U.S. patent number 3,874,583 [Application Number 05/350,585] was granted by the patent office on 1975-04-01 for mail receptacle.
Invention is credited to Ralph E. Moll.
United States Patent |
3,874,583 |
Moll |
April 1, 1975 |
Mail receptacle
Abstract
A mail receptacle comprising a housing having forwardly and
upwardly inclined front and rear walls, with the rear wall merging
upwardly with a curved upper wall extending over and forwardly of
the front wall to define a front opening in the housing. A door or
baffle member is disposed within the housing opening and is
hingedly connected to the upper portion of the front wall. The door
member has a front panel and a rear panel having a shape and size
that are substantially the same as those of the opening in the
housing. The door member is pivotally movable between an open
position wherein mail may be received on the front panel thereof
and the rear panel thereof closes the opening in the housing, and a
closed position wherein both the front and rear panels thereof are
received within the housing and the front panel closes the opening
therein. The housing is provided with an opening at the lower
portion thereof for the removal of mail therefrom. This opening may
be closed by any suitable type of closure member which may be
provided with any suitable type of locking means. In this manner,
the receptacle of this invention is tamper-proof and
theft-proof.
Inventors: |
Moll; Ralph E. (Casper,
WY) |
Family
ID: |
23377360 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/350,585 |
Filed: |
April 12, 1973 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
232/17; 232/33;
D99/32 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G
29/12095 (20170801) |
Current International
Class: |
A47G
29/00 (20060101); A47G 29/122 (20060101); A47g
029/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;232/51,49,47,33,17,39 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Zugel; Francis K.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A mail receptacle, comprising:
a housing having a bottom wall, a front wall with hinge means
disposed at the upper end thereof, and a curved upper wall
extending over and forwardly of the upper end of said front wall to
define a first opening in the front upper portion of said housing,
said upper wall having a center approximately at said hinge means,
said front wall extending upwardly and forwardly from said bottom
wall at an acute angle to a vertical plane, and said housing
further comprising a rear wall extending upwardly and outwardly
from said bottom wall in substantially parallel relation to said
front wall, said bottom wall connecting said front wall and said
rear wall;
a door member disposed within said first opening and being
pivotally mounted on said housing by said hinge means;
said door member having a front panel and a rear panel spaced from
said front panel, said front and rear panels extending
substantially radially outwardly from said hinge means;
said door member being movable between an open position wherein
said front panel extends outwardly of said housing to receive mail
thereon and said rear panel is positioned to close said first
opening, and a closed position wherein said front and rear panels
are disposed within said housing and said front panel is positioned
to close said first opening;
said door member further comprising side panels disposed adjacent
opposite sides of said housing and extending from said front panel
to said rear panel, said side panels being of sectorshape, and a
flange extending upwardly from the outer end of said front panel
and extending between said side panels to retain mail deposited on
said front panel when said door member is disposed in said open
position;
said housing having a second opening in a lower portion thereof for
removal of mail therefrom, and closure means for said second
opening;
means for locking said closure means;
support means for said receptacle, said support means comprising a
substantially L-shaped bracket having a lower leg fixedly secured
to said bottom wall and an upper leg extending substantially
vertically upwardly and defining a wedge-shaped space with the
adjacent outer surface of said inclined rear wall for the reception
of large articles of mail that cannot conveniently fit within said
first opening of said housing, said wedge-shaped space being open
at its upper end so as to be adapted to receive articles of greater
height than said housing; and
a receptacle portion secured to the lower outer portion of said
front wall of said housing for the reception of outgoing mail, said
receptacle portion having a closed bottom and an open upper end,
the upper and front walls of said housing extending over and
forwardly of said receptacle portion to serve as a protective cover
therefor, owing to the forward inclination of said front wall.
2. The mail receptacle of claim 1 wherein a handle member is
mounted on the outer surface of said front panel of said door
member, said handle member engaging the outer surface of said front
wall of said housing when said door member is in said open position
to limit the opening movement of said door member.
3. The mail receptacle of claim 2 wherein the outer surface of said
handle member is substantially parallel to the outer surface of
said front wall when said door member is in said open position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a mail receptacle and, more particularly,
to such a receptacle that is tamper-proof, theftproof and adapted
for use for curbside or rural delivery and home delivery.
For many years, certain types of mail receptacles have been
utilized for rural or curbside delivery, as well as home delivery.
While these receptacles have generally served the purpose, they
have been subject to one or more of the following
disadvantages:
1. they have not been theft-proof or tamper-proof;
2. they have not been of sufficient size to accomodate various
types of mail;
3. for rural or curbside delivery, their doors have opened
outwardly and have extended a substantial distance from the
housing, with the result that mail delivery vehicles have
difficulty in approaching close enough to the mail receptacle for
the delivery or pickup of mail;
4. they are difficult to install adequately on posts or other
supports;
5. their doors have been poorly designed so as to be difficult to
open and close, or to inadequately prevent moisture from entering
the mail receptacle;
6. they have been complicated in construction and thus costly to
manufacture; and
7. they have not been sufficiently durable and thus have not been
usable for long periods of time.
