Did You Know...
...that the Slinky toy was the result of a failed attempt by engineer Richard James to produce an antivibration device for ship instruments? His goal was to develop a spring that would instantaneously counterbalance the wave motion that rocks a ship at sea. Instead, he developed the Slinky.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7360681 | Multi-unit mail receptacle system A mail receptacle system incorporating multiple individually accessible discrete storage compartments disposed within a frame structure with lockable user access doors disposed in mated hinging relation relative to the frame structure such that when the access doors... | 04/22/2008 |
| 7350384 | Door device equipped with lock A door device equipped with a lock, which prevents forgetting to lock a door and the like, without an electrical warning device. The door device includes a lock allowing a rotating shaft to rotate between an opened position and a closed position by inserting and rot... | 04/01/2008 |
| 7337944 | Universal delivery and collection box unit (UDCBU) The invention relates to a universal delivery and collection box unit (UDCBU). In one implementation, a UDCBU includes a mail compartment (110/120) accessible by one door (210) and a storage compartment (130) accessible by a second door (220 | 03/04/2008 |
| 7234634 | Mail box guard locking insert A unit is located inside a mailbox which prevents access to the mailbox through the door of the mailbox when the unit is in place. The unit includes a fence-like portion that is attached to the mailbox body by an arm that is locked to the mailbox in the rear of the ... | 06/26/2007 |
| 7201307 | High security mail box A high security mail box which comprises an elongated housing having a front wall, a rear opening and a chamber therein to receive and store incoming mail items. A facility in the elongated housing, is for depositing the incoming mail items within the chamber by a m... | 04/10/2007 |
| 7178716 | Concealed latch handle multi-point locking mailbox A latch assembly of the type used on postal cluster units, such as central mailbox units including a latch assembly of multiple dual bold latch mechanisms for securing at multiple latch points a pair of center meeting hinged doors upon closure of the doors. The dual... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7158941 | Residential and business logistics system and method A method for delivering and shipping parcels using a secure receptacle. The secure receptacle has an access device that controls a lock which is used to secure the contents of the receptacle from unauthorized access. One or more carriers are provided with authorized... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7114645 | Mail receptacle for isolating received items in public drop boxes A closeable mail receptacle for use inside of a drop box, includes a rectangular tub having an open top, and a top cover adapted to engage the open top and close the tub either prior to or during removal of the tub from the drop box. The top cover may include a peri... | 10/03/2006 |
| 7111772 | Decorative mailbox The decorative mailbox is of two-piece design, having a lower portion and an upper portion. The lower portion is a box-like receptacle adapted to receive and contain mail items therein. The upper portion is designed in the shape of a motor vehicle. The vehicle may b... | 09/26/2006 |
| 7070090 | Kit and method for field-modification of a mailbox to protect against mail theft A kit, and method of installation thereof, for field-modification of a mailbox to protect against mail theft. An exemplary kit includes: a security panel having a peripheral shape conforming to the interior dimensions of an opening defined by walls of the mailbox an... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7068149 | System and method for facilitating delivery and return service A system and method for facilitating delivery and return service between a delivery party and a receiving party. These parties may or may not have pre-registered to use the locker system. The system has locker modules (35) and a system controller (10).... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7021095 | Apparatus and method for controlling access to stored keys A system and apparatus for controlling keys or other objects is provided. The key can only be removed when an access control key identifying the individual who is removing the key is inserted. The access control key cannot be removed until the key is returned. ... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6933832 | Automated receiving and delivery system and method A system and method uses an appliance for delivery at a home or business when no one is home or without the need to disturb persons at the delivery site. The appliance is a locked storage container connected to remote computers such that access for particular delive... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6920835 | Charity collection safe A collection safe is provided, especially for charitable donations, for installation in a wall of a building. The collection safe has a rectangular box formation and includes a first door on one side of the box for receiving donations and a second door on the opposi... | 07/26/2005 |
| 6749109 | Cluster mailbox protective gate system A system for protecting cluster mailboxes such as neighborhood delivery and collection box units (NDCBU's) and Cluster Box Units (CBU's)from vandalism or theft of the mail. A custom-fit protective gate is built and installed around the mail carrier access doors of a... | 06/15/2004 |
| 6662997 | Mail receptacle An improved mail receptacle that expands to accommodate a large volume of mail, which volume could include a parcel. To attain this, the mail receptacle has an expandable pouch. In an embodiment, the pouch is configured to be stored in a pouch box, which ... | 12/16/2003 |
| 6592026 | Biological safety mailbox A biological safety mailbox made up of a housing, a securable lid, access ports providing access to the interior portion of the housing, and protective gloves that form a seal at the access port while allowing a user to manipulate the contents. A mounting... | 07/15/2003 |
| 6375070 | Postal delivery apparatus and method of postal delivery and receipt A postal delivery apparatus and method for delivering and removing parcels to residential and commercial customer is provided. The postal delivery apparatus preferably has a base including a bottom, a plurality of outer walls connected to and extending up... | 04/23/2002 |
| 6296181 | Interlocking door seam An interlocking door seam provides a stronger seam for double doors, making them less subject to attack by prybars and the like. Particularly for central mail stations (CMS) and central box units (CBU), double doors present there are subject to attack by ... | 10/02/2001 |
