Signal device for rural type mailboxes

A signal device for attachment to rural mailboxes of the type having an outwardly swinging door substantially consituting the front end thereof, said signal device comprising elongated frame means for attachment to the lowermost side of the mailbox with the longitudinal axis of said frame means substantially coextending along a front to rear dimension of the mailbox, signalstaff means having lower and upper ends thereto with said lower end thereof being pivotally attached to said frame means for pivotal movement between an upright position and a recumbent cocked position, signalstaff bias means for yieldably urging said signalstaff means toward said upright position, omnidirectional signalhead means attached to said upper end of said signalstaff means for providing conspicuous evidence from any angle of view that the door of the mailbox has been opened, and trigger means pivotally attached to said frame means for selectively holding said signalstaff means in said recumbent cocked position when the door of the mailbox is closed and for releasing said signalstaff means as the door is opened, said trigger means including actuating lever means disposed adjacent the door for operable engagement therewith and whereby said trigger means is operated to enable said signalstaff bias means to carry said signalstaff means to said upright position as the door is opened, said signalstaff means being provided with first and second annular grooves disposed adjacent the upper end thereof, said omnidirectional signalhead means including upper and lower complementary cylindric members respectively having upper and lower tubular means coextending concentrically along the longitudinal axes thereof, and said upper and lower tubular means respectively including first and second inwardly directed annular ridges for compatible engagement within said respective first and second annular grooves provided in said signalstaff means and for locking said omnidirectional signalhead means to said signalstaff means with said signalstaff means being received within said upper and lower tubular means.

A signal device for attachement to rural mailboxes of the type having an outwardly swinging door substantially consituting the front end thereof, said signal device comprising elongated frame means for attachment to the lowermost side of the mailbox with the longitudinal axis of said frame means substantially coextending along a front to rear dimension of the mailbox, signalstaff means having lower and upper ends thereto with said lower end thereof being pivotally attached to said frame means for pivotal movement between an upright position and a recumbent cocked position, signalstaff bias means for yieldably urging said signalstaff means toward said upright position, omnidirectional signalhead means attached to said upper end of said signalstaff means for providing conspicuous evidence from any angle of view that the door of the mailbox has been opened, trigger means pivotally attached to said frame means for selectively holding said signalstaff means in said recumbent cocked position when the door of the mailbox is closed and for releasing said signalstaff means as the door is opened, said trigger means including actuating lever means disposed adjacent the door for operable engagement therewith and whereby said trigger means is operated to enable said signalstaff bias means to carry said signalstaff means to said upright position as the door is opened, and signal rockshaft means for pivotally attaching said signalstaff means to said frame means, said signal rockshaft means includes a pair of signal rockshaft elements fixedly attached at either side of said lower end of said signalstaff means, each of said signal rockshaft elements having an annular shoulder separating a larger diameter portion of said signal rockshaft element from a smaller diameter portion thereof, said frame means being provided with a pair of signal pivot apertures respectively having sizes compatible to the smaller diameter portions of said pair of signal rockshaft element for pivotal engagement therein, and said signalstaff bias means including signal coil spring means having a pair of coil members for respectively convolutely engaging the larger diameter portions of said signal rockshaft element for yieldably urging said signalstaff means toward said upright position, said frame means including upwardly directed rear fork means for pivotal engagement with said smaller diameter portions of said signal rockshaft elements, said upwardly directed rear fork means including a pair of rearward upright resilient members provided with said signal pivot apertures, said rearward upright resilient members respectively including a pair of rearward cam-like tapered elements extending from thin portions thereof disposed adjacent the upper distal ends thereof to thick portions thereof disposed adjacent the rim edges of said signal pivot apertures.

A signal device for attachment to rural mailboxes of the type having an outwardly swinging door substantially constituting the front end thereof, said signal device comprising elongated frame means for attachment to the lowermost side of the mailbox with the longitudinal axis of said frame means substantially coextending along a front to rear dimension of the mailbox, signalstaff means having lower and upper ends thereto with said lower end thereof being pivotally attached to said frame means for pivotal movement between an upright position and a recumbent cocked position, signalstaff bias means for yieldably urging said signalstaff means toward said upright position, omnidirectional signalhead means attached to said upper end of said signalstaff means for providing conspicuous evidence from any angle of view that the door of the mailbox has been opened, trigger means pivotally attached to said frame means for selectively holding said signalstaff means in said recumbent cocked position when the door of the mailbox is closed and for releasing said signalstaff means as the door is opened, said trigger means including actuating lever means disposed adjacent the door for operable engagement therewith and whereby said trigger means is operated to enable said signalstaff bias means to carry said signalstaff means to said upright position as the door is opened, said trigger means including a nib attached to said actuating lever means for engaging said omnidirectional signalhead means thus holding said signalstaff in said recumbent cocked position, the distal end of said omnidirectional signalhead means including means defining a socket for receiving said nib when the door of the mailbox is in the closed position and said signalstaff means having been manually placed in said recumbent cocked position, trigger rockshaft means for pivotally attaching said actuating lever means to said frame means, said trigger rockshaft means including a pair of trigger rockshaft elements fixedly attached at either side of said actuating lever means, each of said trigger rockshaft elements having an annular shoulder separating a larger diameter portion of said trigger rockshaft element from a smaller diameter portion thereof, said frame means being provided with a pair of trigger pivot apertures respectively having sizes compatible to the smaller diameter portions of said pair of trigger rockshaft elements for pivotal engagement therein, and trigger bias means for yieldably urging said nib toward the rearward portion of the mailbox by merely moving the door of the mailbox to the closed position with said actuating lever means and said door both moving in unison during the opening and closing action of the door, said trigger bias means including trigger coil spring means having a pair of coil members for respectively convolutely engaging the larger diameter portions of said trigger rockshaft elements for yieldably urging said actuating lever means toward the rearward portion of the mailbox, said frame means including upwardly directed front fork means for pivotal engagement with said smaller diameter portions of said trigger rockshaft elements, said upwardly directed front fork means including a pair of forward upright resilient members provided with said trigger pivot apertures, said forward upright resilient members respectively including a pair of forward cam-like tapered elements extending from thin portions thereof disposed adjacent the upper distal ends thereof to thick portions thereof disposed adjacent the rim edges of said trigger pivot apertures.