US961897A - Mail-box. - Google Patents

Description

A. R0$ENBERG & E. E. CLARK.

MAIL BOX.

APPLIGATIOH FILED SEPT. 9, 1909.

Patented June 21,1910.

ERS. WASHINGYON. 0.1L

ADOLPH ROSENBERG AND ELLSWORTH E. CLARK, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNORS TO GLIMAX LOCK AND VENTILAT on 00., or BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

MAIL-BOX.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ADoLPH ROSENBERG and ELLswoR'rH E. CLARK, citizens of the United States, both residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improve-' ments in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements in receptacles and relates more particularly to a letter box for the use of householders or other individuals, firms or corporations, although practicable for use as a public collection box for letters or papers.

The invention has for its primary object, a receptacle of this character nearly all of the parts of which may be easily stamped and shaped out of sheet metal, the parts being thereby light and yet strong and cheaply manufactured and easily assembled.

The invention also has for its object a device of this character in which the attaching screws for securing the box to its support are covered so long as the box is closed and locked, thereby practically preventing the surreptitious removal of the box; in which a transparent or translucent piece of glass or the like is securely held in place at a display opening formed in the front of the box by a name plate hold-er without the use of cement or other analogous substance for securing the panel in place, the name plate holder subserving a dual function.

With these and other objects in View as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions, arrangements and combinations of the parts that we shall hereinafter fully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail box constructed in accordance with our invention, a portion of the lid or cover being broken away; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the box; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view thereof, said section being taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Figs. 4L and 5 are fragmentary perspective views of parts hereinafter specifically described.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 21, 1910,

Application filed September 9, 1903.

Serial No. 516,821.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the back plate of our improved mail box, the same being stamped out of sheet metal with side flanges 2, to the lower ends of which the main body portion 3 of the box is hinged so as to swing outwardly and downwardly from the back plate in the operation of opening the box. In the closed position of the box, the side flanges 2 are overlapped by the edges of the sides 4 of the body portion, said body portion including in addition to the sides 4,, a front 5, a preferably inclined top 6, and a preferably oppositely inclined bottom 7, all of these parts being preferably formed out of a single piece of sheet metal stamped and shaped in any desired way. The back plate 1 is provided with openings 8 for attaching screws, the heads whereof are covered by the body portion when the latter is locked to the back plate 1, thereby preventing the surreptitious or unauthorized extraction of the screws and removal of the box.

To limit the opening movement of the box, we have secured to one side and to one of the side flanges of the back plate, articulate links 9, as clearly illustrated. in the drawing. The entrance opening for the reception of letters or the like, designated 10, is formed in the top 6, preferably by a three-angled slot and by bending down a portion of the metal defined thereby, a directing or chute portion is produced in which the mail may be easily slipped. Preferably the edges of the opening 10 are toothed or serrated, as indicated at 11, so as to render extremely difiicult the extraction of mail from the box without opening the same.

A lid 12 is hinged to the upper edge of the back plate 1 and is provided with marginal flanges, as shown, designed to extend down over the upper edge of the body portion so as to exclude moisture.

In order to lock the box, a lock casing 13 is secured to the inner side of the front 5, the latch or bolt of said casing being designed for engagement with the recessed lower edge 14 of a U-shaped bar 15 which is secured at its ends to the front side of the back plate 1, preferably by rivets extending through the side flanges 2 and through the main portion of the back plate and inwardly turned angular extremities of the bar, as clearly illustrated in the drawing. The bar 15 projects forwardly in a substantially perpendicular relation to the back plate and in the closed positions of the parts engages the rear face of the front 5 and is in turn engaged by the latch of the lock casing 13.

In order that the owners or householders name may be seen through the front of the mail box, we have formed the front 5 with an opening which is of lozenge or diamond shape in the present instance, as shown, and set back of and into this opening, is a correspondingly shaped glass panel 16, the edges of which are preferably beveled so as to fit snugly within the defining walls of the opening. The rear side of this panel 16 is engaged by a name plate holder 17, the ends of which are riveted or otherwise se cured to the front 5, said name plate holder thereby serving, in addition to its primary function, the additional function of holding the glass panel in place.

Preferably the front of the box is provided with a paper holding clip 18 of any desired construction or formation.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawing, the practical use of our improved letter box will be apparent, it being understood that the mail is inserted by the letter carrier in the opening 10, and thus safely retained until the box is unlocked, whereupon the en tire body portion of the device may be swung forwardly and downwardly so that access may be easily had to the contents of the box. When the contents have been removed, it is only necessary to raise the lid 12 and close the body portion against the back plate and lock the two parts together.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A mail box, comprising a back plate formed with means by which it may be attached to a support, a body portion embodying a front, top, sides and bottom hinged to the lower end of the back plate, a U- shaped locking bar secured to the back plate and extending forwardly therefrom, and a lock in the front of the body portion arranged to engage said locking bar.

-2. A mail box, comprising a back plate formed with side flanges, a body portion embodying a front, top, sides and bottom hinged to the lower end of the back plate, a lock secured to the body portion, and a U- shaped bar having inwardly turned extremities fitting between the flanges and against the back plate and secured to the flanges and main portion of the back plate, said locking bar being arranged for engagement with the look.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ADOLPHROSENBERG. [Ls] ELLSWORTH E. CLARK. [Ls] lVitnesses CHARLES E. MARLzLoFF, CHAS. F. JEKEL.

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