US2841327A - Mail box - Google Patents

Description

July 1, 1958 I c swo 2,841,327 Q MAIL BOX Filed March 16, 1956 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 F .5; F 7.5 INVENTOR- DAVID C-HASWORTH QTTDRIVE Y D. CHASWORTH July 1, 1958 MAIL BOX 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 16, 1956 INVENTOR. DAVID CHASWORTH HFIJRNE'Y United States Patent fifice A 2,841,327 Patented July 1, 1958 MAIL BOX David Chasworth, Rockville Centre, N. Y.

Application March 16, 1956, Serial No. 572,053

1 Claim. (Cl. 232-39) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in mailboxes.

More particularly, the present invention proposes the construction of an improved mailbox. for apartment houses and the like which will permit a mailman easily and conveniently to leave magazines, bulk mail and parcels of relatively large size along with first-class mail in individual compartments which can be opened only by those possessing the keys therefor.

As a further object, the present invention proposes forming the mailbox with a cabinet having a front wall member with a hinged door member therein having a plurality of spaced individual compartment doors of width to take magazines, bulk mail and the like, the hinged door member having spaced name card insert brackets each having one closed end and an open end disposed beneath the door member.

Another object of the present invention proposes constructing the mailbox with an open back and with a wall mounting bracket, the box being mounted on the bracket so that it can be pivoted and turned completely around by a mailman to fill the individual mail compartments from the rear.

For further comprehension of the invention, and of the objects and advantages thereof, reference will be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, and to the appended claim in which the various novel features of the invention are more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings forming a material part of this disclosure:

Fig. l is a perspective view of an apartment house hall having a mailbox constructed and arranged in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the mailbox.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the mailbox with the front door open.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mailbox similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, but illustrating a modification of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the structure shown in Fig. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the mailbox in accordance with the first form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, is designated generally by the reference numeral 15.

Mailbox 15 has a cabinet 16 which may be inset and mounted in the wall 17 of a hall 18 of an apartment house or the like. Cabinet 16 has top, bottom, side and rear walls 19, 20, 22 and 23, respectively, and a front wall 24 with a door opening 25.

A door member 26 has an edge portion 27 pivotally secured to the cabinet 16 by a hinge 28 to cover the front opening 25 of the cabinet.

Coacting master locking elements 29 and 30 are provided on the door member 26 to lock the door member over the front opening 25 of the cabinet. These form the usual lock of which postmen have a master key to open.

Door member 26 has a plurality of spaced magazine width openings 32 and magazine width individual doors 33 which are pivotally secured to the door member 26 by hinges 34 to cover the spaced openings 32. Locks 35 are provided on the individual doors 33 of door member 26 to lock the individual doors over the spaced openings 32 in the door member.

A plurality of spaced shelves 36 wide enough to hold magazines and the like are mounted in the cabinet with front ends 37 disposed adjacent the spaced openings 32 and individual doors 33 of the door member 26 when the door member is closed and locked in place over the front opening of the cabinet.

Shelves 36 may be either level or diagonally disposed in the cabinet inclined downwardly from the front opening 25 of the cabinet to the rear wall 23 of the cabinet.

A mail slot 38 is also provided in the door member 26 adjacent the center of the door member for depositing mail to be picked up by the postman. The'compartment shelves in the cabinet adjacent the center form an outgoing mail deposit compartment in the mailbox. The mail slot 38 utilizes the same space which is used to protect the Government lock from pilferage or tampering.

On the front plate or wall 24 of the cabinet 16 are spaced individual name and insert brackets 39 having closed ends 40 secured to the wall having free ends 41 disposed beneath the door member 26 when the door member is closed over the front opening 25. Thus name cards can only be inserted in the brackets 39 when the door member 26 is opened by the master lock.

The modification of the invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is characterized by the provision of a mailbox having a cabinet 51 with top, bottom and side walls 52, 53, 54 and 55 respectively, a front plate or wall 57, with a portion extending laterally of the side wall 54, and an upwardly slidable rear screen 78 to prevent the contents of the mailbox from slipping out the rear of the box when the mailman turns it around or when people remove their mail.

Spaced shelves 62 are mounted in the cabinet between the front wall 57 and the side walls 55 and 54 of the cabinet.

Front wall 57 is open and is provided with a door 59 for closing the opening. Door 59 is mounted similarly to door 26, and has a plurality of spaced individual doors 63 with individual locks 64 and cabinet 51 has a plurality of spaced mail compartments 65 of magazine width and a centrally disposed outgoing mail compartment 66. The front wall 57 also has an outgoing mail slot 67 centrally disposed for outgoing mail to be deposited in the compartment 66 when the door member 59 is closed. A plurality of name plate brackets 68 are provided 'on the front wall 57 of the cabinet at one side of the individual doors 63.

Cabinet 51 has an open back 70 with the slidable screen 78 to reach the spaced mail compartments 65 from the rear for filling the compartments. The cabinet 51 is pivotally mounted on a wall bracket 71 as by a slotted slide member 72 slidably connected to the slotted upper portion 73 of wall bracket 71 by a slide and pivot pin 74 extending through a slot 79 in said portion 73 and pivotally connected to the top wall of the cabinet by a slide and pivot pin 75 extending through a slot in slide 72. A master lock 76 to lock the cabinet to a wall is provided so that no one but a postman can pivot the box to reach the operable back of the cabinet so as to lift the rear screen 78 to gain access to the enclosed mail.

The bottom of the wall bracket 71 is provided with a horizontal extension portion 77 for slidingly resting the cabinetSl thereon. The vertical portion of the bracket 71 is formed with an opening 81 to receive a fastening ele- V rrient for securing the cabinet to a supporting wall.

It is to be understood that a ny suitable pivot'pin may be used at the top and bottom of the mailbox 50 so that the rear of the mailbox may be readily swung toward the front when 'the master lock'is unlocked to enab'lea letter carrier to sort the mail; a 1

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise constructions herein disclosed and that various changes and modifications may be made within the scope ofthe invention as defined in the appended claim;

1 Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent iszfl 1 V Thecombination witha' mailbox havingtop and bottom walls and a slida-ble and openable rearwall and a pivot pin extending from thetop' wall thereof, o'fa bracket for pivotally supportingthe mail box against a vertical 7 wall, said bracketcomprising a 'U-shaped body, the bight portion of said body having an opening for receiving a fastening element for fastening the bracket to a vertical wall, said U-shaped body: being adapted to receive the mail box with the bight portion of thefbodyfixtending across the mail boxand the leg portions thereof extend; ing across the top and bottom walls of the mail box, one leg portion of the body having a slidable extension, a pin and slot connection between said'one leg portion and slot receiving the pivot pin on the top wall ofthemail 1 box whereby the mail box is adapted to slide'outwardly 10 of the bight portion and pivot on the bracket whereby the mail box may be turned to bring its rear slidable and openable wall to the-open end of the bracketjtoclear the bracket for opening said rear 'wall. a

ReferencesCitedinthe filejotilthis patent 7 V UNITED STATES PATENTS 107,699 Marsh a Sept. 27, 1870 618,846 Crowder R1117, 1899 839,607; *Lanier thee-25,1905 922,700 Huneryager May-25,4999 1,382,419 Fry June 21 1921 1,599,167 j Doncet isen-"751926 1,604,629 Beeroa -215 1926 5 FOREIGN PATENTS 65,701

the extension whereby said extension may he slid along said one leg portion, said extension having an elongated

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