US712783A - Fastening for mail-bags, &c. - Google Patents

Description

N0. 7l2,783. Patentd No'vJ 4, I902 R. H. EASDDWN.

FASTENING FOB MAIL BAGS, 8w.

(Application filed' -Tuly 21 1902.)

(No Model.)

wi/bmmoca v l ROLAND HENRY EASDOWN, OF MOUNT MCDONALD, NEW SOUTH WALES PATENT OFFICE.

AUSTRALIA.

FASTENING FOR MAIL-BAGS, 86C- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,783, dated November 4, 1902.

Application filed July 2l, 1902 Serial No. 116,418 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROLAND HENRY EAS- DOWN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at the town of Mount McDonald, in the State of New South Wales, in the Commonwealth of Australia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastenings for Mail-Bags and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fastenings for mail-bags and the like.

This invention relates to fasteners for securing mail-bags and other packages or articles; and it consists, essentially, in means whereby a slip of paper or other suitable material bearing the imprint of the official stamp denoting the despatching office (or any other indication) may be so applied that it must of necessity be mutilated to unlock the fastener,

the label being exposed to view so that its in tegrity may be readilyascertained before the fastener is unlocked in the ordinary course.

Figure 1 is a plan showing the buckle with the parts extended. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showing the buckle in position prior to being locked. Fig. 4 is a plan showing the under side of buckle. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section showing the buckle in position and locked. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the buckle sealed up as when in use.

The buckle comprises, essentially, a locking-plate and sealing device, joined together by means of a looped hinge for the purpose of allowing the loose end of the binding-strap to pass between and to permit the play of the parts necessary to effect a tight binding of the neck of the bag, as hereinafter described.

a is the locklng-plate, which is constructed as shown, and to under face of which is riveted one end'of binding strap :0. a is an aperturetherein.

a is an underlying pivoted catch having a beveled projection which moves in the aperture a and whose travel is controlled thereby.

b is the seal-box, which is formed with cheek-plates b b and provided with a circular aperture 5 and is connected at one end to the locking-plate a, by the loop-hinge c and provided at the other end with a hinged plate (1. The hinged plate dis adapted to fold over and lie within the seal-box b.

e is a disk which lies on one face of the plate d.

'f is a projection (hereinafter called the tongue) which passes through the plate 01 and is secured to the disk e, being retained in position by means of a shoulder, so that the disk and the tongue may revolve one on either side of the hinged plate.

h hare holes in the disk 6, provided so that the same may be revolved by the engagement of a suitable key, as hereinafter explained.

it is a notch in the edge of the tongue f.

The method of operating the invention is as follows: A seal-slip m, Fig. 6, of paper parchment, celluloid, or any other suitable material, is placed in the seal-box b and the hinged plate d closed down, so that the disk 6 presses tightly thereon. The loose end of the strap 00 is now placed around the neck of the bag or other package and passed through the looped hinge o and over the face of the locking-plate a. The seal-box, with projecting tongue, is now closed down into the position shown in Fig. 3 and the strap drawn as tightly as possible around the neck of the bag. The seal-box is then forced down so that the tongue passes through the underlying hole in the strap and into the aperture a in the locking-plate a, when the buckle will be securely locked; The tongue must be in the position shown-that is to say, with the notch 70 toward the hinge c. r

The automatic locking of the'buckle is accomplished in the following manner: As soon as the tongue passes through the aperture a the outward strain on the strap causes the notch 70 in the tongue to come into engagement with the locking-plate, and in doing so the end of the tongue f comes into contact with the underlying pivoted plate a at the point a and causes it to revolve into the position shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 4, which partially closes the aperture a and maintains the tongue in engagement with the locking-plate until it is desired to unlock the buckle. This can only be accomplished by revolving the disk e, and with it the tongue,

one-half turn to the right and so reversing the position of the notch k, and at the same time pushing the pivoted catch a to one side and so permitting the tongue to be withdrawn from the locking-plate. The disk ebeing entirely covered by the seal slip or label m the holes h h are only accessible by the key, and the disk can be only turned by perforating the seal-slip, which being tightly clamped in the seal-box by the disk is by the rotation of the latter necessarily torn to such an extent as to clearly reveal the fact of the lock having been opened.-

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

I declare that what I claim is In fastenings for mail-bags and the like the combination with a binding-strap of a buckle Signed at Sydney this 6th day of June, 1902.

ROLAND HENRY EASDOWN.

Witnesses:

T. C. ALLEN, N. S. RATTRAY.

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