Improvements relating to Letter Boxes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 24th Nov., 1893-Accepted, 30th Dec., 1893
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements relating to Letter Boxes.
I MARIE KOCH of Hanover, in the Empire of Germany, Married Woman 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 improved letter box, illustrated in the annexed drawing in which
Fig. 1 is a front elevation, Fig. 2 a back view, Fig. 3 a cross section Figs. 4 to 6
modifications and respectively front view, longitudinal and cross section through
the catcher.
Fig. 7 modification, is intended to be attached to doors or other structures which
are for this purpose provided with a slot E outwardly closed by a sliding plate or
flap K and inwardly ending in a catcher A, beneath the bottom A' of which the
receiver or gatherer S is provided which may be of the form of a bag, wire basket,
box etc.; said bottom A¹ being hinged on the catcher or receptacle A.
When the flap or sliding plate K is open, the objects arriving at the gathering
bag S could be taken out through the opening E, the catcher A is therefore
interposed between said opening E and the gatherer, this catcher is however
arranged in such a way that on opening the flap by sliding the plate K, passage to
the gatherer S is closed automatically by the plate A' and opens again as soon as
the flap or sliding cover K is closed so as to receive immediately any objects
dropped through the slot into the said gatherer S. This combination or interposed
device between K and A represents the principal feature of the new letter box.
In the annexed drawing E is the slot provided in the door T, and R a frame fixed
over said slot, within which latter the sliding plate K is guided by ledges k k.
This sliding plate covers the slot E which latter on moving the slide K toward the
left becomes free for receiving letters etc. At K a carrier M is arranged which,
by means of the catcher A, provided at the back of the door catches into the
fork H¹ of the lever H pivoted at h thus turning the lever, on K being opened in
direction of the arrow.
The lower end of the lever H possesses an arm H2 attached to it abutting
beneath the bottom A' which arm during the turning motion brings the bottom A¹
out of its open position (Figs. 1 to 3) into the closed for blocking up the catcher A
of the gatherer S, which latter is supposed here to have the form of a bag. The
ledge is made hollow to receive a spiral spring F shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1
connected to K and R. As soon as the sliding plate is opened the spiral spring F
becomes extended drawing back the plate K as soon as the hand releases the
button K. This arrangement is made so that the cover K closes immediately and
thus frees the gatherer S ready for receiving the dropped letters etc.
In the arrangement of Figs. 4 to 6 K represents a turnable flap, the hinged
edge K' of which is connected with the abutting piece R¹ of the frame R by means
of a pivotal pin k. At K the levers J and J' are arranged with free play in the
flap K, the lever J¹ being by means of the rod L and the hinge piece a¹ connected
with the bottom of A' while the lever L is controlled by the spring F connected
below with the catcher A.
In the position shown in Fig. 5 the opening E is closed and the passage way to
the gatherer S is open, that is to say the bottom part A' is turned down. If now
by turning the button K' the flap K is brought into the position_shown in dotted
lines, the slot will be open, the bottom A' closed and the spring F extended, and if
on the other hand the button K' is released, the spring will force the whole device
into its original position.

page_text: Above the slot, there is shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the name of the addressee
written on the removable plate P and above this name there is in Fig. 1 the
button D of an electric bell or any other ringing device provided.
If the gathering bag etc. is taken off for being discharged, any letters dropped in
in the meantime would fall on the bottom. However, this is avoided by making
the cover K immovable. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 7. The bag S is
hung on the hook of the wire rod g which latter is fixed on the arm el of a
lever e, the latter with its bent part e° grasps the catch of a carrier M thus holding
this latter in position as soon as the said lever e is horizontal.
On the bag etc. Sa lug s is provided which is drawn through the slot a arranged
on the catcher A and hung over the downward bent hook g¹. As on the downward
motion of the wire bar g the spring flying beneath the arme is extended, so on
removing the lugs the wire y must go upward and the hook part e" of the lever e
engage the carrier M.
In the arrangement shown in Figs. 4 to 6 in a similar way the hinge pins i can
be fixed.
'
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is,
1. An improved letter etc. box in which the bottom flap of the catcher receptacle
closes automatically when the receiving slot is opened and in which said bottom
flap opens when the slot is closed.
2. The device for transmitting motion from the sliding plate or flap K both
serving for the purpose of covering the slot, and operating the bottom flap A¹.
3. In the new letter etc. box described in Claim 1, the arrangement consisting
of a double armed lever e and a bar g which when the gathering bag etc., placed
beneath the catcher and hooked into the bar g, is taken off, will automatically fix
the closing sliding plate or closing flap K of the slot. All substantially as illustrated
and described and for the purposes set forth.
Dated this 24th day of November 1893.
R. HADDAN,
Of the Firm of Herbert Haddan & Co.,
18, Buckingham Street, Strand, London, W.C.