Mail-box.

Application filed January 11.1905. Serial No. 240.637.

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gordon E. Lofland, a citizen of the United States, residing at Urbana, in the county of Wabash and State of 5 Indiana, have invented a new and useful MailBox, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to mail-boxes, more particularly to those employed in connection with the rural free-delivery service, and has io for its object to provide a simply-constructed and efficient device whereby the delivery and collection of mail - matter is facilitated and which is operated automatically by the vehicle of the mail-carrier when driving past the 15 box.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in certain novel features of construction, as herein20 after fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which corresponding parts are denoted by like designating characters, is illustrated the preferred 25 form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, as various changes in the shape, proportions, and general assem3° blage of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device complete. Fig. 2 is a sec35 tional end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an elevation, enlarged, of the end opposite to that shown in Fig. 2 with the “signal-target” in extended position.

The improved device comprises a mail-re4° ceptacle 10, having a cover 11 hinged at 12 to one side of the receptacle and with a bar 13 extending across the cover at one end and projecting at the rear side, as at 14, and with front end projecting in advance of the front 45 edge of the cover and turned downwardly, as at 15. The cover 11 is also provided with a shield-plate 16 for covering and protecting the hinge 12.

The receptable 10 is formed with the upper portion of its front inclined outwardly, as 5° shown at 17, and attached to the front inside the receptacle is a spring-catch 18, beneath which mail-matter which it is desired the carrier shall collect in his trip is placed, as hereinafter explained. The receptacle will be rig- 55 idly connected, as at 19, to a bracket 20, which is in turn rigidly connected to a post 21, as by a strap 22, the post being located adjacent to the path of the vehicle of the carrier.

The strap 22 is turned off laterally at the 60 lower end, as at 2'3, to form a bearing for the outer end of a trip member 24, the inner end of the trip member being journaled in the strap 22 and provided with a crank-arm 25, operating between the post and strap. 65

Poised intermediately, as at 26, to the bracket 20 is a lever-arm 27, having a counterweight 28 at one end and with the other end connected by a rod 29 to the free end of the crank-arm 25. The counterweight thus acts 7° to maintain the crank-arm 25 and trip member 24 yieldably in vertical position.

The projecting end 14 of the bar 13 is coupled flexibly to the lever member, as by a chain 30. . 75

Pivoted, as at 31, to the receptacle 10 is a signal-arm 32, with the longer end enlarged, as at 33, to render it conspicuous and with the shorter end bent at an angle, as at 34, to be engaged by the cover 11 and maintained there- 80 by in projected position when the cover is closed, as in Fig. 3.

The signal member is so disposed upon the receptacle that when in depressed position, as in Fig. 1, the signal member will hang verti- 85 cally or in inoperative position; but when it is desired to notify the approaching carrier that there is mail-matter to be collected the cover is raised by hand, the mail inserted beneath the catch 18, and the lever 32 “set” 9° with its shorter end 34next to the hinged side of the cover, as in Fig. 3, and the cover closed down and bearing upon the signal-arm and holding the same in projected position.

The cover 11 may be provided with a weight 95 35 to assist in closing the same when the opening mechanism is released.

The trip member 24 will be located so that

794,8.0 £3 it will be engaged by the vehicle-wheels when moving in either direction to enable the carrier to operate the device when approaching from either side. ’ Thus when approaching 5 from the same side as the post21 and the member 24 the front wheels will first strike the member 24 and elevate the cover 11; but the carrier will not yet be in position opposite the box, and he will wait until the rear wheels i o strike the member and again open the cover, at which time he will be in position opposite the box and can readily deposit the mail, frequently without stopping the vehicle, and if any mail is held in suspension by the catch 15 member 18 he can readily remove that with very little delay. If approaching from the opposite direction, the driver is brought opposite the mail-box when the front wheels strike the member 24. Thus the box is opened 20 twice during each passage of the vehicle over the member 24; but the driver utilizes only one of the actions—the first action when approaching from one direction and the second action when approaching from the opposite 25 direction.

The device is simple in construction, efficient in action, and can be erected at any point where required.

The post 21 will be embedded in the ground, 3° with the lateral portion of the strap 22 even with the ground and suitably braced and supported, the lateral portion of the strap being preferably supported by a post, stone, or the like beneath the outer end.