| 6247641 | Secure cluster box unit for mail and parcels An interlocking door seam provides a stronger seam for double doors, making them less subject to attack by prybars and the like. Particularly for central mail stations (CMS) and central box units CBU, double doors present there are subject to attack by pr... | 06/19/2001 |
| 6003761 | Drive-up mail distribution, storage and pick-up assembly A drive-up mail distribution, storage and pick-up assembly comprising a plurality of mail boxes, the boxes arranged in horizontal rows and vertical columns and retained in the assembly in an outer frame, each box defined by a central storage container bou... | 12/21/1999 |
| 5820019 | Cluster mailbox communication device A cluster mailbox device that allows the box user to notify the mail carrier that the user's box contains outgoing mail or mail delivery instructions. The device has a fixed portion fastened to a box wall. A rotatable portion is pivotally attached to the ... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5820018 | Mailbox system with lockable back doors A mailbox system (10) for the delivery and retrieval of mail, is described. The mailbox system has a rack ladder system (12) within which is mounted mailboxes and parcel lockers (30). The back of the mailbox system is closed by back doors (46 and 48). The... | 10/13/1998 |
| 5573178 | Combined mail, newspaper and parcel delivery box A mail, newspaper and parcel delivery system (10) for receiving postal service mail delivered, and to be delivered, by a governmental postal authority and for receiving direct delivery items and packages. The delivery system (10) includes a postal service... | 11/12/1996 |
| 5564624 | Multiple receptacle mail organizing system A mail organizer including a cabinet having a bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walls coupled to and extended upwards from the bottom wall, a curved top wall integral with an upper extent of each side wall, and a back wall connected between the side wal... | 10/15/1996 |
| 5562332 | Lobby table for lockable boxes with handicapped shelf A lobby table (10) for use in a post office lobby is described. The lobby table has lockable boxes (14) which are mounted together and spaced apart by front and back horizontal spacers (64 and 66). A counter top (12) is mounted on the uppermost horizontal... | 10/08/1996 |
| 5560693 | Wall mounted filing cabinet A wall mounted filing cabinet comprised of a cabinet having a plurality of openings formed through a front surface thereof. The cabinet is securable to a wall. The device contains a plurality of bins. The number of bins corresponds to the number of openin... | 10/01/1996 |
| 5465902 | Multi-functional mailbox A multi-functional mailbox having a mail housing. The mail housing has a recessed flat bottom and an arched top. A mail housing lid is hingedly secured to the open first end of the mail housing. The device has a newspaper housing dimensioned to be receive... | 11/14/1995 |
| 5407127 | Mail, newspaper, and parcel delivery system A mail and parcel delivery system (10) for receiving postal service mail delivered, and to be delivered, by a governmental postal authority and for receiving direct delivery items and packages. The delivery system (10) includes a postal service mail recep... | 04/18/1995 |
| 5405077 | Revolving newspaper organizer A revolving newspaper organizer comprised of a hollow cylindrical container having a surrounding side wall. The surrounding side wall has an interior surface and an exterior surface. The surrounding side wall has a top edge and a bottom edge. The surround... | 04/11/1995 |
| 5351883 | Security mailbox The invention comprises a mail access section sufficiently dimensioned for receiving and supporting letters and packages for pickup and delivery by a mail carrier. A mail containment section supports the access section above the ground and receives the ma... | 10/04/1994 |
| 5337953 | Plastic mailbox A durable plastic mailbox for receiving mail has a removable inner container thus permitting the container to be removed from the exterior casing to empty the mail at another location. The mailbox has attachment grooves on one side and top that can engage... | 08/16/1994 |
| 5207377 | Deflectable mailbox A ground-mounted upright mailbox is provided for receiving and storing therein postal material such as letters and variously-sized packages. The mailbox includes a lower mailbox portion which further defines an inner storage compartment, an upper mailbox ... | 05/04/1993 |
| 5143284 | Security mailbox A security mailbox, to be used to securely and inconspicuously hold incoming mail while providing an accessible means for a mailman to pick up outgoing mail. The mailbox includes a readily accessible lower compartment and a locked upper compartment, acces... | 09/01/1992 |
| 4953327 | Mini-office facility A facility specifically structured to define a plurality of "mini-offices" each of which includes a compartmented area or space accessible from a common access area to selected, authorized individuals or proprietors of individual ones of such mini-offices... | 09/04/1990 |
| 4865248 | Post office locker A post office locker allows for delivery and safe storage until pickup of packages in one or more storage compartments each fitted with an access door provided with a custodian lock under the sole control of a mailman and an access lock adapted to be oper... | 09/12/1989 |
| 4726512 | Self-locking means A lock is adapted for use within a box, container or fastening wherein the lock makes the box, container or fastening freely openable for a first opening, but locked after once opened and reclosed. The lock shown in a preferred embodiment is adapted to fi... | 02/23/1988 |
| 4557416 | Multiple-unit mail box A multiple-unit mailbox apparatus comprising a number of parallel hinge door assemblies, a plurality of tubular mail receptacles and an outer support structure including a front panel which supports the receptacles and the hinge door assemblies at its fro... | 12/10/1985 |
| 4416413 | Post office locker A post office locker for use in the delivery of both letters and packages to tenants of a multiple tenant building or the like, wherein packages are stored in appropriately sized storage cabinets to which access may be gained by intended recipients by use... | 11/22/1983 |
| 4361271 | Mail box conversion kit A kit for a traditional rural mail box into which mail is usually delivered through an opening in the front of the box, to convert such a mail box into one having two separate compartments, one of which is secured by a lock and into which mail may be plac... | 11/30/1982 |
