Improvements in and relating to Pillar, Wall, and other Postal Receiving Boxes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 11th Oct.,
1898
Complete Specification Left, 5th July, 1899-Accepted, 19th Aug., 1899
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION,
Improvements in and relating to Pillar, Wall, and other Postal
Receiving Boxes.
_
I, FRANK HOOLE, of No. 57, Balham Park Road, Balham, in the County of
London, Journalist, do hereby declare the 'nature of this invention, to be as
follows:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to pillar, wall
and other postal receiving boxes, and is designed to obviate the necessity of
persons having to traverse long distances, as frequently occurs, especially in
country districts, in order to procure stamps at a post office or other distributing
establishment.
The pillar, wall, or other receiving box, is provided with a coin-freed apparatus,
having one or more slots, the passing of coin through which, sets in operation
stamps of different values which are impressed on the letter, the letter having
been previously inserted in an opening which is or may be common to all the slots.
The letter having been stamped with the required amount may, in one arrange-
ment, be passed on, completely through the slot and allowed to fall into the postal
box, or; in another arrangement, may be withdrawn and posted in the ordinary
manner.
The receptacles are also provided with recording apparatus which indicates
the number of impressions made by each of the stamps since the previous
collection of money.
In addition to the impressing of the postal stamp, the place and time of.
posting may also be caused to appear upon the letter, and thus by one operation,.
the letter would bear what would be the equivalent of the present dating and
obliterating stamps.
In carrying out my invention, I construct the apparatus, according to one
arrangement, in the following manner:-An actuating rod the outer end of which
terminates in a knob or handle at the exterior of the wall, pillar or other receptacle.
passes through suitable guides and at its inner end is connected with the short
arm of one or more levers the long arm of which carries the stamp or stamps to
be impressed upon the letter or package. The stamp consists of a series of wheels
desired'
that any
carrying numerals; said wheels may be revolved
The faces of the stamps
and time
date
when in their position of rest bear against an inking pad which works upon a
hinge, in order that the numerals may be conveniently altered and the pad
re-inked as required. The actuating rod is retained in its outer position by
and is depressed in opposition to the action of a spiral or other spring.
may
be
caused to appear.
SO
Retaining studs on the short arms of levers, the long arms of which carry buckets
for receiving the coin at the bottom of the coin shoot, are removed by the weight
of the coin from corresponding indents or slots in the actuating rod which is
then capable of being operated.
The letter or package is held in position for stamping at the bottom of a shoot
or inclined plane by a base plate which is retained in its closed position by a

page_text: spring. Suitable recording apparatus is connected to the actuating rod and is
operated thereby.
over
or
When a coin is passed into the slot corresponding to the value of the stamp to
be impressed it falls into a bucket at the end of a lever and by its weight causes
the stud on the other arm of the lever to free itself from the indent in the actuating
rod. The letter is then dropped into the box or receptacle and is retained in
position by the spring base of the shoot or inclined plane. The knob or stud
on the end of the actuating rod at the exterior of the box or receptacle can then be
pressed and the stamp on the lever which has been freed caused to come
sharply against the letter or package, having in its forward movement been
caused, by nins or studs taking in suitable slots or grooves, to turn
revolve so that the face of the stamp comes in contact with the letter or package.
Suitable proiecting pieces or fingers which take contact with corresponding
pieces on the coin buckets and spring base of the letter shoot on the return of the
stamp release the coin and letter which then fall into receptacles placed below.
By the use of apparatus as above much time and labour would be saved at the
principal post offices and a very considerable saving in material, and its manu-
facture, effected by reason of the great reduction in the use of the present form
of stamps.
111
1000
Improvements in and relating to Pillar, Wall; and other Postal
Receiving Boxes.
I, FRANK HOOLE, of No. 57, Balham Park Road. Balham, in the County of
London, Journalist, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in
and by the following statement:-
This invention has reference to improvements in and relating to pillar, wall
and other postal receiving boxes, and is designed to obviate the necessity of
persons having to traverse long distances, as frequently occurs especially in
suburban and country districts, in order to procure stamps at a post office or
other distributing establishment.
