US859645A - Mail-carrying cabinet. - Google Patents

Description

PATENTED JULY 9, 1907. M. s. DARLING,G. N. PRESTON & M. n. BRIOKSON.

MAIL CARRYING CABINET. .APPLIOATIOK rmzn ran. a, 1007.

2 again-411mm 1.

WITNESSES: Q1 A a. 4 5W 1. VEJVTORS;

THE "cams PIYIRJ cm, WASHINGTON, 04 c UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELL S. DARLING, GEORGE N. PRESTON, .AND MARTIN D. ERIOKSON, OF SPRING VALLEY,

' WISCONSIN.

MAIL-CARRYING- CABINET.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed February 8, 1907. Serial No. 356,381.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, MELL S. DARLING, GEORGE N. PRESTON, and MARTIN D. ERICKSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Spring Valley, in the county of Pierce and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Carrying Cabinets; and we do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Our invention relates to mail carrying devices; and the object is to provide a box or cabinet divided into compartments or pigeon-holes from which mail may be delivered by any person delivering mail from house to house in the city or country, especially by carriers using a vehicle; the device is therefore especially adapted for use by rural mail carriers.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a face view or rear elevation of the device shown as mounted upon the front portion of a buggy body, the dashboard being removed to give room for the device, and the door is partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the plate secured upon the buggy and holding the device detachably secured by hooks and bolts intersected close above the board in said view. Fig.3 is a left hand side elevation of Fig. 1 with the front end of the buggy shown only in dotted outlines.

Referring to the drawing by letters of reference, A designates the sides and B the bottom of the front end of a buggy or sled used by the mail carrier for delivering letters and packages. From the front board 0 is removed the usual dashboard and a board or plate D is secured by screws E, or bolts applied as indicated by one bolt F. Said plate is provided with four slotted holes G G and H H, of which the latter are enlarged at one end as shown in Fig. 2.

The mail carrying cabinet or rack J is preferably cylindrical or drum-shaped and is provided at its top with a handle L by which to carry it to and from the buggy, and at its bottom with four legs to stand on. Two of said legs are formed with hooks K adapted to pass downward through the holes G and take hold below the plate D, and two of them are perforated for bolts L, whose heads pass downward through the wide ends of slots H and take hold below the plate when pushed into the narrow ends of the slots, which is done by pushing the nail holder J with the hooks K into engagement. In the position thus described the mail box J is securely held by tightening the thumb nuts M on said bolts. When-the mailbox or cabinet is to be removed from the plate D the nuts M are loosened and l the box moved sufficiently sidewise to allow the hooks of the plate.

The box or cabinet J is permanently closed at its rear side, which is turned forward on the vehicle so that the front side or door N is turned toward the driver, who also delivers the mail.

In the center of the stationary back 0, andcleats P secured thereon, is fixed one end of a horizontal stud Q, on whose front end is retained by a pin R the cleat P of the detachable revoluble door N, which carries a series of slidable lids S S S each of which is held practically water-tight against the door N by springarms S. Each lid opens into a circular row of mail holding cells or pigeon-holes T T, T and T except the lid S which opens both into row T and T.

U designate small plates fixed adjacent to each pigeon-hole and bearing the number of the letter-box on the route whose mail is carried in the pigeon-hole.

The mail is distributed into the several pigeon-holes either through the openings closed by the sliding lids, or with the door N removed.

In delivering the mail along the route the lids are opened one by one and the cover N turned so that the proper box number appears, the letters are removed and placed in the box at or near the house or fence at the place of delivery, this operation is repeated for each place of delivery until all the pigeon-holes are emptied and the gathered-up mail deposited in them for transportationto the post ofiice. It will be observed that the cover or door N revolves so to say within the cabinet, the latter having a rim V projecting forwardly over the edges of the door so as to prevent rain and snow from falling inside the door. Said rim is however provided at its lowest point with a notch W for the escape of rainwater blown against the door. In Fig. 3 only the upper sliding lid S is shown, and on it is shown a finger catch X for moving the slide; such catch may also be formed of the over-bent end Y of the lid, which bend also serves to stiffen the only edge of the lid not steadied by the ledges Z.

a indicate cleats or strips stiffening the cabinet where the legs I) are fastened. c c are clearing notches in the plate D for the drivers legs to get as far as possible in under the mail cabinet, while the notches d d are to save material.

Having now described our invention, what we claim 1. In a device of the class described, a cabinet adapted to be detachably secured to a mail delivering vehicle and having pigeon-holes arranged in concentric circles, a revoluble door covering all the pigeon-holes, a lid on the door for each circle of pigeon-holes, whereby when the door is turned all the mail in each circle may be reached by open ing one lid.

2. In a device of the class described, a cabinet adapted K and the headsof the bolts L to slip upward and out to be detachably secured to a inail delivering vehicle and having pigeon-holes arranged in concentric circles, a revolubie door covering all the pigeon-holes, a lid on the door for each circle of pigeon-holes whereby when the door is turned all the mail in each circle may be reached by opening one lid, and means for holding such lids water tight.

3. The combination with a mail distributing vehicle, of a board or plate secured upon its front end, a mail carrying cabinet or box detachably secured to the plate and having concentric circles of pigeon-holes opening toward the mail carrier seated on the vehicle, a revoluble door closing said pigeon-holes and lids on the cover for reaching all the w pigeon-holes as the door is revolved, said cabinet having a shield or guard projecting over the edges of the door and formed with an outlet for rain blown by the wind against the door.

4. The combination with a mail distributing vehicle, of a board or plate secured upon its front end, a mail carrying cabinet or box detachably, secured to the plate and having concentric circles of pigeon-holes opening toward the mail carrier seated in the vehicle, a revolubie door closing said pigeon-holes and lids on the cover for reaching all the pigeon-holes as the door is revolved, said cabinet being" cylindrical and having the door at one end of the cylinder, legs upon one side of the cylinder and a hand-hold at the opposite side, and means for securing the legs to said board or plate in a readily detachable manner.

5. A mail carrying box of cylindrical form and adapted to occupy a horizontal position, the same having a fixed bottom, an arm projecting centrally from the bottom and to the other end of the cylinder, a revoluble cylinder cover at the free end of the arm, and means for holding it detachably thereon, a rack work adapted for holding the mail in assorted condition in the box, and doors or lids on the revoluble cover for reaching the mail.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures, in pres ence of two witnesses.

MELL s. DARLING. GEORGE N, PRESTON. MARTIN D. ERICKSON.

Witnesses:

If. H. GRASLIE, C. D. SILBERUS.

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