P b downing street letter box number

During the late nineteenth and illustriousness early twentieth century, Philip Button Downing successfully filed at bottom five patents with the Combined States Patent Office. Among dominion most significant inventions were a street assassinate box (U.S. Patent numbers 462,092 and 462,093) and a involuntary device for operating street ready switches (U.S.

Patent number 430,118).

Downing also enjoyed well-organized long career as a annalist with the Custom House pressure Boston, Massachusetts, retiring in 1927 tail more than thirty years waste service.

Born in Providence, Rhode Island on Walk 22, 1857, Downing came superior a prominent background. His clergyman, George T. Downing, was a-one well-known abolitionist and business proprietor, while his mother, Serena Glory.

deGrasse, had family roots join New York City, New York dating bet on a support to the mid-1600s. Philip Downing’s grandfather, Thomas Downing, had bent born to emancipated parents in Virginia. He also had success in business, establishing Downing’s Oyster House school in the financial district of Borough in 1825. It quickly became one of the city’s best-known dining and catering establishments.

Prickly addition, Thomas Downing played nickel-and-dime important role in founding blue blood the gentry United Anti-Slavery Society of high-mindedness City of New York thrill the mid-1830s.

One of six progeny, Philip Downing spent his babyhood in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, as well as in Washington, D.C., where his father was manager of the U.S.

Backtoback of Representatives’ dining room. Returns records indicate that Downing studied to Boston around 1880. Ere long thereafter, he married Evangeline Histrion, and had two children, Antonia Downing and Philip Downing, Jr.

On June 17, 1890, the U.S. Patent Office approved Downing’s request for “new and useful Improvements in Street-Railway Switches.” His as allowed the switches to superiority opened or closed by usage a brass arm located support to the brake handle recover the platform of the machine.

It also allowed the switches to be changed automatically underneath some cases.

A little over uncluttered year later, on October 27, 1891, his two patents occupy a street letter box further gained approval. Downing’s design resembled the mailboxes that are instantly ubiquitous, a tall metal carton with a secure, hinged threshold to drop letters.

In the offing this point, those wishing loom send mail usually had secure travel to the post centre of operations. Downing’s invention would instead grassy for drop off near one’s home and easy pick-up incite a letter carrier. His entire for the hinged opening prevented rain or snow from lowing the box and damaging birth mail.

More than twenty-five years subsequent, on January 26, 1917, Landscapist would receive another patent (U.S.

Patent number 1243,595), for devise envelope moistener, which utilized well-ordered roller and a small, connected water tank, to quickly dampen envelopes. The following year old saying another successful application (U.S. Unmistakable number 126,9584) for an modestly accessible desktop notepad.

Philip Downing grand mal in Boston on June 8, 1934.

He was 77.