US875860A - Signaling apparatus for mail-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JAN. 7

T. H. SPARKS. SIGNALING APPARATUS FOR MAIL BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 1907.

THOMAS H. SPARKS, OF WICH ITA, KANSAS.

storm-LING srmaa'rus ron unnno'xns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed July 10- 1907- Serial No. 388-019.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS H. SPARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Signaling Apparatus for Mail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use same, reference eing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in signals especially adapted for rural'free delivery mail boxes and consists in the provision of means whereby a mail carrier may cause a signal to be displayed when the mail is deposited in the box and also arranged so that a signal may be sent for the collection of mail.

The invention consists further in the provision of a signaling ap aratus for mail boxes, so arranged that t e signal may be operated by the movement of the door of the box and com rises various details of construction an combinations and arrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and then specifically defined in the appended claims.

illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Flgure 1 is a side elevation of a mail box showmg in solid lines a signal set in one position and in dotted lines in another osition. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the signa actuating mechanism, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A'desi nates a mail box which may be of any suita le kind, ro-

vided with a'hingpd lid orclosure B. Flxed to the side of the ox is a hood D and E designates a shaft which is'pivotall A mounted 1n suitable bearings in the wall 0 the box and said hood.

F desi ates a ratchet Wheel which is fixed to the s aft E and is provided preferably with three indentures or notches upon its circumference.

H designates a pawl pivotally mounted u on a pin H and adapted to bear a ainst e circumference of said ratchet whee and, by engaging one or another of the notches or indentures thereon, cause the ratchet Wheel to be prevented from rotating in one direction.

A segment gear N has an arm N which is loosely mounted upon the shaft E and its upper end is L-shaped in cross section, as shown clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and is ada ted to straddle said ratchet Wheel. A paw K is fixed to said segment and is adapted to bear a ainst the circumference of the ratchet whee and engage one or another of the notches therein, as said segment is rocked upon its pivot pin, thereby causing an intermittent movement to be imparted to the ratchet wheel.

A second segment, designated upon the drawings by letter M, is fixed to the edge of the door or lid B and adapted to rock therewith. The teeth of the two segments M and N are adapted to intermesh whereby the two segments may be moved in unison.

O and O designate two arms which are fixed to the shaft E and each arm carries a flag Q utilized as a signal. Said arms are positioned preferably in the manner shown in the drawlngs so that, when one-third of a rotary movement is imparted to the ratchet wheel, either one or the other of said signals will be thrown to an indicating position or, in the event of neither one or the other of the two signals being thrown to indicate whether mail has been left or whether it is to be collected, no flag will be displayed which will indicate that there is neither mail in the box to be delivered or to be collected.

In operation, when mail is being delivered, the lid to the box is let down to insert the mail, after which the door may be opened and closed one or more times to bring the proper display signal into position to indicate that mail has been delivered. When the mail has been collected and in the event of mail being deposited in the box for collection by the carrier, the door or lid may be swung back and forth in order to bring the pfroper signal for the carrier and, in the event 0 t collected, the door may be 0 erated to brin both of the signals down he ow the box an thereby display no flag at all.

From the foregoing, it will be noted that, by the provision of the apparatus shown and described, a sim le and eflicient signal mail apparatus is a orded whereby with little trouble a carrier may automatically adjust the signals if mail is delivered in the box or ere being neither mail to be delivered or deposited for collection, the signals being entirely under control of the hinged lid or 010- sure.

What I claim to be new is 1. A signal for mail boxes comprising, in combinationwith a box having a hinged door, two intermeshing segment gears, one of which is fixed to the door, a shaft upon which the other is loosely mounted, signals fixed to said shaft, and means for rotating sfaidhshaft as the segments are rocked, as set ort 2. A signal for mail boxes comprising, in

combination with a box having a hinged door, two intermeshing segment gears, one of which is fixed to the door, a shaft u on which the other is loosely mounted, signa s fixed to said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said shaft, means for preventing the ratchet wheel from rotating in one direction, and a pawl carried by one of the segment gears and engaging the ratchet wheel, whereby the latter may be given an intermittent movement as the gear segments rock, as set forth.

3. A signal for mail boxes comprising, in

combination with a box having a hinged door, two intermeshing segment gears, one of which is fixed to the door, a shaft upon which the other is loosely mounted, signals fixed 'to said shaft, a ratchet wheel fixed to said shaft, a pawl carried by the box and adapted to prevent the ratchet wheel from rotating in one direction, a pawl carried by the gear segment 'upon said shaft and adapted to engage and impart an intermittent movement to the ratchet wheel, as set forth.

4. A' signal for mail boxes com rising, in combination with a box, a hinged oor, a segmentgear fixed to said door, a shaft mounted in suitable bearings u on the box, a ratchet wheel fixed to said s aft, a pawl carried by the box and adapted to prevent the ratchet wheel from rotating in one direction, a segment gear journaled upon said shaft and having an angled portion extending over said ratchet wheel, a pawl carried by the angled portion of said gear and adapted to engage the ratchet wheel to impart inter mittent rotary movements thereto, and signal arms fixed to said shaft, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. SPARKS.

Witnesses r A. L. HOUGH, i FRANKLIN H. HOUGH.

Images