US1549742A - Car seal - Google Patents

Description

patented .thug itl, i925..

LOUIS J'. BRUNE, SE., Gli NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

GAR SEAL.

Application filed August 14, 1924:. Serial No. 732,100.

To all 'io/rom t may concern:

lle it known that l, Louis J.. BRUNE, Sr., a citizen of the United States, residing at N ew Qrleans, in the parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, have invented a new and useful Car Seal; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to malte and use the same.

The invention relates to car seals, and has for its object to provide a device of this character constructed in a manner whereby if the seal is eut or tampered with the same may be easily detected, and constructed in a manner whereby a sealing tool is obviated and the body of the seal formed from glass 'which is transparent, and frangible, conse quently the seal may be easily opened by an authorized person by simply breaking the glass body member.

A. further object is to provide a seal comprising a glass body member having spaced chambers therein, and a U-shaped member formed from spring wire. and having its arms provided with enlargements disposed in the chambers of the body member, Vone of the enlargements being placed in the chamber through an aperture in the body member, and engaging the upper end of the chamber for holding the body member on the arms.

A fiuther object is to position the enlargements carried by the arms in the chambers of the body member in positions wherel'y, when either arm is severed, the lower portions thereof will drop downwardly thereby forming a space between the severed ends of the arms and allowing the same to be easily observed, from a distance.

llilith the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the body member, showing the lll-shaped wire member carried thereby.

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view talren on line 2N2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the seal.

Figure et is a perspective View of the split end of one of the arms before said ends have been bent upwardly.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the body of the seal, which body is formed from a frangible material, pref* erably glass as shown. The body 1 is provided with spaced vertically disposed chambers 2 and 3, into which chambers the arms l and 5 of the U-shaped wire member 6 eX- tend. The wire member 6 is formed from spring wire and is provided with a convolution 7 at its upper end, which convolution, when either wires l or 5 are cut, will force the upper end or portion of the arm outwardly to a position whereby it will be easy a person to ascertain if the seal has been cut without a close examination of the seal.

The lower end of the arm d is provided with` an enlargement 8 which is disposed within the chamber 2, and positioned in said chamber in relation to the upper end tiereof, whereby the U-shaped member as a whole may assume an upward position with the lower end of the arm 5 above the flared endY 9 of the aperture 10 which is in communication with the chamber 3, therefore it will be seen that the arm 5 may be passed through a staple eye of the car door, and the lower end of the arm 5 forced downwardly into the fared end 9 of the aperture 10, thereby bending or flexing the spring fingers 11 carried by the arm 5 into close engagement with` the arm 5 until the spring fingers 11 enter the chamber 3, at which time they will flex outwardly into engagement with the upper end or wall 12 of the chamber 3, and prevent the body member 1 from being removed from the arms 4t and 5.

The arm t extends through an aperture 13 in the upper end of the body member and into the chamber 2. lt will be noted that when the device is sealed as shown in Figure 1, the enlargement 8 is spaced from the lower end 14e of the chamber 2 as well as from the upper end thereof, therefore it will be seen that if an unauthorized person should cut the wire at any point the lower portion of the wire l will drop downwardy, thereby forming a relatively wide gap in the wire which may be easily observed from a distance without a close inspection thereof. lf the wire 5 is severed the body member 1 will drop downwardly as well as the lower portion of the arm 5, therefore a relatively Wide gap Will be formed in the arm 5 Whichwould be easily observed from a distance. -Iowever upon the severing of either arm t or 5, the spring convolution 7 will force the upper portion of the severed arm outwardly to further disassociate the parts for attracting attention. The arm d may be provided with a metallic strip 15, on which indicia may be impressed, however it is to be understood that this may be eliminated if desired. The lower end of the arm 5 is preferably split as shown in Figure l to form the fingers 11, which fingers are bentl back onto themselves so as to incline outwardly and upwardly as shown in Figure 1, and to spread after being forced through the tapered portion 9, and aperture 10 and into the chamber The tapered portion 9 allows the arm to be easily started into the aperture 10. Then it is desired to remove the seal, it may be done by cutting the arms 4 or 5, or breaking the glass body 1.

From the above it will be seen that a car seal is provided which is positive in its operation, simple in construction and one wherein the device Will easily show if it has been tampered With Without the necessity of a close and minute inspection thereof.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as neu7 and useful is:

1. A car seal comprising a body member having spaced chambers therein, a lll-shapedv spring member, parallel arms carried by said spring member and extending through apertures in the body member and into the chambers thereof, an enlargement carried by one of said. arms and engaging the upper end of one of the chambers, thereby entirely supporting the body mem-ber, an enlarge ment carried by the other arm and disposed in the other chamber of the body member, said last named enlargement being spaced from the opposite ends of the chamber.

2. A car seal comprising a glass body member having spaced chambers therein, a.

U-shaped spring member, parallel arms car ried by said spring member, a spring convolution connecting said arms at their upper ends and normally forcing said arms outwardly, said arms extending through apertures in the body member and into the chambers, one of said arms being provided with spreading means adapted to be forced through one of the apertures and into engagementA with the upper end of said chamber, the other arm being provided With an enlargement disposed in the other chamber of the body member and spaced from the ends thereof.

3. A car seal comprising a body member having spaced chambers therein, apertures extending through one end of the body member in communication with the chambers and haring one of their ends flared, a U-shaped member formed from spring Wire, spring means for forcing said arms apart, said arms extending through the apertures and into the chambers of the body member, one of said arms being provided with upturned spring fingers adapted to be contracted when forced through the flared por tions of one of the apertures and to extend into engagement with the upper end of one of the chambers and an enlargement carried by the other arm and spaced from the ends of the other chamber.

ln testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS J. BRUNE, Sr.

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