US93371A - Improvement in seal-locks - Google Patents

Description

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JAMES E. THOMSON AND JAMES TILLINGHAST, OF BUFFALO, NEW

' YORK. y

'Letters Patent No. 93,371, dated August 3, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT 1N snmnocxs.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it ma/y concern Be it known that we, lJannes E. THOMSON and JAMES TILLINGHAST, ofthe city of Bualo, county of Erie, and State of New York, have invented a certtin Improved Seal-Lock for railroad-cars; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of our said invention, reference being had .to the accompanying drawings, making a -part of this specification. 't

vI n the transportation of freight over connecting lines of railroad, the same cars, and the freightwith which they are loaded, are frequently passed tiom the careof one company to that of another.

. It is a matter of importance that such transfers lshould be made without the necessity of inspecting the contents of said cars at -each change, as great delay and expense are occasioned-thereby, while it is of still greater importance that each connecting company` 4should he insured againstl damage fromloss of Y freight by theft or Inegligence and dishonesty of employees, occurring upon the lines of either of its connecting companies, and that a ready and sure means of tracing such loss, and fixing the responsibility therefor upon the company to which it properly' belongs, should be at hand.

To accomplish these results is the object of our`invention; and

l The same consists in a certain combination of devices by which an improved system for seal-locking freight-cars is carried into eect, said devices being, first, a locking-bar provided with a series of holes for the reception of seals; and, second, a series of softinetal seals,.applied t'o said bar, and impressed with signiiilcant marks, as will hereinafter more fully appear.

l In the accompanying drawings- Figure I is a side view of om improved seal-lock.

Figure II is an end or edge view of the slotted bow which forms the main body of the lock.

Figure III is a side viewof the locking-bar, showing the seals applied thereto, and impressed with their significant marks. n

Figure IV is an edge View ofthe same Like letters refer to like parts .in each of the igures.

A represents the mail body of Athe lock, which is made of metal, in arsemicircular or semi-elliptical form, 'and has slotsal, through each end, for the passage of the locking-bar B. f

A ring is also formed on this body, as shown-ata, for the purpose of connecting itby a chain to the body of thecar.

The-lbcking-bnr B is a iiatnietal bar, haring a bead, b1, at one end, to prevent its 'being drawn through the slots in the bow or body A, and a series of two, three, or more'boles, b?, at 4its opposite end, to receive the `scaliLrg-rivets. v v

'Lhc sealing-rivets are shown at tit d'0., these charerr acters also representing the significant marks impressed upon the -heads of the iivets. They are made of soft metal, and before sealing have only one head, so that theymay be entered in the hole b2, after which a head is upset ou the other end, by compressionv between a pair of riveting-pincers, which also at the same time impress upon theY head of the rivet the significant mark, so that said rivets cannot be removed, without destroying same, or' mutilating saidinark.

The system under which the sealing-livrets are applied and used is, briefly, as follows: d

Each company of the connecting line-sof railroad adopts some, significant mark (letter, number, or,other charaeter,) to designate its particular road, and provides its employees with the proper tools for applying the sealing-rivets and impressing said mark thereon.

A car being loaded with merchandise, whose destination requires that it should pass through the hands of several diierentcompanies, and beingdulyinspected', and its contents notedin bill of lading, is locked by means described, and the significant mark of the company starting the car applied to the seal.

lVhen received atk the initial station of the connecting road, the seal is examined, and if found in order, the car is passed on, after having an additional seal, with the mark of said vroad,applied to the lock-bar,

and so on until the car reaches its destina'tiori.V

The only inspectionrequired at the passage of the car from 'the care of one to that of another, is simply to know that the seals of .the company or companies through whose hands it has previously passed are intact. If they proveto have been tampered with, the car is opened, and its contents examined and noted, and the car again sealed and forwarded on. Any loss of goods will thus be surely discovered before it leaves the hands of the company in Whose -care it was at the time of said loss, and, therefore, each company is exempted fromv any responsibility except for its own line.

It will usuallybe most convenient to designate the company by numbers, and the stations by letters. For instance:

Hudson River IN o. 1, New York, station A, seal Albany, station B, seal Boston Torcester No. 2, Boston, station A, seal Worcester, station B, seal by` Letters Witnesses:

F. A.' LANGWORTHY, B. H. MUEHLE.

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