US961223A - Car-seal. - Google Patents

Description

E. E. FAIRGHILD & E. CLARK.

GAR SEAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 6, 1908.

961,223. Patented June 14, 1910.

ANDREW a GRAHAM c0. PNOTO LITHOGRAPNER$ wAsmnmon. n. c

- UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN E. FAIRCHILD, OF LOS ANGELES, AND FRANKLIN E. CLARK, OF FLORENCE,

CALIFORNIA.

CAR-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 119, 14, 1910,

Application filed August 6, 1908. Serial No. 447,346.

'fication.

Our invention relates to locking seals for railway freight cars and the like and particularly to seals of that class wherein a bendable strip is employed and so arranged that the strip has to be fractured in order to remove the seal.

In furtherance of the above object we have provided a chambered head having an apertured strap formed integrally therewith, and a lock engaging plate of a configuration adapted to so engage the apertured .end of the strap as to render it impossible .to open the locked seal without first destroying it.

To accomplish the above object by means of the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective View of our complete seal. Fig. 2, is an enlarged longitudinal section of the chambered head showing the seal in its locked position. Fig. 3, is an enlarged longitudinal section of the chambered head illustrating a modified form, the seal being in its locked position. Fig. 3 is a perspective detail of a modified form of the apertured end of the strap. F ig. 1, is an enlarged perspective detail of our preferred form of locking plate. Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8,- are modified forms of locking plates. Fig. 9, is an enlarged longitudinal section of the chambered head illustrating another modified form, the seal being in its locked position.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, 1O designates a bendable sealing strap of any suitable material and of the required length. One end of strap 10 is bent upon itself to form a hook 11, which is slightly resilient, enough so to spring somewhat and then resume its normal position when pressure thereon is removed. The opposite end of strap 10 is formed into a chambered head 12 open on the attached end. Strap 10 and chambered head 12 are preferably formed from a single piece of material, the side edges 13 being crimped to the bottom edges 14. That portion of the strap 10 which enters the chambered head is redoubled upon itself to form a hook 15 which preferably extends midway the interior of the head 12. Hook 11 formed on the opposite end of strap 10 is adapted to pass in the chambered head below hook 15 and engage the same, the hook 11 being somewhat resilient springs upwardly after passing the end 16 of hook 15, thereby forming what we term as the first engaging lock of the seal.

Situated in the upper portion of chambered head, that is that portion above hook 15 is a tongued locking plate 17, clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. This plate is rectangular in form as illustrated and is provided with a preferably rectangular aperture 18 near one end of plate 17 which end is doubled upon itself to form a hooked or pocketed end 19. The opposite end of aperture 18 is provided with a spring detent or tongue 20 projecting slightly downwardly from the under face of plate 17, and as shown in Fig. 2, projecting slightly under the hooked end 19 of the plate. Hook end 11 of strap 10 is provided with an aperture 21 which, after entering the chambered head and passing chamber hook 15, (which releases the end of hook 11), is pulled forwardly, that is toward the open end of the chambered head, when the second locking operation occurs, the tongue entering the aperture 21 in the hook 11. As edge 22 of the aperture 21 passes the end of tongue 20, hook end 11 of strip 10 is pushed forwardly so that end 23 of hook 11 may pass over the edge 24 of hooked end 19 and enter the pocket 19, this constituting the third and last lock. 7

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings thatwhen the end of the resilient hook 11 is forced into pocket 19 formed on the locking plate 17 that it will be absolutely impossible to insert any form of tool into the chambered head to disengage the hooked end of the strap from the locking plate, as the tip or outer end of this hook is protected by the pocketed end 19, thereby preventing any downward depression of the end of thehook 11 to disengage it from the tongue 20 which projects under the hooked end 19. By providing a hook engaging means on the locking plate, it will be observed that when the hook is in engagement therewith it is securely locked thereto, the plate being of a size to prevent a withdrawal from the chambered head.

In Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings we have illustrated another form of locking plate 25 which is provided with a tongue 26, but instead of an aperture, it is provided with a recess 27 of practically the same configuration as used in the Estell Patent No. 733,708, dated July 14th, 1903. To rectify the defect which would thus be produced, we have provided a boss 28, formed in the upper wall of chambered head 12, and have formed on the end of strap 10 a teat 29 of less width than the width of recess 27, so that when tongue 26 enters the aperture 30 in the hooked end of strap 10, and the strap is pushed forwardly, the teat 29 will pass between arms 31 and 32 which form the sides of recess 27 of plate 25 and rest against one side of boss 28. By the provision of boss 28 and the end of tongue 26 projecting thereunder it will be seen that the insertion of a tool of any description to release the end of hook 11 from engagement with tongue 26 would be frustrated by boss 28.

We consider the above described form of seal nearly as safe as the preferred form (Fig. 2) the boss 28 fulfilling all the functions of the hooked pocket 19 of the preferred form.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings we have illustrated other forms of locking plates which subserve the same functions and purposes as the plate illustrated in Fig. 2.

The plate illustrated in Fig. 6 instead of being provided with a pocketed end like the plate illustrated in Fig. 4 is provided with a transverse bar 34: which forms an aperture 33, through which the teat 29 on the end of the hook 11 (illustrated in Fig. 3 is adapted to pass resting on the bar 34, the tongue 35 first entering the aperture 30 in the hook. By the use of this plate an attempted depression of the hook 11 to disengage the same from the tongue 35 would be prevented.

The plate illustrated in Fig. 7 is practically the same as the one shown in Fig. 6 except bar 3 1 is provided with a depressed portion 36 into which teat 29 enters and is held in place. By means of this form we areenabled to mass the hooks and plate into a more compact form.

Fig. 8 represents a form of plate provided with a plurality of tongues 37, 38; this form of plate is preferably used with the form of hooked end of strap 10 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, tongue 37 preferably projecting slightly under ton e 38. In this form of plate tongue 37 is adapted to first enter the aperture in the hooked end of strap 10 and the strap is then pushed forwardly so that the edge or end 23 of hook 11 will pass over the tongue 38 thus securely fastening the hook to the plate and preventing any disengagement therefrom.

In Fig. 9 we have represented a form of locking plate similar to the form shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings but the chambered head instead of being provided with a boss extending downwardly into the chamber, has a boss 39 which is forced upwardly in the opposite direction so that when the hooked end of strap 10 is inserted the edge 23 will project upwardly into the cavity formed by the boss 39 and all danger of disengagement of hook 11 from the tongue will be thus obviated.

It will be observed that by the use of the aperture in the locking plate instead of the recess form that is illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings, we are enabled to prevent tampering with the seal, the hooked end of the strap being forced into a position from whence it is almost impossible to dislodge it from the plate.

The several locking plates illustrated in the various views of the drawings are approximately the same length and width as the interior dimensions of the chambered seal head and are disposed above the hook 15 formed in the interior of the chambered head during the operation of forming the seal, the hook 15 preventing a withdrawal or any undue movement of the plates after the completion of the seal.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a car seal, in combination, a strap having an apertured hook on one end and a chambered hook engaging head on the other, and a tongued locking plate having one of its ends bent on itself to form a pocket for the reception of the strap hook end, whereby to prevent the disengagement of the strap hook from the locking plate.

2. In a car seal, in combination, a strap having an apertured hook at one end and a chambered hook engaging head at the other, said chambered head being formed integral with said strap, a locking plate disposed in said head, said plate provided with a tongue adapted to engage the aperture in the hook, and means formed on said locking plate adapted to engage the end of the strap hook, whereby to prevent disengagement of the hook from the locking plate. I

3. In a car seal, in combination, a strap having an apertured hook at one end and a hook engaging head at the other, and an apertured tongued locking plate provided with hook engaging means formed on one end thereof, said means adapted to engage the hook end of the strap, whereby to prevent disengagement of the hook from the locking plate.

4:. In combination with a car seal, of a.

locking plate, comprising a body member extending under and beyond the pocketed having one end thereof turned over to form end.

a pocket, and a tongue formed integrally In Witness that We claim the foregoing We With said body member, both the tongue and have hereunto subscribed our names this 15 5 the end forming the pocket being on the 31st day of July, 1908.

same face of the body member. E. E. FAIROHILD.

5. In combination With a car seal of a locking plate, comprising a body mbmber FRANKLIN CLARK having one end thereof bent upon itself to Witnesses: 10 form a pocket, and a tongue formed in- EDMUND A. STRAUSE,

tegrally with said body member, said tongue OLLIE PALMER.

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