Mailbox with improved door opening means and flag operator

For use in combination with a mail service vehicle, a roadside mailbox especially adapted to be opened and closed by movement of the vehicle past the mailbox, said mailbox including a hollow body having an open end for facing said roadside, a roadfacing door for closing said open end swingable between a closed and an open position, hinge means for mounting said door adjacent the open end of said hollow body, said hinge means having a horizontal axis about which said door swings, means biasing said door to its closed position, and an arm secured to and projecting outwardly from said door to provide a lever arm for swinging said door open, said arm having a mounting portion secured to said door, an intermediate portion extending from said mounting portion, and a hooked end portion remote from said mounting portion, said hooked end portion being curved upwardly from said intermediate portion, said arm being formed from flexible spring wire and having greater flexibility to bend horizontally than vertically, said arm having substantial resistance to bending in a vertical plane, together with a slanted actuating rod adapted to be mounted on a vehicle and engageable with said arm to open said door against the action of said biasing means as the vehicle approaches the mailbox, said actuating rod including an elongated downwardly slanted portion having an upper end and a free end at its lower extremity, and mounting means secured to the upper end of said downwardly slanted portion for positioning said downwardly slanted portion outwardly from the side of said vehicle in position for the downwardly slanted portion to engage said arm intermediate the ends of said downwardly slanted portion in order to cam said arm downwardly to open said door as the vehicle moves along the roadside adjacent said mailbox.