Improvements in Letter Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 14th July, 1891
Complete Specification Left, 2nd Feb., 1892-Accepted, 5th Mar., 1892
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes.
I, BENJAMIN HERBERT FITTON of Oakes Street, Flanshaw, near Wakefield, in
the County of York, Commercial Traveller, do hereby declare the nature of this
invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to prevent the extraction of letters and circulars
from ordinary letter boxes, and also to prevent lighted matches and other articles
or substances being thrown into the box, which would destroy the contents.
In the ordinary letter box as hitherto used, I insert an inner casing of brass, tin,
or other suitable material, the said casing being about one third the length of the
letter box. Inside the said casing a vertical moveable plate is hung and swings
freely on pivots, said plate being held in the closed position against a fixed plate by
a balance weight, said weight being so adjusted that an ordinary letter or post card
will open such plate, allowing the letter or post-card to fall into the box
below.
The opening between the moveable and fixed plates being adjusted to allow of
ordinary correspondence or circulars to pass through, thus preventing the
extraction of letters or circulars by means of pointed wires, knives, or other
contrivances.
Should a lighted match, wax-vesta, fuse or other article or substance be thrown
into the box, the weight of such article or substance not being sufficient to open the
moveable plate, will drop out of the said casing without injury to the box or
its contents.*
When desired the moveable plate may be placed horizontal instead of vertical.
T 1. 1001
J. W. HARDING,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes.
I, BENJAMIN HERBERT FITTON, of Oakes Street, Flanshaw, near Wakefield,
in the County of York, Commercial Traveller, 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 my invention is to prevent the extraction of letters and circulars
from letter boxes, and also to prevent lighted matches, water, or other foreign
matters being thrown or injected into the box, which would destroy or injure the
contents.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevation of a letter box constructed according to my
invention.
Fig. 2 is a similar view shewing the action upon a letter entering same, and
Fig. 3 is a back sectional elevation of the same.taken on line.. y. Fig. 1.
Similar letters of reference refer to like parts in all the figures.
In the interior of the letter box A I insert an inner casing or shoot B of metal
or other suitable material. At the back of the casing B I hang a movable plate C,
pivotted at D and counterbalanced by a weight E. is a fixed plate which forms

page_text: a part of the casing B. G is a guide in the casing B having its end bent round
and turning inwardly at G.
The action of the letter box is as follows:-On a letter being inserted, it comes
against the plate which turns on its pivot D, thus making a free passage for the
letter as shewn at Fig. 2, and the letter falls down into the box A. The plate C
is now brought back to its normal position as shewn at Fig. 1 by means of the
counterbalance weight E, and the box is now ready to receive the next letter or
other paper or circular. Should a lighted match or other extraneous substance or
article be inserted, it will be conducted by means of the plate C to the interior of
the casing or shoot B, and fall harmlessly out beneath the box A, or should water
or other liquid be injected, it will either be deflected downwards by the plate For
plate C, or by both, into the casing B, or it will follow the guide Ġ to its rounded
part G, and thus fall harmlessly down the casing B.
It will be readily seen that in letter boxes constructed according to my invention,
it would be impossible to withdraw letters or oirculars already inserted in the box,
by means of pointed wires, knives, or other contrivances, as the movable and fixed
plates are adjusted to allow of ordinary correspondence or circulars to pass.through
into the box A, but would prevent their withdrawal from the outside.
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 :-
.
1. In letter boxes, the casing B, having plate F, movable plate C, and shoot G,
substantially as described and for purposes herein set forth.
2. The employment of a counterbalanced plate for closing the interior of a letter
box, and for deflecting foreign matter through casing or shoot, substantially-as
herein set forth.
3. The construction and arrangement of parts forming the herein before described
safety letter box, substantially as herein set forth and as shown in the accompanying
drawings.
· Dated this 2nd day of February 1892.
BREWER & SON,
33, Chancery Lanc, London, Agents for Applicant.