US3825173A - Mail box - Google Patents

Abstract

A mail box is presented adapted to be cheaply and efficiently formed of either four or five different elements, each of which is capable of being molded or extruded of synthetic plastic material, although the design would lend itself to construction in metal also.

Description

atent 11 1 Sunday Gieseler.......... Mrenza MAILBOX 2,578,691 12/1951 W61 William v-sundamgomanor 512323323 11323 come".:..:::i:.:::1:::::::...

'Ave-Cleve1and,0111044104 3,749,302 7/1973 Mar. 26, 1973 [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel [21] Appl. No.: 344,912

Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Baldwin, Egan, Walling & Fetzer [57] ABSTRACT A mail box is presented adapted to be cheaply and cfficiently formed of either four or five different ele- [52] US. 232/17, 232/38 [51] llnt. A47g 29/12 [58] Field of Search.............. 232/17, 34, 38, 39, 45

ments, each of which is capable of being molded or References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS extruded of synthetic plastic material, although the design would lend itself to construction in metal also.

391,293 10/1888 232/38 1,438,518 12/1922 Chapman.............................. 232/17 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 1 MAIL Box An object of the present invention is to provide a mail box which may be cheaply constructed from an extruded body having integral front, bottom and rear walls, and an open top, two end walls equipped with edge flanges adapted to fit snugly in the open ends of the main body, and a top cover having a tubular formation along its rear edge which cooperates with inwardly extending pins on the two end walls to form a hinge for the cover when the parts are all assembled. Another form provides an extra inner cover for the box arranged to be hinge connected to the rest of the structure by the same inwardly extending pins on the end walls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and specification and the essential features will be set forth in the.

appended claims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the completely assembled box;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the box of FIG. 1 with the outer cover open and the end walls in position to be pushed into the open ends of the extruded body of the box;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the outer cover of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inner cover of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the body portion of the box of FIGS. 1 and 2; while FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 assembled, but indicating a modification which has an outer cover but no inner cover.

The mail box of this invention is assembled from a few pieces which are easy and cheap to manufacture so that the completed box is not expensive. It will be described as made of five pieces including an outer cover and an inner cover, or as a modification omitting the inner cover, if one so desires.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 5, a main body portion 10 is indicated as having a generally rectangular front wall 10a, 21 generally rectangular bottom 10b and a generally rectangular rear wall 10c. The front and rear walls are inclined at least 90 to the bottom wall 10b. The rear wall has a semi-tubular generally cylindrical top edge portion 10d which is partially open at le along its entirelength with the opening facing toward the front wall and slightly downwardly as seen in FIG. 5. It will be noted that all portions of this body in FIG. consist of elements extending parallel to each other so that the same, when made of plastic, might be easily extruded.

Two unitary molded end walls 11 and 12 are alike except that they are right-hand and left-hand, respectively. Each end wall has a central wall portionadapted to close an open end of the body member described in connection with FIG. 5. Each has edge flanges extending at right angles to the central wall portion along the front edge at 11b, along the bottom edge at 11c, and along the rear edge at lid. The construction is such that the outermost faces of these three edge flanges fit snugly against the inner surfaces respectively of the front, bottom and rear walls of the extrudedbody when the parts are assembled. These flanges may then be secured to their respective body walls in any suitable manner. If the box is made of synthetic plastic, then the 2 securing means may be an adhesive. If the box is made of metal, then the securing means might be welds, solder or the like; Each of the end walls has a unitary upstanding tongue He or Me unitary with the end wall and upstanding at the upper rear corner of each end wall. Preferably, because of the shown position of the flanges 11b, 11c and 11d, each tongue is offset a slight amount as shown at 11f and 12f. Each upstanding tongue has an inwardly extending pin 11g and 12g extending generally parallel to the bottom wall 10b for the purpose of providing a hinge connection between the top cover and the extruded body as will presently I appear.

As seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, an outside top cover is generally planar and rectangular and of a size to close the opentop of the extruded body 10 when fitted with the end walls 11 and 12. Preferably, but not necessarily, the forward edge of the cover 13 has an elongated turned down lip 13a to fit snugly over the front wall 10a when the cover is closed as shown in FIG. 1. 1n any case, the front edge of the cover should extend beyond the front wall 10a to be certain that rain does not enter. This top cover 13 has an integral generally tubular formation 13b extending along its entire rear edge in position to lie within the semitubular top edge portion 10d of the rear wall when the box is assembled. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 6, the open ends of the tubular formation 113b, when the box isassembled, are in position to receive the inwardly extending pins 11g and 12g of the upstanding tongues of the two end walls, Thus, when completely assembled the pins 11g and 12g cooperating with the tubular formation 13d provide a hinge connection between the top cover and the body. This structure, without an inner top cover, is clearly indicated in FIG. 6.

