IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER BOXES
Year: 1885

page_text: I ROBERT GRIMMOND of Lorne Road Fallowfield near Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Warehouse Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER BOXES" to be as follows :—
This invention relates to the construction of letter boxes such as are attached to
doors for the reception of letters, packets, or parcels, and also to pillar, mural, and
other letter boxes, the object of the invention being to secure letters or other
articles deposited from being withdrawn from the outside by means of wires or
otherwise.
In the interior of the box above the ordinary flap which covers the inside of the
slit or opening, through which the letters or other articles are introduced, I arrange
an upper hinged flap and at a certain distance beneath the same I arrange a lower
binged flap, the latter being provided with sides bent at right angles and passing
outside metal or other cheeks fixed to the box.
The upper flat is connected to the ordinary flap by a wire or links so that when
the latter is raised to introduce a letter or packet it raises the other also, and the
outer edge of the upper flap is connected to the lower flap near its hinge by two
wires or links passing outside the side cheeks, so that a slight movement upwards
and inwards of the ordinary flap will raise the lower flap into a horizontal position
so as to close all communication with the lower part of the box when the ordinary
flap is open, and any letter or parcel then passed into the slit will fall first upon
the lower flap.
On the withdrawal of pressure from the ordinary flap it will fall to its original
position, thus allowing the lower flap to fall into a vertical position and drop the
letter or packet into the lower position of the box.
GEORGE DAVIES,
Agent for the Applicant..

page_text: Improvements in Letter-boxes.
I ROBERT GRIMMOND of Lorne Road Fallowfield, near Manchester in the County
of Lancaster Warehouse Manager do hereby declare the nature of my invention
for "IMPROVEMENTS IN LETTER-BOXES 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 the construction of letter boxes such as are attached to
doors for the reception of letters; packets, or parcels, and also to pillar, mural, and
other letter boxes, the object of the invention being to secure letters or other
articles deposited, from being withdrawn from the outside by means of wires or
otherwise.
The invention will be clearly understood on reference to the annexed drawing.
Fig. 1. on the drawing is a vertical section of a letter box shewing in elevation
the application of my invention thereto, the latter being in the normal or closed
position.
Fig. 2. is a section of the entire apparatus which is shown in the position it
assumes when receiving a letter or packet.
In the interior of the box a, a above the ordinary flap b, b which covers the
inside of the alit or opening c, c through which the letters or other articles are
introduced, I arrange an upper hinged flap d, d and at a certain distance beneath
the same I arrange a lower hinged flap e, e, the latter being provided with
sides ex, ex bent at right angles and passing outside metal or other cheeks ff fixed
to the box a, α.
These cheeks may, if preferred, be connected together by a piece f*, f* forming
an internal box, as shown on the drawing.
The upper flap d d is connected to the ordinary flap b, 6 by a wire or links, or
by a spring g, g. as shown so that when the latter is raised to introduce a letter
or packet it raises the other flap also, and the outer edge of the upper flap d, d is
connected to the lower flap.e, e near its hinge by a link h, h or by two wires or
links passing outside the side cheeks f. f so that a slight movement upwards will
raise the lower flap e, e into a horizontal position so as to close all communication
with the lower part a¹ a¹ of the box when the ordinary flap b, b is open (see
Fig. 2) and any letter or parcel then passed into the slit will fall first upon the
lower flap e, &.
On the withdrawal of pressure from the ordinary flap b, b it will fall to its
original position, thus allowing the lower flap e, e to fall into a vertical position
(see Fig. 1.) and drop the letter or packet into the lower portion a¹, a of the
box a, a.
As a further precaution the edge of the lower flap e, e may be serrated or formed
with hooks or teeth projecting downwards into the box.
To prevent the spring g g from being strained in the event of a very bulky
letter or parcel being introduced, a stop i, i is provided to prevent the flap b b from
being raised too high.

page_text: It is evident that the invention can be applied to letter boxes already in
existence.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
Invention and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what
I claim as my Invention is
The combination with the ordinary flap of a letter box, of a second hinged
flap so connected by a link or links with a lower Hap in the box that the latter
rises and closes communication with the lower part of the box whenever the
ordinary flap is raised to introduce a letter or otherwise substantially as described
so as to prevent the abstraction of letters or other articles from the box by wires
or other means.