IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER PILLAR POSTS
Year: 1869

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Henry Royall Minns, of Bristol, in the County of
Somerset, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER PILLAR
POSTS."
Sealed the 10th May 1870, and dated the 12th November 1869.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Henry Royall Minns
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition,
on the 12th November 1869.
I, HENRY ROYALL MINNS, of Bristol, in the County of Somerset, do
hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
LETTER PILLAR POSTS," to be as follows:--
This Invention is designed to prevent the extraction of letters through
the opening at which they were introduced into the pillar post. I
propose to accomplish the above object by the use of mechanism of the
following construction:-I form a long box of sheet iron open at top and
bottom, and with a slit or opening at one end thereof for the introduction
of letters and papers. Within this box and lengthwise thereof at a con-
venient distance below the aforesaid slit I hinge or pivot by their ends

page_text: two flaps to form a false bottom to the box, and to the flap that covers
the aforesaid slit I affix a quadrant lever, the end of which works through
a slit in the side of the box, and is connected to a cranked lever placed
at the outside of the said box, and this lever operates another lever con-
nected to one of the flaps of the aforesaid false bottom. The two flaps
are connected together at one end so that they open and close together,
their edges lap one over the other, and the lowermost flap has a curved
prong fixed thereto, the outer end whereof passes through a hole in the
side of the box and is flush therewith when the flaps are closed, the
aforesaid prong is prevented from coming out when the flap is open
at which the letters are introduced by means of a quadrant connected
to this flap and to a lever that covers the hole through which the afore-
said prong is to pass; by these means the possibility of introducing any
instrument to extract letters from the receptacle below is prevented, as
the flaps only open to allow the letters to fall therefrom by the closing
of that flap which covers the opening through which the letters were
introduced and deposited on to the aforesaid false bottom. I propose to
adapt weights to the aforesaid flaps for closing them after they have
been opened or turned on their hinges. The aforesaid box with its
mechanism I propose to fix to any existing letter pillar post by means
of screws keeping the slit in the box opposite to the slit in the pillar
post.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said Henry Royall Minns in the Great Seal Patent
Office on the 12th May 1870.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, HENRY
ROYALL MINNS, of Bristol, in the County of Somerset, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Twelfth day of November, in the year of
our Lord. One thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, in the thirty-
third year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and successors, give
and grant unto me, the said Henry Royall Minns, Her special licence
that I, the said Henry Royall Minns, my executors, administrators, and
assigns, or such others as I, the said Henry Royall Minns, my 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

page_text: 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 PILLAR POSTS," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the
said Henry Royall Minns, my executors or administrators, by an in-
strument in writing under my, 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 I, the said Henry Royall Minns, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same
is to be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and
by the following statement, that is to say:-
This Invention is designed to prevent the extraction of letters through
the opening at which they are introduced into the pillar post.
I propose to accomplish the above object by the use of mechanism of
the following construction:-I form a long box of sheet iron open at
top and bottom, and with a slit or opening at one end thereof for the
introduction of letters and papers. Within this box and lengthwise
thereof at a convenient distance below the aforesaid slit I hinge or pivot
by their ends two flaps to form a false bottom to the box, and to the
flap that covers the aforesaid slit I affix a quadrant lever, the end of
which works through a slit in the side of the box, and is connected to a
cranked lever placed at the outside of the said box, and this lever
operates another lever connected to one of the flaps of the aforesaid false
bottom. The two flaps are connected together at one end, so that they
open and close together; their edges lap one over the other, and the
lowermost flap has a curved prong fixed thereto, the outer end whereof
passes through a hole in the side of the box and is flush therewith when
the flaps are closed. The aforesaid prong is prevented from coming out
when the flap is open at which the letters are introduced by means of
a quadrant connected to this flap and to a lever that covers the hole
through which the aforesaid prong is to pass. By these means the
possibility of introducing any instrument to extract letters from the
receptacle below is prevented, as the flaps only open to allow the letters
to fall therefrom by the closing of that flap which covers the opening

