Abstract:
A mail box access replacement cover assembly for use on existing and new masonry mounted mail boxes having a mail box and newspaper insert. A two-part adjustable assembly is secured on the masonry support surface aligned to overlie the mail box and newspaper tube openings respectively. A decorative replacement access door for the mail box and paper receiving tube are respectively secured to the assembly by decorative cover fill plate selectively positioned therebetween.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Technical Field 
   This invention relates to masonry mounted mail boxes and specifically mail box access doors and newspaper tube receptacles typically found therein. 
   2. Description of Prior Art 
   Prior art masonry mounted mail boxes are usually formed from bricks or stone in the form of a free standing pillar with a regulation metal mail box inserted therein. Additionally, a newspaper receiving tube is provided below the mail box insert. Heretofore such standard metal mail box inserts rust and eventually fail as well as being unsightly over time. Aluminum and plastic mail boxes are available for new construction and mail box covers have been developed to provide a decorative overlay for a standard mail box, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,375,869, 5,035,356, 5,346,125, 5,946,838 and 6,123,257 and U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0067480 A1. 
   In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,375,869, 5,035,356, 5,346,125 and 5,946,838 a variety of mail box covering assemblies are shown that provide for a number of different structural and decorative ways to cover a standard mail box such as wood slats and/or removable designer decorative panels see in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,375,869 and 5,346,125. 
   A masonry mail box assembly with a replaceable insert can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,257 which provides for a liner within a masonry support with a mail box inserted therein. 
   U.S. Patent Publication 2005/0067480 discloses a removable decorative mail box cover for the door thereof. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   A mail box and newspaper tube access replacement assembly for use on masonry mounted mail boxes. A two-part assembly is secured onto the masonry support structure providing a new mail box access door which can be adjusted to size. A custom decorative door can be used replacing existing damage or rusted doors as well as new masonry mail box constructions with the use of a non-corrosive mail box insert during construction. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the mail box access assembly on a masonry mail box support structure; 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the mail box and newspaper tube mounting frame positioned thereon; 
       FIG. 3  is a side elevational view of the mail box mounting frame portion; 
       FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the newspaper mounting tube frame portion; 
       FIG. 5  is a front elevational view of a decorative access door and frame; 
       FIG. 6  is a side elevational view thereof; 
       FIG. 7  is a front elevational view of a paper tube door and frame; 
       FIG. 8  is a side elevational view thereof; 
       FIG. 9  is a front and side elevational view of a decorative cover plate; 
       FIG. 10  is a cross-section view on lines  10 — 10  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 11  is a partial enlarged side elevational view of the paper tube receiving door assembly; 
       FIG. 12  is a partial enlarged side elevational view of the mail box door assembly; and 
       FIG. 13  is a perspective view of a mail box insert for new construction. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1–4  of the drawings, a mail box and paper tube access assembly  10  can be seen having a mail box portion  11  and a paper receiving tube portion  12 . The mail box portion  11  has a base plate  13  with a generally rectangular cut-out at  14  defining an opening therein. An upstanding registration flange  15  extends around the opening having oppositely disposed sidewalls  16 A and  16 B with interconnected top and bottom walls  17 A and  17 B therebetween. A notch  18  is formed inwardly along the bottom edge  19  of the base plate  13  defining a pair of oppositely disposed adjustment arms  20  and  21 , best seen in  FIG. 2  of the drawings. A guide rib  22  extends from the respective arms  20  and  21  inset from the notch  18  to a point therebeyond at  23  on the back surface  24  thereof, best seen in  FIG. 2  of the drawings in dotted lines and in  FIGS. 3 and 4  in solid lines. 
   The paper receiving tube portion  12  has a mounting plate  25  with a circular cut-out at  26  having an upstanding annular flange  27  thereabout. A pair of elongated adjustment tabs  28  and  29  extend from the mounting plate  25  for overlying adjustable registration against the respective areas  20  and  21  of the base plate  13  and hereinbefore described guide ribs as seen in dotted lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
   Both of the mail box portion  11  and paper receiving portion  12  have a plurality of mounting apertures  30  therein to afford the use of fasteners (not shown) for securing same to the surface S of a masonry mail box support element M, shown in broken lines in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
   A mail box door assembly  31  has a generally rectangular mounting frame  32  having a centrally apertured door mounting plate  33  with parallel spaced side flanges  34 A and  34 B and interconnecting respective end flanges  35 A and  35 B extending therefrom. 