The pillar wall or other receiving box is provided with a coin-freed apparatus
having one or more slots the passing of coin through which sets in operation
stamps of different values which are impressed on the letter, the letter having
been previously inserted in an opening which is or may be common to all the slots.
The letter having been stamped with the required amount is passed on com-
letely through the slot and allowed to fall into the postal box where it is collected
in the ordinary manner. In my Provisional Specification I refer to an arrange-
ment whereby the letter after being stamped may be withdrawn from the slot
and posted in the ordinary way but I do not propose to adopt this form of
mechanism as in practice I find it would be disadvantageous to do so.
The receptacles are also provided with recording apparatus which indicates
the number of impressions made by each of the stamps since the previous
collection of money.
In addition to the impressing of the postal stamp the place and time of

page_text: posting may also be caused to appear upon the letter & thus by one operation
the letter would also bear what would be the equivalent of the present dating
and obliterating stamps.
By the use of apparatus as above much time & labour would be saved at the
principal post offices and a very considerable saving in material & its manufacture
effected, by reason of the great reduction in the use of the present form of stamps.
In carrying out my
invention I construct the apparatus in the
following manner: An actuating rod, the outer end of which termi-
nates in a knob or handle at the exterior of the wall, pillar, or other receptacle
passes through suitable guides & at its inner end is connected with the short
arm of one or more levers the long arm of which carries the stamp or stamps to
be impressed upon the letter or package. The stamp consists of a series of wheels
carrying numerals said wheels may be revolved SO that any desired
date and time may be caused to appear. The faces of the stamps
when in their position of rest bear against an inking pad which works upon a
hinge, in order that the numerals may be conviniently altered and the pad
re-inked as required. The actuating rod is retained in its outer position, by
and is depressed in opposition to the action of a spiral or other spring. Retain-
ing studs on the short arms of levers the long arms of which carry buckets
for receiving the coin at the bottom of the coin shoot, are removed by the weight
of the coin from corresponding indents or slots in the actuating rod which is
then capable of being operated.
The letter or package is held in position for stamping at the bottom of a shoot
or inclined plane by a base plate, which is retained in its closed position by a
spring. Suitable recording apparatus is connected to the actuating rod and is
operated thereby.
come
When a coin is passed into the slot corresponding to the value of the stamp to
be impressed it falls into a bucket at the end of a lever and by its weight causes
the stud on the other arm of the lever to free itself from the indent in the actuating
rod. The letter is then dropped into the box or receptacle and is retained in
position by the moveable base of the shoot or inclined plane. The knob or stud
on the end of the actuating rod at the exterior of the box or receptacle, can then be
pressed and the stamp on the lever which has been freed caused to
sharply against the letter or package, having, in its forward movement, been
caused by pins or studs taking in suitable slots or grooves to turn over or
revolve, so that the face of the stamp comes in contact with the letter or package.
Suitable projecting pieces or fingers which take contact with corresponding
peices on the coin buckets and moveable base of the letter shoot on the return of the
stamp release the coin and letter which then fall into receptacles placed below.
The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention as applied to a pillar or
other postal box for receiving and stamping letters or packages with one penny
or one halfpenny stamps. In the arrangement shown the letter passes away from
the control of the person posting it, before receiving the stamp, thus obviating
any posibility of misrepresentation as to the exact time of posting. Similar
reference numerals represent corresponding parts in all the views.
Fig. 1, is an inside or back elevation of the mechanism. Fig. 2, is a cross
section on the line w, a Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mechanism.
Fig. 4, is a view to an enlarged scale of a portion of the two cam levers for
operating the recording mechanism, and, Fig. 5, is an inside elevation of the
latter. Figs. 6 & 7 are section and face view respectively of the stamps. Fig. 8
is a longitudinal section showing the connection of the stamp levers with their
operating cranks or levers. Fig. 9. is a side view partly in section of the actuating
rod and its guide with the pivoted lever catch in gear therewith and Fig. 10, is
an underneath plan of the same partly in section. Fig. 11, is a front view of
the upper part of a pillar box. Fig. 12, is a plan of the levers or finger-pieces
for releasing the coin.
