Improvements in Letter Boxes.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 11th Jan., 1896
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes.
I, WALLACE PECK, of 69 Wall Street, in the City of New York, County and
State of New York, United States of America, Inventor, 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 devices for delivering and receiving mail, and par-
ticularly to that class thereof which are adapted to be secured to the door of a
dwelling or similiar building, and the object thereof is to provide an effective
device of this class which is simple in construction and operation and which may be
readily attached or secured, to a door and with this and other objects in viow the
invention consists in the construction, operation and arrangement of parts hereinafter
described and claimed.
The invention is fully disclosed in the following Specification, of which the
accompaning drawing forms a part in which :-
:-
Fig. 1. is a view of the upper side of a section of a door with my improvement.
attached;
Fig. 2 a view of the inner side thereof.
Fig. 3. a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. and
Fig. 4. a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.
In the practice of my invention I provide a plate A which is adapted to be
secured to the inner side of a door a section of which is shown at B.
The plate A is provided with the central oblong opening in which is placed a
movable plate C which is mounted on a rod D, which extends horizontally of the
central opening in the plate A, and on which the plate C is revoluble. The plate C
is provided longitudinally of its centre, and on its inner side with a tubular casing d.
through this rod D, extends and mounted on said rod is a spring E. which is adapted
in the operation, of the devices, to throw the plate into the position shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 3.
The plate A is provided at each end of the central oblong opening with inwardly
directed wings a and secured thereto is a plate E, the inner side of which extends
to, or approximately to, the tubular casing d. secured to the plate C. and the
outer side of which extends outwardly and is preferably curved downwardly as
shown at E.
It will be understood, of course that the plate A and the plate C. are on the
outer side of the door and the plate E extends inwardly through the door and
formed in the door is an opening, and the outer portion of which corresponds in
form with the plate C, and the upper and lower sides of which are inclined
upwardly and downwardly as shown at 6, and b, respectively.
The plate C is provided with four openings F which are preferably arranged in
a line near the lower side thereof, said openings being also preferably square in
form and mounted at the back of the said plate C. and back of said openings Fis
a sliding plate G which is supported in bearings, g, and to which is secured a
vertical plate H provided near each end with an oblong slot h, and secured
to the sliding plate, G, are pins or projections which extend through
said slots h.
Secured to the underside of the plate E, and centrally thereof by means of a
central post is a gong or bell K, and secured to the under side of the plate, E, at
one end thereof, is a pin or projection L, on the outer end of which is pivotally

page_text: mounted a lever, M, which is provided at its lower end with an outwardly
projecting arm, and mounted on the pin or projection L. is a spring N, one end of
which is secured to said pin or projection and the other end of which is connected
with said lever.
Formed on or secured to one of the wings a. opposite the lever M, is a lug O,
the inner end of which is inclined outwardly and upwardly, and said lug is adapted
to operate in connection with the pin, g', secured to the sliding plate G.
The plate A, is provided with an inwardly directed flange P which projects into
and forms the bottom of the opening in the door as shown in Fig. 3 and arranged
centrally thereof, is a sliding tumbler or locking bolt R and said tumbler or bolt is
adapted to operate by means of a key inserted at S. as shown in Fig. 1 or in place
of this device any desired form of lock may be employed.
The umbler or locking bolt R is designed to hold the plate C. in the position
shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and 4 and when the said tumbler or bolt is depressed
by means of the key, said plate C, will be thrown into the position shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 3.
The operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description when
taken in connection with the accompaning drawing and is substantially as follows.
In the normal position of the parts they appear from the outside in the position
shown in Figure 1 and when mail is to be delivered to the postman, or collector, it
is placed on the plate E on the inside of the door, and the sliding plate g. is
manipulated from the inside 50 that the letters mail, will show through the
openings, as shown in said figure, said letters being formed in the order named
on the sliding plate G. When the postman arrives, he sees there is mail for
collection and by inserting the key and operating the tumbler or bolt, R, the
plate, C, will be thrown into position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. and the
letters or other mail on the plate E. will slide out, and at the same time any mail
to be delivered to the house, may be inserted beneath the plate C. When the
plate C. is thrown into the horizontal position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. the
inclined surface of the lug O strikes the adjacent pin or projection gl and throws
the sliding plate G. to one side so that the letters thereof will not show through
the openings F, and the postman before leaving throws up the plate, C. into the
position shown in Fig. 1 and 4 and when more mail is placed upon the plate E.
for delivery for the postman, the lever M is operated from the inner side to draw
back the sliding plate C so that the letters thereon will show through the
openings F. on the outside of the door operation being performed by the arm m
of the lever M operating in connection with the adjacent pin g on the sliding
plate.
