Improvements in or relating to Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes, and the like.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 2nd Aug., 1893
Complete Specification Left, 1st May, 1894-Accepted, 2nd Aug., 1894
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes,
and the like.
A communication from WALTER FROMONT, of Namur, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.
I, ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The object of this invention is to prevent letters, papers telegrams etc. deposited
in pillar-boxes or in private or public letter boxes from being removed or tampered
with. The proposed system can be applied to pillar boxes and is intended to
guarantee the contents against theft and to be only accessible to the postman
on duty.
Apparatus for pillar boxes the drum of which is also applicable for private
letter boxes.
The safety apparatus comprises
1) A drum or revolving box.
No. 1 TYPE.
2) A safety letter bag provided with a locking device.
3) An automatic attachment or hooking on device.
4) Partitions provided in the pillar so as to form receptacles for the parts 1
and 2.
1.) The drum box is preferably provided with end plates of iron or cast or rolled
steel with cylindrical pivot pins, cylindrical steel plates either cast or stamped out,
flat steel plates either cast or stamped out to form the tail of the receptacle,
counterpoise of cast or wrought iron, knob or handle with a stem and a collar in
the interior of the drum. The end plates are also. provided with two tappets or
stops for retaining the drum in position.
2.) Safety letter bag with locking device, consisting of a bag made of strong
sack-cloth which is provided with a fastening and locking device at the upper end
and with a special locking device at the lower end. The letter bag is also provided
with an iron frame sewn on to it about 30 centimetres from the top, serving to
keep the top open.
Instead of the arrangement just described the letter-bag may simply be provided
with a number of rings sewn on to it and adapted to engage with hooks provided in
the interior of the pillar box.
The fastening comprises a frame with hinges, lateral sliding bolts, eye bar, the
cover provided with handle latch, hinges, stud, lock with spring bolt, guide plate
and overlapping plate. All the parts of the said fastening are made of steel with
the exception of the rivets and the guide plate which is of lead. The bag is held
between the sides of the fastening and interior counter plates and the whole is
rivetted together by a number of small rivets.
The locking device at the lower end of the letter bag allows the bag, to be
opened at its largest end and is similar to that of saddle-bags or money-bags the
frame of which is provided with a number of suitable eyes on each side through
which pass a rod provided with a hole so as to hold a padlock. The same key may
serve for both ends.
3.) The automatic booking on device is composed of two parts fixed to a common
out of taal

page_text: 2nd part. Inclined guide piece.
The apparatus is protected by an outer metal cover which is provided at the
upper part with a suitable slot or opening.
The apparatus is attached to the door of the pillar box.
4.) Partitions provided in the pillar box. Two partitions provided with grooves
for the reception of the slides and the bolts of the fastening frame at the upper end
of the letter bag, holes for the pivotting pins of the drum, a plate serving to direct
the letters towards the mouth of the top fastening of the bag immediately the
covering plate of the cover co-operates with it.
The front of the pillar box is provided with the usual door.
The operation is as follows;-
The letter having been placed in the drum box the latter is rotated by a knob or
handle as far as the slot allows and the letter having been carried round to a certain
point drops down and on the handle being let free the counterpoise forces the drum
back to its original position.
The inclined surface of the drum box causes the letter inserted therein to fall
down a certain distance so as to be visible. During the rotary movement the letter
resting against the one surface slides over the other till it drops down. The
opening of the drum and the surface are so arranged that the opening, is entirely
closed by the surface before the letter is allowed to drop out at the inner end and
it will thus be seen that the interior of the pillar box is quite inaccessible at any
position of the drum.
After the letter drops from the drum it slides over two inclines the first of which
is in one with the cylindrical surface while the second incline forms part of the
fastening of the bag for the reception of the letter. In order to explain the rest
of the operation it will be best to start with the act of inserting the bag. The
postman takes the bag open at the top from the post office (the key for the lock
remaining at the office). In order to prevent the bag from closing accidentally the
postman engages the wedging bar in its notch and on arriving at the pillar box he
takes the full bag out and puts the empty one in its place seeing that the sliding
pieces at the head are well pushed home in the grooves provided in the interior of
the pillar and then pushing the open lid backwards which is only possible when the
slides are in their proper place on account of the tenons on the lid.
In the open position of the lid the tail piece and the latch bolt are in a vertical
position and the latch bolt has in that position a slight side movement from
right to left.
