Improvements in or relating to Letter Boxes.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Nov., 1894
Complete Specification Left, 22nd Aug., 1895-Accepted, 19th Oct., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Letter Boxes.
We, 'WILLIAM URIE MORTON, of the Firm of Kimball and Morton, Limited,
Sewing Machine Manufacturers, 11 Bothwell Circus, in the City of Glasgow, and
COLIN MCCALLUM, of 98 Eaglesham Street, Govan, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention, which relates to letter boxes such as fixed on office and house
doors for the reception of letters and other packets, has for its object to provide
improved means whereby abstraction of letters from outside may be prevented and
whereby lighted matches and like articles dropped through the delivery orifice in
the door may be intercepted.
To that end we fit within the casing of the letter box under the level of the
delivery orifice in the door an inclined plate pivoted to the casing or to a plate
secured thereto the said inclined plate serving to partially cover or enclose the
lower part of the letter box and being adapted to tilt or swing downwards by the
weight of the letters or packets dropped into the box. Pivoted to the fixed plate
in the letter box casing is a receptacle open at its upper end which serves to trap
lighted matches or the like dropped into the letter box and which when the inclined
plate is tilted downwards is tilted upwards by means of a lever arm on the inclined
plate, engaging with the match receptacle so that it covers or partially covers the
delivery orifice in the door. In consequence it is not possible to insert the hand
or any instrument to abstract letters without tilting the inclined plate and raising
the match receptacle which cuts off further ingress to the letter box. The
upper part of the match receptacle is encased by curved wires which guide
letters and other packets over it, and into the letter box; and to prevent
abstraction of letters by means of cords or wires carrying adhesive matters the
inclined tilting plate is serrated at its lower edge to engage with and prevent
their withdrawal.
In a modified arrangement the inclined tilting plate is formed to serve as the
receptacle for matches the letters being guided over it by curved wires or a
grating and it is connected by links to a plate adapted to slide vertically in
guides and which, when the inclined plate is tilted downwards by the weight of
letter packets or by any instrument inserted into the letter box, is raised by
means of the links to close or partially close the letter delivery orifice in the
door.
1
Nombor 1904

page_text: relating to Letter Boxes.
We, WILLIAM URIE MORTON of the Firm of Kimball & Morton, Limited,
Sewing Machine Manufacturers, 11 Bothwell Circus, in the City of Glasgow, and
COLIN MCCALLUM, of 98 Eaglesham Street, Govan, in the County of Lanark,
Engineer, 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, which relates to letter boxes such as are fixed on office and
house doors for the reception of letters and other packets, has for its object to
provide improved means whereby abstraction of letters from outside may be
prevented and whereby lighted matches and like articles dropped through the
delivery orifice in the door may be intercepted.
The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings. Figure 1 is a
vertical side section of a letter box constructed in accordance with my invention,
shewing the abstraction preventer in its normal position, Figure 2 is a back view
partly in section of same and Figure 3 is a section similar to Figure 1 but shewing
the position taken up by the abstraction preventer when a letter is passing it.
Figures 4, 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 1, 2 and 3 respectively of a
modification of our improved letter box.
Within the casing of the letter box A and under the level of the delivery
orifice B in the door we fit an inclined plate C pivoted to the casing or to a plate D
secured thereto the said inclined plate C serving to partially cover or enclose the
lower part of the letter box A. and being adapted to tilt or swing downwards by
the weight of the letters or packets E dropped into the box. Pivoted at F to the
fixed plate D in the letter box casing is a receptacle G open at its upper end H
which serves to trap lighted matches or the like dropped into the letter box A and
which when the inclined plate C is tilted downwards is tilted upwards by means of
a lever arm I on the inclined plate C engaging with the match receptacle G so
that it covers or partially covers the delivery orifice in the door, as shewn at
Figure 6 or narrows the space between itself and the roof of the letter box as
shewn at Figure 3. In consequence it is not possible to insert the hand or any
instrument to abstract letters without tilting the inclined plate C and raising the
match receptacle C which cuts off further ingress to the letter box A. The upper
part of the match receptacle C is encased by curved wires J which guide the letters
and other packets E over it, and into the letter box; and to prevent abstraction of
letters by means of cords or wires carrying adhesive matters the inclined tilting
plate C is serrated at its lower edge K to engage with and prevent their
withdrawal.
In a modified arrangement represented in Figures 4, 5 and 6, the tilting plate is
not inclined but it is formed to serve as a receptacle G₁ for matches the letters E
being guided over it by curved wires J or a grating and it is connected by links L
to a plate M adapted to slide vertically in guides N and which, when the tilting
plate or receptacle G¹ is tilted downwards by the weight of letter packets E or by
any instrument inserted into the letter box, is raised by means of the links L to
close the letter delivery orifice in the door, as shewn at Figure 6. As the
receptacle G is balanced on its pivots F the weight of the plate M is sufficient to
return it to its original position.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:
1. The combination of devices applied to a letter box for preventing abstraction

page_text: of letters or packets from the outside substantially as described with reference to
Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the accompanying drawings.
2. The combination of devices applied to a letter box for preventing abstraction
of letters or packets from the outside substantially as described with reference to
Figures 4, 5 and 6 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 21st day of August 1895.
WALLACE FAIRWEATHER,
Chartered Patent Agent,
62 St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, Agent for the Applicants.