Untitled record

Application filed February 10,1891. Serial No. 380,937. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, William Scott, of Leavenworth, Leavenworth county, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improve5 ments in Devices for Receiving and Delivering Mail-Matter, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

io My invention relates to devices which are designed to be attached to the doors of dwellings and other buildings and which are intended to receive and deliver letters, papers, and other mail-matter; and the objects of my 15 invention are to produce a simple, durable, and inexpensive arrangement which can be easily manipulated either by the postman in delivering mail-matter or by the occupants of the building in depositing mail-matter to be collected by the postman.

A further object of my inventionis to produce an arrangement which shall effectively protect the mail-matter from being stolen from the receptacle in which it is i>laced for 25 collection, and, finally, to produce an arrangement which shall be ornamental in appearance and inexpensive in construction.'

To the above purposes my invention consists in certain peculiar and novel features 30 of construction and arrangement, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which—

Figure 1 is an outer side elevation of a portion of a door with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 2 3 of Fig. 1, the collec40 tion-receptaele being in closed position. Fig.

is a similar section on the said line 2 3, the collection-receptacle being in open position. Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, the plane of section being at right angles to that of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1, the plane of the section being similar to that of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. G is an inner side elevation of a portion of a door with my improvements applied thereto. Fig. 7 is a detached detail view of a modified form of a support for the mail bag or receptacle.

In the said drawings, 1 designates a portion of the outside door of a dwelling, office- 55 building, or other similar structure, the door being presumably an outside door, as described; it being understood that my improved devices are designed for application to any door at which deliveries and collec- 60 tions of mail-matter are to be made. 2 designates an elongated horizontal slot or opening which is cut through the door at any point which is convenintly accessible to a postman while delivering and receiving letters and 65 other mail-matter. For this purpose this slot or opening 2 is preferably cut in the middle or lower part of thedoor, and it is preferably so cut- that its lower margin shall incline downwardly and inwardly, as shown. 70 The upper part of this slot is formed with an upwardly-extending open portion 21,which is a continuation of the slot 2, and which opens at its upper end through the rear or inner side of the door, and the lower part of which com- 75 municates with the upper part of the said slot 2 between its inner and outer sides. The purposes of the slot 2 and its upper portion 21 will be hereinafter fully explained. Upon the outer side of this door is attached by 80 screws 3 or other equivalent devices an open rectangular frame 4, the sides of which coincide with the margins of the slot, while the opening of said frame corresponds with the opening of the slot. Upon the outer or front 85 side of this frame is formed a flange 5, which coincides with the upper side of the opening of said frame, and which also projects horizontally outward or forward therefrom for a purpose to be presently explained. Two ver- 9c tical flanges 6 are also formed upon the outer or front side of the frame, one of said flanges being located at each end of the opening of the frame and adjacent to the end margin of said opening. Between the margin of the opening 95 and the corresponding side of the flange G is placed a leaf-spring 7, the upper end of which is retained in position and connected to the frame 4 by a rivet or screw 8 or an equivalent device, to be hereinafter more fully described. 100 The lower end of each of these springs 7 is turned backward and upward to embrace a

458,273 rivet or pin 9, which passes transversely through a suitable standard or double projection 10 upon the inner side of the covering or name-plate 11 and near the lower edge there5 of. This covering or name-plate is shown as of suitable rectangular form to correspond with the opening of the frame 4 and is formed or provided on its inner or rear side with a continuous marginal flange 12, which, when io the plate is closed, covers the flange 5, before referred to, and thus effectually excludes dirt, dust, rain, moisture, or other injurious substances from entrance into the slot 2. The general arrangement of the parts above de15 scribed is similar to that shown and described in Letters Patent No. 449,593, granted to me March 31, 1891, and the cover is retained in opened and closed position by the peculiar point of attachment of the lower ends of the 2o springs 7, similarly as in said former application. It is to be observed, however, that in the present instance the screw or rivet or similar device which connects the upper ends of the springs 7 to the frame 4 do not extend parallel 25 with the outer side of the frame 4, as in the said former application, but that said attaching devices extend through the upper ends of the springs at right angles to the outer side of said frame. This is a material and im30 portant distinction, inasmuch as the attachment of the springs is in the present instance greatly facilitated, and the compactness of the structure is greatly enhanced, ivhile the working strains are much more evenly borne 35 than in the previous arrangement referred to.

Upon the opposite or inner side of the door 1 is attached, by screws 13 or equivalent devices, a frame 14, which is of open rectangular form, and the margins of the opening of 40 which coincide with the inner margins of the slot 2. On its outer side this frame 14 is formed suitably or provided with a flaring flanged holder 15, which is designed to receive the upper part or mouth of a bag or pouch 16 45 to receive the letters delivered by the postman through the slot 2. As shown in Fig. 6, this holder is of continuous elongated form with its inner portion coinciding with the margins of the opening of the frame 14.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modified form of the holder, which is composed of two flaringsegmental flanges 31, which are designed to be attached by screws 32 or other equivalent means to the inner surface of the door at op55 posite ends of the slot 2. In either event the mouth of the bag or pouch is provided with a string or band 17, preferably of elastic material, which surrounds the flanged holder, and thus retains the pouch in proper position to re60 ceive mail-matter inserted through the slot 2.

