IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER RECEIVINGING BOXES AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES
Year: 1862

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Thomas Edwards, of Liverpool, in the County of
Lancaster, Gas Engineer, and Joseph Harrison, of Liverpool, aforesaid,
Ironmonger, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER RECEIVING
Sealed the 10th October 1862, and dated the 16th April 1862.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Thomas Edwards and
Joseph Harrison, at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with
their Petition, on the 16th April 1862.
I, THOMAS EDWARDS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gas
Engineer, and JOSEPH HARRISON, of Liverpool, aforesaid, Ironmonger, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER RECEIVING
BOXES AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES," to be as follows (that is to say) :-
This Invention has for its object the construction of letter boxes and other
like receptacles in such a way as to prevent letters or other articles deposited
therein being surreptitiously extracted therefrom. A letter receiving box or
other like receptacle, constructed according to this Invention, consists of a
vertical parallelogramical or other suitable shaped box or chamber having in
front and near the upper end thereof an opening for inserting the letters or
other articles therein. This opening is fitted with a swinging port or cover
which, when pressed backward, folds inwards and upwards. The vertical
sides of the swinging cover are fitted with a short arm or bracket or other
mechanical equivalent which project backward at a right or nearly right
anglo to the hinder surface of the port. The outer ends of these arms are
fitted with an horizontal stud or pin projecting laterally from the sides thereof

page_text: and to which is suspended a vertical link rod of a somewhat greater length
than the longest letter or other article to be deposited in the box; the lower
end of this link rod is jointed to a short stud or arm springing from the side of
a flap or leaf which is jointed horizontally across the back of the box and is
capable of being turned upwards so as to fill the horizontal sectional area of
the chamber. A little above the last-described flap a second flap or leaf is
jointed horizontully across the inside of the front of the box or chamber. The
axle of this flap is fitted at each end with a lever extending parallel with the
sides of the leaf, and which rest upon arms springing from the vertical side
link rods and project horizontally forward. By this arrangement it will be
seen that if the swinging port be pressed backward for inserting a letter or
other purpose, the side link rods are slightly elevated, which draws up the
lower flap or leaf attached to their lower ends, and the crank arms on the ends
of the upper flap or leaf resting on the horizontal projecting arms which spring
from the front of the connecting rods, elevating the upper leaf to an horizontal
position immediately above and parallel with the lower leaf, thereby cutting off
all communication with the lower part of the chamber, and upon the cover of
the receiving opening being released so as to fall vertically down and close the
opening, the two leaves fall down to a vertical position and allow the letter or
other article to fall below the leaves where it is shut off from the upper part of
the chamber every time the swinging flap is removed for the insertion of
another letter, or for any other purpose, as it cannot be opened without
elevating the cut off leaves to an horizontal position, thereby preventing
by any possible means the extraction of letters or other articles through the
opening by which they were inserted. The sides of the box are formed double
between which the vertical link rods and so forth work, the axles to which
they are jointed working through segmental slots cut through the inner
casing
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Thomas Edwards and Joseph Harrison, in the Great 3
Seal Patent Office on the 16th October 1862.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, we, THOMAS
EDWARDS, of Liverpool, in the County of Lancaster, Gas Engineer, and
JOSEPH HARRISON, of Liverpool, aforesaid, Ironmonger, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters 3
Patent, bearing date the Sixteenth day of April, in the year of our Lord

page_text: One thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, in the twenty-fifth year of Her
reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto us.
the said Thomas Edwards and Joseph Harrison, Her special licence,
that we, the said Thomas Edwards and Joseph Harrison, our executors,
administrators, and assigns, or such others as we, the said Thomas Edwards
and Joseph Harrison, our executors, administrators, and assigns, should
at any time agree with, and no others, from time to time and at all times
thereafter during the term therein expressed, should and lawfully might
make, use, exercise, and vend, within the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER RECEIVING BOXES AND OTHER LIKE RECEPTACLES,"
upon the condition (amongst others) that we, the said Thomas Edwards and
Joseph Harrison, our executors or administrators, by an instrument in
writing under our, or their, or one of their hands and seals, should particularly
describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner
the same was to be performed, and cause the same to be filed in the Great
Seal Patent Office within six calendar months next and immediately after
the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that we, the said Thomas Edwards and Joseph Harrison,
do hereby declare the nature of our said Invention, and in what manner the
same is to bo performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement (that is to say):-
This our said Invention has for its object the construction of letter boxes and
other like receptacles in such a way as to prevent letters or other articles
deposited therein being surreptitiously extracted therefrom through the opening
by which they are inserted. A letter receiving box, or other like receptacle,
constructed according to this our said Invention may consist of a vertical,
parallelogramical, or other suitable shaped box or chamber, having in front and
near the upper end thereof an opening for inserting the letters or other articles
therein; this opening is fitted with a swinging port or cover which, when
pressed back ward, opens inward and upwards. The vertical sides of the swinging
cover we fit with a short arm or bracket (or other mechanical equivalent)
which projects back ward at a right or nearly right angle to the hinder surface
of the port. The outer ends of these arms we fit with an horizontal stud
or pin projecting. laterally from the sides thereof, and to which we suspend a
vertical link rod of a somewhat greater length than the longest letter or other
article to be deposited in the box; the lower end of this link rod we joint to
a short stud. or arm springing from the side of a flap, or leaf jointed hori-
zontally across the back of the box, and is capable of being turned upwards,

