Mail slot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article is about the mailbox alternative. For the type of interprocess communication, see MailSlot.
A mail slot (sometimes called a letter box[1]) is a mail receptacle designed as an alternative to a mailbox. A mail slot is a hole cut in a door, wall, or garage. The hole is usually covered with a decorative face plate containing a swinging door to allow mail to pass through and to act as a seal when not in use. A mail slot may feature weatherstripping to prevent air from leaking. The mail slot door may be spring loaded or may rely on gravity to keep it closed when not in use. Many mail slots also have a second flap on the inside to offer further protection from the elements. There may also be a small basket or wire cage mounted on the inside of the door to catch the delivered mail.
Mail slots are occasionally hung vertically, but are typically horizontal.
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[edit] In the United Kingdom
Almost all buildings in the United Kingdom feature letter boxes. They are commonly horizontal slots approximately 30 cm × 5 cm, found in the middle or lower half of a front door.
The British Post Office first encouraged people to install letter boxes to facilitate the delivery of mail in 1849. Before then, letter boxes of a similar design had been installed in the doors and walls of post offices for people to drop-off outgoing mail. An example of such a wall box (originally installed in the wall of the Wakefield Post Office) is dated 1809 and believed to be the oldest example in Britain.
[edit] In the United States
A number of designs of mail slots have been patented, particularly in the United States[2].
[edit] References
- ^ How to Install a Mail Slot - wikiHow
- ^ Frameless mail slot - Patent D480200; Airtight mail slot - Patent 2437319; Mail slot immobilizer - Patent D443125; Mail slot pouch assembly - Patent 4069965; Mail slot alarm - Patent 5382945; etc.
