Improvements in Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes, and the like.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 3rd Dec., 1892
Complete Specification Left, 24th Feb., 1893-Accepted, 25th Mar., 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes, and the like.
I, WILLIAM ADAam Gilmour, of 97 North Frederick Street, Glasgow, Bank
Clerk, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to letter boxes, pillar boxes and other receptacles in which
letters or other small articles are placed, and it has for its object to prevent persons
taking articles out of the receptacles, through the opening for receiving the
letters, etc.
In carrying out my invention, under one arrangement, I fit in the interior of the
letter box or the like a plate or shutter. This plate or shutter, which is hinged
preferably at its upper end just at or below the receiving opening, has, by preference,
two bent arms or portions. The flap of the receiving opening has preferably two
short projections or studs, one at each side, which, when the flap is pushed inwards
so as to insert a letter, catch on the bent arms and raise the plate or shutter up
from its ordinary vertical position, to an inclined position, and so as to touch the
back of the letter box, and thereby close or cut off the upper part of the box from -
the lower. The arms of the plate or shutter are so made or bent, that, when the
plate is in the inclined or closed position, the studs on the flap can slide over the
back of said arms, without affecting the plate further. The letters, after being
inserted, lie on top of the plate or shutter, until the flap is again closed, when the
plate or shutter falls down into the vertical position by its own weight, and the
letters are discharged into the bottom of the box.
Under a modified arrangement, instead of actuating the plate by means of bent
arms, a tumbling lever or tumbling piece may be used for this purpose. This
tumbling piece may be made of wire-work, or be of tin or other suitable material.
The tumbler is preferably made of nearly triangular form, but with a concave or
curved base. The tumbler is so pivoted, that, when the flap is shut, it lies, with
its concave base, against said flap. The apex of the triangle bears on the upper
end of the closing plate or shutter, which in this case is or may be pivoted at a
point slightly out of its centre. The tumbler may be fitted in a projection on the
letter box which is let into the wall or door to which the letter box is secured.
With this arrangement, when letters are inserted in the box, the raising of the flap
pushes over the tumbler, the apex of which catches on and pushes down the upper
end of the pivoted plate or shutter, and causes the lower end of said plate to rise,
and cut off the upper part of the box from the lower.
With my improvements, should any one essay to pull letters out of the box, they
will be frustrated in their attempts, as whenever, the flap is raised, the pivoted
plate or shutter is pushed up, so as to close or cover up the lower part of the letter
box in which the letters accumulate.
The invention is equally applicable to post pillar boxes and other receptacles of
a like nature in which articles are placed.
The details of construction of my invention may be further modified, if so desired,
to suit different constructions of receptacles.
Dated this 2nd day of December 1809
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Letter Boxes, Pillar Boxes, and the like.
I, WILLIAM ADAM GILMOUR of 97 North Frederick Street, Glasgow, Bank
Clerk, 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 letter boxes, pillar boxes and other receptacles in which
letters or other small articles are placed, and it has for its object to prevent persons
taking articles out of the receptacles, through the opening for receiving the
letters &c.
In carrying out my invention, under one arrangement, I fit in the interior of the
letter box or the like, a plate or shutter. This plate or shutter, which is hinged,
preferably, at its upper end, just at, or below, the receiving opening, has, by
preference, two bent arms or portions. The flap of the receiving opening has,
preferably, two short projections or studs, one at each side, which, when the flap is
pushed inwards so as to insert a letter, catch on the bent arms and raise the plate
or shutter up from its ordinary vertical position to an inclined position, and so as
to touch the back of the letter box, and thereby close or cut off the upper part of
the box from the lower. The arms of the plate or shutter are so made or bent that,
when the plate is in the inclined or closed position, the studs on the flap can slide
over the back of said arms, without affecting the plate further. The letters, after
being inserted, lie on top of the plate or shutter, until the flap is again closed,
when the plate or shutter falls down into the vertical position by its own weight,
and the letters are discharged into the bottom of the box.
Under a modified arrangement, instead of actuating the plate by means of bent
arms, a tumbling lever or tumbling piece may be used for this purpose. This
tumbling piece may be made of wire-work, or be of tin or other suitable material.
The tumbler is preferably made of nearly triangular form, but with a concave or
.curved base. The tumbler is so pivoted that, when the flap is shut, it lies with its
concave base against said flap. The apex of the triangle bears on the upper end
of the closing plate or shutter, which, in this case, is or may be pivoted at a point
slightly out of its centre. The tumbler may be fitted in a projection on the letter
box which is let into the wall or door to which the letter box is secured. With
this arrangement, when letters are inserted in the box, the raising of the flap pushes
over the tumbler, the apex or other part of which catches on and pushes down the
upper end of the pivoted plate or shutter, and causes the lower end of said plate to
rise, and cut off the upper part of the box from the lower.
With my improvements, should any one essay to pull letters out of the box, they
will be frustrated in their attempts, as, whenever the flap is raised, the pivoted
plate or shutter is pushed up, so as to close or cover up the lower part of the letter
box in which the letters accumulate.
And in order that my said invention may be properly understood, I have hereunto
appended an explanatory sheet of drawings, whereon:-
Fig. 1 is a front view of a letter box with self-closing mechanism.
Fig. 2 is a section of the same.
