US2650150A - Letter safe - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 25, 1953 o. H. SMITH ET AL LETTER SAFE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 2, 1951 INVENTORS SM! 771 osaAk h. ETHEL u. su/rn mm-Mme,

ATTORNEY:

Aug; 25, 1953 0.1-1. SMITH ET AL- LETTER SAFE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 2, 1951 INVENTORS SMITH SMITH m W mwRimm OSCAR Ii ETHEL M.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 25, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LETTER SAFE Oscar H. Smith and Ethel M. Smith, Washington, D. 0.

Application January 2, 1951, Serial No. 204,027 4 Claims. (01. 312-201) present invention relates to improvements A further object of the invention is to p ov d a improved letter safe of a character to rest in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein the symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an improved letter safe according to the present invention condition, Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top tray showing a form of cover operator employed.

Figure 4 is a vertical fragmentary section taken on the line 44 in Figure Figure 5 is an exploded fragmentary perspective view showing the joint between the pivoted Figure 8 is a vertical transverse sectiontaken on the line 8 8 in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view taken on the line B-9 in Figure 8 and,

I I, and at 3'! to a still more forwardly advanced portion of the top tray I2.

In a similar way the rear links 28 are pivoted at 38 to a rear portion of the base tray l0 and at guides 23 may be closed at their inner sides by the vertical inner walls 41. The top surface of the pivoted cover 20 may serve as the bottom walls for the slotted guides 23.

The c-over20 is also preferably formed at its front andside edges with downturned flanges 42,

best seen in Figures 3 and 5. The permanent top pose effective I9 is also preferably formed with a downturned flange 43. Portions of the flanges 42 and. 43 are overlapped to enable the pivots 2| to be inserted in registering openings 44 and 45 The permanent cover 19 edge is advantageously formed with a downwardly depending flange leg 46 and an outwardly extending or horizontal flange foot 41 extending forwardly from the lower edge of the flange leg 46. This construction is shown more particularly in Figures and 9, in which the rear edge of the cover 20 is shown as provided with a downturned vertical flange leg 48 and a forwardly extending flange foot 49 projecting forwardly from the lower edge of the flange leg 48 substantially horizontally or at right angles to the vertical plane of the flange leg 48. y

in Figure '1 the tray is reinforced by a channel member 50 having wardly and engaging the tray bottom [3 and the flange 18 respectively, the flanges of the channel 50 being preferably directed forwardly so as to provide double spaced walls I6, 50 in look 54 may be accommodated and which will otherwise strengthen and reinforce the front portion of the base tray 10. The channel member 50 and its flanges may be united to the parts of the base tray with which it contacts by welding, brazing or other suitable methods. Preferably a downturned flange Ill from the rear edge of the horizontal flange 18 extends in back of the upper portion of the channel member 50.

In like manner a Z-plate 5! may be incorporated in the front portion of the intermediate trays H.

Finger holes 52 may be made in the bottoms 13 of all of the trays, preferably near the forward portions thereof.

The entire safe may be supported upon rubber or other feet 53.

In the use of the device, the safe will be ordinarily in the closed position shown in Figures 1, 6 and 8, the same being locked in the manner indicated in Figure 10.

The proprietor or some authorized person in. possession of a key may insert the same in the lock 54 for the purpose of first withdrawing the tongues 32 into the lateral confines of the locking bolt 3i and thereafter moving the lock bolt 3| downwardly through the opening 34 so as to be entirely free of the striker plate 33.

All parts of the safe are preferably of metal appropriately finished to impart an attractive appearance. By looking any two trays together the entire safe will be locked against unauthorized entry, due to the fact that in the closed position the trays are all in vertical registry with the bottom of one tray seated upon the inturned flanges ll! of the next lower tray. The edges all about the trays when in closed position interbarriers against the abstraction of papers from the trays.

' lifter the safe is unlocked, the device may be moved to theopen position illustrated in Figures 2 and as by lifting the handhold 22 due to the entrainment of all of the trays through the rigid arms or links the link extension '29. Or the trays may be opened by moving any "of the trays to swing the links 21 and 28 to the substantially vertical position'shown in Figures 2 and '1. In the closed position the rigid arms or links 21, 28 will be in diagonal position illustrated in Figures 1 and 6. Therefore in opening the-trays will be lifted one above the other by at its forward free.

which the.

pers from the safe.

the vertical distance between the pivots 35, 36, 31 and 38, 39, 40. Also due to the connection of the several pivots at the points indicated on the several trays, such trays will be moved into an offset or terraced position with each tray having its front wall set backwardly relatively to the adjacent lower tray. Such arrangement will leave the front portions of all of the trays freely accessible to the hand of the proprietor in inserting or removing valuable papers In removing papers the accessible in the open terraced position of the trays. By inserting a finger upwardly through a finger hole 52 the front portions of papers or documents in any particular tray may be pushed upwardly to a position where the papers may be more readily grasped in the other hand and removedfrom the tray.