After having adjusted the bag and taken the wedging bar out of engagement
the postman closes the door. The tail-piece on the lid when the latter is open in
the pillar box grips the thumb piece of the coupling device attached to the door
of the pillar box so that when the latter is being opened the lid of the bag will be
immediately forced down when the spring bolt engages with the top plate of the
frame head of the bag. The key of the lock having been retained at the post office
it will be impossible for an unauthorized person to open the bag.
The same or any other key may serve to open the padlock at the lower end of
the bag which end opens wide so as to facilitate the removal of the letters
therefrom.
Although the arrangement above described for pillar boxes is complete thus far
it may sometimes be advantageous to adopt the following supplementary safety
device furnishing a positive obstacle against the removal of the letter bag from the
pillar box when the lid of the bag is open.
The tail piece of the lid and the partitions in the pillar may be slightly modified
to suit the last mentioned safety device which comprises a wheel with 6 sprockets
and a ratchet wheel on a common shaft which may be fitted into one of the
compartments say the left compartment in the pillar box.
When placing the head of the letter bag in the grooves the left tenon fixed to the
cover strikes against one of the sprockets of the sprocket wheel and causes it to

page_text: rn till the tenon escapes again, leaving the next sprocket in such a position as to
lige the tenon to fall into its lowest possible position, viz. that of the closed lid
fore it can be taken out. The cam is of course only enabled to move round in
e one direction on account of the ratchet wheel. Only when the lid is entirely
The ratchet wheel
sed can the tenon pass beneath the sprocket of the wheel.
d its pawl are placed in an iron casing fixed to the partition which besides
otecting the ratchet wheel also serves as a support to the two wheels.
2ND TYPE OF APPARATUS.
This apparatus is similar to the one described above but modified so as to enable
letters to be kept separate from printed matter in the interior of the pillar box.
The modifications are as follows ;-
The drum box is open at both ends the knob or handle being dispensed with and
the left pivot pin is provided with a small wheel. The tappets or stops on the end
plates are dispensed with and the drum is constructed and arranged so as to present
after revolution, its slot always in front of the mouth of the pillar box.
The two lateral partitions are right across the interior of the pillar which latter
has two projecting parts on the front in one of which (that on the left) is fitted a
small wheel similar to the wheel on the pivotting pin of the drum.
are provided with a flexible steel band.
The two wheels
The wheel is keyed-on a shaft provided with a small crank handle which latter is
placed at the outside of the pillar. It is manifest that the movement of the handle
must cause a corresponding movement of the drum.
The back plate for fixing the position of the head of the bag frame does not
extend so far as that in the first arrangement.
-
A plate forming part of a cylinder and extending from one side of the
compartment to the other has been adopted here so as to ensure the closing of the
pillar box after a printed or commercial paper parcel has been inserted in the pillar
box. In this case a suitable stop pin limits the movement of the crank handle.
The operation is as follows; The parcel having been placed on the horizontal
plate participates in the rotary movement of the drum which turns either in the
one or the other direction according to whether a letter or printed parcel has been
inserted and finally drops into one of the two orifices provided in the interior of
the pillar box. One of these orifices sérves for the reception of letters and is in
connection with the letter bag. The postman comes in due time to take the letter
bag out of the pillar box and then collects the loose printed matters into another bag.
SAFETY APPARATUS SUITABLE FOR PRivate LettER BOXES.
The apparatus is enclosed in a vertical wooden box fixed to the door and
comprises,
1. A shutter plate adapted to slide by means of suitable pins in vertical slots.
provided for that purpose in the sides of the box.
2. The box or receptacle proper hinged to the aforesaid shutter plate so as to
slide with it while it is at the same time guided by two pins sliding in a suitable
groove.
3. Two pulleys one of which is provided with a flexible cord or steel band
attached with one end to the, receptacle and with the other to the counterpoise,
while the second pulley has also attached to it à cord the loose end of which is
connected to the counterpoise. The shaft of this pulley passes through the side
of the letter box and is provided with a crank handle outside the box.
