Improvements in Letter Boxes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Nov., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 5th Dec., 1892-Accepted, 11th Feb., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes.
I, FRED HUNT, of 22 Wright Street, Birmingham in the County of Warwick,
Mechanic, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention consists of the improvements herinafter described in letter boxes,
that is to say, that portion of the letter box through which communications are
passed.
The objects of my invention are to minimise as much as possible the chances of
letter boxes so fitted from being robbed of their contents.
The
I make a cast oblong plate with a slot & with two strong lugs on the back
thereof & through each drill a hole, into which is placed two screws, pins or other
convenient fixings carrying a barrel shaped casting on which is placed the word
"Letters" & through which is made two slots for the purpose herinafter described:
this barrel fills up the slot in the said oblong. plate. A lug of sufficient dimension
& suitable shape is constructed on the barrel to enable the person delivering
documents to hold the barrel into the proper position for this object to be accom-
plished. Over the screws or fixings holding the barrel I attach two springs for
the purpose of maintaining the slots in the barrel invisible when not in use.
slots in the barrel will only be wide enough for the passage of documents & not
large enough for the human hand, & are cut opposite each other to facilitate the
easy ingress of documents, & in such a position that at this operation documents
can easily be thrust into the letter box, but yet at such an angle with the face of
the plate that any contrivance intended to abstract the contents of the box could
not be made to reach them, & moreover any artifice hung in the aperatures through
which the communications pass, so as to catch them as they are deposited, would
by the action of again opening the box so distort such contrivance as to render its
object futile, and its immediate detection.
Upon the inner edges of the slots I place two small strips of such size & shape
as to prevent the withdrawal of documents by wires or other devices.
At each end of the barrel I arrange two semi-circular plates to act as bearings
for the springs & to keep the barrel in certain positions.
Dated this Seventh day of November 1892.
GEORGE DAVID TIVIUTDALE,
Agent for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes.
I FRED HUNT, of 22 Wright Street, Birmingham, in the County of Warwick,
Mechanic, 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:-
My invention consists of the improvements herinafter described of letter boxes,
that is to say, that portion of the letter box through which communications are
passed.
The objects of my invention are to minimise as much as possible the chances of
letter boxes so fitted from being robbed of their contents.
I make a cast oblong plate with a slot, such as is in general use, but with two
strong lugs cast on the back at each end of the slot.
In these lugs I place a hole through which are fixed or adjusted two screws pins
[Price 8d.]

page_text: '
or other convenient fixings, carrying a barrel shaped casting on which is placed
the word "Letters" & through which is made two slots for the purpose herinafter
described.
The
This barrel fills up the slot in the said oblong plate. A lug of sufficient
dimension & suitable shape is constructed on the barrel to enable the person
delivering documents to hold the barrel into the proper position for this object
to be accomplished. Over the screws holding the barrel I attach two springs, for
the purpose of maintaining the slots in the barrel invisible when, not in use.
slots through the barrel will only be wide enough for the passage of documents &
not large enough for the human hand, and are cut opposite each other to
facilitate the easy ingress of documents & in such a position that at this operation
documents can easily be thrust into the letter box, but yet in such angle with the
face of the plate that any contrivance intended to abstract the contents of the box
could not be made to reach them, and moreover any artifice hung in the aperatures,
through which the communications pass, so as to catch them as they are deposited
would, by the action of again opening the box, so mutilate & distort such con-
trivance as to render its object futile and its immediate detection.
Upon the inner edge of one slot I place a strip of metal of such size & shape
as to prevent the withdrawal of documents by wires & other devices.
At each end of the barrel I arrange two semi-circular plates to act as bearings
for the springs & to keep the barrel in a certain position when not in use.
And in order that my said invention may be well understood, I shall now proceed
more particularly to describe the same, reference being made to the annexed sheet
of drawings, like letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the
figures.
"
Figure 1 is a front elevation of the combination of the barrel or cylinder “b”
& the oblong cast plate a "when fixed & ready for use.
<6
Figure 2 is a back elevation of the said combination shewing the lugs "C" &
screws "D," when fixed & ready for use.
Figure 3 is a front elevation of the invention when moved into the proper
position for inserting communications, exposing to view one of the slots "F."
Figure 4 is a back elevation of the invention in the position described of
Figure 3, exposing the other slot "F."
"
Figure 5 is an end elevation shewing the barrel “B” attached to the plate "A"
by means of the screws "D" D being passed through the lugs "C" "C'
and maintained in position by the springs E E bearing upon the semi circular
plates BG and the plate A.
Figure 6 is a section shewing the cylinder or barrel when the letter box is not
in use for delivering letters.
Figure 7 is a section shewing the cylinder or barrel when held into the proper
position for letters or other communications to be passed through.
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. I claim the combination of an oblong plate A, with a cylinder or barrel B
fitted into a slot made for the purpose in the plate A.
2. The combination of the slots "F." "F." in the cylinder or barrel "B"
through which the communications pass.
3. The arrangement of two lugs, two springs and the semi-circular plates at
each end of the cylinder or barrel for the purpose of maintaining the said barrel
in the said position substantially as herein set forth.
Dated this Third day of December One thousand eight hundred and ninety-
GEORGE DAVID TIVIOTDALE,
Agent for the Applicant.