page_text: so as to fill the horizontal area of the chamber. A little above the last-
described flap, a second flap or leaf is jointed horizontally across the inside of
the front of the box or chamber. The axle of this flap we fit at each end with
a lever extending parallel with the sides of the leaf, and which rests upon arms
springing from the vertical side link rods, and project horizontally forward.
By this arrangement it will be seen that if the swinging port be pressed
backwards for inserting a letter, or other purpose, the side link rods are
slightly elevated, which draws up the lower flap or leaf attached to their lower
ends, and the crank arms on the ends of the upper flap or leaf resting on the
horizontal projecting arms which spring from the front of the connecting rods
elevating the upper leaf to an horizontal position, immediately above and
parallel with the lower leaf, thereby cutting off all communication with the
lower part of the chamber, and upon the cover of the receiving opening being
released so as to fall vertically down and close the opening, the two leaves fall
down to a vertical position and allow the letter or other article to fall below the
leaves, where it is shut off from the upper part of the chamber every time the
swinging flap is removed for the insertion of another letter, or for any other
purpose, as it cannot be opened without elevating the cut-off leaves to an
horizontal position, thereby preventing by any possible means the extraction of
letters or other articles through the opening by which they were inserted.
The sides of the box are formed double, between which the vertical link rods
and so forth work, the axles to which they are jointed working through seg-
mental slots cut through the inner casing. That this our said Invention may
be the more readily seen and understood we have hereunto annexed Drawings
of one of our improved letter receiving boxes suitable to be applied to a street
or other door. Like letters marked thereon are used to denote similar parts.
Figure 1 is a front elevation of one of our improved letter boxes constructed
to be applied to the back of a door, the door itself in this case forming the front
of the box; Figure 2 is also a front elevation of the same shown with the
entrance port opened to receive a letter, and the lower flaps or leaves elevated
to an oblique position, so as to close off the upper from the lower part of the
box, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 3; Figure 3 is a vertical sectional
elevation of the same, the dotted lines showing the position of the flaps and
levers when the receiving port is opened to admit a letter or other article;
Figure 4 is a detached side view of the ports, levers, and flaps, and showing
the passage through the door, which is closed by an outer port, which acts
upon the inner port, through a rigid projecting arm attached to the back of
the first swinging port; Figure 5 is a front view of the inner swinging port (F)
and one of the lower flaps connected by the side rods (H).

page_text: A, the external casing; B, a glass door in the lower part of the box into
which the letters or other articles are received; C, the door to which the
improved letter box is attached; D, an ordinary swing port of a letter box
inserted in the front of the door; E, a short arm attached to the back of the
port (D), which actuates F, the inner port, which works in f, fixed centres; G,
projecting lever plates on the back of the inner port (F), and to which is
jointed the heads of H, vertical link rods which are fitted with I, projecting
arms, which act upon K, the levers or arms of L, the upper of the dividing
flaps which works in fixed bearing (at f); M, the lower dividing flap, which
is jointed to the back of the box (at f), and is provided with m, short studs
or arms, to which is jointed the lower ends of the link rods (H); N is a small
covering piece extending across the back of the box, above the joint of the flap M.
Having now fully described and ascertained the nature of this our said
Invention, and how we believe the same may be best carried into practical
effect, we wish it to be understood that we do not confine ourselves to the
precise details, relative dimensions, or proportions herein-before described and
set forth, as it will be readily seen and understood that the same may be
considerably varied without departing from the Invention, but what we do
claim is the construction and use of letter-boxes and other like receptacles
with two or more cut-off flaps, or leaves, or their mechanical equivalent, in
connection with and actuated by the opening and closing of a port or cover
applied to the opening by which the letters or other articles are inserted into
the receptacle, whereby the lower part of the box is divided from the upper
portion during the time the cover of the receiving orifice is open, substantially
and in the manner and for the purpose herein-before described and set forth.
In witness whereof, we, the said Thomas Edwards and Joseph Harrison
have hereunto set our hands and affixed our seals, this Fifteenth day
of October, in the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and
civte two
Witness,
WILLIAM WALKER,
of 44, Castle Street,
Liverpool.
THOMAS (L.S.) EDWARDS.
JOSEPH (L.s.) HARRISON.