US1107026A - Snap-seal. - Google Patents

Description

E. J. BROOKS.

SNAP SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 1,1914.

1,1 07,026. Patented Aug. 11, 19m

EDWARD J. BROOKS, OF EAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

SNAP-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 11, 1914:.

Application filed May 1, 1914. Serial No. 835,656.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. BRooKs, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of East Orange, in the State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Snap-Seals, of which the following is a specification.

This invention re numerous previous improvements, to selffastening seals, or snap seals as they are commonly termed, for use as substltutes for lead and wire seals and other press-fastened or press-fastenable sealing devices, to se-- cure the doors of railway freight cars and for other like purposes. Recent examples of such snap seals are set forth in my previous specifications forming part of United States Letters Patent No. 1,030,458, patented June 25, 1912; No. 1,052,562, patentedFebruary 11, 1918; No. 1,092,820, patented April'l l,

1914; and in the specifications of United States Letters Patent .No. 1,056,623, patented March 18, 1918, and No. 1,093,250, patented April 1 1, 1914, for inventions of Winfred Mudge Brooks. The type of snap seal common to these specifications is distinguished by the combination of a resiliently flexible shackle having a normally flat withdrawal resisting catch portion at each end, a two-piece bulb-shaped sea-l part having an inlet hole in its top, and a double center piece supported within said seal part in juxtaposition to said inlet hole and having a central guide portion which protrudes therethrough; both shackle ends being further provided with embossed inlet guards, and the inlet hole having a central enlargement to admit stem portions of said inlet guards. Y

The present invention consists in an improved seal part, and an improved center piece, for a snap seal of above type, as hereinafter particularly described; and in an improved snap seal embodying said seal part and center piece or either of them.

The leading object of this invention is to further protect the seal part, especially its slotted bulb piece, and the center piece within the same, against being successfully tampered with in attempts to violate the fastened seal.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description, which follows. a

A sheet of drawings accompanies this specification, as part thereof.

rates, in common 1 with bodying I Figure 1 is a face view of the thin steel blank of the improved center piece; Figs. 2 :and 3 are'respectively top and side views of said center piece; Figs. 4 and 5 are respeccomplete the improved seal as it leaves the factory; Fig. 9 represents alongitudinal section through the seal part on theline A B, "Fig. 6, showing both shackle ends snap fastened; Fig. 10 represents a longitudinal section through the seal part of the fastened seal on the line C D, Fig, 6; Fig. 11 rep.- resents a cross section on theline E--F, Fig. 10, showing a bottom view of the center piece in the fastened seal; Fig. 12 is an elevation of another improved seal part illustrating a second species of the invention.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

The improved snap seal, as shown, is com posed of an improved bulb-shaped seal part a or of, hereinafter particularly described; a resiliently flexible shackle, Z2, preferably of the construction set forth in said Letters Patent No. 1,093,250; and an improved center piece, 0, hereinafter particularly described. Said seal part a or a is composed as heretofore of bulb pieces 1 and 2, permanently united by a circumferential seam 3 after inclosing the center piece 0, and provided withan inlet hole 4;, in its top piece 1, adapted to admit the ends 5 and 6 of the shackle 2) on the respective sides of a protruding guide portion 7 of the center piece 0, and centrally enlarged to fit inlet guards 8 and 9 on the respective shackle ends; the bottom piece 2 being further provided with an annular shoulder 10, upon which the center piece 0 is supported within the seal part. Said top piece 1 is now further provided with radial stifiening corrugations l, adapted to resist bending the material adjoining the inlet hole 4 in efforts to insert tampering devices through said hole; and said top piece 1 at least is hardened, as represented by vertical tint linesin. Figs. 7 8 and 12, to further resist such bending and also to resist opening the seal part by prying up the outer flange 3, Fig. 5, of the seam 3; which outer flange is carried by said top piece 1 at its perimeter.

In the species represented by Figs. 1 11, the seal part a as a whole is hardened after inclosing the center piece 0; the protruding portion of the center piece being effectively hardened by the same operation, as has been demonstrated by tests.

