US576571A

US576571A - Label-lock

Info

Publication number: US576571A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1897-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 1914-02-09

Description

CHARLES I-I. R. GODFREY, OF SOUTH NORIVALK, CONNECTICUT.

LABEL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,571, dated February 9, 1897.

Application filed APTil 23, 1896. Serial No. 588,705. (No model.)

VTo @ZZ whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. R. GOD- FREY, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Norwalk, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Label- Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide a label-lock adapted for general use, as, for example, upon mailbags or freight-cars, which shall be simple and inexpensive to produce, strong and durable, and thoroughly practical in use.

With these ends in view I have devised the novel label-lock, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyin g drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to designate the several parts.

Figure l is a plan view illustrating the application of my novel lock to a mail-bag strap; Fig. 2, a section on the line 5c w in Fig. l; Fig. 3, a view corresponding with Fig. l, eX- cept that the locking-block is removed; Fig. 4, a similar view showing the application of my invention to a hasp-lock, and Fig. 5 is a view showing the cap-plate of the lockingblock removed and illustrating a simple form of locking mechanism. I

l denotes the label-holder, which is provided with a longitudinal slot 2 to receive a strap 3. This slot may extend entirely through the label-holder, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, as when the lock is used in connection with a leather strap, or the label-holder may be made integral with a hasp 4, as when the lock is used upon a car-door or any analogous use, the strap in this instance being preferably of metal.

5 denotes the label, which may be made of paper, metal, or any suitable substance, and which is adapted to slide into a socket 6 in the label-holder.

7 denotes the locking-block, which just fits a recess S at one end of the label-holder. IVithin the locking-block I place suitable locking mechanism, which, however, specifically forms no portion of my present invention.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a simple form of locking mechanism consisting, essentially, of spring-actuated tumblers, which are adapted to engage locking-recesses 1.0 in a stud l1, which extend upward from the bottom of the label-holder and in recess 8. When a leather strap is used, as in locking a mail-bag, the strap is passed through slot 2, as clearlyshown in Fig. 2, stud l1 being passed through one of the holes in the strap to retain the lock in position thereon. A buckle may or may not be used, as shown in Fig. l.

Having passed the strap one or more times around the. bag or other articles to be locked, the strap may be retained in the tightened position by the buckle, and then the end of the strap passed into slot 2 and stud ll passed through one of the holes near the end of the strap, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, the end of the strap lying above the other portion of the strap. After the label has been slipped into the socket the bag is locked, v

and the label also locked in the socket by placing locking-block 7 in recesses 8 and causing stud 1l to pass through an opening l2 in the under side of the locking-block, tumblers 9 being forced back to allow the head 13 of the stud to pass and then engaging the locking-recesses after the head has passed to retain the locking-block in the locked position. The operation is the same when the label-holder is made integral with a hasp, as shown in Fig. 5. In this forni the strap may or may not be made of metal and is provided with a hole through which stud 1l passes in approximately the same manner as before. The outer side of the lockingblock is provided with a keyhole let, through which a key is passed to actuate the tumblers against the power of their springs to release stud 1l. As soon as the tumblers have been disengaged from the locking-recesses in the stud the locking-block may be removed from the label-holder. The end of the strap may then be removed from the recess and the bag, car-door, or other article upon which the lock is used may be opened and the label may be removed fromits socket. To lock the IOO strap in position, the key is not required, it being simply necessary to place the lockingbleck over the stud, the latter registering with opening` 1:2, and press the locking-block to place in recess S.

It should be noted that the locking-blocks are made il'iterchangeable, it being` intended when the leek is used upon mail-bags that the locking mechanism in a number of lecking-blocks be made to be controlled by a single key in precisely the same manner that ordinary mail-bag,1 locks are controlled, that :iste say, the locking,` mechanism of all the locking-blocks are controlled by one key and every person Whose business it is to open mail-bags is provided with a key and also, if required, with extra locking-blocks. In locking up a mail-bag, therefore, it is simply necessary to take any7 locking-block an d place it in position en any label-holder.

Having thus described my invention, I. claiml. Alabel-lock consisting of a label-holder provided with a socket to receive a label, a longitudinal slot to receive a strap, a recess,

a sind extendingl upward `from the betteln elf the label-holder in slet 2 and a bodily-detachable locking-bleck which is adapted te engage the recess and obstruct the label-passage and is provided with locking mechanism which engages the stud. y

2. A label-lock consisting of a label-holder provided with a socket to receive a label, a longitudinal slot to receive a strap, a recess, a stud extending upward from the bottom of the labelshelder in slot 2 and provided with locking-recesses l0, a bodily-detachable lecking-block which is adapted to engage the re cess in the holder and obstruct the label-passage and is provided with locking mechanism and an opening' in its under side which receives the stud, the locking mechanism engagging the locking-recesses in the stud.

In testimony whereof I ax my signature in presence of tivo Witnesses.

CI'IA'RLES Il. l. GODliRlC'Y.

Witnesses:

A. M. \VOOS"En,

V. Rronannsrm-