US942316A

US942316A - Metallic seal.

Info

Publication number: US942316A
Authority: US
Inventors: William E Elliott
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1907-04-06
Filing date: 1907-04-06
Publication date: 1909-12-07
Anticipated expiration: 1926-12-07

Description

w. B. ELLIOTT.

METALLIC SEAL.

APPLICATION ZE'ILBD APR. 6,1907. I

Patented Dec. 7, 1909.

@Hozncxj a citizen of the United States of America,

WILLIAM 'E. ELLIOTT, or GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

.. METALLIC snarl.

I i Specification of Letters Patent TPatented Dec. 7, 1909.

Application filed April 6, 1907. Serial lie. $66,832.

To all whom it may,

Be itknown that I, WILLIAM'E. ELLIQ'I'I,

residing at" Grand Rapids, in the ,county of Kent and State of Michigan, haye invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, .and exact de-' scriptionof the invention, such as will one ditionsrequirin able others skilled in. the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in metallic, or similar seals. In iising such seals it is often desirable to insert the same in a small round opening, not adapted to receive a fiat flexible shackle because of thev width of the latter. It also often occurs, that a rigid boltllike portion instead of a flexible and yielding shackle is needed to not only afford a seal, but also a rigid body to secure the parts in place that are sealed.

The object of my invention is to' provide a seal adapted to be used under various cona fiat flexible band or shackle, or a rigid bolt like portion inserted in the arts to be sealed to hold the same, or as a be t like member adapted to be inserted in an opening not adapted to receive aflat band, as occasion may require.

My device consists essentially of a shackle member comprising both a flat flexible portion and a rigid bolt-like portion, the respective portions carrying at their outer ends t 1e seal body and the co-acting locking member adapted to be inserted therein, whereby either the flat flexible part of the shackle or the rigid bolt like part of the same may be engaged with the article to be sealed or secured, as occasion may require, as hereinafter more fully described and particularly )OlIlilQd out in the claims, reference'being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is air enlarged elevation of a device embodying my invention, with parts broken away to show the construction; Fig. 2. a detail in plan, view of the shackle orlion-of the seal; Figs.3 and 4 details 0 the housing member; Fig. 5: a detail in end elevation of the, sealing portion of the/device as shown in Fig. 1.; Fig. 6. a detail in plan and elcvation of a modified construction corresponding to the interlocking member 5 of Figs. 1 and 2: and Fig. 7. an enlarged cross section of therigid or bolt like portion of j the shackle on line 7-7 of Fig. 2.

Like numerals refer to like parts in all of the figures.

. The shackle portion of the device which is of considerable length, is, for a portion of its length, comparativelyrigid and resembles a bolt, as shown by the numeral 1, and adapted to be inserted in various objects having suitable openings to receive it, and thus operate as a rigid bolt to secure such objects to each other, and to be forced into an opening against some resistance and without bending or buckling. It is for the remaining portions 2 of its length comparatively flexible, or otherwise adapted to be folded upon itself, or fiexedso that it may be bent around the object which it is' desired to seal, or extended through the ,objects which it is desired to fasten together. This shackle, for a'portion' of its length, is flat, the flat portion being provided with a suitable opening for the insertion of the end of the rigid portion. In the form of the device which I have shown in thc drawings. the flexible portion is thus flattened throughout its entire length, and the form shown in Figs. 1. and 2 obviously may be constructed from wire or similar stock, by rolling or flattening out a portion thereof thin enough so as to be conveniently flexible, while the remaining portion remains in its original form and is comparatively rigid.

I prefer, however, to form the body from a sertion, the end of this portion may be made conical or rounded, as shown. in Fig.

