US394204A - Seal-lock - Google Patents

Description

(No Model.)

M. J. MORAN.

SEAL LOCK.

No. 394,204. Patented Dec. 11, 1888.

7. l'll'l 1 lllll mil UNITE STATES PATENT FFlCE.

MICHAEL J MORAN, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 394,204, dated December 11, 1888.

Application filed August 6, 1888. Serial No. 282,064. (No model) To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MICHAEL J. MORAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kan- City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in seal-locks.

The object is to provide simple, durable, and efficient mechanism by means of which a car or box may be sealed fortransportation or storage, so that any tampering therewith may be readily detected, and to further provide mechanism of the above chamcter which may be readily applied to doors and covers in common use.

\Vith these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a view in front elevation of a portion of a car and car-door, showing the seal mechanism in sealed adjustment. Fig. 2 is a central section through the movable staple and its retaining-jaws, the section being taken on the line at 0:: of Fig. l.

A represents the door, and B the door-frame. At a point located at the desired height, or in the desired position, a hasp, C, is loosely secured to the door by a fixed staple, D. The hasp C is provided at its free end with a loop, 0, adapted to slide freely over the bent end 6 of the movable staple The said movable staple E is provided with an extended branch, c, the end of which is enlarged and rounded, and provided with shoulders e? on opposite sides, presenting a blunt spear head form.

The mechanism for securing the movable staple E in locked adjustment, and for allowing it to be withdrawn for the adjustment of a new seal, is constructed as follows: A pair of face-plates, F, have their meeting edges squared to form a close tit and provided with half-sockets f, adapted, when the plates are adjusted for use, to register with each other and form a socket which shall loosely en1- brace the branch 6 of the staple E. The

meeting edges of the face-plates F are provided on their inner or under sides with bifurcated lugs G, projecting at right angles to the face-plates, and preferably formed integral therewith. To the outer sides of said lugs G, directly beneath the base-plate, the ends of a pair of plate-springs, H, are secured by means of screws I, or other well-known means, the free ends of the springs extending between the branches of the bifurcated lugs G and gradually approaching each other, so as to snugly embrace the branch (2 of the staple E above the shoulders c The extreme ends of the springs II are rounded, preferably bybcnding the spring itself over onto itself, as shown at 72. The object of the rounded ends of the spring is, that when the staple E is turned in such position as to bring the shoulders c at right angles to their locked position the staple E may be drawn outwardly or upwardly between the ends of the springs without havin the latter catch and obstruct such outward movement of the staple. Their rounded form admits of their being gradually pressed apart where their normal position brings their ends nearer together than the thickness of the branch 0 when turned to be drawn outwardly.

In order to give the springs H an additional bearing and render them stiffer, the branches of the bifurcated lugs Gare connected by bars g, under which the springs extend. The bars 9 have a curve corresponding to the arc of a circle whose diameter is the width of the lugs G, and hence the said bars serve an important purpose in holding the lugs and plates firmly in position in their socket in the doorframe.

The seal which I find it convenient to use consists of a disk of pasteboard, K, prepared with some water proof material where exposed to the weather; or it may be formed of any well-known frangible material not liable to break by jolting, but which will surely become mutilated by the removal of the hasp. The disk K is provided with a hole, 7;, by means of which it is slipped over the bent end 6 of the staple E when adjusted for use.

The parts are assembled as follows: The movable staple E is placed with its branch e in the socket between the meet-ing ends of the base-plate F, and the base-plates are then placed in position in a suitable recess and socket formed in the door-frame, and are bolted therein by bolts L, or by any other fastening which will secure them against removal from the outside by other than forced means. The door is then closed, the hasp placed over the end of the staple E, the seal slipped onto the end of said staple, the latter swung in position with its shoulders e opposite the ends of the springs H, and the said staple then pressed inwardly, so that the end of the hasp will embrace both branches of its bent end, and the shoulders 8 will be below or inside of the ends of the springs H. In this position it will be observed that the hasp cannot be removed from the top of the movable staple E without mutilating the seal K, the diameter of which is greater than the diameter of the loop 6 in the hasp C. To further secure the hasp in locked position, the bent pin N, secured to the door-frame by a chain, a, and staple M, is inserted through the bent end of the staple E outside of the hasp.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with a movable staple, a hasp, and a seal, of a pair of clamping springjaws in engagement with the opposites sides of one branch of the staple, the staple having a free movement between the jaws when turned in one direction and locked by the jaws when turned in a different direction, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the movable staple provided with a beveled end and a shoulder, of a spring-j aw constructed to engage the shoulder and prevent the withdrawal of the staple when the latter is turned in one position and allow the passage of the staple when it is turned into another position, the hasp to embrace the staple, the seal, and the locking device.

' 3. The combination, with the movcble staple having a blunt spear-head on one of its branches, of the two-part face-plate to secure the staple in position and the spring secured to the socket-plates in position to engage the opposite sides of the movable staple, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the movable staple provided with an enlarged end on one of its branches and with shoulders on opposite sides of the branch, of a two-part face-plate, the meeting edges of which are provided with half-sockets to embrace the staple, the said face-plates being further provided with bifurcated lugs, springs secured to the lugs, their free ends extending between the branches thereof to engage the staple, and means for securing the face-plates against removal from the outside, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the removable staple "provided with shoulders on the opposite sides of one of its branches, of the two-part face-plate provided with half-sockets to embrace the staple, the said face-plates being further provided with bifurcated lugs, the branches of which are connected by crossbars, springs secured to the lugs and extending beneath the cross-bars and between the branches of the lugs to engage the staple, and means for securing the base-plate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MICHAEL J. MORAN.

Witnesses:

BESSIE E. YOUNG, LENA MAcKEY.

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