Untitled record

8, A. BALDWIN.

DOOR PLATE AND CARD RECEIVER.

^No' ³⁶’³⁸⁸· Patented Sept. 9, 1862.

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THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHO. WASHINGTON. D. C.

United States Patent Office.

SARAH A. BALDWIN, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN DOOR-PLATES AND CARD-RECEIVERS.

Specification forming part of. Letters Patent No. 36,388, dated September 9, 1862.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Sarah A. Baldwin, of Waterbury, in the county of New-Haven aiid State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Combination of a Door-Plate and CardReceiver; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which—

Figure 1 is a front¹ or face view of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line x x, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in combining a doorplate and slides with a card receiver and a clamp arranged in such a manner that a visitor may be ini formed whether the occupant of the house is at home or not, and in case of not being at home admit of the card of the visitor being deposited within the receiver, so that the occupant may obtain a knowledge of the call upon arriving at home, the invention also admitting of the application of the card or address of any individual member of the house tb indicate hisor herab·' senee.

To enable those skilled in theart to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a door-plate, which may be of any desired form,'with the name of the occupant of tlie house engraved or otherwise marked upon it. In the upper part of the door-plate there is placed a horizontal slide, Β, which, when closed, covers the entrance Of a card-receiver, C, which is formed by having, a recess made in the back of the plate, if the door plate be of metal, this recess or cardreceiver may be formed by swaging the plate so as to leave a beveled flange, «, all around its edge, the edge of the flange being secured to the door and leaving a space between the latter and the main portion or body of the plate, as clearly shown in Ffg. 2.

The slide B has engraved on one side of it the words “At Home,” and “Not at Home” on the opposite side, or other words of similar or like import, the slide admitting of being reversed, so that either notice may be exposed, as may be required. This slide is fitted between suitable guides, b b, at the upper and lower edges of the orifice c of the card-receiver C.

To the face of the door-plate, and directly over the slide B,there is attached a clamp,D, which is formed of a small lever, d, having its fulcrum-pin e in a projection, f. To the inner side of the longer end of this lever there is attached a spring, g, which bears against the door-plate and has a tendency to keep the'short end in contact with said plate, the short ends of the lever having a flat jaw, h_twhich for.ms a good bearing-surface to hold a card or address to the plate. (See more particularly Fig. 3.)

If a visitor calls and finds that the occupant is not at home, the same being indicated by the slide B, the latter may be withdrawn and the card of the visitor inserted in the receiver C, the slide being then replaced as before. The occupant on arriving at home and inspectingthe receiver abstracts the card, anflthereby obtains a knowledge of the call. This cardreceiver may also be used as a note-receiver, and should be inspected daily by the occupant or a servant of the household. In cases where an individual member of the family is absent his or her address may be placed in the clamp D to indicate the absence.

A metal slide, E, may be fit ted over an opening in the lower part of. the door plate. This slide may contain the number of the house; or it may have tlie nameof the occupant engraved on.it, in case the plate be of porcelain. Itmay also serve as a convenient means for removing the cards or notes from the receiver C.

This invention may be constructed at a moderate cost, not much above that of an ordinary door-plate, and will prove a great acquisition to. those who receive many visitors and are in the habit of making calls.