Certain Improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895
2007
20th Mov 4907
Date of Application, 23rd July, 1895
Complete Specification Left, 23rd Apr., 1907 Accepted, 20th May, 1907
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Certain Improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes.
1, ARTHUR BUFTON, of 247, Bell Barn Road, in the City of Birmingham,
Wholesale Confectiouer, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
This invention consists of the hercindescribed improvements in or connected with
letter boxes, so as to prevent the contents from being surreptitiously withdrawn
and so as to prevent letters from being inserted in the letter slit when the letter
box is full.
According to one arrangement of carrying out my invention, I provide inside
the letter box a hollow cylinder with its axis parallel with the letter box slit.
This cylinder, which I call the outer cylinder, is made with a long slit at one side
corresponding with the letter slit in the letter box and this said cylinder also has
another similar slit in the lower end of the same. This outer cylinder contains
another cylinder, which I call the inner cylinder, and which is free to turn inside
the outer cylinder the latter being stationary. The inner cylinder is pierced from
side to side by a passage large enough to contain the largest letter or packet which
will pass through the letter slit and this passage is so arranged relatively to the
two slits in the outer cylinder that when the front end of the said passage matches
the slit in the outer cylinder corresponding with the letter slit, the other end of the
said passage is closed by a blank part of the outer cylinder. The inner cylinder is
arranged to turn freely on end bearings and is counter weighted by a knob or other
means so that it normally lies in such a position that a letter can be inserted
through the letter slit of the letter box and through one of the slits in the outer
cylinder into the chamber or passage in the inner cylinder. Upon raising the said
knob the inner cylinder is turned thereby closing the entrance to the same and
bringing the other end of the said passage or chamber in the inner cylinder opposite
to the lower slit in the outer cylinder so that the letter then falls into the letter
hox, and as the opening to the inner cylinder is closed it is impossible to insert any
instrument into the letter box to remove anything therefrom. Upon the said knob
being released the counter-weight or spring brings the inner cylinder back to its
normal position ready to receive another letter the outlet from the iuner cylinder
being closed by a blank part of the outer cylinder.
Instead of applying my invention inside the letter box as above described, my
said invention may be similarly arranged outside the letter box, what I have
described as the lower slit in the outer cylinder being in this case arranged to
correspond with the outside of the letter slit in the letter box so that the letters
pass into the letter box after passing through the passage in the inner cylinder.
In a modification of my invention 1 dispense with the said cylinders and instead
of the inner cylinder I use a box like compartment of a size to receive the largest
packet or letter which is required to be posted in the letter box and arranged to
turn on end pivots aud made with a flange at its lower side, and in combination
with this chamber or receptacle there is a bar fixed within the letter box in such
a position as to close the outlet from the said chamber when in the position to
receive a letter. After the letter has been posted into the said chamber and the
chamber has been turned upon its eud pivots as aforesaid so as to raise one open
side and depress the other, the said flange will close the letter slit and at the same

page_text: time the lower side of the said chamber will turn past the fixed bar and allow of
the letter or packet sliding down into the letter box.
It will be seen that in all the arrangements above described when the letter box
is full the last letter posted will not slide out of the inner cylinder or the swinging
chamber, but becomes jamined against the outer cylinder or the fixed bar thus
preventing the inner cylinder or chamber being turned far enough for another
letter to be inserted thereiu or for the jammed letter to be removed without first
opening the letter box.
Dated this 22nd day of Jule 1806
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.
ertain improvements in or connected with Letter Boxes.
I, ARTHUR BUFTON, of 247, Bell Barn Road, in the City of Birmingham,
Wholesale Confectioner, 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 :-
This invention consists of the hercindescribed improvements in or connected with
letter boxes so as to prevent the contents from being surreptitiously withdrawn and
so as to prevent letters from being inserted in the letter slit when the letter box
is full.
My invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings on which Fig. 1 is
a front elevation and Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional side elevations of a letter box with
my invention applied; Fig. 4 is a side elevation and Fig. 5 is a front elevation of
a part of my said invention; Fig. 6 is a front view and Figs. 7 and 8 are sectional
side elevations of a letter box provided with another form of my invention and
Fig. 9 is a plan of a part of the same.
The same letters of reference indicate the same or corresponding parts in all the
figures.
According to one arrangement of carrying out my invention, (see Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4
and 5) I provide on the top of the letter box A a hollow cylinder B which I call
the outer cylinder, made with the letter slit at one side and another similar
slit in the lower part of the same. This outer cylinder B contains another
cylinder C (shewn separately by Figs. 4 and 5), which I call the inner cylinder,
and which is free to turn inside the outer stationary cylinder B on the axle
pins c. The inner cylinder C is pierced from side to side by a passage D large
enough to contain the largest letter or packet which will pass through the letter
slit and this passage D is so arranged relatively to the two slits in the outer
cylinder B that when the front end of the passage D matches the letter slit b'in
the outer cylinder B (as in Fig. 2) the other end of the passage D is closed by
a blank part of the outer cylinder B. The inner cylinder C is arranged to turn
freely on the end bearings c c and is counter weighted by the weight e so that it
normally lies in the position shewn by Fig. 2 so that a letter can be inserted
through the letter slit & into the chamber or passage D in the cylinder B. The
inner cylinder is provided with a knob projecting through a slit 6³ in the
outer cylinder B so that upon raising the knob the inner cylinder C is turned to
the position shewn by Fig. 3 thereby closing the entrance to the same and
bringing the other end d' of the passage or chamber D opposite to the lower slit 2
in the outer cylinder B so that the letter then falls from the chamber D into the
letter box A, and as the opening ' to the inner cylinder C is closed by the outer