1 represents the front portion consisting of a hinged door of a pillar or other

page_text: postal box. 2 is a plate attached there to for carrying the mechanism. 3 is the
coin shoot into which the coins are dropped through the slot, 4. 5 is the bucket
for receiving the penny coins and which is carried by the lever 6 pivoted at 7
to the plate 2 the said lever having a short arm 8 formed at its end with a pro-
jection or catch 9 for engaging with a slot 10 in the outer end of a sliding rod 11
for locking the same. This rod is provided with a reduced portion 12 which
enters the guide tube 13 (see Fig. 10,) & is surrounded by the coiled spring 14.
15 is the actuating rod fitted at its outer end with a knob or handle 16. This
rod is provided with the cross-piece 17 and is kept in its outward position by the
coiled spring 18 bearing against the fixed guide 19. The rod 11 has pivoted to
its outer end a crank or lever 20 mounted upon the end of a shaft 21 supported
in bearings 22. The said shaft also carries the lever 23 provided with the lower-
portion 24 pivoted to the upper portion at 25, the two being coupled together by
the sleeve 26 shown in its raised or uncoupled position in Fig. 2. By these means
the portion 24 may be drawn back or raised to facilitate the fixing or adjusting of
the stamp carried thereby. The said stamp shown separately in Fig. 6 & 7 con-
sists of a case 27 carrying two series of wheels 28 & 29 upon each of which is
mounted an endless band 30 carrying types 31 of indiarubber or other suitable
material. The face of the stamp is formed by the hinged cover 32 provided with
the openings 33, 34 through which the types project for giving the impression
the bands 30 being also mounted on square spindles 35 formed with square
recesses 36 for the insertion of a key for turning same and bringing a single line
of type in front of the openings in the cover. The face of the stamp bears when
in its position of rest against the inking pad 37 carried by the plate 38 pivoted
at 39 for permitting the stamp being drawn back for altering the numbers thereon
and re-inking the pad, 40 is the shoot for receiving the letters which are passed
through the opening 41 in the pillar box and by the hinged flaps 42. The letter
in the shoot rests upon the moveable base or support 43 hinged at 44 and kept in
its normal position by the spring 45. To permit the letter falling from the shoot
into the box the moveable base or support is provided with a pivoted catch 46 which
permits of the forward motion of the finger-piece 47 but engages with it in its
backward motion so as to turn the moveable base or support on. its pivot into
the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, clear of the lower open end of the
shoot upon the backward motion of the lever 23 to which the finger-piece is
attached as here-in-after described.
Half pennies are also inserted in the coin shoot 3 from whence they pass through
the bucket 5 (the bottom of which is not sufficiently closed to retain such coins)
into the bucket 48 carried by the lever 49 pivoted at 50 and provided with a short
arm similar to that of lever 6 formed with a stud or catch 51 engaging with a
recess in a second sliding rod 52 for locking the latter as seen in Figs. 1 and 10.
The arrangement of this rod is similar to that described with reference to rod 11
and has pivoted to its outer end an arm or crank 53 which is mounted upon a
sleeve 54 loosely mounted upon the shaft 21. Upon this sleeve is also fixed a
second lever 55 carrying another stamp 56 and similar in construction to lever 23.
In order to release the coins from the buckets the latter are fitted with hinged
flaps 57 (see Fig. 3) provided with spring catches 58 which permit of the forward
motion of finger-pieces 59 and 60 but engage with the latter during their back-
ward motion so as to open the said flaps & permit the coins to fall into the box.
The finger piece 59 is attached to the lever 23, 24 by the bent arm 61 which is
looped at 62 as shown in Fig. 12, in order to clear the lever 55. during its forward
motion: The finger-piece 60 is attached in a similar manner by the arm 63 to
the lever 55.
.
The operation of the mechanism is as follows; In order to impress the letter
with a penny stamp, the penny is passed into the coin shoot 3 and falls into the
bucket 5.
