Improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes and the like.
I, HENRY SEARLE, of 18 St. Paul's Street, Leeds, in the County of York, Merchant,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
The object of my invention is to construct apparatus whereby letter boxes and the
like are guarded from theft, the said apparatus effectually preventing a letter or other
article being withdrawn through the opening of the box when once it has been
inserted.
According to my invention, I employ a roller which is provided on its surface
with a number of projecting pins which are preferably inclined in one direction.
The said roller is mounted within the letter box, adjacent to the entrance for
the letters, and a pawl and ratchet motion is provided for the purpose of enabling the
roller to turn freely in one direction only, thus allowing letters to be passed into the
box in the direction of the pins, but which prevents the roller turning should a letter
come in contact with the pins in attempting to extract it through the opening.
Should an attempt be made to extract a letter from the box by means of a stick,
gutta percha or other contrivance, the projecting pins on the said roller would
immediately detach the letter from the said contrivance and allow it to drop back into
the box.
As an extra safeguard a plate may be affixed within the letter box at an angle of
45°, thus deflecting the letters and preventing the direct insertion of a stick or other
article into the box.
Improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes and the like.
I, HENRY SEARLE, of 18 St. Paul's Street, Leeds, in the County of York,
Merchant, 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 has particular reference to postal pillar letter boxes, and its object
is to construct apparatus whereby such boxes are guarded from theft, the said
apparatus effectually preventing a letter or other article being withdrawn through
the opening of the box when once it has been inserted.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I will proceed to describe
same with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which similar letters refer to
like parts in all the figures.
Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a letter box constracted according to my invention,
and Fig. 2 is a sectional plan of same.

page_text: Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a letter box, shewing a modification of my
invention, and Fig. 4 is a sectional plan of same.
According to my invention, and with particular reference to Figs. 1 and 2, I
employ a roller A which is provided on its surface with a number of projecting pins B
which are preferably inclined in one direction. The said roller A is mounted in
suitable bearings C within the letter box D, adjacent to the entrance E for
letters; and a pawl and ratchet motion F is provided for the purpose of enabling
the roller A to turn freely in one direction only, thus allowing letters to be passed
into the box in the direction of the pins B, but which prevents the roller A
turning should a letter come in contact with the pins B in attempting to extract it
through the opening E. Should an attempt be made to extract à letter from the
box B by means of a stick, gutta percha or other contrivance, the projecting pins B
on the said roller A would immediately detach the letter from the said contrivance
and allow it to drop back into the box. As an extra safeguard, a plate G is affixed
within the letter box D at an angle of 45°, thus deflecting the letters and preventing
the direct insertion of a stick or other article into the box, and the front edge of the
plate G is made with saw-like teeth H for the better protection of the contents of
the box D.
Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the letter box D is provided with the deflecting plate G
having its front edge provided with saw-like teeth H, in a similar manner to the
letter box above described; but instead of employing the spiked roller A, I employ
a deflecting plate J adjacent to the opening E or entrance for letters. This plate J
is similar to the plate G, and by having the two plates J and G inclined at opposite
angles and also having their front edges extending over the centre line of the box A,
the insertion of a stick or other article into the box is rendered practically impossible.
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. The roller A, having pins B on same, and being provided with a ratchet
motion F, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.
2. The combination of the roller A, and plate G, substantially as and for the
purposes set forth, with particular reference to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The plate G having teeth H on same, in combination with the plate J,
substantially as and for the purposes set forth, with particular reference to
Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 16th dor of Decembar AD 1806
BREWER & SON,
London and Leeds, Agents for the Applicant.