Improvements in and relating to Postal Columns or Pillar Boxes.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 25th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1900-Accepted, 14th July, 1900
Date of Application, 25th July, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 25th May, 1900-Accepted, 14th July, 1900
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in and relating to Postal Columns or Pillar Boxes.
I, FELIX WOHLGRATH, of 24, Rue du l'Arquebuse, Geneva, in the Republic of
Switzerland, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
The invention consists of an improved column of any suitable size or con-
figuration, intended to be placed out of doors with a view to be used as an auto-
matic post office, the different operations of same being automatically rendered
possible or produced by the introduction of a coin into suitable openings of the
apparatus.
The improved postal column first consists of a hollow column intended to be
solidly fixed to the ground and in which a letter-box is inserted, and which may
be of any well-known construction. In the side of the said hollow column, there
are affixed one or more small desks intended to be used by persons who intend to
write some letter or card, the said desks being preferably connected by means of
suitable hinges to the said column and provided with suitable springs intended
to raise the said desks into vertical or approximately vertical position when not in
use, and means being preferably provided to allow the said desks to be locked
in the said raised position by means of a lock which may be unlocked by means
of a coin introduced into the apparatus. The said desks may be provided with
an inkstand, or other devices which can only be used after the desk has been
unlocked.
Upon the said hollow-column there is placed a revolving lantern of any suit-
able construction and form containing the automatic distributors and apparatus
and arranged so as to bear a series of advertisements so arranged that the same
are visible when the light which is provided in the inside of the said lantern is
lighted. The connection of the said revolving lantern and the hollow column is
of any suitable construction, preferably as a ball-bearing and the rotation of the
lantern may be a continuous one, caused by means of a suitable motor, or it may
be caused by hand at suitable intervals of time and of a predetermined angle,
the said hollow column and lantern being provided with suitable means for stop-
ping the rotation of the lantern at any suitable angle of rotation.
In the inside of the lantern there are provided automatic distributors of any
suitable construction, the outlet and handles of which are placed at the bottom of
the lantern, and the said distributors being intended to deliver, on receipt of pre-
determined coins, postal stamps, post-cards, writing-paper, envelopes and the like.
The lantern further contains a telephonic station formed of a box or casing of
suitable form and construction which normally rests in the inside of the said
lantern and which is locked in the said position by means of a lock which may
be unlocked by means of a predetermined coin. The said box or casing, when
unlocked, may be brought out of the lantern, to which it is suitably hinged for
that purpose, into a position in which the telephonic apparatus contained therein
is disclosed; the said box or casing will preferably be formed so as to be able to

page_text: receive the head of the person intending to make use of the telephonic apparatus
and to have the telephones of same applied to the ears of said person and the
microphone placed in front of the said person's mouth.
The said lantern will further be preferably provided with a barometer, ther-
mometer clock and other useful instruments.
In carrying my invention into practice I provide in the column proper a box
for the reception of letters. A ball-bearing is provided on which the lantern is
rotatably arranged.
The said lantern may be rotated by hand 1 of 1 of a revolution at predeter-
mined intervals of time and a suitable lock may be provided with a view of locking
the said lantern on the said column after each such revolution. This lock may be
made of any well-known systems of locks.
A rotative box is provided with a radial partition and arranged within a fix
casing having an outlet the several divisions of the box being brought succes-
sively in line with the said outlet with a view of feeding their contents to people
acting upon a suitable handle. This handle is combined with any one of the
well-known systems of coin-feed-apparatus, allowing the box to be rotated one
division by means of the said handle only after a predetermined coin has been
placed into the apparatus.
The telephonic station is formed by a box fixed by means of a hinge to the
lantern and adapted to be lowered or raised. The cover fixed by means of hinges
to the casing closes the latter when the same is raised. Any suitable device may
be provided with a view of preventing the telephonic station being opened with-
out having introduced a predetermined coin into the apparatus, the box when in
its lowered position forms a casing into w...ch people may place their heads so
as to have their ears placed in front of the telephones and their mouths in front
of the microphone. The box is provided with suitable springs causing the same
to be automatically raised into its closed position when not maintained by hand
in its lowered position.
A desk is provided which is connected by means of a hinge to the column and
which may be lowered into its lower position; a spring tending to raise the desk
into its upper position.
The hereinabove described postal column may moreover be combined with any-
one of the well-known construction of automatic fire-alarms or indicators.
Dated this 25th day of July 1899
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.
Improvements in and relating to Postal Columns or Pillar Boxes.
I, FELIX WOHLGRATII, of 24, Rue de l'Arquebuse, Geneva, in the Republic of
Switzerland, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The invention consists of an improved column of any suitable size or con-
figuration, intended to be placed out of doors with a view to be used as an auto-
matic post office, the different operations of same being automatically rendered
possible or produced by the introduction of a coin into suitable openings of the
apparatus.
The improved postal column first consists of a hollow column intended to be