page_text: DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING.
Figure 1, a top plan view of this Invention; Figure 2, a side elevation
thereof at A, Figure 1; Figure 3, the opposite side at B, Figure 1;
Figures 4 and 5 are end elevations of Figure 1 at C, D, respectively;
Figure 6, a section through the line G, H, at Figure 4. At each of the
foregoing Figures I employ similar letters of reference to denote corre-
sponding parts in so far as such parts appear at each of such said Figures
respectively.
A marks a rectangular shaped case of sheet metal open at top and
bottom, to the ends and sides of this case the following parts are con-
nected, and operate as follows:-B is a quadrant-shaped piece of metal
pivotted by its ends at a to pieces of metal b fixed to the end of the
case A. The piece B has a slit c formed therein for the passage of
letters into the case A. C is a projecting piece of metal formed on B
for putting this piece into the position denoted by the dotted lines at
Figure 6. D is a lever fixed on B and connected by a pin d working in
a quadrant-shaped slot e to a connecting link f, the opposite end whereof
is connected to a lever E, whose fulcrum is on a pin or screw at g at
Figure 2. G is a vibrating
G is a vibrating lever having its fulcrum at h, the lower end
of this lever works in a guide plate i, and is weighted at k. The
parts 1, 2, of the lever G are hollowed out for the purpose presently
described at Figure 3. H, I, K, L, are other levers fixed at the side B of
the case A, and have their fulcra on pins or screws 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. The
lever L is connected by the link 7 to the quadrant B in a similar manner
to the link before mentioned. 8, 9, are fixed pins for arresting the
further movement of the lever pieces H, I, as they are acted upon by

page_text: the small roller m on the end of the lever L. M is a plate screwed at 10
to the lever K, as shewn at Figure 3. This plate is employed to keep
the lever pieces H, I, in proper position on their respective pivots.
Connected to the lever K is a system of levers shewn at Figure 5, marked
n, o, p, q, r, the two latter of which are each connected by screws at 11
to two hinged flaps N, O, shewn more clearly at Figure 1. The pins 11
move in curved slots & formed in the end of the case A.
I now proceed to describe the operations of the above mechanism,
which are as follows:-Suppose the aforesaid mechanism to be screwed
inside a pillar in lieu of the ordinary flap and other arrangement now
used, and the several parts of the mechanism to be in the position shown
by the Drawing, the flaps N, O, on which the letters fall as they are
passed through the slit C are kept closed by the lever G covering a hole
through which a curved prong t fixed to the flap N passes when the
lever G is moved therefrom, as presently described. In order to place a
letter in the pillar post the piece B must be pulled out until the slit c
therein is exposed. The letter is then passed through the said slit with
one hand whilst the piece B is held down with the other hand, then by
leaving hold of B the weight thereof at u will close the quadrant as at
Figure 6, and simultaneously with the closing of the piece B the roller m
on the end of the lever L acting on the piece H will lift the long end of
the lever K, thereby depressing the system of levers n, o, p, q, ", and
opening the flaps N, O, by which the letters that are thereon will be let
fall into a receptacle beneath, after which the flaps will again close
ready to receive more letters, when the piece is again pulled out as
before stated, and so on in succession. The Drawing at Figure 3 shews
the piece I suspended and kept out of action by the screw w, by which the
piece H is alone acted upon by the roller m for opening and closing the
flaps N, O, each time the piece B moves inwards; but by taking out the
screw w and allowing the piece I to fall down the roller m will then act
on both of the pieces H and I so as not only to open the flaps N, O, by the
inward movement of the piece B, but also by the outward movement of
the said piece if necessary, the roller m in each case lifting the long
end of the lever K by the roller pressing against the part x of each of
the lever pieces H, I, and when the said roller comes between those two
pieces it presses against the edge y of one or other of the said pieces
according to the direction in which the roller is moving, thereby lifting
up such piece on its fulcrum, and afterwards allowing it to fall into

page_text: proper position for being acted upon for opening and closing the
flaps N, O, as before stated. I would here remark that the picce B is
in fact an indicator for security, since the aperture when found open by
anyone seeking to post letters would indicate some previous foul
arrangement for attempting to extract letters, whereas the poster of
letters should always find the mouth piece closed, in which case no letters
previously posted could possibly be extracted. I would remark also that
the mouth piece B can be pulled down, as above described, or lifted up
or pushed inwards by reversing the position of the piece B.
Having now fully described and set forth the nature and object of my
said Invention for "Improvements in Letter Pillar Posts," together with
the best means I am acquainted with for carrying the same into practical
effect, I would remark in conclusion that I hereby declare my Invention
to consist in, and I claim, adapting within a letter pillar post, or to any
place where letter boxes may be required for general use, a case with a
hinged bottom formed of two flaps, which open to discharge the letters
which are thereon into a receptacle beneath by the action of the closing
of the piece at which the letters are introduced.
I also claim the combination of mechanism above described with
reference to the accompanying Drawing and manner of operating there-
with for opening and closing the flaps N, O, at the proper times, as
above stated; and especially I claim the quadrant piece B at which
letters are to be introduced.
In witness whereof, I, the said Henry Royall Minns, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy.
HENRY ROYALL MINNS. (L.S.)