Preferably, but not necessarily, an inner top cover 14 is provided as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4. This cover is provided with a lock at 14a so that the same may be locked to the body member 10 and is provided with an open slot 14b extending through the inner cover through which mail may be placed within the box. As clearly seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, at the rear corners of the inner cover there are provided upstanding projections 14c which are positioned to lie inside of and parallel to the upstandingtongues He and 12: when the box is assembled and with the pins 11g and 12g extending through through openings 14d in the upstanding projections. It. is clearly seen in FIG. 2 that as the end walls move inwardly to assembled position, the pins 11g and 12 extend first through the openings 14d of the projections 14c of the inner cover and then into the hollow center of the ends of the tubular formation 13b of the outer What is claimed is: 1. A multi-piece synthetic plastic mail box consisting of l) a unitary extruded body having a front wall and a bottom wall and a rear wall and an open top, all of said walls and said top being generally rectangular, said front and rear walls being inclined at least 90 to said bottom wall, said rear wall having a semi-tubular generally cylindrical top edge portion partially open along its entire length toward said front wall and slightly downwardly; (2) two unitary molded end walls each having a central wall portion and edge flanges extending at right angles thereto along the bottom and along the front and rear sides of said central wall portion, the outermost faces of said edge flanges fitting snugly the inner surfaces of said front and bottom and rear walls respectively and adapted to be secured thereto when assembled, each of said end walls having a unitary upstanding tongue at its upper rear corner with an inwardly extending pin generally parallel to said bottom wall; and (3) an outside top cover generally planar and rectangular of a size to close said open top of said extruded body, said top cover having an integral generally tubular formation extending along its rear edge in position to lie within said semi-tubular top edge portion of said rear wall when assembled and with the open ends of said tubular formation in position to receive said inwardly extending pins of said upstanding tongues when assembled, whereby said pins and said tubular formation provide a hinge connection between said cover and said body.

2. The combination of claim 1, including an inner top cover generally planar and rectangular of a size to close said open top of said extruded body and having at each of its rear corners an upstanding projection, there being a through opening in each projection of a size to receive one of said pins, said projections positioned to lie inside of and parallel to said upstanding tongues when assembled and with pins extending through said through openings and into said tubular formation; means for locking said inner top cover to said extruded body, and there being an open slot through said inner top cover through which mail may be placed within said box.

Claims (2)

1. A multi-piece synthetic plastic mail box consisting of (1) a unitary extruded body having a front wall and a bottom wall and a rear wall and an open top, all of said walls and said top being generally rectangular, said front and rear walls being inclined at least 90* to said bottom wall, said rear wall having a semitubular generally cylindrical top edge portion partially open along its entire length toward said front wall and slightly downwardly; (2) two unitary molded end walls each having a central wall portioN and edge flanges extending at right angles thereto along the bottom and along the front and rear sides of said central wall portion, the outermost faces of said edge flanges fitting snugly the inner surfaces of said front and bottom and rear walls respectively and adapted to be secured thereto when assembled, each of said end walls having a unitary upstanding tongue at its upper rear corner with an inwardly extending pin generally parallel to said bottom wall; and (3) an outside top cover generally planar and rectangular of a size to close said open top of said extruded body, said top cover having an integral generally tubular formation extending along its rear edge in position to lie within said semi-tubular top edge portion of said rear wall when assembled and with the open ends of said tubular formation in position to receive said inwardly extending pins of said upstanding tongues when assembled, whereby said pins and said tubular formation provide a hinge connection between said cover and said body.

2. The combination of claim 1, including an inner top cover generally planar and rectangular of a size to close said open top of said extruded body and having at each of its rear corners an upstanding projection, there being a through opening in each projection of a size to receive one of said pins, said projections positioned to lie inside of and parallel to said upstanding tongues when assembled and with pins extending through said through openings and into said tubular formation; means for locking said inner top cover to said extruded body, and there being an open slot through said inner top cover through which mail may be placed within said box.

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