US1119551A - Indicating attachment for mail-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

0. 1". THOMAS. INDIGATING ATTACHMENT FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED APB-.10, 1914.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

.55E5. NVENTUR.

U/zmZwZ'T/zamm;

. of a plate to UNITED STATES CHARLES F. TI-I OMAS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

INDICATING ATTACHMENT FOB, MAIL-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

Application filed April 10, 1914. Serial No. 830,867.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. THOMAS, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indicating Attachments for Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsin an attachment or device to be used in connection with private mail boxes, such as are employed in the rural free delivery system of the United States postoflice, and. it consists in certain peculiarities of the construc tion, novel arrangement and operation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set'forth and specifically claimed. v v

The principal object of the invention is to provide an attachment for mail boxes, which will indicate at a glance to the mail carrier or collector, as well as to the owner of the box, whether or not any mail for collection or removal. is contained in the box, thus avoiding the necessity of. the carrier descending from his wagon or buggy and opening the door of the box for such information, or the owner of the box unlock-1' ing and opening the door to see if there is any mail therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an indicating attachment of the above named general character, which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, strong, durable and efficient in operation, and with its parts so arranged that the sign indicating that mail is contained in the box, will be automatically displayed by the deposit of mail through the mail receiving slot, and that the box is empty by opening the door of the box.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be disclosed in the subjoined description and claims in the accompanying drawing, which serves to illustrate the inventionFigure l is a front face view be attached to the front of a mail box, showing byv the sign that mail is contained in the box; Fig. 2 is a similar view of the upper portion of said plate, showing the sign raised and indicating that the box is empty; Fig. 3 is across sectional View taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. 4 is a rear tangular in shape and of sufficient size'to cover the front portionof the mail box, which, in the present instance, is not shown. This plate '7 is by preference the doorlate of the mail box, and is provided with a doorway for the removal of mail, which doorway is closed by a door 8 suitably hinged at one of its sides to the plate 7,- at one of the side edges of the doorway therein, and may have near its other a lock 9. of any suitable kind. Extended upwardly from the upper end of the doorway is an opening 10, which may be of any suitable size and is normally closed by an upwardly extended projection 11, on the upper part of the door 8, which projection may be secured at its lower portion to the rear surface of the door in any suitable manner,or, if desired, said projection may be made integrally therewith, At each of its ends the opening 10 is provided with an apertured extension 12, which, is secured to the plate 7 and extended rearwardly and at right angles therefrom. Located in the openings of the extensions 12 is a pintle 13 on which is rotatably mounted the sign or indicator-plate 14, which has displayed on its outer surface, when the same is in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the word Mail. The plate 14 has at each of its ends an apertured extension 15, to receive the pintle 13 on which it is mounted.

By reference to Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawing, it will be seenthat the pintle 13 on which the plate 14 is mounted is located above the horizontal middle. of said plate, thus enabling it to assume substantially an upright position by reason of its gravity, except when held in its raised position by means of the door 16 to the mail receiving slot 17, which is formed in the upper portion of the plate 7, directly abovethe openedge ing 10 therein. The door 16 to the receiving 7 slot 17 is secured at its upper portion by means of hinges 18, which are located at the upper edge of the door 16 and at the upper edge of the opening 17, and may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction. Just above the opening 17 the plate 7 is provided on its rear surface with rearwardly projecting lugs :20, which support and have secured thereto a rod 21, on which is coiled a spring 22, which is provided with a depending loop 23, to rest againstthe rear portion of the door 16, or rather, against an extension 24, secured to the rear portion of said door. As shown in Fig. 3, the extension 24: has a rearwardly extended foot 25 to rest against the upper surface of the sign plate or indicator 1 1', thus maintaining said plate or indicator in its raised position, and thereby indicating that the mail box is empty.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawing, it will be readily understood and clearly seen that by opening the door 8,

i the sign plate or indicator 14: will be turned on its axis, by reason of the engagement with said plate of the projection 11 on the door. When thus raised the plate 14 will be held in such position until the door 16 is moved inwardly by the insertion of mail through the opening 17, when it is obvious that by reason of its gravity the sign plate or inclicator 1% will drop down or assume the position shown in Fig. 1, thus indicating that mail is contained in the box. It will be understood that after the door has been opened and the sign plate 1 raised the door 8 should again be closed and ordinarily will be, before the door 16 is pressed rearwardly by the insertion of mail.

Having thus fully described my invention 7 hinged to the plate above said slot and adapted toengage the sign-bearing plate' when the latter is raised.

2. In a device of the character described,

the combination with a plate having a door- 1 way, a mail receiving slot, and a sign-displaying opening, of a door hinged to the plate to close said way and having a projection extended into said sign-displaying opening, a gravity-actuated sign-bearmg plate horizontally and pivotally mounted at its upper portion to the first mentioned plate" at the upper portion of said opening, a spring-actuated door hinged to the plate above said slot and having an extension at its lower portion to engage the sign-bearing plate when the latter is raised.

CHARLES F. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. C. TILLMAN, A. S. PHILLIPS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. C.

Images