The flat portion which is located at or near the other end of the shackle from the rigid portion, is provided with an opening, as shown in Fig. 9., adapted to receive the shouldered end. This opening is normally smaller in diameterthan the shoulder, so that some portion or all of the edge surrounding the opening will engage the shoulder i, and the edge of this opening is adapted in any 1 cmivenicnt manner to yield and permit the shouldered end to pass through said opening and then to spring back into engagement with the shoulder. The means shown in Fig. 1. forpermitting such yielding and engaging is that the metal surrounding the opening is drawn to a truncated conical form the shackle is not of such character that the and divided at {intervals in the place of its axis, whereby radially yielding spring retainin members 5 are formed to en age the should er land securely hold the in id end in position after it is inserted in suc open- If the material most convenient to use for lines surrounding the opening in Fig. 2. in-

dicate outer edge of this plate 10, which is secured to-the shackle in any convenient manner, wherebythe shackle and the plate are held in roperrelation to. each other. Instead ot' manufacturing the shackle fromround stock having a portion rolled or pressed so as to be flat, I have found it in some respectsmore desirable to construct the same from flat stock, such as sheet tin. This method of construction is illustrated in Fig. 2. After taking a strip of tin or similar stock of suitable width, one end thereof can be struck up'in suitable dies and transformed into asubstantially solid'and comparatively rigid and bolt like body, preferably circular in cross-section. This portion is shown in Fi 7. by numeral 12, while the numeral 13 (Flg. 2.) indicates the tapering corrugations in the flat stock as it is passing into the round form. These corrugations serve to stiffen that portion of the strip so that it will be sufliciently rigid to serve as a bolt and will not buckle as it is pressed into locking position or yield laterally when inserted in openin s in the members secured thereby. In or er that this portion so struck up may have the most rgidity and may be capable of car- "-rying a suitable shoulder, I bend the tin so 4 that itis folded upon itself and compressed in the form shown in cross section in Fig. 7. When struck up in this form, and especially if it is then subjected to heat whereby the layers are at least partially welded together, this portion becomes in a practical way the equivalent of the solid body. The heat welding,l wever, I do not consider essential. To protect theshoulder end after it is inserted through the opening in the other end of the bo'dymember, I provide a housing, or casing,

thereof so as to be of substantially the same diameter as the encl'to be inserted therein,

thus holding the inserted end in position and I preventing any play or motion thereof which would tend to loosen 'the retaining members ment. This housing may be secured in place in any suitable manner; but the means I have shown is to provide it with oppositely extended members 7, which are intended to be folded transversely across the flat portion of the body member opposite and over the opening therein. To prevent longitudinal motion of this casing upon the shackle, and more accurately to register its properposition in the process of assembling, I provide the shackle with recesses 8 8, with which recesses the wings 7 7 engage, and when these wings are folded down over the shackle, the edges of the same present no protuberance caused by the wings. Furtherto' secure the housing or casing in its proper position after the seal is locked, andfurther to protect against accidental or intentional injury to the spring engagement with the shoulder, I make these wing members long enough so that when they are folded down, they will overlap the opening in the shackle, and I provide them with superposed openings 11 which are preferably countersunk or truncated conical, as shown in Fig. 3 .and adapted to register with each other and with the opening in the shackle. This countersinking, as shown, more securely retains them in proper position and also guides the end of the bolt member when it is inserted therein. The'diameter of these openings should be substantially the same as that of the end of the rigid portion to be inserted therethrough, thus preventing any access to the locking engagement between the retaining members and the shoulder, and also preventin any lateral play or working of the rigid por ion with reference to the opening or the casing whereby the parts might become loosened.

I have shown preferred forms of construction, but it \Vlll be obvious that many "5, and release the shoulder from its engagedetails can be varied without departing from the invention. For example the length of the shackle, the length of the bolt-like part thereof: the degree of flexibility or rigidity of its parts, its area and shape in cross-section at different parts. the location, form and length of the shoulder, the locatlon, size and form of the-opening, the extent that the yielding margin pro ects from the plane of the shackle, and the degree of resistance furnished by the yielding marg1n,all these, as well as other details, can

be varied to meet the of the use desired.

What I claim is:

l. A seal comprising a sealbody having locking means therein to retain the end of the shackle, a shackle attached to the seal body at one end, said shackle being flexible throughout a portion of its length next the seal body, and rigid and bolt-like throughout the remaining portion of its length, the end only of the rigid portion being adapted tobe inserted in the seal body, whereby the shackle may be applied either as a flexible hand or the rigid portion thereof outside the seal body may be applied as a rigid bolt.

2. A seal comprising a shackle having a flat flexible portion provided With an opening near one end to receive the other end, and a rigid bolt-like portion having a shoulder near the other end, and adapted to be inserted in said opening, a housing to inclose the end only of said rigid portion, and locking means in the housing to engage said shoulder, whereby the shackle may be applied as a flexible band, or the rigid portion extendin outside the housing may be appeculiar requirements plied as; rigid bolt.