page_text: cylinder B it is impossible to insert any instrument into the letter box A to remove
anything therefrom. Upon the knob being released the counter weight e (or a
spring) brings the inner cylinder C back to its normal position as shewn in Figs. 1
and 2 ready to receive another letter the outlet d from the inner cylinder C being
closed by a blank part of the outer cylinder B. Fixed to the knob e there is a
guard projecting above and below the knob to cover the slit 6.
In the modification of my invention shewn by Fig. 6, 7, 8 and 9 I dispense with
the cylinders B and C and instead of the inner cylinder C I use in the letter box-A
and arranged just at the back of the letter slit a' of the same a box like
compartment D of a size to receive the largest packet or letter which is required
to be posted in the letter box and made with open ends d' d and arranged to turn
on side pivots and made with a flange d at its lower front side, and in
combination with this chamber or receptacle D there is a bar F fixed within the
latter box A in such a position as to close the outlet d² from the chamber D when
in the position shewn by Fig. 7 ready to receive a letter. After the letter has
been posted through the letter slit a' into the chamber D and the latter has heen
turned upon its side pivots cc as aforesaid and as shewn by Fig. 8 so as to
raise the one open side d' and depress the other d", the flange d' will close the letter
slit a and at the same time the lower side d² of the chamber D will turu past
the fixed bar F and allow of the letter or packet sliding down into the letter
box A.
It will be seen that in the arrangements above described when the letter box A
is full the last letter posted will not slide out of the inner cylinder C or the
swinging chamber D, but becomes jammed against the outer cylinder B or against
the fixed bar F thus (as the letter slit is closed) preventing the inner cylinder C
or chamber D from being turned far enough for another letter to be inserted
therein or for the jammed letter to be removed without first opening the letter
box.
The lower edge of the outlet d' may if desired be toothed as shewn in Fig. 9 so
as the better to prevent a letter or package being drawn up out of the letter box
by a string as is now sometimes done.
It is to be understood that my invention is not limited to the precise details
shewn upon my drawings as evidently these may be varied without departing from
the nature of my invention.
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 :-
1. The combination with a letter box of an outer cylinder made with a side inlet
for the letters and an outlet into the letter box below the inlet, said outer cylinder
containing an inner cylinder adapted to turn on a cross axis and made with a cross
passage so arrangol that when the inner cylinder is turned in one direction the
entrance of the said cross passage matches the letter slit and the outlet from the
said passage is closed and when the inner cylinder is turned in the opposite
direction the inner cylinder closes the letter slit and the contents of the said
passage slide down into the letter box all substantially as hereinbefore described
with reference to Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
2. In a letter box and in combination with the horizontal letter slit in the same
the employment of an open ended letter chamber or receptacle adapted to turn on
side pivots to bring the entrance end of the chamber or receptable to match the
letter slit, a flange formed on the chamber or receptacle below the inlet to the
same, a cross bar fixed in said letter box so as to close the outlet from said
chamber or receptacle when the inlet is open, the said parts being so arranged that
when the chamber or receptacle is turned in one direction the entrance thereto
matches the letter slit of the letter box and the outlet from the chamber or
receptacle is closed by the cross bar and when the chamber or receptacle is turned
in the opposite direction the flange thereof closes the letter slit and the couteuts

page_text: of the chamber or receptacle can slide down into the letter box all substantially
as hereinbefore described with reference to Figs. 6 to 9 of the accompanying
drawings.
3. The improvements in or connected with letter boxes, to prevent the contents
from being surreptitiously withdrawn and letters being inserted in the letter slit
when the letter box is full, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by Figs. 1 to 5 of the accompanying drawings.
4. The improvements in or connected with letter boxes, to prevent the contents
from being surreptitiously withdrawn and letters being inserted in the letter slit
when the letter box is full, substantially as herein before described and illustrated
by Figs. 6 to 9 of the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 22nd day of April 1897.
CHARLES BOSWORTH KETLEY,
Agent for the Applicant.