An improved F
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 6th June, 1895-Accepted, 20th July, 1895
An improved F
I, WILLIAM ARTHUR DAY, of 47 Inglis Road, Southsea, in County of
Hampshire, Wireworker, 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 refers to folding letter-boxes for placing behind street-doors and
for like purposes.
It consists of a cage of wire or wicker or both combined, or of any other suitable
material, having a bottom, two sides, and a back of wire work or wicker work, and
an open front towards the door to which it is attached by screws or staples, and
with or without a cover.
The special feature of my improved letter-box, is, that two of the sides are
constructed of a novel kind of wire work or wicker work, consisting of a loose
jointed woven mesh formed by passing straight wires or rods through skew formed
rings or eyes attached to transverse wires.
These loops allow the entire cage to fold or collapse in either direction preferred,
and thus occupy little space. Supposing one to be fixed behind a hall door, the act
of pushing the door back is sufficient to compress the box, while by a trigger
arrangement placed in the slit of the door, the postman in the act of inserting a
letter can make it expand again to its normal size.
I will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings,
in which :-
Fig. shows a side elevation of my letter cage fastened to the back of a door,
the cage being open or unfolded.
Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of Fig. 1 the cage being partly closed up, and the
hook e shewn engaged with the bar f.
Fig. 3 shows an enlarged detail view of one of the special joints in the sides of
the cage.
Fig. 4 shows an enlarged view of the trigger detached, the hook e being
enlarged.
a is the trigger, the operation of which is shewn in Fig. 2.
b is the usual flap of the letter plate fixed on the door and hanging across the
opening c cut in the door in the ordinary way. On pushing back the flap b, to
permit the entry of a letter into the cage, the trigger a is forced back, till the catch
point e ceases to engage with the rod f in the back of cage, where-upon the
pressure of the spring g will at once open the cage, and the letter will fall into the
letter-box.
g is a feather spring placed in the lower end of the cage, to assist the cage in
unfolding when the trigger a is disengaged.
h is a forked or indented guard placed just below the aperture c in door to prevent
letters being with-drawn by a waxed string or fish hook.
i is a straight wire passing through the skew-formed ring or eye k.
k is the skew-formed eye which allows the letter-box to fold so that the straight
wires i approach close together.
is the cover for opening the letter-box.
This may be placed at bottom or side of box if preferred.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :
1. In a folding letter-box the specially formed panels of skew-jointed interlaced
wire work, whereby the said letter-box will fold or collapse, as herein described and
set forth.
2. In a folding letter-box the combination of skew-jointed panels as in Claim 1,
with a trigger and bar, protecting guard, recoil spring, and with or without an
opening flap for with-drawal of letters, as herein described and set forth.
Dated this 6th day of June 1895.
S. S. BROMHEAD,
97 Newgate Street, London, E.C., Agent for Applicant.