4. A counterpoise provided with sliding pins to move in vertical grooves.
5. Two rollers mounted on a fixed pin.
The operation is as follows
2
mented in the recantacle through the orifice so as to

page_text: counterpoise up allowing the box to slide down by its own weight, the latter being
guided through the pins and plate. In this downward movement the box comes
against the two rollers on fixed pins and is then obliged to turn on the hinge so as
to open out at its lower extremity and allow the letter to drop down onto the
bottom of the wooden letter box. The device is so arranged as to completely
close the orifice at the front of the letter box before the inner box begins to open.
After the letter has fallen down to the bottom of the letter box the crank
handle is set free when the counterpoise causes the inner box to return to its
primitive position; it is prudent however to see that the letter has really
disappeared.
Dated this 2nd day of August 1893
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Of London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or relating to Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes,
and the like.
A communication from WALTER FROMONT, of Namur, in the Kingdom of Belgium,
Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers.
I ALFRED JULIUS BOULT of 323 High Holborn in the County of Middlesex,
Chartered Patent Agent, 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:-
The object of this invention is to prevent letters papers telegrams etc., deposited
in pillar boxes or in private or public letter boxes from being removed or tampered
with. The improved system can be applied to pillar boxes and is intended to
guarantee the contents against abstraction either by thieves or by the postman
on duty.
The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying
drawings in which Figs. 1 to 27 show various arrangements for the before
described purpose and Figs. 28 to 30 a device specially applicable to private
letter boxes.
In these drawings ;—
Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of a pillar letter-box fitted with this
improved safety apparatus.
Fig. 2 is portion of a vertical section thereof, on the line A B of Fig. 1, drawn
to a larger scale.
Fig. 3 is a view of a portion of the letter bag-frame as seen from above.
Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof, with hinge and sliding bolt;
Fig. 5 is a section of the same, on the line c-d of Fig. 3;
Fig. 6 is a section of the same, on the line a-b of Fig. 3;
Fig. 7 is a view of the safety-fastening and locking-cover;
Fig. 8 is a section thereof on the line E-F of Fig. 7;
Fig. 9 is a section on the line m-n of Fig. 8;
Fig. 10 is a view from above of the lever L shown in Fig. 8;
Fig. 11 is a section on the line p-q of Fig. 8;
Fig. 12 is a section on the lines of Fig. 8;
,
Figs. 13, 14 and 15 illustrate the automatic hooking-on device, Fig. 13 being a
view, as seen from above, Fig. 14 a section on the line a-6 of Fig. 13, and Fig. 15
a section on the line c-d of Fig. 13.
Figs. 16 and 17 are respectively a side elevation and section of one of the
partitions in the pillar letter-box.
; I

page_text: Fig. 18 is a side view of the drum-box, and Fig. 19 portion of a transverse
section of the same.
-
Figs. 20 and 21 show the mode of fixing the safety apparatus in the partitions ;
Fig. 20 being a vertical cross section and Fig. 21 a side elevation, on the
left side.
Figs. 22 and 23 are, respectively, a front and a side elevation of a letter-bag
with an improved safety apparatus at the top, and with a bottom closure.
Fig. 24 illustrates the complete safety apparatus in cross-section, as seen from
the left.
Fig. 25 is a front elevation of a pillar letter-box fitted with this improved
safety-apparatus adapted for the reception of letters and book post-matter or
printed matter, separately;
Fig. 26 is a section of the same, on the line A B of Fig. 25, on a larger scale.
Fig. 27 is a section of the same, on the line C D of Fig. 25;
Fig. 28 is a vertical cross section of a safety apparatus suitable for private
letter boxes;
Fig. 29 is a section of the same on the line A¹ B' of Fig. 28; and
Fig. 30 is a section of the same on the line C' D' of Fig. 28.
One form A of the apparatus for pillar boxes (the drum of which is also
applicable to private letter boxes) comprises;--
1. A drum or revolving box E.
2. A safety letter-bag H provided with a locking device J.
3. An automatic attachment or hooking-on device; and
4. Partitions provided in the pillar so as to receive and carry the drum E and
safety letter bag.
1. The drum E (Figs. 2, 18, 19) is preferably provided with end-plates of iron
or cast or rolled steel or other metal with cylindrical pivot-pins, and flat steel or
other projections to form the tail of the receptacle, a counterpoise P of cast or
wrought iron or equivalent, and a knob or handle for turning the drum with
a stem and a collar in the interior of the drum. The end plates are also provided
with two tappets or stops e for restricting the movement of the drum.
