IMPROVED MEANS OF PREVENTING THE PURLOINING OF LETTERS FROM LETTER-BOXES
Year: 1881

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to George Nobes, of Harrow Road, in the County of
Middlesex, for an Invention of "IMPROVED MEANS OF PREVENTING THE
PURLOINING OF LETTERS FROM LETTER-BOXES."
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said George Nobes at the Office of
the Commissioners of Patents on the 21st October 1881.
"IMPROVED
GEORGE NOBES, of Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex.
MEANS OF PREVENTING THE PURLOINING OF LETTERS FROM LETTER BOXES."
My Invention relates to improved means of preventing the abstraction of letters
from letter boxes, and it consists, first, in a balance guard plate or valve within
the shoot of the letter box and forming the underside of said shoot, said guard
plate or valve being hung upon side pivots, and permitting the insertion of letters,
but tilting into such a position as to close the shoot sufficiently to prevent all
access to the box immediately any weight or pressure comes upon its lower edge,
which may be notched or serrated so as to catch any cord or wire dropped into the
box for the purpose of abstracting letters.
The Invention consists, 2nd, in a number of claws pendent loosely across the
thoroughfare of the shoot at a point below the valve, the claws being pivoted in such
manner as to yield and allow letters or packets to pass down the shoot, but
effectually prevent the withdrawal of the same.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed by
the said George Nobes in the Great Seal Patent Office on the 21st April
1882.
14
GEORGE NOBES, of Harrow Road, in the County of Middlesex. IMPROVED
MEANS OF PREVENTING THE PURLOINING OF LETTERS FROM LETTER BOXES."
My Invention relates to improved means of preventing the abstraction of letters
from letter boxes, whether public or private, and in order that the Invention may
be more readily understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the
accompanying Drawings and to the letters and Figures marked thereon, that is to
say:-
Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sections, and Figure 3 is a front view (part broken
away) of my improved device. A is an inclined shoot projecting into the interior
of the letter box through which the letters are dropped into the box. B is a guard
plate forming the underside of the said shoot and extending from just behind the
aperture in the front plate C downwards to a less distance than the upper plate a.
This guard plate may be pivoted on a cross rod b, whose ends are received in holes
in the side plates of the shoot and be capable of oscillating between the two
positions shown in Figure 1, or it may be permanently fixed in the position shown
in Figure 2. In the former case it would be weighted at b', so as to remain tilted
in the full line position. shown in Figure 1, until a weight comes upon its lower
end, when it is oscillated to the dotted position, thereby obstructing the aperture
in the plate C. D are claws, loosely pivoted upon a cross rod d, attached to the
underside of the plate B at the lower edge, and d' is another cross rod, also attached
to the underside of plate Band passing beneath the claws D, so as to hold them up
at about the same inclination as the plate B, leaving them free to rise to the
position D', with their points against the top plate a. E are other similar claws,
pivoted loosely upon a cross rod e, attached to the upper side of the top a of the
shoot, the claws E being situated a little lower down the shoot and pendent loosely
in slots in said top plate a. They are free to swing as indicated by the dotted
lines, but prevented by coming against the upper end of the slots from rising
beyond the position E¹.
It is preferred that the one set of claws D should come opposite the intervals
between the other set E, and vice versa. These claws E swing out of the way to
permit letters or packets passing down the shoot, but in case of an attempt to
abstract letters by means of a cord or wire dropped down the shoot the letter or
packet thereby raised will come against the claws D or E, or both, and cause them
to assume the positions D', E¹, thus effectually barring the passage and preventing
the withdrawal of the letter or packet.
Having described the nature of my Invention and the manner of performing the
same, I declare that what I claim as my Invention to be protected by the
herein before in part recited Letters Patent is,―
The improved means of preventing the purloining of letters from letter boxes,
consisting in the combination in a letter box shoot of the loose claws and of the
guard plate arranged and applied, substantially as herein described.
In witness whereof, I, the said George Nobes, have hereunto set my hand and
seal, this Twentieth day of April, A.D. 1882.