Mail Box Time Indicator.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 14th Nov., 1899-Accepted, 13th Jan., 1900
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by THE MONTAGUE INDICATOR AND LETTER Box
COMPANY, a Corporation organized and existing under and by virtue of the
laws of the State of California, U.S.A., and having its place of business at
Room 7, 4th Floor, Mills Building, City and County of San Francisco,
California. U.S.A.]
Mail Box Time Indicator.
I, VICTOR ISIDORE FEENY, of 60, Queen Victoria Street, London, E.C., Char-
tered Patent Agent, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what
manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement:-
The object of this invention is to provide an attachment for street mail collect-
ing boxes by which the time when the following mail is collected the out-going
mail with which the collections will connect, and other matter will be shown by
the opening and closing of the box.
Referring to the accompanying drawings,—
Fig. 1 is an external view of the box. Fig. 2 is a face view of the inside
mechanism with door opened. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the belt actuating
mechanism. Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the centre of the belt. Fig. 5
shows one end of a plate. Fig. 6 is a detail of the locking of the permanent card.
Fig. 7 is a plan of the clamping device of the lower roller to its guides
The apparatus necessary to carry out this invention may be attached to
letter-boxes already in use by bolting the containing compartments thereon,
and in new boxes the containing compartment may be formed integral with
the remainder of the box.
The box is of the usual character, having an opening at one end through which
letters are dropped into it, and a locked door R of some description which can
be opened only by an official having a key, through which door the letters are
removed from time to time.
A is a compartment formed or fixed upon the front of such letter-box having
a horizontal slot 1 in the front, and a chain of plates H are linked together or
connected with carrying chains 1) which pass over rollers B and B¹ placed
respectively at the top and bottom of the compartment, so that when the rollers
are turned, the chain of plates is advanced and a new one is brought before the
opening.
Upon ench plate thus presented before the opening is imprinted the time
when the next collection will take place, and the out-going nail upon which
the letters thus collected will be sent.
The opening through which these plates are visible may be covered with glass
or otherwise protected from the clements or from injury.
The rollers or drums over which the chains pass are turned by pawl and rat-
chet mechanisms which are connected directly with the door of the letter-box
so that whenever said door is opened and closed, the chain will be advanced one
section and tlius expose the succeeding indicator plate.
The ratchet wheel K is fixed upon the shaft of the upper sprocket chain

page_text: wheel C, and by its side is a polygonal wheel L against which a flat spring M
presses so that when the chain wheel is turned by the movement of the door,
this polygonal wheel will turn with it and the flat spring M will be lifted to
pass over the angle of the polygon, and will afterwards rest upon the flat side of
the wheel thus locking it, so that it will not be turned except by actual force.
The ratchet wheel K is moved by means of a vertical rod O having a pink
which will engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel K when the bar is raised to its
highest point, and when the bar is pulled down by its connection with the door I
of the letter box, it will turn the ratchet wheel one tooth and thus advance the
chain of indicating strips to bring the next one in line with the inspection
opening.
Any suitable connection may be made between the bar which turns the rat-
chet wheel and the door of the letter box. As here shown the door It is hinged
or pivoted at the bottom and tilts about this pivot.
A crank arm P is fixed upon a shaft which extends through to the letter-
containing compartment of the box, and this arm has a crank Q upon its inner
end.
This crank is connected with the door R by a link S, one end of which is con-
nected with the crank Q and the other with a pin fixed in the side of the door.
The link is slotted so that the door may move through a considerable portion
of its travel without acting upon the crank shaft and connecting pawl-carrying
bar.
When the door is closed, the latter part of the closing movement, acts through
the crank arm and shaft to push the ratchet-operating bar upward until it en-
gages a tooth in the ratchet wheel.
When the door is again opened, the slot in the link allows the door to move
through a considerable part of its travel without actuating the pawl rod, but tho
latter part of the movement of the door acts to pull the pawl rod down, and thus
turn the ratchet wheel forward one tooth as before described.
The pawl bar is made with an inclined offset 01 which contacts with a slot
in a transverse bar S1 fixed in its path of travel so as to push the bar backwardly
and away from the ratchet wheel at the end of its downward movement.
