USRE849E - Improved lock and detecter - Google Patents

Description

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. H. Lroru'on nnw YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVED LOCK AND DETECTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 25,428, dated September 13, 1859; Reissue No. S49,

dated November 8, 1859. i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it. known that I, J. H. LYON, ofthe city, county, and State of New York, have invented aOombined Detecter and Lock, which I term a seallock, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip tion of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this speciication, in which- Figure 1 is a side sectional view ot' my invention taken in the line m fr, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a front sectional view of the same taken in theline y y, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a side sectional view ofthe same taken in the line e z, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view ofthe same, showing the way in' which the seals are adjusted. Fig. 5 is a detached sectional view of the seal. Fig. 6 is a view of the swage land nippers em ployed for adjusting the seal to the lock and severing the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention is designed as a safeguard against dishonest employs on railroad freighttrains and the like. The object of the invention is to attach or combine with a padlock, or

' any lock provided with a shackle, a seal formed of lead or other soft metal, so arranged that the seal must be broken or severed in order to open and detach the lock, the severed seal indicating that the lock has been opened.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the case of the lock, which may be of semiannular or any proper form. This case A is formed of two parts, a b, precisely similar in form, and each provided with a shackle, B C, which are fitted on a common center-pin, c, that passes through both parts a. b of the case at one end, and also serves as a means ofA connection as well as a pivot for the shackle.

The shackles B C may be of the usual bow or semicircular form, and the outer end of each passes a short-distance into its part of the case, a recess or opening being made in each part a b for such purpose. d in the part a of the case A is formed in its inner side, and in said recess a spiral spring, e, is placed, and also a square bar, f, the latter resting on the spring e. The spring e has The recess a tendency to' keep the bar f forced upward, and the end ot` the shackle B secured in the upper part of the recess d, (see Fig. 3,) in which it will be seen that theend of the shackle B is provided with a dovetail terminus, g, which is the cause ot' thebar fsecuring the shackle B. The barfis depressedby a key, D, a recess and alip being at the inner side ofthe bar f, the bitof thel key when turned acting against the lip dit. (See Fig. 2.)

In the recess h of the part b of the case A a short bar, i, is placed and allowed to work loosely. -I` his bar, however, is prevented from passing .entirely out ofthe recess h by means of a lip, 7f,on its lower end, and a stop or projeetion, k', in the recess h, as shown clearly in Fig. l. The upper part ofthe recess h above the stop or projection In is larger than the lower part, in order that it may receive a lead or other softmeta-l tube, E, the lower part of which is secured on a screw, m, at the upper end of the bar i. The upper part of this tube E is secured on a screw, n, attached to lthe end of the shackle U. The two parts a b of the case A are connected together by screws o o, and as the recesses d h are formed in the inner and adjoining sides of the parts a b, I place a short metal division-plate, p, between them, as shown in Fig. 2.

The tubes E are cast in proper quantities,

and each Overseer or superintendent is supplied with them, as well as with the tool shown in Fig. 6, which is formed of two handles, q q, curved and connected by a fulcrum-pin, r, and terminating in jaws s s, grooved transversely, so as to form a swage to grasp and compress the tubes E on the screws m n. l At the inner side of each handle q a cutter, t, is attached, by which the tubes are divided.

The device is used as follows: When the lock is applied, both shackles B C are passed through 'the staple and the shackle B locked by throwing up the barf by the key D. Previous, however, to locking the shackle B a tube, E, is Acompressed and secured on the screws m u' of the bar i and shackle C, the tube tting loosely on the screws at first, but swaged or compressed tightly on them by the jaws s s ot' the tool represented in Fig. 6, the bar t being allowed a requisite movementin its recess lt to admit of its screw m passing out of the part b of the case A. When the shackle B is locked, it keeps the shackle C down to the case by means of a shoulder-lock, u u, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, a shoulder, u, being on the inner side of each shackle and so disposed that they tit over each other or overlap.

It will be seen from the above description Y that in order to unlock the lock the tube E must be divided, as it`cannot be stripped from the lscrews, and this would of course indicate that the lock had been opened. If the invention be used on the-freight-cars on railroads the depot-masters will be provided with tubes and a swagingtool, so as to open the locks, and after the goods are removed apply new tubes E and relock the locks. Postmasters might also be similarly provided and the vdishonesty of mailcontractors guarded against.

The form of construction above described is a very simple and economical plan, and is a more perfect detecter than if a single shackle were employed, as a person 'could not well adjust'thc tubes or seals to the device Withouthaving proper tools, those made especially' for that purpose. A common device might be ob tained by modifying an ordinary padlock so" that a transverse pin could be passed through the lock and shackle, and having a seal at one" or both ends of said transverse pin. This plan, however, would be inferior to the one previously described.

Various modifications of the plans herein described might be adopted in order to attach the seal to the lock so as to eli'eet the desired end.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

Oombining With a padlock 'or any lock provided With a shackle a lead or soft-.metal tube or seal, so arranged as to be temporarily secured thereto, and admitting of being released only by the removing or breaking of said tube or seal, which thereby serves as a detecter, substantially as set forth.

JOHN H. LYON.

VVitnesses DAVID I. SMITH, THoMAs 'GoLLINs

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