US785574A - Seal-lock. - Google Patents

Description

No. 785,574. PATBNTED MAR. 2l, 1905.

J. J. RUSSELL.

SEAL LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.I0, 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE..

JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL, OF MILTON, NEW SOUTH VVALES, AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES OHANNON, OF PAKENHAM, NEW SOUTH WALES,

AUSTRALIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 785,574, dated March 21, 1905. Application tied september 10, 1903.` serial No. 172,659.

To rl/Z/ whom, it T11/ty concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL,

assistant postmaster, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Milton, in the State of New South Wales and Commonwealth of Australia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal-Locks, specially applicable for strap-buckles, as of mail-bags, of which the following is a specification.

This invention refers to seal-locks specially devised for use on mail-bags, though useful to prevent unauthorized access to any fastening or other things, and it has been specially devised in order to construct such a lock having a straight sliding bolt with a positive locking device unassisted by any mechanical spring; but in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now be made t'o the drawings herewith, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of a seal-lock constructed according to these present improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of my improved seal-lock, the same being shown as broken away in order to illustrate its interior construction.

The strap, as ordinarily, has end 6, sewed or otherwise fastened to chape 7 which joins the sides 8 of the lock casing or box and is the pivot of the tongue 9, which takes on restbar 10. The buckle or lock-box has a hinged leaf or cover 11. Within this cover 11 is a chamber 12, adapted to receive the seal 13 of the lock, so as to form a ceiling or top for the sliding bolt 15. The seal 13 is composed of strawboard or cardboard of suiiicient thickness that it may be centrally compressed or bulged under pressure and will recover its original shape and retain such shape, or this seal may be composed of Wood veneer or easilydestructible metal orother fiat material having the same quality. The sliding bolt 15 iills the chamber 12 under the seal 13, which forms a guide for the said bolt 15. The forward end 16 of said bolt 15 is adapted to take in a socket or housing 17 on the end of the lock-casing. This bolt 15 has movement longitudinally,which is governed by its shoulders 18 and 19. The back end of this bolt 15 is slotted and has a push-piece 20, protruding through the back of the cover 11. Pivoted Within this slot is a catch-piece 21, adapted to engage a stop 22 on the iioor of the chamber as the bolt slides within the same. This catch 21 may have inclined faces, as shown in Fig. 2, to enable it to easily pass the inclined faces of the stop 22, or, as shown in Fig. 3, the back face may be straight to abut against the corresponding straight forward face of said stop 22, in which latter case said catch 21 must be lifted over said stop before the bolt can be withdrawn. The cover 11 has an orifice 14 for revealing markings on the seal 13, and through which said seal may be destroyed when required, and through which, as in the construction shown in Fig. 3, a hook may be inserted into orifice 24 to raise the catch 21 over the stop 22 to withdraw the bolt.

In use the bolt 15 is drawn outwardly, with the push-piece protruding backwardly from the hinge end, and the seal 13, having the quality before mentioned, is inserted through the opening 25 in the side of the chamber 12, fitting comfortably over the sliding bolt 15, the catch 21 being backwardly of the stop 22, in which position it is firmly held by said seal 13. When it is desired to lock and seal the fastening, the cover 11 is shut down and the bolt is forced outwardly by pushing on the end piece 20. The catch 21 is by this force caused to lift over the stop 22 centrally, compressing and bulging that part of said seal 13 just above' it until its end drops against the other face ofsaid stop 22, the bolt 15 engaging at the same time in its socket 17, where it is retained by the stiffness of said seal, and the loc-k is thus secured or sealed until the seal 13 is destroyed and removed from above the catch 21, so as to allow it to again pass over the stop 22. The seal is destroyed by an appropriate tool through the orifice 14, and this, in the form of a hook-bar, is inserted into an enlargement 23 in said bolt 15, so as to Withdraw it, or it may be inserted in the orifice 21 Yin the catch 21 to raise it over the stop 22, and so withdraw the bolt and release the lock.

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- 1. The combination of a casing having a movable cover portion, a locking-bolt for said portion, a catch for said bolt on one of the members comprised by the casing and the bolt, and an abutment on the other member, with a seal of flexible material protecting said catch, said seal being free to yield to permit the catch to pass the abutment, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two members detachably fastened together, a casing covering the same and made witha movable cover portion, a locking-bolt for said portion, a pivoted catch, an inclined abutment therefor, and a sealing-piece covering said catch, said piece.

being free to yield to permit the catch to pass the abutment when said bolt is moved in one direction, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a device to be protected with a casing made in two parts, lock mechanism for holding said parts together including a yieldable sealing-piece, a catch placed to be held in its locking position by said sealing-piece, and locking means coacting with said catch to hold the parts of the casing together, substantially as described.

4, The combination of a frame, a cover hinged thereto, a sliding bolt having a portion free to be moved into a position to project beyond the frame, a ieXible sealing-piece, a catch pivoted to said bolt and covered by said sealing-piece, said frame having a portion placed to force the catch into engagement With the sealing-piece and thereby move said piece When the device is being brought to its locked position, substantially as described.

5. A device to be protected in combination with a frame having a movable cover, an abutment on the frame, a bolt carried by the cover for locking it to the frame, a catch on said bolt, With a sealing-piece of iiexible material placed over said catch and free to yield to permit the catch to pass the abutment, substantially as described.

6. A device to be protected in combination with a frame having a movable cover and an v abutment provided with an inclined face, a

JOHN JOSEPH RUSSELL.

Witnesses:

A. FoRAN, ARTHUR H. SMITH.

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