IMPROVEMENTS IN PILLAR AND OTHER LETTER-BOXES, AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING SURREPTITIOUS ABSTRACTION OF LETTERS OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES THEREFROM, ALSO IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN COMBINATION WITH SUCH LETTER- BOXES FOR AUTOMATICALLY NUMBERING OR OTHERWISE MARKING THE LETTERS OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES AS PLACED THEREIN
Year: 1879

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Sebastien Notton at the Office of the
Commissioners of Patents on the 21st February 1879. A communication from
abroad by Lucien Regad, of Gex (Ain), France.
SEBASTIEN NOTTON, of Saint Claude (Jura), France, and temporarily of Basing-
hall Street, in the City of London, Merchant. "IMPROVEMENTS IN PILLAR AND
OTHER LETTER-BOXES, AND IN APPLIANCES CONNECTED THEREWITH FOR PREVENTING
SURREPTITIOUS ABSTRACTION OF LETTERS OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES THEREFROM, ALSO
IN MEANS OR APPARATUS TO BE EMPLOYED IN COMBINATION WITH SUCH LETTER-
BOXES FOR AUTOMATICALLY NUMBERING OR OTHERWISE MARKING THE LETTERS
OR OTHER LIKE ARTICLES AS PLACED THEREIN." A communication from abroad
by Lucien Regad, of Gex (Ain), France.
This Invention relates to improvements in pillar and other letter-boxes, and in
appliances connected therewith for preventing surreptitious abstraction of letters
or other like articles therefrom, also in means or apparatus to be employed in com-
bination with such letter-boxes for automatically numbering or otherwise marking
the letters or other like articles as placed therein.
For the purposes of my Invention the letter-box is so constructed that on its
door being opened the letters shall not, as at present, be exposed to view, but shall
be kept concealed in an inner receptacle provided with a door or flap. This recep-
tacle is so contrived that its door or flap can only be opened when the bag or sack
into which the letters are collected to be carried away, is applied or attached thereto,
the said receptacle being kept closed by a special lock and key, or by other suitable
means or contrivances.
The bag or sack, which is of special construction or arrangement, is provided
with a self-closing mouth, and when applied to the inner receptacle is only opened
when the door or flap of the inner receptacle is opened, it being so arranged for the
purpose. As soon as the door or flap of the inner receptacle is opened the letters
pass unseen into the bag, and as soon as the collection is made the door of the
inner receptacle is then closed, and the mouth of the bag is closed at the same
moment and the bag withdrawn. It will be seen that by this Invention it is
impossible that a letter, packet, or parcel can be stolen or lost. When the mouth
of the bag or sack is closed it can only be opened by the officer into whose care it
is to be confided, he being provided with special apparatus or means for the
purpose.
In order to prevent letters, packets, or parcels from being abstracted by passing
any instrument or appliance into the letter-passage, slit, or opening, through which

page_text: these articles are dropped into the letter-box, I provide means whereby such
passage, slit, or opening is kept closed, and can only be opened when it is desired
to drop a letter or other article into the box, it closing immediately after the article
has passed in.
In the interior of the box I provide in some instances a combined apparatus for 5
automatically numbering or otherwise marking the letters or other articles, the said
apparatus being so contrived as to apply the numbers or other marks to one article
only at a time, even when a batch of letters or other articles have been placed in
the box at the same time.
The improvements herein mentioned under the first, second, and third heads may 1
also be applied to letter-boxes of houses, offices, and other buildings.