IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LETTER BOXES. PILLAR LETTER BOXES, AND MONEY AND OTHER SUCH LIKE BOXES
Year: 1867

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Maurice William Shove, of George Street, Blackfriars
Road, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LETTER
BOXES. PILLAR LETTER BOXES, AND MONEY AND OTHER SUCH LIKE BOXES"
Sealed the 17th April 1868, and dated the 19th October 1867.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Maurice William Shove
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on the
19th October 1867.
0.
I, MAURICE WILLIAM SHOVE, of George Street, Blackfriars Road, do hereby
declare the nature of the said Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION
OF LETTER BOXES, PILLAR LETTER BOXES, AND MONEY AND OTHER SUCH LIKE
BOXES," to be as follows:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of letter
boxes, pillar letter boxes, and money and other such like boxes into which it is
required that articles may freely be introduced and yet that it should be
impossible to withdraw such articles from the interior of the box through the
passage by which they have been introduced: For this purpose the mouth or
opening which is to be used for inserting articles into the box is closed by a
flap as is now usual, and to one or both ends of the axis of this flap I attach
a lever arm which by a connecting rod is connected to a lever arm on an axis

page_text: which passes across the centre of the box, or of a mouth or shoot leading
thereto. This axis is affixed to the centre of a plate, which when the flap is
closing the opening passes downwards obliquely from back to front of the box,
or of its mouth or shoot, and so closes the communication between the bottom
of the box and the opening at which things are introduced. When the flap
is pushed back to uncover the opening the axis carrying the plate being con-
nected with it as above explained is caused to turn simultaneously until when
the flap has been pushed back to its full extent the plate passes obliquely
downwards from front to back and again completely closes the communication
between the bottom of the box and the opening, so that nothing can be
.extracted through the opening from the box when the flap is fully pushed
back. In order also that there may be no direct communication between the
opening and the bottom of the box at the time when the flap is only partially
pushed back, I according to my Invention employ two guard plates, one above
and the other below the plate above mentioned. The upper guard plate is
fixed at one of its edges to an axis which is at the front of the box and some-
what below the opening at which articles are to be introduced into it; the
lower guard plate is similarly carried by an axis at the back of the box; the
axes of the two guard plates are furnished with lever arms at their ends,
which by connecting rods are linked to lever arms on the axis of the central
plate, so that when the central plate is turned with its axis the axes carrying
the guard plates are also caused to turn; the lengths of the crank arms on
these axes are so proportioned that the axis of the guard plate shall make
somewhat less than half a revolution by each movement of the central plate.
When the flap is covering the opening into the box the upper guard plate is
above the axis which carries it, and the lower guard plate below its axis; but
when the flap is pushed back and the central plate and guard plates so caused
to turn, as above mentioned, both guard plates move towards a horizontal
position until when the flap covering the opening to the box is half opened
the two guard plates will have assumed a horizontal position, or nearly so,
and will thus completely close all direct communication with the bottom of
the box. The upper guard plate may if desired be so made and applied as
to form a flap for covering over a portion of the opening by which articles are
to be introduced into the box. In some cases also I apply to letter or such
like boxes a bell or alarm which is caused to sound each time that the flap
covering the opening into the box is pushed back.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent, filed
by the said Maurice William Shove in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 18th April 1868.
:
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I, MAURICE
WILLIAM SHOVE, of George Street, Blackfriars Road, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her Letters
Patent, bearing date the Nineteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord
One thousand eight hundred and sixty-seven,, in. the thirty-first year of Her
reign, did for Herself; Her heirs and successors, give and grant unto me,
the said Maurice William Shove, Her special licence that I, the said Maurice
William Shove, my executors, administrators, and assigns, or such others as I,
the said Maurice William Shove, 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 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 "I-
PROVEMENTS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF LETTER BOXES, PILLAR LETTER BOXES, AND
MONEY AND OTHER SUCH LIKE BOXES," upon the condition (amongst others) that
I, the said Maurice William Shove, my executors or administrators, by au
instrument in writing under my, or their, or one of their hands aud 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 Maurice William Shove, do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement thereof, that is to say:-
This Invention has for its object improvements in the construction of letter
boxes, pillar letter boxes, and money and other such like boxes into which it
is required that articles may freely be introduced, and yet that it should be
impossible to withdraw such articles from the interior of the box through the
passage by which they have been introduced. For this purpose the mouth
or opening which is to be used for inserting articles into the box is closed by
a flap as is now usual, and this flap I couple or connect with a lever arm
which by a connecting rod is connected to a lever arm on an axis which passes
across the centre of the box or of a mouth or shoot leading thereto. This axis

