Improvements in Letter-boxes, Pillar-boxes, or the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Jan., 1896-Accepted, 15th Feb., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter-boxes, Pillar-boxes, or the like.
I THOMAS JEROME JENKINS, of Nonsuch Villa, Cheam, Surrey, Medical
Nurse, 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 improvements in letter-boxes, pillar-boxes, or the like,
and consists in providing means whereby the unauthorized abstraction of the
contents of such letter-boxes, pillar-boxes or the like, may be entirely prevented.
In carrying my invention into practice, I hinge in any suitable manner to the
inside of the pillar-box, for instance, immediately below the receiving slot thereof,
a metal or other plate having a number of downwardly pointing teeth fixed to or
formed integral with same, at suitable intervals apart.
These said teeth are so bent, or curved, as to conform to the shape of the roof of
the pillar-box, when the plate aforesaid is in the closed position behind the
receiving-slot of such pillar-box.
A downwardly inclined projection is fixed to or formed integral with the pillar-
box below the hinged edge of the toothed closing-plate aforesaid, upon which
inclined projection the said plate rests when it is pushed down to allow a letter or
the like to be inserted in the receiving slot.
A suitable spring normally maintains the toothed closing plate in its upright or
closed position.
Rollers may be provided upon the underside of the plate, for the spring to
travel on.
The said spring may be of such strength as to allow the closing-plate to be pushed
back by the letter or the like as it is inserted into the receiving slot of the box, or,
if desirable, such spring may be so regulated as to require greater pressure upon the
closing-plate in order to push same down and open the receiving slot. Where this
is the case, I provide a curved rod passing through an aperture to the front of the
pillar-box and connected to the closing-plate by means of a chain or its equivalent,
a handle being provided at the projecting end of such rod, which latter also has a
suitable stop to prevent the rod being pulled out too far.
In conjunction with the hinged closing-plate described I employ another plate,
which is fixed to or formed integral with the interior of the back of the pillar-box.
This said rear plate is downwardly inclined and is of such a length, that the front
of same, (which is provided with teeth as in the closing-plate) will project beyond
and be immediately under the front of the teeth of the closing-plate when the latter
is in its open position.
In order that the invention may be the more readily understood and carried into
practical effect, reference is hereby made to the accompanying sheet of illustrative
drawings, wherein :
Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, of a pillar-box, with my invention applied
thereto, the closing-plate being in the open position.
Fig. 2 a section of the front of the upper part of a pillar-box shewing the closing-
plate in the shut position.
Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the rear toothed plate forming a portion of my
invention, while
Fig. 4 is a rear view of the upper part of a letter or
interior. with my invention applied thereto.
pillar-box as seen from the

page_text: Referring to the drawings, a is the closing-plate which is binged at a¹ to a con-
venient part of the pillar or letter-box b, such plate having downwardly pointing
teeth a fixed to, or formed integral with the front thereof.
e is the inclined projection upon which the plate a rests when a letter or the like
is inserted in the receiving slot 6' of the box b.
The spring d is employed to normally retain the plate a in its closed position.
Rollers (not shown) may, if found desirable be provided upon the underside of the
plate a, for the said spring to travel upon, when the plate is being opened or
closed.
A curved rod e may be provided for the purpose of aiding in lowering, i.e., opening
the closing-plate a, such rod e passing through an aperture e' in the box b and being
connected to the plate a by means of the chain e2 or its equivalent. The said rod
has a handle e at the projecting end, and is also provided with a stop e* to prevent
such rod being pulled out too far and straining the plate a or its accessories.
fis the rear plate, which is fixed to, or formed integral with, the interior of the
rear of the pillar or letter-box, such plate having downwardly inclined teeth f¹
upon its front edge. Where the plate is separate from the box it may
conveniently have eyes f2 to receive screws or their equivalent for the purpose
of fixing it to such box.
In operation, the plate a is depressed or pushed back from the receiving slot
of the box (see Fig. 1) by the action of the letter or the like being inserted
in the said receiving slot, or by the rod e being pulled outward, whereupon the
letter or the like being "posted" will slide down such plate onto the rear plate f
from whence it falls to the bottom of the box, the plate a meanwhile having
been returned to its closed or normal position by the action of the spring d.
It will be readily seen that any attempt to abstract the contents of the pillar or
letter-box, by means of a weighted string or the like smeared with an adhesive
substance or provided with other abstracting means, will be frustrated by the
overlapping toothed plates a and f.
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:-
1. The improvements in letter-boxes, pillar-boxes or the like, substantially as
described and illustrated.
2. In devices for preventing the unauthorized abstraction of the contents of
letter-boxes, pillar-boxes, or the like, the employment of a hinged toothed plate
arranged to overlap a second immovable toothed plate substantially as described
and illustrated.
Dated this 10th day of January 1896.
HUGHES, SON & Co.,
38, Chancery Lane, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.