The letter is then placed in the shoot 40 through the opening 41 and rests
upon the moveable base 43. The weight of the coin in the bucket causes the

page_text: atter to fall forward towards the plate 2 carrying with it the lever 6 and causing
he short arm 8 thereof to drop and disengage the catch 9 from the slot 10 of the
od 11. The latter is thus free to be pushed back by the operator pressing against
be knob 16, the spring 14 (Fig. 10) being made strong enough for this purpose,
hus turning the shaft 21 through the medium of the crank 20, and effecting the
forward movement of the lever 23, 24 and stamp 27.
The stamp is caused to turn with its face towards the letter, lying between it
& a pad 64 on the front face of the shoot 40 by means of the crank 65 fixed to the
axis 66 upon which it is pivoted to the lever 23, 24 the pin of the said crank
engaging with the curved slot 67 formed in a side plate or bracket 68 for this
purpose. A similar arrangement also operates the other stamp 56 for half-penny
postage. This forward motion of the lever and stamp thus impresses the latter
against the letter and upon the pressure being taken off the knob 16 the spring 18
forces the cross piece 17 forward and permits the rod 11 and the lever & stamp to
return to their normal position, the latter turning with its face towards the ink-
ing pad 37 by means of the slot 67 and crank as before described. This backward
action also causes the finger-piece 59 which is carried by the arm 61 to engage
with the catch 58 thus opening the flap 57 and permitting the penny to fall
through the bucket 5 into the box, the spring Sa, bringing the arm 8 back to its
locked position and the bucket 5 beneath the shoot as the coin drops from the
bucket. At the same time the finger-piece 47 engages with the catch 46 and
draws back the moveable base 43 from beneath the shoot 40 thus enabling
the stamped letter to fall into the box. The finger-piece 47 is con-
nected to the arm 61 as shown in Fig. 1, and a similar finger piece 69 is con-
nected directly to the lever 55 and acts upon the single catch 46
in a similar manner to the finger piece 47, when stamping with the halfpenny
stamp. The indicator consists of three ratchet wheels 70, 71, 72, Fig. 5, the
outer faces of which are marked with numerals which are caused to appear
through an opening 73 in the case 74 in which the wheels are
mounted. These wheels are operated by means of cam levers 75, 76 fixed to the
arms or cranks 20 & 53 respectively. The lever 75 is formed with the tooth 77
which during the forward motion thereof forces down the roller 78, carried by
the pivoted arm 79, and causes the pawl 80 to descend twice and turn the toothed
wheel 70, the face of which indicates halfpence, the space-of two teeth, thus
indicating the number of pennies used. When the wheel has made a complete
revolution the pawl engages with a deeper space 81 between the teeth causing it to
engage with the teeth of the next wheel 71 and turn it the space of one tooth to
indicate shillings the pawl engaging again with the wheel 70 until another
revolution is completed, and so on until the pawl engages with the teeth of the
wheel 72 in a similar manner to indicate pounds. The lever 76 is operated when
using halfpence and consequently forces the roller 78 down once only at each
operation to indicate the number of halfpence used.
I have shewn the apparatus constructed with two stamps of different values, but
obviously it may be constructed with three or more, or one only, to suit local
requirements.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim is:-
1. In a postal receiving box, coin-freed apparatus whereby the place, date and
0 time of posting are indicated upon the letters, after they have passed from the
control of the persons posting them, by a stamp capable of adjustment from time
to time substantially as shewn in and described in the accompanying drawings.
2. In a postal receiving box operated by coin-freed apparatus, the combination
of a stamp operated by a push rod or handle, with a recording apparatus actuated
5 by cam levers, an inclined shoot having a moveable base, coin-buckets attached
to levers having arms and projections to lock and liberate the actuating rod, and

page_text: fingers or catches to operate the moveable base and to free the coins from the
buckets substantially as shewn and described for the purposes specified.
3. The hereinabove described coin-freed apparatus for use in postal receiving
boxes, constructed arranged and operating as shewn in and explained with refer-
ence to the accompanying two sheets of drawings for the purposes specified.
Dated this 5th day of July 1899.
James G. Stokes,
FRANK HOOLE.
8, Danes Inn, London, W.C., Agent for the Applicant.