Flexible mailbox support with detachable swing arm and replacable outer sleeve

摘要

A flexible mailbox support is assembled by pivotable attachment of a mailbox support arm to a post having two rigid sections separated by a flexible middle section and coverable by a replaceable sleeve, the connection between the support arm and the post uses a single bolt inserted through and joining a flat surface on the arm to a flat surface on the top of the post, formed to be detachable with force, the parallel surfaces being set at an angle of less than 90 degrees from the post and a spring is compressed by the bolt head to adjustably bias the surfaces against one another while allowing the arm to pivot about the axis of the bolt, with a cage providing protection for the mailbox.

主权项

1. A mailbox supporting device comprising:
a flexible vertical post having an upper rigid section, a lower rigid section, and a flexible middle section linearly attached between and separating the upper and lower rigid sections, the upper rigid section being tubular and including a top end and a flexible middle section receiving end, the flexible middle section being formed of a helical spring with a vertically looped end, the flexible middle section receiving end of the upper rigid section including a central bore with a diameter sufficient to receive the vertically looped end of the flexible middle section, and the flexible middle section receiving end of the upper rigid section further including a plurality of vertically separated holes for securing the vertically looped end of the flexible middle section within the upper rigid section by a bolt inserted through the vertically looped end of the flexible middle section and any one of the plurality of vertically separated holes of the flexible middle section receiving end of the upper rigid section such that a length of the flexible middle section within the upper rigid section is adjustable; a removable cylindrical sleeve installed over and covering the upper rigid section of the flexible vertical post and the flexible middle section of the flexible vertical post; a laterally extending arm including a first flat surface, a second flat surface, and an intermediary section secured between the first and second flat surfaces, the first flat surface having a plurality of linearly arrayed holes extending therethrough, the second flat surface being perpendicular to a vertical axis of the flexible vertical post and configured to mount a mailbox thereon, and the intermediary section extending at a first angle with respect to the first flat surface; a detachable plug being inserted into the top end of the upper rigid section of the flexible vertical post and removably retained therein by friction; and a joining device attached between the laterally extending arm and the flexible vertical post, the joining device having a flat surface and a pivot securing the first flat surface of the laterally extending arm to the flat surface of the joining device, the flat surface of the joining device being secured to the detachable plug and slanted at a second angle with respect to the vertical axis of the flexible vertical post, the second angle being supplementary to the first angle, the pivot of the joining device including a bolt projecting perpendicularly upward with respect to the flat surface of the joining device, the bolt of the pivot further extending through a central hole in the flat surface of the joining device and any one of the plurality of linearly arrayed holes of the first flat surface of the laterally extending arm such that a position of the second flat surface of the laterally extending arm is adjustable vertically and laterally with respect to the flexible vertical post, and the joining device further including a compressible and resilient member compressed between the bolt of the pivot and the first flat surface of the laterally extending arm and biasing the first flat surface of the laterally extending arm against the flat surface of the joining device.