Fig. 3 shows enlarged side and plan views of the tumbler.
Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a letter box, with a modified construction of self-
closing mechanism.
Fig. 5 is a vertical section on line z-z, Fig. 4.
Referring to the drawings, whereon the same reference letters, wherever repeated,
indicate similar or like parts :-
The letter box, as shown at Figs. 1 to 3, consists of the usual metal casing a and 5
hinged flap b. The flap is, however, made with a backward extension b¹, (see Fig. 2),
which bears, at one end, against a triangular plate or tumbler e, which is cut with a

page_text: curve at c¹. The tumbler, which is pivoted at d, has a guide slot e through which
a guide pin projects. The tumbler bears on the upper end of a shutter 9, which
is the full width of the letter box, and turns on the pivot pin h. i is a metal stop
to limit the movement of the shutter: j is a tin or other metal guide piece,
fitted on to the door k of the letter box. The guide ; may be the full width of
the door.
With this arrangement, when the flap bis pushed inwards, so as to insert letters,
it assumes the position shown in dotted lines, and, as the extension 6' bears against
the curve e of the tumbler c, the latter is caused to turn on the pivot d and assume
the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 2. The movement of the tumbler c
presses down the upper end of the shutter g, and, of course, as a consequence,
raises up the lower part of said shutter, as shown in dotted lines at 9', and shuts off
communication with the lower part of the box. As the shutter g is pivoted out of
its centre, and near its upper end, it, by the action of gravity, as soon as the
pressure on the flap 6 is relieved, assumes its original position, and, at the same
time, also forces up the tumbler e to its original position. The letters, which
were inserted when the flap was opened, now fall down to the bottom of the box.
It will readily be seen that, with this arrangement, letters cannot be extracted
from the box through the flap opening, as, immediately the flap 6 is pushed
backwards, the action of the tumbler causes the lower part of the shutter g to rise
up and close communication with the bottom of the box.
The hinged flap bis preferably held in its normal closed position by means of
springs l, which may be fitted round the pin of the hinge, (see also Fig. 5).
The arrangement at Figs. 4 and 5 differs from the preceding one, in so far as the
shutter g is pivoted at its upper end, and, has also, at its upper end, two bent
arms m, one at each side. These arms are so arranged, as shown, that sideward
projections n on the extension 6' of the flap 6 bear against them, and, when the flap
is pushed back, so to insert letters etc., forces said bent arms up to the position
shown in dotted lines (Fig. 4), and, as a consequence, since the arms m serve as the
short arm of a lever of which the shutter g is the long arm and the hinge h the
fulcrum, raises up the shutter g and cuts off communication with the bottom of
the box. The same thing happens if the hand or an instrument is inserted for
the purpose of extracting letters etc.
The flap 6 is normally held closed by means of the springs l.
When the flap is closed, the shutter g falls back again into position by its own
weight.
Two tumblers c (Fig. 2) may be fitted in the box, one at each side.
Although I have shown my invention as applied to a letter box, it may be
applied to post pillar boxes, and other receptacles of a like nature, in which articles
are placed.
The details of construction of my invention may be further modified, if so
desired, to suit different constructions of receptacles.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
ion, and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. Letter boxes, post pillar boxes, and like receptacles, constructed or fitted with
mechanism for automatically closing the lower part of the receptacle whenever the
Hap or the like is opened, made substantially as herein before described and shown
t Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, of the drawings annexed.
2. The modified construction of self-closing mechanism, substantially as herein-
before described and shown at Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings annexed.
Dated this 22nd day of February 1893.
H. D. FITZPATRICK,
70, Wellington Street, Glasgow, Agent.

page_text: 3. In apparatus for manipulating magic lanterns and in combination with the
slide container, the means for drawing the slides in succession down the vertical
guide which consists of a pair of pitch chains operated by a rotating shaft the links
of which chains carry cross bars adapted to engage with the slides, substantially.as
described and illustrated.
4. In apparatus for the manipulation of magic lanterns; in combination, the
slide container, the vertical guide, the reciprocating pawls, and a rotating shaft
adapted to operate the said pawls and also provided with a cam to operate the
dissolver and to rotate the lime, substantially as described and illustrated.
5. In apparatus for the manipulation of magic lanterns; in combination, the slide
container, the vertical guide, the pitch chains provided with cross bars engaging
with the successive slides and the rotating shaft adapted to operate the said pitch
chains and provided with cams for operating the dissolver and rotating the lime,
substantially as described and illustrated.
6. In apparatus for manipulating magic lanterns; in combination with the
vertical guide and the means for drawing the slides down the guide, the springs and
presser plates adapted to maintain the slide in correct position against the guide,
substantially as described and illustrated.
7. In apparatus for manipulating magic lanterns the use, for operating the various
mechanisms, of a shaft caused to revolve by a weight or spring and the revolution
of which is controlled by a pawl operated electrically, pneumatically or mechanically
by the operator, substantially as described and illustrated.
8. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for manipulating magic lanterns, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figs. I, II and III.
9. The combination and arrangement of parts forming the improved apparatus
for manipulating magic lanterns, substantially as described and illustrated in
Figs. IV and V.
Dated this 2nd dox of Santamber 1893
SLOAN & LLOYD BARNES,
Castle Chambers, 26, Castle Street, Liverpool,
Agents for the Applicant.