   An interchangeable access door  36  is pivotally secured to the door mounting plate  33  so as to be registerably engaged thereon when in closed position, as illustrated in  FIG. 1  of the drawings. 
   It will be noted that the inner dimension defined between the respective side flanges  34 A and  34 B and end flanges  35 A and  35 B is of a greater dimension than that of the outer surface dimension of the hereinbefore described side, top and bottom walls  16 A and  16 B and  17 A and  17 B respectively so as to be slidably engaged and adjustably positioned thereon. This arrangement affords effective depth adjustment of the door assembly  31  in relation to the mail box portion  11  to accommodate different applications as may be encountered in the field. 
   A plurality of elongated mounting slots S are formed on the respective walls  16 A and  16 B and overlying flanges  17 A and  17 B for aligned registration with one another providing for selective depth adjustment engagement by fasteners F (not shown) as noted above. 
   A single flag  37  is provided that is pivotally secured to the sidewall  16 A providing the traditional mail delivery/pick-up functionality as is well known by those skilled in the art. 
   An auxiliary paper tube receiving access retainment portal cover assembly  38  can be seen in  FIGS. 7 ,  8  and  11  of the drawings wherein an annular mounted band  39  has a pivotally secure closure  40  thereon. This optional closure  40  acts as a newspaper (not shown) restraint device as well as protection from the natural elements such as wind driven rain and snow. It will also be evident that the annular shape of the paper receiving tube portion  12  can be modified to rectangular which is also used within the industry. 
   Referring now back to  FIG. 1  of the drawings, the mail box and paper tube assembly  10  of the invention can be seen positioned on the masonry support column M. The paper receiving tube portion  12  is preferably positioned on the masonry support column M and aligned over the existing paper tube opening O and secured in place by fasteners F, as noted. The mail box portion  11  is then slidably positioned thereover and aligned with the mail box opening B by the respective adjustment arms  20  and  21  overlying the adjacent tabs  28  and  29  via guide ribs  22 , shown in dotted lines. 
   Once properly aligned, the respective mail box portion  11  and paper receiving tube portion  12  are secured permanently by fasteners F to the masonry mail box support column M. 
   It will be well understood that alternate mounting sequence can be achieved by a slight reconfiguration of the guide ribs so that the mail box portion  12  can be initially positioned over the mail box opening B and then the respective paper receiving tube portion  12  be slidably engaged thereover in a reverse fashion which may be warranted in certain applications as would be evident in the field. 
   Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 9  of the drawings, size selectable cover plates  41  and  41 A can be seen of a generally rectangular configuration of any decorative nature. The cover plates  41  can be selectively sized to correspond with a gap at  42  left between the assemblies mounted mail box portion  11  and paper receiving tube portion  12  due to the spacing between the mail box opening B and the paper receiving tube opening O. The appropriate cover plate  41  and  41 A for the effective size is selected and then positioned thereover and secured to the respective engagement surfaces of the overlapping assemblies. 
   Alternately, if only a mail box access cover is needed, the mail box portion  11  can be used independently with an appropriate cover plate  41  and  41 A providing a decorative cover for the effected area defined between the respective arms  20  and  21  as hereinbefore described for a finished look. 
   It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by using a single mail box portion  11  as both the mail box access and paper tube access that the mail box portion will work equally well when positioned over the paper tube opening O and its related insert. It will also be noted that the hereinbefore described guide ribs  22  could be eliminated in such a single mail box portion  11  dual use and simple elongated alignment slots S 2  shown in broken lines in  FIG. 2  of the drawings can provide the alignment mounting function previously imparted by the guide ribs. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 13  of the drawings, a mail box insert  42  can be seen used in combination with the hereinbefore described mail box and paper tube access assembly  10  in the applications of new construction. The mail box insert  42  has oppositely disposed sidewalls  43  and  44  with an integral base  45  and contoured annular integral top panel  46 . Back plate  47  is registerably engaged and defines an open end enclosure insert. A plurality of mounting and support flanges  48  and  49  extending from said sidewalls  43 ,  44  and said base  45  for multiple mounting requirements in construction methods applied and securing the insert  42  into the masonry column M applicable in new construction situations. 
   Typically, the mail box insert  42  is of synthetic resin material so as to be rust free so that in combination with the hereinbefore described mail box and paper tube assembly  10  of the invention to provide a unique and novel weatherproof and long lasting mail box mounted in a masonry column M. 
   It will thus be seen that a new and novel mail box and paper tube access assembly  10  has been illustrated and described and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention.