Improvements in Letter Boxes and the like.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 29th June, 1896
Complete Specification Left. 24th Mar 1897-Accented 24th Apr.
1897
Improvements in Letter Boxes and the like.
1, CHARLES PATULLO KINNELL, Engineer, of 65, Southwark Street, S.E.
in the County of London do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:
This invention has for its object to provide means, whereby a letter box, or
similar receptacle, may be made to safely receive, and automatically retain, letters,
visiting cards, or similar articles, deposited therein, and so become thief proof.
For this purpose I provide a letter box of any convenient form, inside of which,
and at a certain distance from the opening, I construct a valve or shutter, mounted
on pivots, and evenly balanced by means of a counterpois weight or weights, the
pivots being fixed on one side, in order that the valve may open, and close
freely. When at rest, this valve assumes a horizontal position, a stop, or stops,
being provided to prevent it rising, or being raised, above that point. Although it
cannot be opened in an upward direction, it will open downwards, when only a
very light body, such as a post card, is placed on it, thus admitting letters, and
similar articles, into the box, and instantly closing the opening again; its outer
edge being serrated, by preference.
Dated this 29th day of June 1896.
CHAS. P. KINNELL.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION...
Improvements in Letter Boxes and the like.
I, CHARLES PATULLO KINNELL, Engineer, of 65 Southwark Street, S.E.
in the County of Loudon do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in
what manner the same is to be perforined, to be particularly described and
ascertained in aud by the following statement :-
This invention has for its object to provide means whereby a letter box or
similar receptacle may be made to safely receive and automatically retain letters
or similar articles deposited therein and so become thief proof.
For this purpose, I provide a letter box of any convenient form, inside of which
and at a certain distance from the top or opening I construct a valve or shutter
mounted on pivots and duly balanced, and of such size and form as to divide the
said box into two divisions or receptacles, the lower division is made to retain the
letters while the upper division with its exterual opening freely admits them.
The said valve in its compound action is so constructed that a card, letter and
the like articles by their gravitation automatically opens the entrance to the lower
division of box and at the same time closes the external opening; this latter
opening remains closed until the article posted has dropped into the box below,
when it again opens the external opening and closes the inner one.
In order that this invention may be more fully understood 1 will proceed to
describe the same in reference to the accompanying drawings. I shew three
ID 17

page_text: forms in which the invention may be applied and similar letters apply to all figures.
Figures 1, 2 and 3 are sections of various forms of letter boxes and Fig. 4 is a
plan of the form shewn by Fig. 3.
a. represents the external opening into box.
b. valve or shutter at rest.
c. dotted lines shewing position of shutter whilst a letter is dropping into the
lower division of box, at the same time closing the external opening a.
d. pivots of valve or shutter.
f. f. frame of letter box.
9. g. rests for confining the space in which shutter is to work.
1. counterbalance weight (required in Fig. 3 only).
j.j. edges of shutter and rests, which by preference I construct serrated.
k. access door to remove letters.
7. flanges for fastening letter box to house door.
m. window for seeing letters in box.
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 :-
1st. A self-securing letter box.
2nd. The form and application of a shutter capable of automatically shutting
the external opening of a letter box whilst the lower division of box is open; and
vice versa.
3rd. The various forms of construction as described by the accompanying
drawings.
Dated this the 24th day of March 1897.
CHARLES PATULLO KINNELL.