Abstract: A device for retrieving and disposing of animal waste in a bag and method of use thereof wherein no parts of the device come into contact with the waste and the operator need not manipulate or otherwise touch the bag after it has contacted the waste. A clean bag is placed over a pair of spring-biased scoop members carried on the distal end of an elongated shaft. The scoop members and bag are placed in a hollow sleeve, open at both ends, where the scoop members are retained with terminal edges thereof in closely adjacent relation by the sleeve walls. As the bag and scoop members are advanced out of the lower end of the sleeve, the scoop members are moved to spaced relation by spring biasing, and the closed end of the bag is placed over the waste. Moving the lower end of the sleeve back over the scoop members turns the bag inside-out, and the waste-containing bag may then be discarded by again advancing the scoop members out of the sleeve.

Abstract: A security mailbox including an upper compartment for conventional and a lower compartment for secured deposit of mail. An interior partition includes a rear portion movable about a hinged connection to a fixed, front portion between a horizontal position, wherein the partition substantially entirely separates the upper and lower compartments, and a lowered position, wherein the movable portion extends into the lower compartment and permits mail deposited in conventionl fashion in the upper compartment to fall into the lower compartment from which it may be removed only by authorized persons through a normally locked door. the apparatus is characterized by the absence of any structure inside the housing which could interfere with normal deposit of mail, and by a lockable support permitting movement of the portion of the partition from its lowered to its horizontal position only by authorized persons.