Swingable, demountable mailbox support

Claim 2

A swingable, demountable mailbox support for roadside use comprising a substantially horizontal bar having a mailbox at one end, an upright mounting post having at its upper end a bracket extending over the horizontal bar, the upper end of the post defining an upwardly oriented bearing and the bracket providing a downwardly oriented bearing, said bearings being horizontally and vertically spaced and slidingly receiving therebetween and horizontally supporting the horizontal bar, the bar being free of obstructions preventing it from sliding outwardly from between and completely disengaging the bearings, the upwardly oriented bearing being nearest the end of the bar bearing the mailbox and the bearings being fixedly oriented with respect to each other, and means permitting the bearings to swing about a vertical axis while retaining their fixed mutual orientation, whereby the horizontal bar is caused to swing about the vertical axis in contact with the bearings when the mailbox is struck by a vehicle, the bar sliding outwardly from between the bearings and becoming freed from the post.

Claim 3

A swingable, demountable mailbox support for roadside use comprising a substantially horizontal bar having a mailbox at one end, an upright mounting post having at its upper end a bracket extending over the horizontal bar, the upper end of the post defining an upwardly oriented bearing and the bracket providing a downwardly oriented bearing, said bearings being horizontally and vertically spaced and slidingly receiving therebetween and horizontally supporting the horizontal bar, the bar being free of obstructions preventing it from sliding outwardly from between and completely disengaging the bearings, the upwardly oriented bearing being nearest the end of the bar bearing the mailbox and the bearings being fixedly oriented with respect to each other, and means permitting the bearings to swing about a vertical axis while retaining their fixed mutual orientation, whereby the horizontal bar is caused to swing about the vertical axis in contact with the bearings when the mailbox is struck by a vehicle, the bar sliding outwardly from between the bearings and becoming freed from the post.

Claim 4

A swingable, demountable mailbox support for roadside use comprising a substantially horizontal bar having a mailbox at one end, an upright mounting post having at its upper end a bracket extending over the horizontal bar, the upper end of the post defining an upwardly oriented bearing and the bracket providing a downwardly oriented bearing, said bearings being horizontally and vertically spaced and slidingly receiving therebetween and horizontally supporting the horizontal bar, the bar being free of obstructions preventing it from sliding outwardly from between and completely disengaging the bearings, the upwardly oriented bearing being nearest the end of the bar bearing the mailbox and the bearings being fixedly oriented with respect to each other, and means permitting the bearings to swing about a vertical axis while retaining their fixed mutual orientation, whereby the horizontal bar is caused to swing about the vertical axis in contact with the bearings when the mailbox is struck by a vehicle, the bar sliding outwardly from between the bearings and becoming freed from the post.

Claim 5

The mailbox support of claim 1 wherein the bracket is rigidly attached to the post and wherein the post has a pivot along its length permitting its upper end to pivot about its axis with respect to its lower end.

Claim 6

The mailbox support according to claim 2 wherein the upright post comprises telescoping, inner and outer support tubes respectively having mating telescoping ends and remote ends, the remote end of one tube being adapted for insertion in the ground, and the remote end of the other tube being fixedly attached to the bracket for supporting the horizontal rod, the inner tube bearing along its length a lengthwise adjustable sleeve adapted to bear against the telescoping end of the outer tube to fix the minimum overall height of the post.

Claim 7

The mailbox support of claim 3 wherein the outer tube end and the sleeve have mating surfaces defining a plane which is oblique to the axis of the tubes, rotation of the upper tube with respect to the lower tube causing the mating surfaces to coact and to cam upwardly the upper tube, and the mating ends coacting to urge the tubes into their original orientation when rotational force is removed from the upper tube.

Claim 8

The mailbox support of claim 3 wherein the end of the lower tube adapted for insertion in the ground includes outwardly extending, vertically oriented anchor plates adapted to support the lower tube against displacement from its upright orientation.

Claim 9

A swingable, demountable mailbox support for roadside use comprising: an upright post including upper and lower coaxial tubes having telescoping ends permitting rotation of one tube within the other about their mutual, upright axes, the lower tube being fixed with respect to the ground and the upper tube terminating upwardly in a smooth end defining an upwardly oriented bearing; means for adjusting the telescoping length of the tubes; a horizontal, smooth-walled, tubular rod with a mailbox at one end and being free of obstructions preventing it from sliding outwardly from between and disengaging the bearings; an upwardly extending housing rigidly mounted to the upper tube and having top and side walls which with the smooth end of the upper tube define a horizontal channel dimensioned to loosely house the horizontal rod, the top wall of the housing including a downwardly oriented bearing spaced horizontally from the post, the upwardly and downwardly oriented bearings being mutually oriented to slidably receive the horiZontal rod between them, the mailbox end of the rod being nearer the upwardly oriented bearing; whereby the impact of a vehicle against the mailbox causes the horizontal arm to pivot about the axis of the post, the arm thereupon sliding outwardly through the bearings and separating from the post.

Claim 10

A swingable, demountable mailbox support for roadside use comprising: an upright post including upper and lower coaxial tubes having telescoping ends permitting rotation of one tube within the other about their mutual, upright axes, the lower tube being fixed with respect to the ground and the upper tube terminating upwardly in a smooth end defining an upwardly oriented bearing; means for adjusting the telescoping length of the tubes; a horizontal, smooth-walled, tubular rod with a mailbox at one end and being free of obstructions preventing it from sliding outwardly from between and disengaging the bearings; an upwardly extending housing rigidly mounted to the upper tube and having top and side walls which with the smooth end of the upper tube define a horizontal channel dimensioned to loosely house the horizontal rod, the top wall of the housing including a downwardly oriented bearing spaced horizontally from the post, the upwardly and downwardly oriented bearings being mutually oriented to slidably receive the horiZontal rod between them, the mailbox end of the rod being nearer the upwardly oriented bearing; whereby the impact of a vehicle against the mailbox causes the horizontal arm to pivot about the axis of the post, the arm thereupon sliding outwardly through the bearings and separating from the post.

Claim 11

The mailbox support of claim 6 wherein the housing comprises an inverted U-shaped metal plate, the legs of the U being rigidly mounted to the upper end of the upper tube, the crossbar of the U and adjacent portions of the legs respectively defining the top and side walls of the horizontal channel and the top wall terminating at one end of the channel spaced from the post in a downwardly turned lip defining the downwardly oriented bearing.

Claim 12

The mailbox support of claim 7 wherein the channel and the arm are of substantially rectangular cross section and are mutually dimensioned to prevent twisting of the arm within the channel.