Editing Letter box (section)

====Joroleman mailbox====
In 1915, the '''Joroleman mailbox''', named after its designer, Post Office employee Roy J. Joroleman, was approved by the U.S. Post Office.<ref name="BRUN"/> Joroleman, who held a degree in mechanical engineering, designed his mailbox with an unusual dome-rectangular shape, incorporating a curved, tunnel-shaped roof, [[latch (hardware)|latching]] door, and rotating semaphore flag.<ref name="BRUN"/><ref name="BERN">Bernstein, Fred, ''[https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/25/garden/public-eye-the-mailbox-as-fortress.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Public Eye; The Mailbox As Fortress]'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', 25 February 1999, retrieved 24 January 2012</ref><ref>[http://www.nbnnews.com/NBN/issues/2006-07-24/Multifamily/ Multifamily], [[NBNnews]], 24 July 2006</ref> The Joroleman mailbox has been praised as a manifestation of American [[Functionalism (architecture)|functionalist]] [[industrial design]].{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}

Constructed of light-gauge painted [[sheet steel]], Joroleman designed his mailbox with an arched, tunnel-shape roof, which prevented excessive accumulation of rainwater or snow while resisting [[deformation (engineering)|deformation]]. The tunnel top also simplified the process of mass production by eliminating the need for precise sheet metal bends. Stamped and formed metal straps [[rivet]]ed to the arched opening and the mailbox door served as a door latching mechanism, while a rotating red semaphore flag mounted on a shaft attached to the side of the mailbox served to signal the approaching mailman if there was outgoing mail inside. Fitted with a crimped or braze-on rear steel panel and a false floor to keep its contents dry in inclement or humid weather, the Joroleman mailbox required only two rivets, three [[axle bolt]]s, and four [[screw]]s and [[nut (mechanical)|nuts]] for completion. Durable and inexpensive, the popularity of the Joroleman mailbox was further enhanced by a decision not to patent the design, but to make its specifications known to all potential manufacturers for competitive sale.<ref name="BRUN"/> Adopted across the United States, it has remained the top-selling mailbox since its introduction, and was also widely used in Canada prior to that country's decision to eliminate individual curbside delivery to rural residents.

The Joroleman mailbox was originally approved for manufacture in one size, the No. 1, which could accommodate letter mail, periodicals, newspapers, catalogs, and small parcels.<ref name="BRUN"/> After July 1, 1916, the Joroleman mailbox would be the only design approved by the Post Office for new curbside mailbox installations. In July 1929, the Post Office approved specifications for a larger Joroleman mailbox known as the No. 2.<ref name="BRUN"/> The No. 2 mailbox, soon followed by the still-larger No. 3, could accept larger parcels and packages sent via [[Parcel Post]]; these large boxes proved particularly popular with rural mail recipients, who could order manufactured goods by mail for delivery to the farm or ranch.<ref name="BRUN"/>

<gallery mode="packed">
File:IceStorm08.jpg|Joroleman curbside mailbox with red [[wikt:semaphore|semaphore]] flag. When raised, the flag indicates outgoing mail.
File:Mailbox.JPG|An oversize rural Joroleman mailbox in southern [[Nebraska]], featuring a red [[wikt:semaphore|semaphore]] arm
File:Mailbox US in the shade.jpg|Close up of a Joroleman mailbox door with latch in Washington State
</gallery>