US1929734A - Mail box - Google Patents

Description

F. P. EVANS Oct. 10, 1933.

MAIL BOX Filed July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l .Z? Fyaw,

INVENTOR goA-r'romvav WITNESS:

Oct. 10, 1933. F P. EVANS 1,929,734

MAIL BO X Filed July 20, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5* I III 5- 2, E QZS,

INVENTOR Patented Oct. 10, 1933 MAIL BOX Franklin P. Evans, Cary'ville Application July 29,

1931. Serial No. 552,01 8 i 2 Claims. (01. 232-17) My present invention has reference to a rural mail box and has for its primary object the provision of a mail box of this type with a false or auxiliary bottom that affords a rest for the mail sjmatter in the box but which is susceptible to swinging in an upward direction to arrange the same at a slight angle whereby the mail matter may be readily drawn therefrom and removed from the box.

m A further object is the provision of an auxiliary or false bottom for mail boxes, that is in the nature of a slatted member which is hingedly secured by plates to the bottom of the box, and

which has one of its end slats projected beyond ,15 the remaining slats and bowed or depressed to provide a latch member designed to engage with astud on the side of the box when the false bottom is swung to an upward and to an inclined position, so that the false bottom is latched in 29 such positionand the mail matter readily withdrawn therefrom.

A further object is the provision of a means in the nature of a false bottom for facilitating the removal of mail matter from rural mail boxes that has on its outer end a pivotally supported and gravity influenced coin or stamp receptacle from which the coin or stamps may be readily removed by simply tilting the receptacle.

To the attainment of the foregoing the invention consists in the improvement hereinafter described and definitely claimed. In the drawings: I s Figure 1 is a central vertical longitudinalsectional view through a rural mail box equipped with the improvement approximately on the line 1--1 of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a similar sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 3 but showing the false bottom elevated as when mail matter is to be removed.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Figure 4 is a sectional view approximately on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail sectional view approximately on the line 5-5 of Figure 3. 4.5 The mail box 1 is of the usual construction and at its front is provided with the usual hinged and normally latched door 2 provided with an opening for a pivotally supported shutter 3 that is opened when mail matter is to be inserted in the box, the door 2 being opened by the mail man when the mail matter is to be removed from the box. On the bottom 4 of the box 1 I hingedly secure spaced transverse plates 5 and 6, respec-' tively. The plate 6 is of a greater length than the plate 5. The plate'5 is located close to the open front of 'the-box-and the plate'6 is located at a suitable distance from the closed rear of the box. The plates 5 and 6 support thereon the false bottom 7 of the improvement. As disclosed by the drawings the false bottom is preferably 0 made up of spaced longitudinally extending slats that are provided on their under faces with clips 8 having U-shaped portions to receive there-' through pins 9 that pass through the outer and rolled edges of the plates 5 and 6, the said plates 5 being notched at their said roller edges for the reception of the members 8.

Pivotally secured between one of the end slats and the slat adjacent thereto, as at 10, there is'a reduced end or'mouth 11 of a coin or stamp 79 box 12. The coin box has a continuous upstanding flange 13 at the sides and rear end thereof and the mouth of the box is of a less width than that of the box proper.

The second end slat of the false bottom '7 is 7 rounded or arched upwardly upon itself, as at 14, to provide a catch designed to receive therein a lug 15 that is secured to and extends inwardly from one side of the box 1. The outer end of this slat is formed with a lip 16 and the saidlip may be employed for swinging the false bottom to elevated position but is primarily designed as a finger piece for releasing the catch from the stud 15.

When the device is in its normal horizontal 5 position as disclosed in Figure 1 of the drawings mail matter inserted in the box 1 will be received thereon. When the door 2 is swung to open position the mail man may grasp the outer pivot pin 9 and swing the false bottom to its elevated position. When in such position the rear of the i falsebottom is disposed at a. greater elevation than the front thereof so that the mail can be readily slid downwardly thereover. By forming the false bottom with slats the spaces thereof 5 provide passageways for the fingers of the mail 13 man so that all the mail will be positively delivered from the box. The latch automatically engages with the keeper lug 15 and the coin tray, because of its weighted rear portion and the pivotal arrangement of its mouth away from said rear portion is normally in horizontal position but may be tilted so that the coin or stamps therein will be directed into the hand of the mail man.

It is believed the foregoing will fully and clearly set forth the construction and simplicity of the device to those skilled in the art so that further detailed description will not be required. Obviously I do not wish to be restricted to the precise details herein shown and described and, therefore, hold myself entitled to make such changes therefrom as fairly fall within the scope of what I claim.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. A means for facilitating the removal of mail matter from a rural mail box, which includes a false bottom arranged in the mail box, plates hingedly secured to the bottom of the box and to the under face of the false bottom and one of said plates being of a greater length than the other plate, said false bottom being formed with a spring catch and a fixed keeper in the box to be engaged by the catch when the falseibottom is swung in a vertical directionto an inclined position to permit of mail matter deposited on said false bottom being moved off'of the same when the front cover of the mail box is matter from a horizontally arranged mail box which has an open end and a hinged cover for closing one end of the box, said means comprising a false bottom made up of longitudinal and transverse slats and which is disposed over the bottom of the mail box and designed to receive mail matter thereon, front and rear plates hingedly secured to the bottom of the box and to the outer face of the false bottomand the rear plate being of a greater length than the front plate, one of the end slats of the false bottom being bulged to afford a keeper and having its outer end bent at an upward angle to provide a handle, and one of the sides of the box having a stud to be received in the rounded portion 'of the slat when the door of the box is opened andthe false bottom is elevated at an angle above the bottom of the mail box.

FRANKLIN P. EVANS.

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