A NEW OR IMPROVED LETTER BOX
Year: 1885

page_text: I WILLIAM HENRY TONKS of the firm of William Tonks and Sons of Moseley
Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers do hereby declare
the nature of the said Invention for "A NEW OR IMPROVED LETTER BOX" to be
as follows:-
My invention consists of a collapsible letter box constructed as hereinafter
described which said letter box is specially applicable for use on doors but may
also be used generally for holding letters. When my new or improved letter box
is applied to the inside of a door the ordinary recess in the wall to receive the
letter box when the door is opened may be dispensed with. Letter boxes made
according to my invention have the further advantage that they can be packed
into a small compass for storage and transit.
I make the back and front of the letter box of two oblong metallic plates or
frames of wire jointed together near their bottom edges so that they can nearly
close upon or open from one another. The bottom edge of the plate or frame of
wire constituting the back of the box (which back is screwed to the inside of the
door) is bent upwards and curved and to the edge of this curved bottom the other
or front plate is jointed. I make the sides and top of the letter box of a piece of
canvas or other flexible material fastened to the edges of the back and front plates
or frames those portions of the canvas forming the sides of the box being wedge
shaped and that portion forming the top of the box having an oblong shape. The
flexible sides and top of the box permit of the jointed front of the box opening
from or closing upon the fixed back of the box. The jointed front plate or frame
is pressed outwards so as to expand the box by a coiled wire spring or other spring.
situated preferably in the curved bottom of the fixed back plate the outward
motion of the front plate being limited by the flexible sides and top of the box.
When in its expanded state the box has the general figure of a wedge. In the
fixed back plate is a slit or opening coincident with that in the door through which
letters are passed into the box and the jointed front plate or frame has a jointed
door fastened by a padlock or otherwise fastened by opening which jointed door
the letters may be removed from the box. When the door to which the letter box
is applied is fully opened the jointed front of the said box comes in contact with
the wall. The jointed front is thereby raised and made to lie nearly flat upon the

page_text: back plate. On closing the door the jointed front of the box takes its expanded
position by the action of the spring and the box resumes its normal shape. Along
the top edge of the front plate or frame of the box a pad or buffer is fixed to
prevent injury to the wall and a wooden pad or buffer may be fixed to the wall to
prevent it being injured by the padlock of the letter box.
The front and back of the collapsible letter box may be made of wood or other
non metallic material instead of metallic plates or wire frames as herein before
described.
W. T. WHITEMAN,
Agent for the Applicant.
I WILLIAM HENRY TONKS of the firm of William Tonks and Sons of Moseley
Street Birmingham in the County of Warwick Manufacturers 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:-
My invention consists of a collapsible letter box constructed as hereinafter
described which said letter box is specially applicable for use on doors but may
also be used generally for holding letters. When my new or improved letter box
is applied to the inside of a door the ordinary recess in the wall to receive the
letter box when the door is opened may be dispensed with. Letter boxes made
according to my invention have the further advantage that they can be packed into
a small compass for storage and transit.
I make the back and front of the letter box of two oblong metallic plates or
frames of wire jointed together near their bottom edges so that they can nearly
close upon or open from one another. The bottom edge of the plate or frame of
wire constituting the back of the box (which back is screwed to the inside of the
door) is bent upwards and curved and to the edge of this curved bottom the other
or front plate is jointed. I make the sides and top of the letter box of a piece of
canvas or other flexible material fastened to the edges of the back and front plates
or frames those portions of the canvas forming the sides of the box being wedge
shaped and that portion forming the top of the box having an oblong shape. The
flexible sides and top of the box permit of the jointed front of the box opening
from or closing upon the fixed back of the box. The jointed front plate or frame
falls outwards by its own weight or is pressed outwards so as to expand the box
by a coiled wire spring or other spring situated preferably in the curved bottom of
the fixed back plate the outward motion of the front plate being limited by the
1
R

page_text: flexible sides and top of the box. When in its expanded state the box has the
general figure of a wedge. In the fixed back plate is a slit or opening coincident
with that in the door through which letters are passed into the box and the
jointed front plate or frame has a jointed door fastened by a padlock or otherwise
fastened by opening which jointed door the letters may be removed from the box.
Figure 1 of the accompanying Drawing represents in front elevation a collapsible
letter box made according to my invention. Figure 2 represents in side elevation
the said letter box in its expanded state. Figure 3 represents in back elevation
and Figure 4 in side elevation the said letter box in its collapsed state. The same
letters of reference indicate the same parts in the several Figures of the Drawing.
The letter box is composed of the two oblong frames of wire (or metal plates) a, b
constituting the back and front of the box and the flexible sides c, c and top d the
said flexible sides and top being made by preference of strong canvas.
The wire frames or back and front a and b of the box are jointed together near
their bottom edges so that they can nearly close upon one another as represented
in Figure 4 or open from one another as represented in Figure 2 The jointing is
effected by preference by means of hooks e, e at the lower ends of the back a being
engaged with eyes or loops f, f on the lower ends of the front b. The bottom of
the back plate a is slightly curved so as to form a trough g at the said bottom
(see Figures 2 and 4). The canvas or flexible sides c and top d are secured to the
edges of the frames or back and front a, b, of the box by sewing or otherwise. It
will be seen by an examination of Figure 2 that the canvas or flexible sides c, c of
the box are wedge shaped the outward motion of the front plate or frame b upon
its joint being limited by the said flexible sides c, c and the top d. When the box
is in its expanded state it has the general figure of a wedge as represented in
Figure 2. The jointed front b falls or takes the position represented in Figure 2
by its own weight so as to expand the letter box but the expanding of the front b
may be assisted by a coiled or other spring situated in the trough part g at the
bottom of the fixed back plate or frame a The weight of the letters also assists
in pressing outwards the front b and the expanding of the box. The back plate or
frame a is fixed to the back of the door h by screws passed through the eyes p, p.
In the said back plate or frame a is a rectangular opening 9 through which the
letters pass into the box and the front plate or frame 6 is furnished with a hinged
door fastened by a padlock or otherwise. By opening the hinged door access to
the letter box can be obtained. At the top edge of the front frame bare pads or
buffers 8, 8 for preventing injury to the wall when the door h is fully opened and a
wooden or other pad or buffer may be fixed to the wall to prevent it being injured
by the padlock of the letter box. The lower half of the front b of the box when
made of wire is covered inside with a smooth plate against which the letters strike
on falling into the box. By this means the letters pass readily to their proper
place in the box.
When the door to which the letter box is attached is fully opened the jointed
front b of the letter box comes in contact with the wall The said jointed front b
is thereby raised and made to lie nearly flat upon the back plate or frame a as
represented in Figure 4. On closing the door h the jointed front b falls or takes
the expanded position Figure 2 by its own weight or is assisted by a spring and
the box resumes its normal shape.
The construction of box described and represented prevents the letters being
injured when the box is collapsed.
The front and back of the collapsible letter box may be made of wood or other
non-metallic material instead of metallic plates or wire frames as before described.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my invention
and the manner in which the same is to be performed I declare that I claim as
my invention
A collapsible letter box consisting of the back and front plates or parts or wire
frames a, b jointed together near their bottom edges and the flexible sides and

page_text: top c, d the said box having in its expanded state the general, figure of a wedge
the jointed front of the box closing upon the back of the box when the door is
opened and falling by its weight and thereby expanding the box when the door is
closed substantially as hereinbefore described and illustrated in the accompanying
Drawing.
Dated this twenty seventh day of May 1886.