When the plate C is thrown down into the horizontal position, shown in dotted
lines in Fig. 3 by means of the spring E, the inner side thereof, strikes and sounds
the gong K. and notice is thus given to the occupants of the house that the postman
has arrived.
My invention is not limited to the exact form construction and arrangement of
the various parts thereof, as shown and described, and thereof reserve the right
to make all such alternations therein, as may fairly come within the scope of the
invention.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed 1 declare that what I
claim is:
1. A mail delivering and receiving device, comprising a spring operated pivotally
supported plate, which is placed in an oblong opening, in the door a plate as E.
secured in the said opening, and extending inwardly, and a locking device below
the opening in which the said plate is pivoted by means of which said plate may
be locked in the closed position, substantially as shown and described.
2. A mail delivering and receiving device comprising a spring operated pivotally
supported plate which is placed in an oblong opening in the door, a plate as 1.

page_text: secured in the said opening, and extending inwardly, a locking device below the
opening in which the said plate is pivoted by means of which said plate may be
locked in the closed position, said plate E. being provided on its lower side with a
gong which is adapted to be sounded by the spring operated plate when released
from the lock, substantially as shown and described.
3. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein of a
plate as A. provided with side wings as, a, a spring operated plate mounted in a
central opening formed in the plate A, said spring operated plate mounted in
a central opening formed in a plate A said spring operated plate being provided
with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which
is printed or formed designating letters, which are adapted to show through said
holes a lock for securcing the pivoted plate in the closed position, and an inwardly
directed plate secured in said opening, substantially as shown and described.
4. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a
plate as A. provided with said wings as a, a spring operated plate mounted in the
central opening formed in the plate A, said spring operated plate being provided
with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes, on which is
printed or formed designating letters, which are adapted to show through said holes
a lock for securcing the pivoted plate in a closed position and an inwardly directed
plate secured in said opening the said inwardly directed plate being provided with
a gong adapted to be operated by the spring operated pivoted plate, substantially
as shown and described.
5. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein of a
plate as A, provided with side wings as, a, a spring operated plate mounted in the
central opening formed in the plate A said spring operated plate being provided
with a plurality of holes, a sliding plate mounted back of said holes on which is
printed or formed desiguating letters, which are adapted to show through said
holes a lock for securing the pivoted plate in a closed position, and an inwardly
directed plate secured in said opening, the said inwardly directed plate being
provided with a gong adapted to be operated by the spring operated pivoted plate,
and means for operating the sliding plate, substantially as shown and described.
6. The combination with a door provided with an opening formed therein, of a
plate as A, provided with side wings as, a, a spring operated plate mounted in the
central opening formed in the plate A, said spring operated plate being provided
with a plurality of holes a sliding plate mounted back of said holes on which is
printed or formed designating letters, which are adapted to show through said holes
a lock for securing the pivoted plate in a closed position, and an inwardly directed
plate provided with a gong adapted to be operated by the spring operated pivoted
plate, and means for operating the sliding plate, consisting of pins secured thereto
which extend inwardly at each end thereof and a pivotally supported lever on one
end for moving said plate in one direction, and the lug or shoulder at the other
end for moving said plate in the opposite direction when the spring operated plate
is thrown open substantially as shown and described.
7. A mail delivering and receiving device which is adapted to be connected with
a door, and to be secured in an opening formed therein, comprising a spring
operated pivotally supported plate as E. also adapted to be secured in said
opening, and extending inwardly, means for retaining the spring operated plate in
a closed position, said plate E. being also provided on its lower side with a gong
which is adapted to be sounded by the spring operated plate, when the latter is
released from the closed position substantially as shown and described.
Dated this 10th day of October 1895
WHEATLEY & MACKENZIE,
40 Chancery Lane, London, W.C., Agents.