Improvements in Letter and like Boxes.
Year: 1893

page_text: Date of Application, 16th Sept., 1893
Complete Specification Left. 13th June. 1894-Accented. 28th July, 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter and like Boxes.
I, SHAW SYKES, of Market Walk, Huddersfield, in the County of York,
Tinner, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:
This invention relates to letter boxes, but the invention is applicable to boxes
containing other articles, and also to ballot boxes, my improvements being intended
to prevent a letter or other valuable being removed or extracted through the inlet
aperture.
According to my invention the letter box is divided horizontally by a plate but
it is made with an opening large enough to allow a letter or. other object to fall
through into the box below. Underneath this aperture are hinged two doors or
flaps which hang down vertically when the box is in a vertical or normal position,
but if the box is removed and turned over or tilted sideways, one or other of the
doors would cover up the aperture in the division plate and so prevent a letter or
other article from being extracted.
Dated this 15th day of September 1893.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter and like Boxes.
1, SHAW SYKES, of Market Walk, Huddersfield, in the County of York,
Tinner, 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 relates to letter boxes, but the invention is applicable to boxes
containing other articles and also to ballot boxes, my improvements being intended
to prevent a letter or other valuable being removed or extracted through the inlet
aperture.
According to my invention the letter box is divided horizontally by a plate,
but it is made with an opening large enough to allow a letter or other object to fall
through into the box below.
Underneath this aperture are hinged two doors or flaps which hang down vertically
when the box is in a vertical or normal position, but if the box is removed and
turned over or tilted sideways, one or other of the doors would cover up the
aperture in the division plate and so prevent a letter or other article from being
extracted.
Such being the object and nature of my invention I will now proceed to describe
the same more fully and for this purpose make reference to the annexed sheet of
drawings, wherein
Figs. and 2 are sectional elevations of a portable letter box constructed
according to my invention, and
Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional elevations of ballot or other similar portable receiving
boxes to which my improvements are applied.
Referring to Fig. 1 A represents the letter box, B the door to same provided
with lock C, and D is the part which fits onto and is secured to the car, carriage,
or other vehicle to which such boxes are to be attached for the collection of letters
D27

page_text: during transit from place to place. E is the inlet aperture or opening through
which the letters or papers are introduced into the box, such opening being
arranged somewhat as shewn so that the hand cannot be passed into the box.
Under the inlet aperture is a shoot F down which the letters or papers slide and
fall through the opening G into the box A. On each side of the said opening G
and adapted to close up the same are doors or flaps H, H', hinged respectively
at a and b to the bottom of the inclined shoot F and the horizontal division or
internal wall I. The said doors or flaps are weighted as indicated at c so that
when the box is upright or in its vertical or normal position they shall hang down
vertically as shewn, but on the box being removed from its fixed position and turned
over or tilted sideways, one or other of said doors or flaps according to the direction
in which the box is tilted, by means of the weight at the edge thereof, will be
caused to fall over and cover up the opening G and thereby prevent any letter or
document being extracted or thrown out of the box into the shoot F. Stop picces d
secured in the box prevent the doors or flaps swinging back, when open, beyond
the vertical.
In Fig. 2 only the door or flap H is employed which falls over and closes the
opening G when the box is tilted or inclined to the rear and for the purpose of
preventing the extraction or the shaking of the letters or documents out of the box into
the shoot F by inclining the box to the front, the said shoot is carried further towards
the back of the box as shewn, so that to get the letters or documents into it the box
must first be tilted to the rear which would cause the door or flap H to immediately
close over the opening G. The shoot could be arranged to deliver to the front of
the box and the door or flap H to close over the opening when the box is tilted
to the front or vice versa to that shewn and described with reference to Fig. 2, but
I do not consider it quite as safe an arrangement.
For greater safety the double door arrangement shewn in Fig. 1 is preferable as
it is much more difficult to hold two doors open by an instrument which might be
passed down the shoot F, than it is to hold the single door open.
In Figs. 3 and 41 shew the automatic single and double door or flap arrange-
ment as applied to ballot boxes or other portable boxes for the collection of papers,
tickets, or other documents, checks, money, or valuables whose extraction from the
boxes by those in charge or persons having no authority or responsibility in
connection therewith it is necessary to avoid. The said flaps or doors are arranged
and act in the same manner as already described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 and
the parts are lettered correspondingly.
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 :-
-
Firstly. The means and method for preventing the extraction or removal of
letters, documents, or other valuables through the inlet apertures of the boxes
into which they have been deposited, substantially as herein shewn and described.
Secondly. The combination with a lock up or sealed portable box having an inlet
aperture through which letters, papers, or other documents are introduced into the
said box, of a hinged flap or flaps or doors for automatically closing up the shoot
opening in manner and for purposes substantially as shewn and described.
Dated this 12th day of June 1894.
TASKER & CROSSLEY,
Halifax, Agents.