2. The safety letter-bag H (Eigs. 22 and 23) with locking device J consists of a
bag made of preferably strong sack-cloth provided with a fastening and locking
device J at the upper end and with a special closure and lock at the lower end.
The letter-bag is also provided with a suitable iron frame (Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive)
sewn or otherwise secured to it say about 30 centimetres from the top serving to
keep the top open.
•
Instead of the arrangement just described the letter bag may simply be pro-
vided with a number of rings sewn on to it and adapted to engage with hooks
provided in the interior of the pillar box, for the purpose of keeping the mouth of
the bag open.
The fastening comprises a frame with hinges f, slide-bars i, cover Q provided
with latch-lever or arm L hinged to the tail piece S which is secured to hinges f
(Fig. 8) studs or projections t, lock with spring bolt T, guide plate al aand
overlapping plate T¹; all the parts of the said fastening may be made of steel
with the exception of the rivets and the guide plate all av which latter is
preferably of lead to facilitate the closing of the lid or cover Q. The bag is
secured to the fastening J between two frames or bands rivetted together by a
number of small rivets.
The locking device at the lower end of the letter bag allows the bag to be
opened at its larger end (similar to that of saddle-bags or money-bags) the frame
being provided with a number of suitable eyes k k¹¹ on each side through which
pass rods each provided with a hole so as to receive the hasp of a padlock.
The same key may serve for both ends.
3. The automatic hooking-on device is composed of two parts (Figures 13 to 15)
fixed to a common preferably steel support.
- 1st part; protruding bar with hook-clamp M.
}

page_text: 2nd part; inclined guide-piece N.
The apparatus is protected by an outer metal cover which is provided at the
upper part with a suitable slot or opening.
The apparatus is attached to the door R of the pillar-box.
4. Partitions provided in the pillar box. Two partitions (Figures 16 and 17)
provided with grooves or slideways i¹ for the reception of the slides or bases i and
with cams or curved bars V for guiding the studs or projections of the door Q,
as hereinafter described, also holes for the pivotting pins of the drum E, and a
plate a a serving to direct the letters towards the mouth of the bag H, the
plate alla of the cover Q co-operating with it in this operation.
The front of the pillar-box is provided with the usual door R as shown in
Figure 1 carrying the coupling device M N or automatic hooking-on device above
described.
The operation is as follows;-
The letter having been put through the orifice a a and placed in the drum box E
(Figure 2) the latter is rotated by depressing the knob or handle 6 until it
encounters the edge a, and the letter, having been carried round to the point a¹,
drops down; and, on the handle being released, the counterpoise P forces the
drum E back to its original position.
The inclined position of the surface c c¹ in the drum-box causes the letter inserted
in the receptacle O through the orifice a a (Figure 1) to fall down to the point c.
During the rotary movement of E the letter, resting on the surface c c', passes
over the surface a a¹ till it drops down past a¹. The opening c of the drum E and
the surface a a' are so arranged and proportioned that, during the rotation of E,
the opening c is entirely closed by the surface a a', (behind which it passes,
invisible) before the letter is allowed to drop out at the inner end a²; and it will
thus be seen that the interior of the pillar-box is quite inaccessible at any position
of the drum.
After the letter drops from the drum it slides over two inclined guide-plates a¹ all
and aa the first of which may be in one with the curved surface a a¹ while the
second incline forms part of the cover of the bag H for the reception of the
letter. In order to explain the rest of the operation it will be best to start with
the act of inserting the bag. The postman receives the bag open at the top from
the post-office (the key for the lock remaining at the office). In order to prevent the
bag from closing accidentally the postman engages the wedging bar g (Figure 5)
in its notch, and on arriving at the pillar box he takes the full bag out and puts
the empty one in its place, taking care that the sliding bars i at the head are well
pushed home in the grooves ¹ provided on the interior sides of the partitions; and
then by means of the lever-arm L pushing the open lid Q backwards; this is only
possible when the slides i are in their proper place, on account of the projections t
on the lid, as the latter would not otherwise be able to pass over the circular cam
or surface V, on which they rest while guiding and supporting the cover Q, during
opening, and in the open position (Figure 2).
In the open position of the lid the tail-piece S and the latch-lever L are in a
vertical position and the latch-lever has (in that position) a slight rotary movement
from right to left on the pin by which it is pivotted to S to enable it to pass the
hook-clamp M as hereinafter described.
bar
After having adjusted the bag on the partitions and disengaged the wedging
g to release the locking device, the postman closes the door R.
