plastic,'in which case the portions which contact the magnets will be pieces of ferrous metal.

A somewhat modified form of the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 7 in which the flag supporting legs are located closer togetherand the pivotal mounting means are beneath the box where they are protected to a great extent from inclement weather. In this form, bracket 7 includes a bar similar to bar 12 of the first form, with apertures near its ends to receive legs 20 of the bail. However, the flag supporting legs 82 arelocated inwardly of the bar'ends as shown-and include horizontal sections 84 and vertical sections 86. The latter are substantially shorter than those of the first form and have no extensions to serve as stops for the flag. pivotal mounting means 88 are adjacent to the lower ends of these sections86.

The flag .90 is generally the same as flag 36 but somewhat narrower and, instead of small cut-out ears at the aft end, a continuous depending flange 92 is provided at each side to stiffen the entire plate. A slot 94 and lip 96 are provided in the same manner as before and the same latch lever 42 is employedto operate in the same way. A modified form of support arm comprises a channel-shaped member 98 having a vertical section 100 and a horizontal section 102, the forward portion of which has an axial slot 104 to receive the latch lever. Pivot pin 106 passing through the side walls of the channel carries the latch lever. The support arm may be secured to bar 80 by machine screw 108 or other suitable fastening means. The total operation of the device is basically the same as that of the previously described form. Y I

While the invention has been described with reference toits application to a mail box it obviously has application to other type containers with which item be used to indicate whether the door has been opened.

What is claimed is: l. A signal device for use in combination with an elongated mail box having an open forward end and a door hingedly mounted at its lower portion to normally cover the open end, comprising: i

a bracket provided with means for mounting it beneath and in the vicinity of the forward end of the box and having pivotal mounting means directed along a lateral axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box;

a generally planar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotal mounting means of the bracket forswinging between a first, retracted, position with its plane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of the box, and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generally vertical;

the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the open forward end of the box to cause the flag to swing downward and rearward to its signaling position solely by the action of gravity;

and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box to extend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position to releasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position and its upper end separate from said door in a position in the path of opening movement of the box door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signaling position.

2. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mounting of the latch lever to the bracket is located below the level of the bottom of the mail box. g

3. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mounting of the latch lever to the bracket is located below and forward of the mail box door hinge.

4. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein a weight is secured to the latch lever below its pivotal mounting to continuously urge the lever toward upand the hook formation extends through the slot to engage the flag at its under side.

7. A signal device as claimed in claim 6; wherein the flag is provided at the forward end of the slot with a downwardly directed laterally extending lip for secure engagement with the concave portion of the hook formation.

8. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket is provided with laterally spaced securing apertures;

and the bracket mounting means comprises a downwardly open bail configured to overlie the mail box with its free ends passing through the securing ap ertures, and fasteners connected to the free ends at the under side of the bracket.

9. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket comprises a laterally extending bar having securing apertures in the vicinity of its ends, and laterally spaced downwardly extending legs;

and the pivotal mounting means are on the legs for swingably mounting the flag. 10. A signal device as claimed in claim 9; wherein the legs are located at the outer ends of the bar and extend rearward and downward; and the flag is connectd adjacent to its aft margin to the pivotal mounting means. 11. A signal device as claimed in claim 10; wherein the legs extend a substantial distance below the pivotal mounting means to-serve asstops for the flag in its signaling position. 12. A signal device as claimed in claim ilk-wherein retaining means are provided adjacent to the lower ends of the legs to restrain the flag against swinging. 13. A signal device as claimed in claim 12; wherein a generally planar signal flagpivotally connected to the pivotal mounting means of the bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, position with itsplane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of the container, and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generally vertical;

the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the open forward end of the container to cause the flag to swing downward and rearward to its signaling position solely by-the action of gravity;

and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container to extend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position to releasably engage the flag and retain it in re-v tracted position and its upper end separate from said door in a position in the path of opening movement of the container door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signaling position.

Claims

1. A signal device for use in combination with an elongated mail box having an open forward end and a door hingedly mounted at its lower portion to normally cover the open end, comprising: a bracket provided with means for mounting it beneath and in the vicinity of the forward end of the box and having pivotal mounting means directed along a lateral axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box; a generally planar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotal mounting means of the bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, position with its plane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of the box, and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generally vertical; the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the open forward end of the box to cause the flag to swing downward and rearward to its signaling position solely by the action of gravity; and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the box to extend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position to releasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position and its upper end separate from said door in a position in the path of opening movement of the box door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signaling position.

2. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the pivotal mounting of the latch lever to the bracket is located below the level of the bottom of the mail box.

4. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein a weight is secured to the latch lever below its pivOtal mounting to continuously urge the lever toward upright attitude.

5. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the lower end of the latch lever is provided with an upwardly concave hook formation; and keeper means is provided on the flag to engage the hook formation.

6. A signal device as claimed in claim 5; wherein the flag is formed with an elongate slot therethrough; and the hook formation extends through the slot to engage the flag at its under side.

8. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket is provided with laterally spaced securing apertures; and the bracket mounting means comprises a downwardly open bail configured to overlie the mail box with its free ends passing through the securing apertures, and fasteners connected to the free ends at the under side of the bracket.

9. A signal device as claimed in claim 1; wherein the bracket comprises a laterally extending bar having securing apertures in the vicinity of its ends, and laterally spaced downwardly extending legs; and the pivotal mounting means are on the legs for swingably mounting the flag.

10. A signal device as claimed in claim 9; wherein the legs are located at the outer ends of the bar and extend rearward and downward; and the flag is connectd adjacent to its aft margin to the pivotal mounting means.

11. A signal device as claimed in claim 10; wherein the legs extend a substantial distance below the pivotal mounting means to serve as stops for the flag in its signaling position.

12. A signal device as claimed in claim 11; wherein retaining means are provided adjacent to the lower ends of the legs to restrain the flag against swinging.

13. A signal device as claimed in claim 12; wherein the retaining means are magnetic members; and at least those portions of the flag which contact the retaining means are ferrous metal.

14. In combination with an elongated container having an open forward end and a door hingedly mounted thereon which opens by gravity when unlocked, a signal device comprising: a bracket provided with means for mounting it beneath and in the vicinity of the forward end of the container and having pivotal mounting means directed along a lateral axis with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container; a generally planar signal flag pivotally connected to the pivotal mounting means of the bracket for swinging between a first, retracted, position with its plane generally horizontal and spaced below the bottom of the container, and a second, extended, signaling position with its plane generally vertical; the pivotal connection of the flag to the bracket being spaced aft of the center of gravity of the flag rearwardly with respect to the open forward end of the container to cause the flag to swing downward and rearward to its signaling position solely by the action of gravity; and a latch lever pivotally mounted to the bracket on an axis extending laterally with respect to the longitudinal axis of the container to extend in a generally upright attitude with its lower end in a position to releasably engage the flag and retain it in retracted position and its upper end separate from said door in a position in the path of opening movement of the container door to be angularly engaged and cammed by same to release the flag to swing down to its signaling position.