A spring T is fixed to press upon the rear edge of the bar O, so that when the
bar is moved upwardly, this spring pushes it forward into position to again
engage the next tooth of the ratchet.
By this construction a positive action of all the parts is produced, and the belt
carrying the announcements will be advanced one section each time the door R
is opened and closed.
The lower roller around which the endless chains pass, is journaled in boxes E,
which are slidable up and down in vertical guides F, and the roller may either
be suspended by its own weight, or it may be adjusted upon the guides and fixed
by clamping nut C upon screws g.
The links of the chains are so connected that they may be easily separated,
as shewn on Figure 5 and any rearrangement of the announcement strips can be
made by removing or adding these strips and their operating chains, as the
lower roller can be moved up or down on its guides to accommodate these charges,
and the plates or strips are each hung from the one immediately above, link 1)
engaging a hook d, the latter being secured to the plate.
The number of collections made during the week-day may be very much
greater than those which occur on Sundays and holidays, and the announcement
belt is therefore thrown out of operation by means of a swinging arm U, one end
of which is pivoted to the interior frame-work.
The swinging arm is formed similarly to the announcing strips H of the belt
and carries a card upon which is printed "Sundays and holidays, for time of col-
lection see card below," or some like announcement, and upon the front of the
box is fixed a permanent card V which gives the times of collections for such
days.

page_text: The opposite end of the swinging arm U extends across the edge of the pawl-
carrying bar or rod O when this swinging bar has been thrown into horizontal
position, and it has a lug which acts to press the pawl bar back and out of
contact with the ratchet wheel at the top. The arm may be swung up to its
horizontal position by means of handle u', see Fig. 3.
In this condition the door R of the letter-box may be opened and closed
without in any way acting to move the chains and indicator slips.
When the swinging arm has been moved into its horizontal position, the
printed matter upon it referring to Sundays and holidays, covers the slot I,
through which the cards are usually exposed so that the chain of slips cannot
be seen while this arm is in position, and the mechanism is prevented from
moving.
This bar is moved into position across the opening I when the last collection
is made on Sunday night, and remains in this position during Sunday, or the
holiday.
At the last collection of such Sunday or holiday the bar is moved into its
vertical position which it occupies during the week, and the mechanism is then
in position to operate in the usual manner.
The information cards are preferably printed slips which are held in place
upon the metal strips H by flanges around the edges into which the cards fit
and by which they are retained.
Jis a guide or fence for the purpose of keeping the indicating plates against
the slot . The card V is held in position by means of a suitable metal or other
backing plate W entering a recess v at the bottom & held at top by means of
a rotatable clip Z capable of being inserted into a slot 7, see Figures 4 and 6.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of this said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what
I claim is:-
1st. In a letter collecting box, a main chamber for mail matter having a
partition across its front forming independent chambers, suid front chamber
having a transverse open slot through its front, rollers journaled in the upper
and lower portions of the front supplemental chamber, an endless belt com-
prising endless chains and sluts or sections bearing dates of collection thereon,
a discharge door leading to the main chamber of the box, a vertically slidable
bar movable in the end of the supplemental chamber, connections between said
har and the discharge door whereby the bar is reciprocated in unison with the
movements of the door and an engaging pin carried by the upper end of the slide
adapted to engage with a ratchet wheel fixed upon the upper roller shaft, where-
by the latter is moved and the belt advanced by each movement of the discharge
door.
2nd. A letter box having a main letter chamber, and a second chamber in
front thereof, within which is an endless chain of announcement plates, and
pawl and ratchet mechanism, with an arm and link connecting it with the door
of the letter box so that each opening and closing of the door moves the announce
ment plates forward a slot through the front of the chamber to expose each
announcement plate as it passes, and a hinged arm movable so as to close the
slot and simultaneously disengage the pawl and stop the movement of the chain
of plates.
Piatto.
Dated this 14th day of November 1899.
For the Applicant,
GEDGE & TEENY,
Chartered Patent Agents, 60, Quecu Victoria Street, Loudon, E.C.