The latch-lever or arm L on the lid Q (when the latter is open in the pillar-box)
engages the hook or thumb piece M of the coupling device attached to the door R
so that when the latter is being opened the lid Q of the bag H will be immediately
forced down, when the spring bolt T engages with the top plate or projection T¹ of
the frame J of the bag. The key of the lock having been retained at the post-
office it will be impossible for an unauthorized person to open the bag.
Thus, on the opening of the door R for the removal of the letter-bag and the
insertion of the empty one in its place, the flat side of the hook-clamp M strikes

page_text: The wheel r is keyed on a shaft provided with a small crank-handle 6' which
latter is placed at the outside of the pillar. It is manifest that the movement of
the handle must cause a corresponding movement of the drum E.
The back plate for fixing the position of the head of the bag-frame does not
extend so high as that in the first arrangement.
A plate cc forming part of a cylinder and extending from one side of the
compartment to the other has been adopted here so as to ensure the closing of the
pillar-box after a printed or commercial paper parcel has been inserted in the pillar-
box. In this case a suitable stop pin n limits the movement of the crank-handle.
The operation is as follows:-The parcel having been placed on the horizontal.
plate A B participates in the rotary movement of the drum E which is turned
either in one or the other direction according to whether a letter or printed parcel
has been inserted and finally drops into one of the two orifices provided in the
interior of the pillar-box. One of these orifices serves for the reception of letters
and is in connection with the letter-bag H. The postinan comes in due time to
take the letter-bag H out of the pillar-box and then collects the loose printed
matters into another bag.
The apparatus is enclosed in a vertical (conveniently) wooden box fixed to the
door and comprises (see Figure 28)*
1. A shutter plate M N adapted to slide by means of suitable pins (at M and
at a) in vertical slots provided for the purpose in the sides of the box.
2. The box or receptacle proper a² b c d e is hinged to the aforesaid shutter
plate M N so as to slide with it while it is at the same time guided by two pins *
sliding in a suitable groove r³.
3. Two pulleys p+, p', fixed, as shown, one of which is provided with a flexible
cord or steel band attached with one end to the receptacle a² b c d e and with the
other to the counterpoise P5, while the pulley p' has also attached to it a cord the
loose end of which is also connected to the counterpoise P. The shaft of this
pulley p' passes through the side of the letter box and is provided with a crank
handle outside the box.
4. The counterpoise P' provided with pins working in vertical grooves.
5. Two rollers O mounted on a fixed shaft o'.
The operation is as follows:-
Supposing a letter has been inserted in the receptacle a²bcde through the
orifice pqrs so as to rest against the surface c'd of the box, the crank handle is
turned so as to lift the counterpoise P³ up allowing the receptacle to slide down by
its own weight; the latter being guided through the pins + and plate M N. In
this downwards movement the box or receptacle comes against the two rollers O
and is then obliged to turn or hinge as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 28, the
shape of the lower end of the grooves 3 being such as to facilitate this operation,
80 as to open out or move inwards at its lower extremity and allow the letter to
drop down on to the bottom of the wooden letter box. The device is so arranged
as to completely close the orifice p q r s at the front of the letter box before the
inner box or receptacle begins to open.
↑
After the letter has fallen down to the bottom of the letter box the crank handle
is set free when the counterpoise 15 causes the inner box or receptacle to return to
its normal position; it is prudent however to see that the letter has really
disappeared.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion as communicated to me by my foreign correspondent and in what manner the
same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A safety apparatus for pillar letter boxes comprising a drum or revolving box

page_text: a safety letter-bag provided with a locking device, an automatic attachment or
hooking-on device, fixed partitions in the pillar, and a supplementary safety-device,
all these apparatus being characterised by two types whereof the one is intended
for letters only, the other for letters and printed matter separately, inside the
pillar letter box, substantially as described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 27
inclusive of the accompanying drawings.
2. A safety apparatus for private letter boxes comprising a shutter plate, a box
or receptacle proper, two pulleys, a sliding counterpoise, and two fixed rollers for
reversing the box on its hinge substantially as described and illustrated in
Figures 28, 29 and 30 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 1st day of May 1894.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
London, Nottingham, Liverpool, and Manchester,
Agents for the Applicant.