IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO INDICATING OR DISPLAYING THE TIMES OF COLLECTION OF POSTAL BOXES AND OTHER PERIODICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.
Year: 1878

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Ollis, of 169, Islington, Liverpool, in the County
of Lancaster, Engineer, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING
TO INDICATING OR DISPLAYING THE TIMES OF COLLECTION OF POSTAL BOXES
AND OTHER PERIODICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IN APPARATUS THEREFOR.'
"
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Ollis at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 5th March 1878.
"'
.
THOMAS OLLIS, of 169, Islington, Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Engineer.
IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO INDICATING OR DISPLAYING THE TIMES OF
COLLECTION OF POSTAL BOXES AND OTHER PERIODICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR.”
•
This Invention consists in a wheel or roller with the announcements engraved;
painted, or marked thereon longitudinally on the periphery; this can be made to
rotate behind an open slit in the box or structure to which the apparatus is applied.
A ratchet wheel on the axle of this roller has a pawl working in it; there is also a
locking gear. A single lever works both the pawl and locking gear, so that the
roller cannot turn without moving the lever, or vice versa; this I apply to post-
office pillar boxes and other receptacles to indicate the time of next collection or
otherwise; the opening or closing of the door, as the case may be, is usually arranged
to advance the roller by pressing back the lever.
.
Should for any purpose the box have to be opened or closed at an irregular time
the entire circumference of the roller may be turned by oscillating the lever till it
comes to the right announcement; or a special contrivance could be applied,
which by loosening the locking wheel (such as a sliding spring clutch) would admit
of the box being opened without moving the roller, or the roller turned by hand
and reset.

page_text: Frequently it is found that the space is very limited; in such cases I place the
announcements on the front of a slide sliding over a perforation capable of showing
one announcement only at a time. The back of the slide has a ratchet rack, in
which a spring or spring pawl works; the shutting or opening of the door compresses
the spring, or in other inanner noves the pawl one tooth of the ratchet the slide is
kept from falling back by a second pawl or a spring by friction on a piece of
wood, rubber, or other material pressing against it, or in any other of the very
numerous ways suitable for the purpose. The slide of course slides in a guide or
guides, and can be perfectly flat, or in special cases curved to suit. A stop can be
placed to prevent the slide going too far in either direction. At the end of the day
the spring or pawl can be lifted, and the slide placed back in position; or if two
pawls are used it could be arranged to spring back by means of a spring or its own
weight whenever the two pawls are simultaneously lifted.
It will be seen at once that this apparatus is applicable not only to post-office
pillar boxes, but also in other cases where announcements forming a regular series
have to be changed in consecutive order whenever a certain intermittent action takes
place (such as in the case of pillar boxes the opening of the door), the lever being so
arranged as to be oscillated whenever the aforesaid action is made.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by the
said Thomas Ollis in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 5th September
1878.
THOMAS OLLIS, of 169, Islington, Liverpool, in the County of Lancastor, Engineer.
"IMPROVEMENTS IN OR APPERTAINING TO INDICATING OR DISPLAYING THE TIMES OF
COLLECTION OF POSTAL BOXES AND OTHER PERIODICAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, AND IN
APPARATUS THEREFOR."
This Invention consists in a wheel or roller with the announcements engraved,
painted, or marked thereon longitudinally on the periphery; this can be made to
rotate bebind an open slit in the box or structure to which the apparatus is
applied. A ratchet wheel on the axle of this roller has a pawl working in it; there
is also a locking gear. A single lever works both the pawl and locking gear, so
that the roller cannot turn without moving the lever, or vice versa; this I apply
to post-office pillar boxes and other receptacles to indicate the time of next collec-
tion or otherwise; the opening or closing of the door, as the case may be, is usually
arranged to advance the roller by pressing back the lever.
-Should for any purpose the box have to be opened or closed at an irregular time,
partly or the entire circumference of the roller may be turned by oscillating the
lever. till it comes to the right announcement; or a special contrivance could be
applied, which by loosening locking wheel (such as a sliding spring clutch) would
admit of the box being opened without moving the roller, or the roller turned by
hand and reset.