page_text: is affixed to the centre of a plate, which when the flap is closing the opening
passes downwards obliquely from back to front of the box or of its mouth or
shoot, and so closes the communication between, the bottom of the box and
the opening at which things are introduced. When the flap is pushed back
to uncover the opening the axis carrying the plate being connected with it, as
above explained, is caused to turn simultaneously, until when the flap has
been pushed back to its full extent the plate passes obliquely downwards from
front to back, and again completely closes the communication between the
bottom of the box and the opening, so that nothing can be extracted through
the opening from the box when the flap is fully pushed back. In order also
that there may be no direct communication between the opening and the
bottom of the box at the time when the flap is only partially pushed back I,
according to my Invention, employ two guard plates one above and the other
below the plate above mentioned. The upper guard plate is fixed at one of
its edges to an axis which is at the front of the box and somewhat below the
opening at which articles are to be introduced into it. The lower guard plate
is similarly carried by an axis at the back of the box; the axes of the two
guard plates are furnished with lever arms at their ends, which by connecting
rods are linked to lever arms on the axis of the central plate, so that when
the central plate is turned with its axis the axes carrying the guard plates are
also caused to turn. The lengths of the crank arms on these axes are so
proportioned that the axis of the guard plate shall make somewhat less than
half a revolution by each movement of the central plate. When the flap is
covering the opening into the box the upper guard plate is above the axis
which carries it, and the lower guard plate below its axis, but when the flap is
pushed back and the central plate and guard plate so caused to turn as above
mentioned, both guard plates move towards a horizontal position until when
the flap covering the opening to the box is half opened the two guard plates
will have assumed a horizontal position, or nearly so, and will thus completely
close all direct communication with the bottom of the box. The upper guard
plate may if desired be so made and applied as to form a flap for covering
over a portion of the opening by which articles are to be introduced into the
box. In some cases also I apply to letter or such like boxes a bell or alarm,
which is caused to sound each time that the flap covering the opening into
the box is pushed back.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, I will proceed to
describe more fully the manner of performing the same.