It is to be understood that if preferred the holder may be constructed simply of wire or similar material, so as to be of skeleton form, without departing from the essential spirit of 65 my invention.

In order to facilitate the opening and closing of the name-plate or cover 11, a knob 18 or similar projection is formed or cast upon the upper part of said plate, and thus by a pressure of the thumb or finger upon said 70 knob or projection the plate can be readily moved into open or closed position, as desired.

In order to prevent the contents of the bag or pouch from being stolen after having been delivered by the postman, a flap or gate 19 of 75 suitable rigid material is hinged at its upper edge upon the outside of the frame, as shown at 20, and lies pendent over the inner terminus of the slot 2. From this construction it will be seen that when the bag or pouch 16 is 80 in position any attempt to force the flap or gate open beyond what is required for the admission of mail-matter will be prevented by said flap coming into contact with the upper part of the bag, and consequently all possi- 85 bility of abstracting the contents of the bag or pouch is prevented.

The portion 21 of the slot 2 is for the purpose of admitting letters, papers, or other mail-matter which the occupants of the build- 90 ing desire to be collected by the postman, and it will be seen that without the attachments, which are to be presently described, this additional slot 21 forms a convenient means for delivering the mail-matter to the postman 95 without riecessitatingtheopeningof the door. In the lower part of this slot 21 is placed a hinge-pin or pintle 22, which extends horizontally parallel with the outer and inner sides of the door. To this pintle is hinged 100 the lower edge of a plate or cover 23, which is of such size and shape as to close the inner part of the portion 21 when said plate is in closed position. To the ends of this plate or cover 23 are attached triangular pieces 24 of 105 any suitable flexible fabric or material, the opposite edges of which are secured to the adjacent end margins of the portion 21 of the slot 2. Immediately above the portion 21 is a turn-pin 25, which extends loosely through 11c the door, horizontally, from front to rear thereof. The inner end of this pin carries a disk-like enlargement 26, which engages over the upper edge of the plate 23 when the pin is properly turned axially, and thus retains 115 said plate 23 in raised or closed position. The opposite or outer end of the pin 25 is provided or formed with an arm 27, extending at right angles to the body or stem of the pin, and it will be seen that the postman will know by 120 the position of this arm whether the plate 25 is open or closed, and consequently whether any mail-matter is to be collected or not. Upon the same pin or pintle 22, upon which the plate 23 is hinged, is also hinged the lower 125 or inner edge of a plate 28, which is of such form and size as to fit over the lower end of the portion 21 at its point of juncture with the slot 2. When this plate 28 is in closed position, it forms a bottom for the portion 21, 130 and consequently any mail-matter placed in said slot will be retained therein as in a receptacle until the plate 28 is turned downward. The outer end of this plate protrudes

458,273

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4° within the opening of said frame and servi_ * to prevent abstraction of the mail from the bag or pouch, substantially as set ^f°‘? An improved delivery device for mailmatter, comprising a suppwting-frame for bag composed of two separate curved and outwardly-flared sections designed.to be secured to the inner surface of a door, so as to stan 5 vertically against said surface, and serving to support the mouth of the bag, substantially ^aSL An improved mailing device comprising a door having a slot extending through from 5„ its outer to its inner surfaces and provided . with an upwardly and inwardly extending opening, a plate covering the inner portion of the opening at the point of its juncture with the slot, and retaining-spnngs engaging 6 the ends of the plate and serving to retain the plate in open and closed position in said slot, substantially as set forth. . .

An improved mailing device comprising a door having a slot extending f rom its. outer 6₅to its inner surfaces and provided with an upwardly and inwardly extending opening, a movable plate covering the inner part of said opening, a turning bar extending through t door and having at its inner end an enlarge- 7’ ' ment to engage the upper edge of said plate and to retain the latter in closed position, a handle or arm upon the outer end ot said bar, and a second plate covering the inner portion of the opening at the point of its juncture 75 with the said slot, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two ^itnesses.^^

Witnesses:

Jno. L. Condon, G. Y. Thorpe.

beyond the outer side or surface of the door, and thus the postman can readily depress the plate by applying pressure to its pro_¥ -, π /1. ___,,:1 n 4- 4-1, r» -mill iirnT)

LL LiaiUti ougc, auu. ·—-------- - , , ~ J of itself out of the portion 21 of the slot 2 and into his hands. This plate is retained in raised or closed position by two springs , each of which is set in a recess 30 in the upper part of each outer end margin of the slot 2. Each of these springs is of elongated form and its body portion is inwardly curved, so that as the plate 28 is raised and lowered its end margins will move over the convex suifaces of said springs and will be retained thereby either in open or closed position, as desired. It will thus be seen that I have devised a simple and compact form of collection attachment operating with the portion-l ot the slot 2 and serving to greatly facilitate tne collection of mail-matter by the postman, and at the same time fully protecting the mailmatter while awaiting collection.

The structure as a whole is simple, durable, and easilv manipulated, is not liable to get out of order, and is both inexpensive in construction and ornamental in appearance.