A need has arisen, therefore, for an improved mail receptacle for
rural or curbside delivery and home delivery, which is an
improvement over the existing mail receptacles and is not subject
to any of the above disadvantages. The mail receptacle of the
present invention is not subject to any of the above disadvantages
and possesses many advantages not possessed by the mail receptacles
theretofore known or used.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The mail receptacle of the present invention comprises a housing
having forwardly and upwardly inclined, elongated, sustantially
parallel front and rear walls, with the rear wall merging upwardly
with a curved upper wall extending forwardly of and over the upper
portion of the front wall. The center of rotation of curved upper
wall is approximately at the upper end of the front wall. Upwardly
extending, substantially parallel side walls connect the front and
rear walls, and each comprises an upper sector-shaped portion which
extends from the upper portion of the front wall to the curved
upper wall to define an opening in the front upper portion of the
housing.
A door or baffle member is pivotally connected to the upper portion
of the front wall by any suitable type of hinge means and is
provided with front and rear panels having a shape and size that
are substantially the same as those of the front opening in the
housing. The front and rear panels of the door member are connected
by sector-shaped side panels that are adapted to fit closely within
the curved upper wall of the housing.
The door member is pivotally movable relative to the housing
between an open position wherein its front panel extends outwardly
and slightly forwardly of the housing and its rear panel serves to
close the opening in the housing, and a closed position wherein its
front and rear panels are disposed within the housing and the front
panel serves to close the opening in the housing. The front panel
is provided with a handle member that facilitates the movement of
the door member from the closed to the open position and also
engages the front wall of the housing to limit the opening movement
of the door member.
One of the side walls of the housing is provided with an opening at
its lower portion having a movable closure member that may be
locked in any suitable manner. When the closure member is opened,
mail may be conveniently removed from the housing through the
opening in the side wall. At other times, the locked closure member
serves to prevent the removal of mail from the housing.
The lower portion of the front wall of the housing may be provided
with an upwardly facing receptacle portion or pocket for holding
outgoing mail to be picked up by the mail carrier.
One or more substantially L-shaped brackets may be used to support
the mail receptacle on a support means, such as a post or a wall.
Each L-shaped bracket comprises a lower leg adapted to be secured
to the bottom wall of the housing and an upper leg adapted to be
secured to the support member. Since the rear wall of the housing
is inclined forwardly and upwardly, it defines a wedge-shaped
opening with the upper leg of the support bracket, thereby
providing an area in which larger packages, such as records,
magazines and the like may be received and supported.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mail receptacle constructed in
accordance with the principles of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view of the mail receptacle shown in
FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a sectional view, taken substantially along lines 3--3 in
FIG. 2, with the door member shown in a closed position; and
FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3, showing the door
member in an open position.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4, the mail receptacle 10 of the
present invention comprises a housing 12 and a door member 14
movably mounted on the housing. The housing 12 may be mounted on a
suitable support S, such as a post or the like, by one or more
L-shaped brackets 16 (see FIGS. 3 and 4).
The housing 12 comprises upwardly and forwardly inclined,
elongated, substantially parallel front and rear walls 18 and 20,
respectively. As an illustrative example, the front and rear walls
18 and 20 may be inclined at an angle of approximately 10.degree.
to a vertical plane. The front wall 18 and rear wall 20 are
connected by a bottom wall 22 and upwardly extending, substantially
parallel side walls 24. The rear wall 20 merges at its upper end
with a curved upper wall 26 having its center of rotation
approximately at the upper end of the front wall and extending
above and forwardly of the upper end of the front wall 18, and each
of the side walls 24 has an upper sector-shaped portion merging
with the curved upper wall 26 to define a front opening 28 in the
upper portion of the housing 12. Each side wall 24 terminates
upwardly in an oblique end surface extending from the upper end of
the front wall to the outer end of the upper wall.
The door or baffle member 14 is pivotally connected to the housing
12, e.g., at the upper portion of the front wall 18, by any
suitable hinge means 30, such as a piano hinge or the like. The
door member 14 comprises a front panel 32 and a rear panel 34, both
extending substantially radially outwardly from the hinge point 30
and being separated by any suitable angle, e.g., approximately
165.degree. as an illustrative example. The front and rear panels
32 and 34 are connected by substantially parallel, sector-shaped
side panels 36.
As seen in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, the front panel 32 and rear panel 34
of the door member 14 extend substantially radially outwardly to a
point closely adjacent to the inner surface of the curved upper
wall 26, and the side panels 36 of the door member 14 are
positioned closely adjacent to the side walls 24 of the housing 12,
with the result that the door member 14 substantially completely
fills the front opening 28 in the upper portion of the housing.