page_text: Figure 1 shows a side view, Figure 2 a vertical section, and Figure 3 a
front view of a letter box constructed according to my Invention; the box
shown in the Drawing is constructed suitably for being applied to a door
already fitted with the ordinary hinged letter plate.
a is the wooden case of the box, which as is usual is fixed to the back of a
house door, through which a slit or opening is made for letters to be passed
through, and which slit or opening is closed by a hinged flap or letter plate b
in the ordinary manner. Into the back of this flap is screwed a pin c, which
by an arm c pin jointed to it is connected to a lever arm d¹ on an axis dat
the top of the case or letter box, so that when the letter plate is pushed back
this axis is caused to turn likewise. The axis is supported between two side
plates e, e, of metal which are fixed within the wooden case or box, and form
a frame for supporting the several parts of the mechanism. The axis d has
fixed upon it at its right hand. end a second lever arm d, which by a link f
is connected to one of the arms of a lever g; this lever is fixed to the axis of
a plate h, which passes from side to side of the box. k, k, are the guard
plates placed one above and the other below the plate h; these plates are
carried by axes 1, 1, which are supported by the metal side plates e, as shown.
Each axis has fixed upon it a lever arm m, and these lever arms are connected-
by links n, n, one to one end of the lever g and the other to the opposite end
of this lever. When the flap or letter plate b is closing the slit or opening
into the letter box the plate h and the guard plates k, k, are in the positions
shown at Figure 2, but when the letter plate is pressed back to uncover the
opening into the letter box, then the plate h is turned into the position shewn
by the red lines, so that it inclines downwards from the front to the back of
the box, whilst the guard plates are brought into a similar inclined position
on a line with the plate h, so that together they form an even inclined plane
sloping downwards entirely across from front to back of the box, and thus
effectually prevent any communication between the bottom of the box and the
slit or opening at the top of the box. When the letter plate is only partially
pressed back and the plate h is in a vertical position, then the guard plates
will be in a horizontal position, or nearly so, so that the upper guard plate will
pass across the space between the top of the plate h and the front of the box;
whilst the lower guard plate will pass across the space between the bottom of
the plate and the back of the box, any communication between the bottom of
the box and the slit or opening at its top will thus at this time also be still

page_text: effectually prevented. In order to give notice each time that the letter plate
is pressed back or opened, I attach to the letter box an alarm, which is so
combined with the flap or letter plate, or other moving part of the mechanism
of the box as to be caused to sound each time that the letter plate is pressed
back; this may be effected in various ways. In the arrangement shown in
the Drawing the alarm is composed of a slide o carrying a spring catch o³,
which catches over a short lever arm on the axis of the hammer p, so that
when the slide o is drawn downwards it draws down the hammer p away from
the bell, until the spring catch slips off the end of the short lever arm; the
hammer is then caused to fly quickly back and to strike against the bell r by
the small spiral spring 9.
The slide o of the alarm has a pin o³ projecting
backwards from it, and this pin is by a short arm o* connected to the lever g,
so that when the letter plate 6 is pressed back the slide o is drawn down-
wards and the alarm caused to sound. When the letter plate is no longer
pressed back the slide o of the alarm is again raised to its first position by
the spring t, and consequently the guard plates h and k are also caused to turn
on their axes into the position shewn by the full lines in Figure 2. Any letters
which may have been dropped through the slit or opening on to the top of the
plate h when the letter plate was pressed back will then drop to the bottom of
the letter box, and may be taken out through the small door v, as is usual. In
place of the spring t of the alarm being also used to turn back the plates h and k,
as above described, a separate spring might be used for this purpose.
I would here state that other arrangements might be adopted for trans-
mitting motion from the flap or letter plate to the guard plates h and k, or
that a bell pull to be pulled forwards, or a knob to be pressed backwards
might be employed for giving motion to the guard plates, and also at the same
time for opening the flap or letter plate and for sounding the alarm; the flap
or letter plate might in these cases be mounted on pins or axes placed at the
bottom instead of at the top of the plate, and such flap or letter plate might
when turned down be caused to partially overlap and come parallel with the
upper guard plate so as then to form a continuation of the inclined plane
formed by the plates h and k, so that any letters passed through the slit or
opening would slide smoothly down such inclined plane; or the upper guard
plate might itself, if desired, be so arranged as to form the flap or letter plate
for covering over the opening or a portion of the opening by which articles are
to be introduced into the box.
Having thus described the nature of my Invention, and the manner of
nerforming the same. I would have it understood that what I claim is

page_text: First. The combined arrangement of plates h and k, acting together in the
manner herein described.
And, secondly, attaching to a letter box an alarm, and so combining or
connecting it with the mechanism of the box that it shall be caused to sound
each time that the flap or letter plate of the box is opened.
In witness whereof, I, the said Maurice William Shove, have hereunto
set my hand and seal, this Eighteenth day of April, in the year of our
Lord One thousand eight hundred and sixty-eight.
M. W. SHOVE. (L.B.)