Mailbox signal

Claim 2

In combination with a mailbox having a pair of horizontally spaced upright sidewalls, an open end and a door for closing said open end, a signal device, comprising: mounting bracket means secured to one of the sidewalls of said mailbox, said mounting bracket means including elongated shaft means extending outwardly from said one side of said mailbox, said shaft means including means on the exterior surface thereof defining a cylindrical bearing surface; signal flag means comprising an elongated arm made of a synthetic moldable plastic and having means defining an opening therethrough intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends thereof and adapted to receive said bearing surface on said shaft and to thereby pivotally support said elongated arm, a flat, flaglike projection extending outwardly from said elongated arm adjacent one end thereof, counterweight means comprising means defining an elongated recess in said elongated arm extending in the longitudinal direction of said elongated arm and a metal weight mounted in said recess, said metal weight comprising an elongated rod having a width slightly greater than the width of said recess so that said metal weight can be inserted into said recess and the resiliency of said plastic of said elongated arm will effect a retention of said metal weight in said recess, said counterweight means being provided on said elongated arm on the opposite side of said pivot axis from said flat, flaglike projection, the combined weight of said counterweight means and said elongated arm on said opposite side of said pivot axis being greater than the combined weight of said flat, flaglike projection and said elongated arm on said one side of said pivot axis and meanS defining a slot in said elongated arm adjacent said counterweight means extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated arm and opening outwardly at one end thereof; and latch means secured to said door and projecting outwardly laterally thereof, said latch means including lug means positioned to be received in said slot to hold said elongated arm in a generally horizontally aligned position when said door is in the closed position, said lug means moving longitudinally out of said slot through said outwardly opened end thereof when said door is opened to release said opposite end of said elongated arm to effect a swinging of said elongated arm to a generally vertically aligned position.

Claim 3

A signal device according to claim 1, wherein said mounting bracket means comprises a flange extending radially outwardly from one end of said elongated shaft means, means defining an opening through the central portion of said shaft means and said flange and adapted to receive an elongated fastening member therein and an aligned opening in said one sidewall of said mailbox adapted to receive said fastening member to facilitate a fastening of said mounting bracket means to said mailbox.

Claim 4

A signal device according to claim 1, wherein said flat, flaglike projection is integral with said elongated arm.

Claim 5

A signal device according to claim 1, wherein a plane containing said flat, flaglike projection also contains said pivot axis.

Claim 6

In combination with a mailbox having a pair of horizontally spaced upright sidewalls, an open end and a door for closing said open end, a signal device, comprising: mounting bracket means secured to one of the sidewalls of said mailbox, said mounting bracket means including elongated shaft means extending outwardly from said one side of said mailbox, said shaft means including means on the exterior surface thereof defining a cylindrical bearing surface; signal flag means comprising an elongated arm having means defining an opening therethrough intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends thereof and adapted to receive said bearing surface on said shaft and to thereby pivotally support said elongated arm, a flat, flaglike projection extending outwardly from said elongated arm adjacent one end thereof, counterweight means secured to said elongated arm on the opposite side of said pivot axis from said flat, flaglike projection, the combined weight of said counterweight means and said elongated arm on said opposite side of said pivot axis being greater than the combined weight of said flat, flaglike projection and said elongated arm on said one side of said pivot axis and means defining a slot in said elongated arm located on said opposite side and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated arm and opening outwardly at one end thereof, said shaft means being secured to said one sidewall of said mailbox on the opposite side of said elongated arm from said flat, flaglike projection and said slot; and latch means including bracket means for securing said latch means to said door, said latch means projecting outwardly laterally from said door, said latch means includes an elongated support secured to said bracket means which extends laterally outwardly therefrom beneath said opposite end of said elongated arm to support said opposite end of said elongated arm when said elongated arm is in said horizontally aligned position and includes an upstanding L-shaped projection adjacent the outer end of said support, the horizontal leg of which is received in said slot to hold said elongated arm in a generally horizontally aligned position when said door is in the closed position, said horizontal leg moving longitudinally out of said slot through said outwardly opened end thereof when said door is opened to release said opposite end of said elongated arm to effect a swinging of said elongated arm to a generally vertically aligned position.

Claim 7

In combination with a mailbox having a pair of horizontally spaced upright sidewalls, an open end and a door for closing said open end, a signal device, comprising: mounting bracket means secured to one of the sidewalls of said mailbox, said mounting bracket means including elongated shaft means extending outwardly from said one side of said mailbox, said shaft means including means on the exterior surface thereof defining a cylindrical bearing surface; signal flag means comprising an elongated arm having means defining an opening therethrough intermediate the opposite longitudinal ends thereof and adapted to receive said bearing surface on said shaft and to thereby pivotally support said elongated arm, a flat, flaglike projection extending outwardly from said elongated arm adjacent one end thereof, counterweight means secured to said elongated arm on the opposite side of said pivot axis from said flat, flaglike projection, the combined weight of said counterweight means and said elongated arm on said opposite side of said pivot axis being greater than the combined weight of said flat, flaglike projection and said elongated arm on said one side of said pivot axis and means defining a slot in said elongated arm located on said opposite side and extending parallel to the longitudinal axis of said elongated arm and opening outwardly at one end thereof, said shaft means being secured to said one sidewall of said mailbox on the opposite side of said elongated arm from said flat, flaglike projection and said slot; and latch means including bracket means for securing said latch means to said door, said latch means projecting outwardly laterally from said door, said latch means includes an elongated support secured to said bracket means which extends laterally outwardly therefrom beneath said opposite end of said elongated arm to support said opposite end of said elongated arm when said elongated arm is in said horizontally aligned position and includes an upstanding L-shaped projection adjacent the outer end of said support, the horizontal leg of which is received in said slot to hold said elongated arm in a generally horizontally aligned position when said door is in the closed position, said horizontal leg moving longitudinally out of said slot through said outwardly opened end thereof when said door is opened to release said opposite end of said elongated arm to effect a swinging of said elongated arm to a generally vertically aligned position.