The door member 14 is provided with a handle member 38 of any
suitable construction secured to the front panel 32 thereof in any
suitable manner and in any desired position. Preferably, the handle
member 38 comprises a convex upper surface 40 and an upwardly and
outwardly inclined front surface 42. The door member 14 is
pivotally movable about the hinge 30 between the closed position
shown in FIG. 3 and the open position shown in FIG. 4. In the
closed position, the rear panel 34 of the door member 14 engages
the adjacent inner surface of the front wall 18 of the housing 12,
and the front panel 32 of the door member 14 is positioned inwardly
of the upper portion of the housing and serves to close the front
opening 28 therein.
In the open position of the door member 14 shown in FIG. 4, the
front surface 40 of the handle member 38 engages the outer surface
of the front wall 18 of the housing 12 to limit the opening
movement of the door member 14, and the front panel 32 of the door
member 14 is disposed outwardly of the housing 12 for the
depositing of mail thereon. In order to retain mail on the front
panel 32, the door member 14 is provided with a front flange 44
extending upwardly from the outer portion of the front panel 32
between the side panels 36. When in the open position, the rear
panel 34 of the door member 14 serves to close the opening 28 in
the housing 12 to prevent access to the housing, thereby preventing
tampering with or theft of mail from the housing 12 even when the
door member 14 is in the open position.
At the bottom of one of the side walls 24, an opening is provided
for the removal of mail deposited in the housing 12. This opening
is adapted to be closed by a closure member 46 that is pivotally or
otherwise movably mounted on the housing 12 in any suitable manner,
such as by a hinge 48 (see FIG. 2). The closure member 46 may be
provided with any suitable type of locking means, such as a padlock
50 secured to the housing 12 by a chain 52. The size of the opening
in the side wall 24 of the housing 12, and the size of the closure
member 46, are determined by the size of the opening 28 in the
upper portion of the housing 12. In other words, the closure member
46 is of a size sufficient to enable mail of maximum size fitting
within the opening 28 to be removed from the housing 12.
At the lower portion of the front wall 18 of the housing 12, an
upwardly opening receptacle portion 54 is provided which extends
laterally throughout a substantial portion of the width of the
front wall 18. The receptacle portion 54 is for the purpose of
receiving and retaining outgoing mail to be picked up by the mail
carrier. For the purpose of alerting the mail carrier to the
outgoing mail to be picked up in the receptacle portion 54, a
conventional flag member 56 of any suitable construction may be
movably mounted in any suitable manner on the housing 12.
The L-shaped supporting bracket 16 comprises a lower leg 58 that is
secured to the bottom wall 22 of the housing in any suitable
manner, and an upper leg 60 that is secured to the support member S
in any suitable manner. Since the rear wall 20 of the housing 12 is
inclined upwardly and forwardly away from the upper leg 60 of the
supporting bracket 16, a wedge-shaped space W is defined
therebetween. Items of mail that are relatively narrow and too long
in one dimension to fit within the opening 28 in the housing 12 may
be placed in the wedge-shaped space W and retained therein by
wedging them between the rear wall 20 of the housing 12 and the
upper arm 60 of the supporting bracket 16.
As will be apparent from the foregoing description, since the
housing 12 is inclined upwardly and outwardly away from the
supporting member S, a mail delivery or pick-up vehicle may be
conveniently parked near the front portion of the housing without
danger of hitting and damaging the support member. In addition,
since the door member 14 extends only slightly outwardly beyond the
housing 12 when in the open position, the mail delivery vehicle may
be parked close to the housing 12 without affecting the opening or
closing movement of the door member 14.
When the door member 14 is in the open position shown in FIG. 4,
mail may be conveniently deposited on the front panel 32 of the
door member 14 and will be retained thereon by the front flange 44
of the door member. In this position, the inner panel 34 of the
door member prevents access to the inner portion of the housing 12.
When the door member 14 is rotated in a clockwise direction from
the open position shown in FIG. 4 to the closed position shown in
FIG. 3, the mail deposited on the front panel 32 thereof will slide
inwardly along the front panel 32 and rear panel 34 and fall
downwardly into the lower portion of the housing 12. This mail may
then be conveniently removed from the housing 12 by unlocking and
opening the closure member 46 to expose the opening in the side
wall 24 of the housing. Since the curved upper wall 26 of the
housing 12 extends forwardly beyond the front wall 18 of the
housing, and the door member 14 is recessed within the curved upper
wall 26 when in the closed position, precipitation in the form of
rain or snow is effectively prevented from entering the housing 12
of the receptacle portion 54.
The specific shape of the housing 12 and the door member 14, as
disclosed herein for te purposes of a preferred embodiment, may be
varied without departing from the principles of this invention.
Also, the housing 12 and door member 14 may be formed of any
suitable material.
* * * * *