In the species represented by Fig. 12, the top piece 1 is, hardened before the bulb pieces are assembled;- said seaming flange 3- retaining suflicient pliability to. bend once in the. seamin operation, but not enough to permit saitop piece to. be pried off and replaced Without breaking. The bottompiece 2, in, this species, may be of unhardened sheet metal as, heretofore orof any material sufli'ciently strong and rigid.v The material of the bulb pieces 1. and 2 or of the top piece 1, in the respective species, may be thin steel or any suitable material adapted to be'so hardenedorrendered, rigid by any known or improved process after being molded in stamped.

The improved double center piece 0 is made from a, peculiarly out blank 0, Fig. 1, by certain bends. It has, as heretofore, a central bend at the extremity of its said guide portion 7, and, four bends 11, 12, 13, 14, at its bottom, in oppositely deflected pairs, which rest on said shoulder 10 within the seal part. Shoulders 1 adjoining said guide portion 7. limit the protrusion of the latter. It is adapted to interlock with withdrawal resisting shoulders 15, 16, and to catch hole 17 at each shackle end as heretofore, but by oblique edges 15 16 to interact with said shoulders 15, 16, respectively, and sharp pointed inturned spring catches 17 to interact with the catch holes 17, diflering some what from previous forms; the improved center piece being so cut, as shown in Fig. 1, as to form guard portions 18,19, adjoining the diagonally opposite bends12 and 14:, respectively, and nearly alined with each other in the bent center piece, which help to insure the interlocking of said shackle shoulders 15 and 16 of each shackle end with said oblique center piece edges 15" and 16 respectively, and respectively inside and outside of the double lower portion of the center piece, also to prevent interference between the shackle ends 5 and 6 at the fastening operation, and to prevent successfully tampering with the fastened seal. Compare Figs. 1, 3 and 11. Serrati'ons 20 adjoining each of said catches 17 assist in resisting attempts to pick the seal, and this is further guarded against by a twist of the central guide portion 7, relatively to the wings 21 and 22 of the center piece, which is represented in Figs. 2 and 3.

Those features of the shackle b which have not been mentioned are a projection 18 concave shackle extremities 21 the spring catches 17; and the lettering or distinguishing marks ed by 700000 and A. B. C. D. RY. in Fig. 8. These last mentioned features of the :preferred, shackle 7) form no part of the pres atthe back of the inlet guard S on the shackle end 5; inspection holes 19 with flanking ribs 20 at both ends of the shackle; to engage customary representent invention, and may obviously be omitted; the shackle may be made of any suitable material; and other like modifications will suggest: themselves to those skilled in the art.

Having thus described said improvement, I claim as my invention, and desire to patent under this specification:

1. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, in combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both, ends of which are provided with. fastening members and inlet guards, and a center piece adapted to interlock therewitha bulb-shaped seal part, inclosing said center piece, having a bulb piece slotted to form. a centrally enlarged inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends and inlet. guards, and provided with stiffening corrugations radial to the central enlarge ment of said inlet hole.

2. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with catch shoulders, and a bull shaped seal part; having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part and constructed with inner and outer oblique edges adapted to interlock with the respective shoulders of each shackle end, and guard portions behind said outer oblique edges respectively adapted to insure interlocking said shoulders therewith.

3. In a snap seal of the type hereinbefore specified, the combination with a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with catch shoulders, and a bulbshaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, of a double center piece inclosed within said seal part and constructed with inner and outer oblique edges adapted to interlock with the rcspective shoulders of each shackle end, and guard portions behind said outer oblique edges respectively extending downward to the bottom. of'the center piece and alined with each other; said guard portions being adapted to insure interlocking said shackle shoulders with the appropriate edges of the center piece, and to prevent interference between the shackle ends at the fastening operation.

4. An improved snap seal having, in combination, a resiliently flexible shackle both ends of which are provided with catch shoulders and catch holes, a bulb shaped seal part having an inlet hole in its top fitted to said shackle ends, and a resilient center piece in- "will spective shackleends, said guide portion be- 10 ing twisted with reference to said Wings to resist tampering With said catches, substantially as hereinbefore specified.

EDWARD J. BROOKS.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. MOORE, GEO. J. WENK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Iatemu, Washington, D. 0.

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