page_text: solidly fixed to the ground and in which a letter-box is inserted, and which may
be of any well-known construction. In the side of the said hollow column, there
are affixed one or more small desks intended to be used by persons who intend to
write some letter or card, the said desks being preferably connected by means of
suitable hinges to the said column and provided with suitable springs intended
to raise the said desks into vertical or approximately vertical position when not in
use, and means being preferably provided to allow the said desks to be locked
in the said raised position by means of a lock which may be unlocked by means
of a coin introduced into the apparatus. The said desks may be provided with
an inkstand, or other devices which can only be used after the desk has been
unlocked.
Upon the said hollow-column there is placed a revolving lantern of any suit-
able construction and form containing the automatic distributors and apparatus
and arranged so as to bear a series of advertisements so arranged that the same
are visible when the light which is provided in the inside of the said lantern is
lighted. The connection of the said revolving lantern and the hollow column is
of any suitable construction, preferably as a ball-bearing and the rotation of the
lantern may be a continuous one, caused by means of a suitable motor, or it may
be caused by hand at suitable intervals of time and of a predetermined angle,
the said hollow column and lantern being provided with suitable means for stop-
ping the rotation of the lantern at any suitable angle of rotation.
In the inside of the lantern there are provided automatic distributors of any
suitable construction, the outlet and handles of which are placed at the bottom of
the lantern, and the said distributors being intended to deliver, on receipt of pre-
determined coins, postal stamps, post-cards, writing-paper, envelopes and the like.
The lantern further contains a telephonic station formed of a box or casing of
suitable form and construction which normally rests in the inside of the said
lantern and which is locked in the said position by means of a lock which may
be unlocked by means of a predetermined coin. The said box or casing, when
unlocked, may be brought out of the lantern, to which it is suitably hinged for
that purpose, into a position in which the telephonic apparatus contained therein
is disclosed; the said box or casing will preferably be formed so as to be able to
receive the head of the person intending to make use of the telephonic apparatus
and to have the telephones of same applied to the ears of said person and the
microphone placed in front of the said person's mouth.
The said lantern will further be preferably provided with a barometer, ther-
mometer clock and other useful instruments.
The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one form of execution
of the invention, the central portion of the postal column being shown in section.
In this drawing 1 is the column proper in which there is provided a box 2
for the letters; 3 is a ball-bearing on which the lantern 4 is rotatively arranged.
The said lantern may be rotated by hand or ½ of a revolution at predeter-
mined intervals of time and a suitable lock may be provided with a view of lock-
ing the said lantern on the said column after each such revolution. This lock
may be made of any well-known system of locks and has therefore not been shown
in the drawings.
5 is a rotative box provided with a radial partition and arranged within a fixed
casing 6 having an outlet 7 and the several divisions of the box 5 may be brought
successively in line with the said outlet 7 with a view of feeding their contents
to people acting upon a suitable handle 8. And this handle 8 is combined by
anyone of the well-known systems of coin-feed-apparatus, allowing the box 5 to
be rotated of one division by means of the handle 8 only after a predetermined coin
has been placed into the apparatus.
The telephonic station is formed of a box 9 fixed by means of a hinge 10 to the
lantern and liable to be lowered into the position shown in the drawings or raised
in the manner shown by dotted lines in the drawing. The cover 11, fixed by
means of hinges 12 to the casing 9 shuts the latter when the same is raised. Any

page_text: suitable device may be provided with a view of preventing the telephonic station
to be opened without having introduced a predetermined coin into the apparatus
and when it is in its lowered position the box 9 forms a casing into which people
may engage their heads so as to have their ears placed in front of the telephones 16
and their mouths in front of the microphone 17. The box 9 is provided with
suitable springs causing the same to be automatically raised into its closed posi-
tion when not maintained by hand in its lowered position.
18 is a desk which is connected by means of a hinge 14 to the column 1 and
which may be lowered into its position shown in full lines in the drawing; a
spring 15 tends to raise the desk 13 into its upper position.
t
The described postal column may moreover be combined with anyone of the
well-known construction of automatic fire-alarms or indicators.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is
An improved postal column formed of a column proper 1 containing a letter-
box 2, a ball-bearing 3 upon which is rotatively mounted a lantern 4, one or
more coin-feed apparatus a telephonic station contained in a rocking box 9
normally closed by suitable springs and liable to be unlocked by means of intro-
ducing a coin in a suitable apparatus and one or more desks 13 hinged to the
column and normally raised by suitable springs and liable to be unlocked by
means of introducing a coin in a suitable apparatus, substantially as shown and
described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C.,
Agents for the Applicant.