Letter Boxes.
Year: 1891

page_text: Date of Application, 13th May, 1891-Accepted, 13th June, 1891
Letter Boxes.
I, EDWARD MARKELL, of Baltimore City, State of Maryland, United States of
America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of my 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 relates to certain improvements in letter-boxes applicable both to
house-door delivery boxes and to collection boxes.
The object of the invention is to render the box more secure from robbery by
concealing the fastenings securing it in place, and by guarding the receiving-slot
more effectively than heretofore.
A further object is to so pivot the swinging gate or flapper in the receiving-slot
that it requires no spring to close, but acts by its own weight, and when closed its
outer surface is flush with that of the front of the box or the door through which
the receiving-slot is made.
And a still further object is to provide an alarm which will sound whenever the
lid of the box is opened, and indicate the deposit of mail and prevent tampering
with the box.
With these ends in view the invention consists in certain peculiarities of con-
struction and combinations of parts described hereinafter and pointed out in the
claims.
In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention:
Figure 1 represents an outside view of a portion of a street-door to which the
box is applied
Figure 2, a vertical cross-section of the box;
Figure 3, a front view with the front of the box removed;
Figure 4, a vertical section through a collection box embodying my improve-
ments;
Figure 5, a similar view to Figure 3, showing a box provided with my improved
aların bell;
Figure 6, a cross-section on line 6-6, of Figure 5.
In the drawings (Figures 1, 2, and 3,) the box is shown secured to the street-
door of a residence, and the letter, A, designates the door, and, B, the box, which
is secured to the inside of the same. The door, A., thus constitutes the front of the
box, and through it is made a rectangular opening or receiving slot, a, with a
beveled lower side, a'.
The box, B, has small openings, B', in its lower part and through which any mail
matter deposited will be readily discernible, and its bottom is closed by a hinged
lid, having a suitable lock.
A swinging gate or flapper, b, is pivotally suspended in the opening, a, from a
hanger-plate, c, which is secured to the outside of the door, A, and extends across
the upper portion of the said opening. The said flapper is provided with trunnions, b',
which project from its opposite ends, and the hanger-plate is formed with boxes, c¹,
at its ends, which fit up against the door, A, and in which said trunnions are
journaled. The said hanger-plate, between the boxes, c', is recessed or chambered
to accommodate the upper portion, 6, of the flapper, b, which is between the
trunnions, and gives room for the flapper to swing back into the box. The said
top-portion, 3, and trunnions project forward of the plane of the front face of the
flapper. The flapper, b, swings forward and its lower edge, 4, is beveled to coincide
with the beveled lower side, a', of the receiving-slot, a, and abuts against the same,
whereby the said beveled side, a', stops the flapper in its forward movement and
holds it flush with the outside face of the door, A, and the centre of gravity of the
Price R71

page_text: flapper being in front of the latter it will be kept in contact with the said beveled
surface, a', by its own weight. It will be observed that, owing to the pivots of the
flapper being located forward of the outside face of the door, A, the centre of
gravity of said flapper is correspondingly in front of the door, and if the flapper
were free to swing forward it would naturally fall to a position where it would
project from the door. It will be observed that the flapper as thus hung is pivoted
on the outside of the door, A, and that its pivots are concealed and protected by
the hanger-plate, c. It will also be apparent that the said flapper closes and
maintains its closed position by its own weight and requires no spring.
The number of the residence and the name of the occupant can be inscribed in
suitable manner on the front face of the flapper, which thus serves as a door-plate,
and also the word "Letters" or some equivalent to indicate that mail is to be
deposited through it.
At the top of the box on each side is a vertical slot, dy through the back of the
box, having an enlarged part, d, at the bottom.
At the lower part of the box, the back, C, has a horizontal slot, f, at each side.
Preliminary to hanging the box two screws, d, are fastened in the door, A, and
project therefrom, and at the proper distance below these screws another pair of
screws,, are fastened in the door and they also project from the latter; these
lower screws have elongated turn-buttons, f, on their projecting ends behind
their heads.
In hanging the box the slots, d, are fitted over the upper screws, ², the said
screws entering through the lower large parts of the slots. The box is then let
down and the back, C, drops down behind the heads of the screws, the latter
occupying the upper small parts of the slots with their heads taking over the said
back C. When the box is in this position the horizontal slots, in the lower
portion of the back, C, will be over the lower screws, ', and the buttons, f, having
previously being turned to a horizontal position, the box is pushed against the
door, A, and the said buttons enter through the slots, f. These buttons are then
turned across the slots and over the back, C, and it will be seen that the box will
be securely attached to the door. Access is had to the turn-buttons on the lower
screws through the lid or door, & in the bottom of the box, which lid is provided
for the removal of mail and has a lock, j.
By securing the box in place in this way all the fastenings are concealed within
the box, and therefore they cannot be tampered with in attempts to fraudulently
remove the box.
One or more guard devices are located in the box below the receiving slot, and
each comprises a rod, l, extending across the back of the box, and a series of
fingers, m, loosely mounted to turn on said rod, and spaced apart.
Each of these fingers has a boss, n, through which the rod, 1, extends, and a
counterbalancing arm, p, extending upward from said boss and overbalancing the
finger so that it (the arm) bears against the box and holds the finger inclined as
shown. The finger also has a limiting arm, o, extending downwardly from the
boss, n, on an angle to the finger. This arm normally stands off from the box, and
when the finger is pressed down it acts to limit its movement. The purpose of this
balanced arrangement is to permit a downward movement of the fingers and allow
the passage of a large packet. The fingers are entirely independent of each other
and they are kept apart by their bosses, n, which extend laterally.
These fingers being thus separate and independent of each other, more securely
guard the contents of the box, because while one or two of the fingers might be held
down in attempts to extract the mail, the others would catch and be raised up, and
would prevent the removal of the matter; whereas were all the fingers integral, by
pressing down on one of them all the others would be held down, and while thus
held mail might be drawn up past them.
I prefer to employ two of these guard devices one located below the other as
shown, with the fingers of the lower one directly below the interstices of the upper
This arrangement renders the box more secure from theft because if by some
one.