page_text: AL
plan vo
and I much prefer the two plans hereafter described, I will therefore not dwell on it
further.
Referring to the Drawings, Fig. 1 represents a front view of the slide apparatus,
which I will now describe fixed to the back of the pillar box door thrown open;
Fig. 2 is a side section of same, and of plate on door.
I place the announcements on the front of a slide A, sliding over a perforation B,
capable of showing one announcement only at a time; the back of the slide has a
ratchet rack C, in which a spring pawl D works; the shutting or opening of the
door compresses the spring against a plate K fixed inside the letter box, and so
moves the pawl one tooth of the ratchet, or it can be operated in any other manner.
The slide is kept from falling back by a second pawl or a spring by friction on a
piece of wood, rubber, or other material pressing against it, or in any other of the
very numerous ways suitable for the purpose. The plan I prefer is shewn in the
Drawing.
D is a pawl hinged to a flat plate E, which is pivotted to bearings G in the frame
of the apparatus; the lower end of the pawl plate E when not moving rests against
a flat plate H on the frame I, against which it is pressed by spring J. The pawl
abuts against stops M, when it is forced forward to lift the ratchet by coining
against plate K; the slide of course slides in a guide or guides I, and can be per-
fectly flat, as shown, or in special cases curved to suit. A spring N prevents it
moving too easily; a stop L can be placed to prevent the slide going too far in
either direction. At the end of the day the spring or pawl can be lifted, and the
slide placed back in position; or if two pawls are used it could be arranged to spring
back by means of a spring or its own weight whenever the two pawls are simul-
taneously lifted.
The apparatus just described takes up little room, and is not liable to get out of
order, but it has the disadvantage of having to be resot every time the announce-
ments have all been displayed.
'
"
To remedy this I have designed an improvement on it, shewn in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7,
and 8.
Fig. 4 is a front view of the apparatus ready to be fixed on a door; Fig. 5, side
view of same.
Fig. 6, plan of inside mechanism, the cover and slide being removed.
Fig. 7, section through X, V, looking towards top of apparatus.
Fig. 8, section through Z, Y, looking towards bottom, and turned round so as to
be right side up.
I make the slide A¹ circular instead of rectangular, and cause it to revolve with
pivot D¹ in bearing D; the numbers are inscribed on the dial face, as shown in
Fig. 4, and shown through hole B¹ in case. On pivot D¹, to which slide A¹ is
screwed tight or otherwise rigidly attached, I attach ratchet wheel C having
straight teeth, as shewn in Figure 6. Above this wheel on the same spindle I fix
another toothed wheel F having curved teeth, as shewn; these two are or can be
carefully cast in one piece. E' is a pawl pivoted to one of the arms of slide-G¹,
forming part of or attached to the bevelled bolt or shoot H¹; the other arm of
slide G has a raised projection at its lower end 1', which prevents the wheel Fl
being turned at wrong times, being aided in this by the pawl K. Stop L' prevents
the slide G¹ and its pawls being pushed back too far. A spring J¹ presses against
pawl E¹; M³ is a bent or flat spring, pressing slide G+ upwards; N1, N³, are flanges
screwed or attached to the case for attaching it to the pillar box or other receptacle ;
O', 0¹, are lugs for the purpose of screwing or bolting on the covers of the
apparatus.
On the door to which the apparatus is attached being shut to, the bolt H¹ being
bevelled at an acute angle with the case, on striking against the top of the doorway
is depressed; this forces down the slide G¹, causing the pawl El to come against
one of the straight sided teeth of wheel C, thereby advancing it one tooth; then
the pawl K¹ stops further motion in that direction, and the spring M' pushing up

page_text: the slide G¹ again to its proper position the projection I comes against wheel F¹,
and locks the wheel, so that it cannot be moved while the door remains closed.
By these combined operations a fresh number is exhibited at B'.
It will be seen that the action of this apparatus is continuous.
The various apparatus shewn might be greatly varied without departing from
the principle of my Invention; the forms of indicators shewn may be applied to
other purposes than those above stated, as it will be seen at once that these apparatus
are applicable not only to post-office pillar boxes, but also in other cases where
announcements forming a regular series have to be changed in consecutive order
whenever a certain intermittent action takes place (such as in the case of pillar
boxes the opening and shutting of the door), the operating mechanism being so
arranged as to be actuated whenever the aforesaid action is made.
Having now described my Invention, and the best modes known to me of
carrying it into effect, I wish it to be understood that what I believe to be new and
desire to claim under the herein-before in part recited Letters Patent is,-
1. The application to post-office pillar boxes and similar receptacles of apparatus
for indicating the times of collection or delivery or other similar announcements
worked automatically by the opening or shutting of the door, lid, or other moving
part.
2. The indicating apparatus, substantially as described in Figs. 1 and 2, for the
purposes described.
3. The indicating apparatus, substantially as described in Figs. 4 to 8, for the
purposes described.
•
In witness whereof; I, the said Thomas Ollis, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twenty-eighth day of August, in the year of our Lord One thousand
eight hundred and seventy-eight.
Witness,
E. GARDNER COLTON,
Of Messrs. W. P. Thompson & Co.'s
'
Patent Office,
6, Lord St.,
L'pool.
THOMAS OLLIS. (L.S.)