3. A seal comprising a shackle embodying a. rigid portion, and also having a flat, flexible portion, said rigid portion having a shoulder near its end, said flexible portionhaving an opening near its end to receive the end of said rigid portion and normally of less diameter than the said end, and also having yielding margins, and a housing 'inclosing the end of said rigid portion and said margins.

.4. A seal comprising a shackle having a bolt-like portion pr ovided with a shoulder near its end and a broad flat flexible portion having an opening near its end adapted to receive the shouldered end of the bolt-like portion, means for locking the shouldered end after it has passed through said opening, a housing secured to the shackle and inclosing said shouldered end and locking means, and means carried by the housing to receive the said end and hold the same against lateral movement.

5. A seal comprisin a shackle having a bolt-like portion provided 'with a shoulder near its end, and a broad fiat flexible portion I having an opening near its other 'end adapted to receive the shouldered end of the boltlike portion, means for automatically looking' the shouldered end after it has assed through said opening, and a housing l1:lCl0S-' ing said means and end and having a portion to receive the said-end adapted to fit closely around the same and prevent lateralmovenent thereof.

6. A seal comprising a shackle havinga'. round bolt-like portion and a fiat flexible portion having an opening to receive the end of the bolt-like portion, means for autojtion, an

- an opening registering matically locking the end of the bolt-like portion after it has passed through said opening, and a housing inclosing said means and the said end, said housing having a base extension folded upon the flat portion of the shackle opposite the opening therein and provided with an opening to receive the end of the bolt-like portion.

7. A seal comprising ashackle l'iaving a round rigid portion and a Hat flexible por-. .tion provided with an openii'lg,to-rcceive the end .of the rigid portion, means Itor auto matlcally locking the said end after it has passed through said opening, a l'iousi-ng in said means and end, opposing base.

closin extensions on said housing folded aroundjthcflat opening and each having an opening to receive said end and registering with each. other and with the opening int-hcflat portion.

8. A seal comprising a ackle having.

ortion of the shackleopposite 'said'f round rigid portion atone end and a 'flat flexible portion at the other end provided With an opening to receive the end of, the

round rigid portion and marginal r'e'cesses opposite said opening, means for automatically locking said end after ithas passed through said opening, a housing inclosing said end and means, opposing base ext-ensions on said housing engaging said lateral portion at one end round and rigid and also I provided with a circumferential shoulder, and theremainder of the other end flat and flexible and provided with an opening to receive the round end, said opening havin a truncated conical. margin radially slitte to permit the shouldered end to pass therethrough and to retain the same, a housing inclosln said end and truncated conical pora, base extension on said housing folded around said flat portion and having with the opening in the'said portion, sai opening having its mar depressed into the base ofsaid truncate conical margin. 10. Aseal comprisinga shackle having a rigid round portipn at one end and a flat flexible portion at the other end provided with anopen'ingto receive the endof the round port-ion, and-also having marginal recess'esaopposite said opening, means for automatically locking'said round end after it has passed throu hs'aidopenmg, a housing inclosing said en and illea'ng find opposing ,base extensions on said sliousmg engagin said recesses, and folded over-the edges 0 said flat portion.

11. A seal comprising a shackle havin a. round, rigid portion at one end provi ed I &

having with a 'circumferential shoulder near the end, and a flat flexible portion at the other; end provided with an opening of less diameter than the round end and having a flexible margin to said opening, and also having marginal recesses opposite saidopening, a houslng inclosing said end and mar-' gin, 'and opposing base extensions on the housing engaging said marginal recesses and folded over the said flat portion, and also penings-registering with the open ing in the flat portion.

12. A seal comprising a shackle having a rigid round portion provided with a circumferential shoulder near its end, and a v flat flexible portion having a truncated conical portion near the other end provided with an opening to receive and retain the -hous1ng engaging said recesses and folded around said fiat portion, said extensions also having openings to receive the said round end sald openings having margms depressed 'within the base of the said truncated conical portion. V

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

WILLIAM E. ELLIOTT. Witnesses: LUTHER V. Moon'roiv, GEORGIANNA GRACE.