page_text: means the fingers of the upper guard were all held down those of the lower one
would prevent the removal of the matter in the box.
Figure 4 shows a box adapted for use as a collection box. The improved devices
héretofore described have the same construction in. this box, the difference being
that they are differently located. The receiving-slot and flapper are in the front
of the box, and the guard-fingers are also pivoted at the front of the box. Back
of the lower open portion, B1, of the box a printed card, w, having hours of
collection, is placed with a glass, w¹, in front of it.
Figures 5 and 6 show a house-door provided with an alarm-bell. In this case
the receiving-slot and flapper are substantially semi-circular and the flapper is
closed by a spring,
At one side of the flapper is fixed a bell, E, which is secured directly to the
door, A, and has on its exterior a coiled spring, D, secured at one end to the bell
and having attached to its opposite end a hammer or clapper, D', in such position
as to strike the bell. This clapper has a hooked outer end, 7, which projects over
the side edge, a², of the flapper into the path of the latter. It will be obvious
that when the flapper is pushed back it will engage the hooked end of said clapper
and push the latter away from the bell against the action of the spring, D, until
its edge, a², rides over said hooked end, when the spring will immediately return
the clapper so that it strikes the bell and sounds the alarm. When the clapper
springs shut it rides over the clapper which has a curved back surface, q',
for this purpose. The clapper in its normal position stands off from the bell,
so that it will have room to readily move out of the path of the lid as the latter
closes.
The clapper of the bell is so located with respect to the flapper that the latter
cannot be opened a sufficient distance to insert the hand without ringing the alarm,
and hence besides indicating the arrival of the mail, tampering with the box will
be detected.
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 :-
1st. A letter-box having a receiving-slot in one side provided with a beveled
lower side, and a swinging flapper pivoted in said slot and adapted to open back
into the box and provided with a beveled lower side which coincides with the
beveled lower side of the said receiving-slot and is adapted to abut against the
same, the pivot of said swinging flapper being located in front of the outside
surface of the side of the box in which the receiving-slot is made, for the purpose
described.
2nd. A letter-box having a receiving-slot in one side provided with a beveled
lower side, and a swinging flapper pivoted in said slot and adapted to open back
into the box and provided with a beveled lower edge which coincides with the
beveled lower side of the said receiving-slot, and is adapted to abut against the
same, the pivot of said flapper being located in front of the outside surface of the side
of the box in which the receiving-slot is made and also in front of the face of the
Happer, whereby when the latter is closed its front surface is flush with that of the
said box-side which has the receiving-slot.
3rd. The combination of the door, A, having a receiving-slot with a beveled
lower side, a box, B, secured to said door, a swinging flapper hung in said slot and
opening back into the said box and having suitable trunnions projecting from its
opposite ends and a beveled lower edge which abuts against the said beveled lower
side of the receiving-slot in the door, and a hanger-plate secured on the outside of
the said door and extending across the upper portion of the slot in the latter, and
having boxes at its opposite ends in which the trunnions of the flapper are journaled,
the said hanger-plate covering the upper portion of said flapper.
4th. The combination of a box having an upper back portion provided with
vertical slots, said box also having a back portion at its lower part provided with

page_text: Horizontal slots; and upper and lower securing screws, the upper screws for
engaging the vertical slots in the upper part of the box with their heads taking
over the back part of the box, and the lower screws having turn-buttons, which
extend through the slots in the lower back portion of the box and take over the
said back portion.
5th. In a letter-box, a guard below the receiving-slot comprising one or more
series of inclined fingers arranged to have a vertical movement each independent
of the others.
6th. In a letter-box, a guard below the receiving-slot comprising one or more
series of inclined pivotal fingers arranged to have a vertical movement cach
independent of the others.
7th. In a letter-box, a guard below the receiving-slot comprising a rod and a
series of fingers mounted to turn thereon and having projecting arms which
hold them in an inclined position, said fingers being independent of each other.
8th. In a letter-box, a guard below the receiving-siot comprising two series of
pivotal guard-fingers one located below the other, and the fingers of each series
independent of each other.
9th. In a letter-box a guard below the receiving-slot comprising one or more
series of pivotal fingers each independent of the others and each provided with a
projecting counterbalancing arm holding it in an inclined position and a limiting
arm to limit its downward movement.
10th, In a letter-box, the combination of a hinged flapper opening into the
box, a bell located at one side of the said flapper and having a clapper attached
to the end of a spring on the exterior of the bell, said clapper projecting over
the edge of the hinged Happer whereby when the latter is opened back its
edge engages the clapper and pusies it away from the bell against the action
of the spring and then trips the said clapper and allows the spring to return
it against the bell, the said clapper normally standing off from the bell and having
a curved back surface over which the edge of the flapper rides when the latter
closes.
11th. The combination of the door, A, having a suitable opening, a spring-
actuated hinged flapper closing said opening, a box secured to the door and
including said flapper, and a bell in the box at one side of said flapper having a
spring clapper on its exterior projecting over the edge of the flapper and normally
standing off from the bell and provided with a curved back surface, for the purpose
described.
Dated this 20th day of Anril 1891
EDWARD MARKELL.