Incident to the opening of the tray and due to the extensions 29, pins. 30 and the slotted guides 23, the pivoted cover 20 will also be swung upwardly to give free access to the contents of the top tray [2.

As shown more particularly in Figure 7 in the completely open position of the safe, the pins 33 will encounter the rear guide walls 26 which will act as stops to prevent the further opening movement of the safe. This will occur preferably when the rear links 28 have moved just past the vertical dead center to avoid the trays and the lid 23 collapsing in a forward motion to the closed position of the tray when the hands are removed.

In the closed position of the tray the pins or projections 30 preferably stop short of the forward end walls 25 of the slotted guides 23 in order to give ample clearance so that these parts will not interfere with the full closing of the trays in which the bottoms of the trays rest upon flanges l8 of under trays.

When in the closed position the flanges 46, 48 and 41, 49 of the permanent top In and pivoted cover 20 will fit closely together and prevent the insertion of any instrument which might be used in an attempt to withdraw valuable pa- In the same way the cover flange 42 guards against any attempts at theft or abstraction of papers.

The entire safe is reinforced in a lateral direction by the channel and Z-plates 50, 5| and also by the flanges l8; and also further by the flanges 46, 48 and 41, 49. The safe is reinforced against any lateral motion which might uncover any of the trays by reason of the longitudinal flanges l8 and the attachment of the rigid links 21 and 28. flat bars of substantially heavy metal which may be aluminum treated, chrome finished or otherwise heated or finished in matching or contrasting colors with the walls of the trays which are preferably of relatively heavy gauged sheet steel. The links 21 and 28 are preferably straight bars acting as a series of levers between the trays and also the extensions 29 with the projections 30 cooperate with the slotted guides 23 to form levers for lifting and lowering the lid 20 in accompaniment to the opening and closing movements of the trays.

In the single embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings the links 21 are pivoted at 35 to substantially middle points of the base tray H), at 36 to the intermediate tray H and at a point approximately onethird the length of the tray measuring fromthe front wall thereof, and the pivots 31 are affixed These links 21, 28 are preferably straight to the sides of the top tray I 2 at points which the spaced and terraced position and to autoare approximately one-sixth of the length therematically close the cover in a locked relation with of measured from the front wallv said top tray when the trays are lowered into The rear pair of links 28 are of greater length mutually closing condition, said projection adaptthan the front links 21 and pivoted at 38 to a 5 ed to encounter the rear end wall of the slotted rear portion of the base tray ID, for instance apguide as a stop in the fully open position of the proximately one-sixth of the length of the tray trays and cover.

measured from the rear wall H. The links 28 2. A letter safe as claimed in claim 1 further are pivoted at 39 to the intermediate tray I l including a lock between two of the trays which approximately two-thirds of the length of the through the rigid links will prevent opening of tray measured from the front end. The rear any and all trays to and includin the hinged links 28 are pivoted at 40 to the top tray I 2 at cover. approximately the median line thereof. 3. A letter safe as claimed in claiml wherein Although we have disclosed herein the best the cover is disposed only at the front portion form of the invention known to us at this time, f th t p tray, a p m n t p Wall ng pro- We reserve the right to all such modifications and vid d f r th r ar p rti n o th t p tra to which changes as may come within the scope of the said cover is hinged. following claims. A le What w laim i two slotted guides are provided in combination 1. A letter safe comprising a plurality of trays With tWO link extensions and projections, Said including base and top trays, a cover pivoted to projections being r u d d t r tat in th uid s st top tray a l tt gu de on sand cover incident to the sliding movement therein while ward of the pivot and having a rear end wall, pairs the links and Cover relatively rotateof parallel spaced rigid links pivoted to and inter- OSCAR S connecting said trays on opposite sides of said ETHEL M- SM TH. trays to support the trays in vertically spaced terraced relation and adapted to swing down to References Cited m the me of this patent permit lowering of the trays in vertical register UNITED STATES PATENTS upon one another to effect closing of an under Number Name Date t y y sup im osed upper tray, one of said 803,726 Clam) Jan 2, 1906 links having an upward extension with a lateral 834328 Strong 14, 1908 p oje ion entered and sliding in said guide, said 1 035 552 Doerin one link being pivoted to the tray carrying said 1:277:893 Fischerg u g cover forwardly of the pivot of said cover and 1653967 Paulson being adapted 0 raise the DiVOtEd COVBI of said 39 3 2 09 Shaw 52: if r 7 --V-!---

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