US363775A - Seal-lock - Google Patents

Description

R. M. SULLY.

(ModeL) SEAL LOOK.

' Patented May 24 dfb ulgy lock applied thereto.

EJNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT M. SULLY, OF PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA.

SEAL-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 363,775, dated May 24, 1887. A pplieaiion filed March .22, 1887. Serial No. 231,961. (Model.l

To all whom it may concern.-

.Be it known that I, ROBERT M. SULLY, a citizen of the United Statcs,residing at Petersburg, in the county of Dinwiddie and State of Virginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seal'Locks, of which the following is a specification.

Ihe object of my present invention is to pro vide an improved construction of seal-lock for the doors of railroad freight-cars, whereby the car-door can be readily and conveniently secured and the'withdrawal of the bolt effectually prevented until after the mutilation and removal of a seal connected with said bolt.

The object of my invention I accomplish in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in which- Figure 1 represents in side elevation a portion of a freight-car with my improved seal- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of thelock unfastened. Fig. 3 is a central vertical section showing the bolt with seal attached and locked in position. Fig. 4 is a view of the seal.

Referring to the drawings, the letter A designates the door of a freight-car, and B a hasp attached thereto. On one side of the doorframe is secured a plate, 0, carrying a s1 aple, D, for engagement with the hasp B on the ear-door. Above the staple D, and in line therewith, is 9. lug, E, having a vertical perforation, a, through which is passed alockingbolt, F, which also passes through the staple and through a vertical perforation, b, in a lug, G, located beneath the staple.

The upper end of the loekingbolt F has an enlarged head, 0, formed with a shouldertor shoulders, (I, resting on the upper surface of the lug E when the bolt is lowered, and preventing it from falling entirely through the staple and adjacent lugs. This enlarged head 0 forms a pivotal bearing for a hinged fasteningcap, H, which may be made to engage the lugE in any suitable or convenienumanner for locking the bolt F in position after the seal has been attached, as hereinafter explained. In the form of construction shown I prefer to flange the free end of the hinged fasteningcap H on three sides, thereby formingin its end a recess. 6, to engage and cover the upper front edge and a portion of the upper side edges of said lug in front of the lowered bolt. I also arrange in the hinged fasteningcap H a catch, f, to engage a :mortise, g, in the upper face of the lug E, and this catch may have a beveled face, as shown, and be provided with a spring, h, to facilitate its entrance into and engagement in said mortise, though a spring is not necessary.

The lower end of thelocking-bolt F is formed to present a hook, i, for engaging a perforation, It, in a seal, K, when the bolt F is lowcred through the lug G 5, and after the sealhas been attached and the bolt raised the upper edge of the seal K will enter slits m m, formed vertically in each side of the lower perforated lug. By now throwing the fasteningcap H int-o locking engagement with the upper lug, E, the boltF will be securely held in such manner that it cannot be" withdrawn without first mutilating and disengaging the seal.

The seal K preferably consists of a piece of thin sheet metal capable of being broken or .torn under the application of a moderate force,

but at the same time sufficiently tough and durable to afford. adequate support and protection for a paper or card-board tag secured thereto by the upper and lower folded-over edges of the metal. The perforation 7. for engaging thehook 13, is made through both the paper and metal; and along the upper folded edge of the seal, in line with the perforation 7.", is formed a'line of perforations, a, to facilitate the tearing of the seal when connected with the locked bolt. On the paper or tag portion of the seal will be inscribed the usual information as to the point of shipment, destination, character of freight, &c.

Instead of arranging a scab-K, in connection with the hooked end of a 1ocking-bolt,as above described, I may pass an ordinary twisted locking-wire, through a horizontal"perforation, 1, in the upper lug, E, and through a coineiding perforation, r, in the bolt F, and con .fine the ends of said wire by a lead seal, L,

adjacent to the lug. This method of sealing ICC brought over the staple D, and when so raised the upward movement of the bolt is limited, and its disengagement from the lug E prevented by a stop, M, located adjacent to the upper end of the plate 0, as shown. When the bolt F is lowered into place through the staple D andin front of the hasp B, it can be readily secured either by a wire, 1), passed through the perforations t o and held by a lead seal, L, or a seal, K, can be engaged with the hook i and slitted lug G and the hinged cap H brought into locking engagement with the upperlug, E, to prevent the further descent of the bolt.

'It will be seen that when seal, K, is attached to the hook z and drawn upinto the slits m m the bolt cannot be raised further to disengageit from the staple, because the upper edge of the seal bears against the upper ends of the slits m m and prevents movement of the bolt in that direction. If the fastening-cap H has not yet been applied, the bolt F can still be lowered, however, to allow the seal K to be removed, if desired, and the car-door opened before finally adj usting the seal; but after the seal K has been placed on the hooked end of the bolt and engaged in the slits m m, if the 02113. H is brought down on the lug E and engaged therewith, the bolt F can neither be raised nor lowered, and the cap H being held securely by the catch f in the mortise g, the lock can be unfastened only after breaking and mutilating the seal. It is also apparent that when the parts are locked in the manner described the hook i and upper edge of the seal K are both inclosed in the lug G, so that it will be impossible to remove the seal without mutilation.

It will be seen that in the construction and operation this seal-lock is an improvement on the seal-locks for which Letters Patent No.

341,779 and No. 341,780 were granted to me May 11, 1886; and I would have it understood that I do not herein claim the construction set forth and claimed in said patents.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. In a seal-lock for cars, the combination of a perforated lug, a locking-bolt passed through said lug, and a fastening-cap hinged to the upper end of the bolt, and having alocking engagement with the lug when the bolt is in locking engagement with a connected seal, substantially as described.

2. In a seal-lock for cars, the combination of a perforated and mortised lug, a staple, a perforated and slitted lug, alockingbolt passed through said lugs and staple and having a hook at one end, a seal adapted to engage said hook and slitted lug, and a fastening-cap hinged to the other end of the boltand having a catch to engage the mortised lug, substan tially as described.

3. In a seal-lock for cars, the combination of the lug E, having a perforation, a, and a mortise, g, the bolt F, and the fasteningcap H, hinged to the head of said bolt and provided with recess 6 and catch substantially as described.

4. In a seal-loek for cars, the combination of the staple D, the lug E, having perforation d and mortise g,'the lug G, having perforation b and slits m m, the locking-bolt F, having hook z and shoulder d, and the fasteningcap H,hinged to the head of said bolt and provided with a catch, f, substantially as described.

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

1%. M. SULLY.

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