US44757A

US44757A - Improvement in padlocks

Info

Publication number: US44757A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1864-10-18
Anticipated expiration: 1881-10-18

Description

" UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

JAMES E. THOMSON, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PADLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 114,757, datcd October 18, 1864.

Toall whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES E. THOMSON, of the city of Buii'alo, county ofErie, and State of New York, have invented a certain new and Improved Safety-Lock; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full .and exact description thereof, reference heilig had to the accompanying dra-win gs, making a part of this speciication, in which- Figure I is a front elevation of alock with my improvement combined therewith. Fig. Il is a perspective of the same. Fig. III is an interior view of the working parts of the lock.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each ofthe figures.

The nature of this invention relates to the combination ofa device which I call a sealholden7 with a lock, which device will securely hold a seal or signature paper over the keyhole of the lock, which seal or signature must be penetrated by the key and broken before the lock can he opened.

A represents a padlock of ordinary construction in its general form and working parts; A', internal working parts ofthe lock.

B represents one form ot' my improved device or sealholder, which is soconstructed as to form a chamber or recess, as shown at b', for receiving),` a seal or signature. It has also a door, (represented at 112,) which is provided with a spring-catch, b3, for locking the door, and a iiy-spring, b4, for throwing the door open when unlocked. Akey-hole is made through this door, as shown at b5, which, when the door is shut, is in juxtaposition with the keyhole in the lock, so that when the key is in# serted it will penetrate through both. When this door is shut, it locks itself by means ofthe spring-catch b3, and can only be opened by the same key which opens the lock. The spurs c catch into and hold the seal or paper.

This invention is applicable to any kind or quality of lock, and is designed to render any form or construction of lock a safety-lock, so that it cannot be unlawfully opened without detection, and is applicable for mail-locks, revenue-locks, warehouse-locks, and indeed for all\places where a safety-lock is required.

I use this device constructed with a cham ber or recess, by preference; but it is evident that the door itself, or its equivalent, could be used without any chamber or recess and shut upon the face of the lock and hold the seal over and upon the key-hole, and hence the main ideavof my invention is to securely hold a seal over the key-hole of a lock in such a manner that the seal must be broken when the lock is opened.

Operation The lock is closed by the proper person, with the door b2 open, as shown in Fig. II. A seal or signature paper, or any substance which may be broken by the key, is then placed in the chamber bf, so that it completely covers the key-hole of the lock. The door b2 is then closed, which shuts down upon the seal or signature paper and holds it securely over and upon the keyhole. Now it is impossible for any one to open the lock without thrusting the key through this seal or paper and breakin g the same, and hence when this improvement is used for the security of mailbags or to prevent fraud upon the revenue laws, or other purpose, the officer or person in charge locks up the same, puts his seal or signature into the seal-holder, as before de` scribed, and closes the seal holder. Now no person can open the lock without breakin g the seal, and hence if it has been unlawfully or clandestinely opened, the officer or person in charge, and whose business it is to open the lock, quickly discovers the fact, which will quickly lead to the detection or discovery of the offending party or parties. A suitable cover may be provided for the key-hole b5.

I do not intend to limit myself to the precise form and' construction of my improve ment as herein described as it may be varied in details of construction without departing from the principle of my invention.

I therefore claim as my invention- A sealholder, in combination with alock, for the purposes and substantially as described.

JAS. E. THOMSON.

Vitnesses:

E. B. FoRBUsH, GEO. W. WALLACE.