US 5,964,401 AGranted

Mail box indicator system

OwnerGene R. Thillinventor

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Abstract

A mail box indicator system includes a flag post having a flag attached to the post by a removable collar. The post is further attached to an elbow member by a coil. The elbow member is attachable to wall of a mail box. The coil urges the post into a substantially vertical position. A retention assembly is provided for holding the post in a substantially horizontal orientation when in a set position. The retention assembly is attached to the door of the mail box such that the post disengages the retention assembly when the mail box door is opened. In an alternate embodiment, the mail box indicating system includes a spacer to selectively position the post retention assembly in spaced relationship to the mail box door such that a mail box protrusion proximate the mail box door does not interfere with engagement of the post to the post retention assembly. The elbow member is attachable to the mail box using a bolt and nut holding a pair of rubber washers around a wall of the mail box. Preferably, a pair of metal washers are positioned around the rubber washers.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A mail box indicating system for attachment to a mail box, the mail box including a wall having a hole and a door, the mail box indicating system comprising:

a post having a removable collar;
a flag being attached to said collar;
a coil, a first end of said coil being positioned around an end of said post opposite said collar, a second end of said coil being coupled to a mounting means for securing said coil to the wall of the mail box such that the coil biases the post into a substantially vertical orientation;
a post retention assembly for receiving a distal end of the post, the post retention assembly being for holding the post in a substantially horizontal position, the post retention assembly being adapted for coupling to the door of the mail box such that the retention assembly disengages the post when the door is opened whereby the coil urges the post into said vertical orientation;
a means adapted for securing an elbow member to the mailbox, wherein the means adapted for securing said elbow member to the mailbox includes:
said elbow member having a bore and a bolt passing through a lumen of said bore, said elbow member being removably coupled to said coil;
a first metal washer, said bolt being inserted through said metal washer, the metal washer being positioned adjacent the elbow member;
a pair of rubber washers, said bolt being inserted through said pair of rubber washers, a first one of said pair of rubber washers being positioned adjacent said first metal washer;
a second metal washer, said bolt being inserted through said second metal washer such that said second metal washer is positioned adjacent a second one of said pair of rubber washers;
a nut for coupling to said bolt adjacent the second metal washer;
wherein the bolt is adapted to extend through the hole in the wall of the mail box such that the pair of rubber washers are positionable on either side of the wall of the mail box whereby the elbow member is adapted to be secured to the mail box when the nut is tightened.

8 more elements

A mail box indicating system for attachment to a mail box, the mail box including a wall having a hole, the mail box including a door, the mail box further having a protrusion extending outwardly around a portion of the door of the mail box when the mail box door is in a closed position, the mail box indicating system comprising:

a post having a removable collar;
a flag being attached to said collar;
a coil, a first end of said coil being positioned around an end of said post opposite said collar, a second end of said coil being coupled to a mounting means for securing said coil to the wall of the mail box such that the coil biases the post into a substantially vertical orientation;
a post retention assembly for receiving a distal end of the post, the post retention assembly being for holding the post in a substantially horizontal position, the post retention assembly being adapted for coupling to the door of the mail box such that the retention assembly disengages the post when the door is opened whereby the coil urges the post into said vertical orientation;
wherein the post retention assembly further includes:
a spacer member adapted for permitting attachment of the spacer member to the mail box, the spacer member having a slot therein;
an attachment member having a first planar portion and a pole engagement portion disposed from the first planar portion for allowing insertion of the distal end of the post into the pole engagement portion such that the post is held in a substantially horizontal orientation;
wherein the attachment member further includes a second planar portion disposed from the first planar portion, the second planar portion having an aperture therein;
and
the attachment member being coupled to the spacer member such that the attachment member is positionally adjustable along the slot in the spacer.

7 more elements

A mail box indicating system for attachment to a mail box, the mail box including a wall having a hole and a door, the mail box indicating system comprising:

a post having a removable collar;
a flag being attached to said collar;
a coil, a first end of said coil being positioned around an end of said post opposite said collar, a second end of said coil being coupled to a mounting means for securing said coil to the wall of the mail box such that the coil biases the post into a substantially vertical orientation;
a post retention assembly for receiving a distal end of the post, the post retention assembly being for holding the post in a substantially horizontal position, the post retention assembly being adapted for coupling to the door of the mail box such that the retention assembly disengages the post when the door is opened whereby the coil urges the post into said vertical orientation;
a means adapted for securing an elbow member to the mail box, wherein the means adapted for securing said elbow member to the mailbox includes:
said elbow member having a bore and a bolt passing through a lumen of said bore, said elbow member being removably coupled to said coil,
a first metal washer, said bolt being inserted through said metal washer, the metal washer being positioned adjacent the elbow member,
a pair of rubber washers, said bolt being inserted through said pair of rubber washers, a first one of said pair of rubber washers being positioned adjacent said first metal washer,
a second metal washer, said bolt being inserted through said second metal washer such that said second metal washer is positioned adjacent a second one of said pair of rubber washers,
a nut for coupling to said bolt adjacent the second metal washer, and
wherein the bolt is adapted to extend through the hole in the wall of the mail box such that the pair of rubber washers are positionable on either side of the wall of the mail box whereby the elbow member is adapted to be secured to the mail box when the nut is tightened;
the coil tapering as it extends away from the elbow member;
the post being slidably insertable through the coil when the coil is removed from the elbow member and the collar is removed from the post, the post further including a stopper coupled to the post such that the stopper is positionable within the coil such that the post is prevented from passing entirely through the coil, whereby the post extends a finite distance out of the coil.

10 more elements

a post having a removable collar;
a flag being attached to said collar;
a coil, a first end of said coil being positioned around an end of said post opposite said collar, a second end of said coil being coupled to a mounting means for securing said coil to the wall of the mail box such that the coil biases the post into a substantially vertical orientation;
a post retention assembly for receiving a distal end of the post, the post retention assembly being for holding the post in a substantially horizontal position, the post retention assembly being adapted for coupling to the door of the mail box such that the retention assembly disengages the post when the door is opened whereby the coil urges the post into said vertical orientation;
wherein the post retention assembly further includes:
a spacer member adapted for permitting attachment of the spacer member to the mail box, the spacer member having a slot therein;
an attachment member having a first planar portion and a pole engagement portion disposed from the first planar portion for allowing insertion of the distal end of the post into the pole engagement portion such that the post is held in a substantially horizontal orientation;
wherein the attachment member further includes a second planar portion disposed from the first planar portion, the second planar portion having an aperture therein;
the attachment member being coupled to the spacer member such that the attachment member is positionally adjustable along the slot in the spacer;
wherein the spacer member is adapted to extend outwardly from the door of the mail box at substantially a right angle;
wherein the first planar portion of the attachment member is oriented at a generally right angle to the spacer member;
and
wherein the slot of the spacer member is adapted to extend outwardly with respect to the mail box door such that the attachment member is adapted to be selectively positionable in a generally parallel spaced relationship with the door of the mail box for positioning the pole engagement portion such that the protrusion of the mail box does not interfere with engaging the post to the pole engagement portion of the attachment member.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.