US1115952A - Car-seal. - Google Patents

Description

W. C. 6: G. R. MARTINEAU.

GAR SEAL.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 9, 1914.

1,1 1 5,952, Patented N0v.3, 1914.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM C. MARTINEAU AND CLARENCE R. MARTINEAU, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVILLIAM C. MARTI-v NEAU and CLARENCE R. MARTINEAU, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Albany, Albany county, New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals, of which'the following is a specification. I

Our invention relates to. seals'for car, store-room and like doors, meters, trunks and" boxes in transportation, and simllar purposes. The purpose of such a seal is of course not to prevent a forcible open ng of the car or receptacle, but only tOgIVG prompt notice that such opening has been made. It is therefore essential that the seal shall be incapable,'after having been tampered with, of being restored to any appearance of its ori inal integrity.

The object of our inventionis to produce a cheap, simple seal inttwo parts only, having a tag portion capable of receiving the impress of a sealingtool, easily attachable by any unskilled person, and incapable of restoration, as above stated.

In the drawings, Figure l isi a front elevation of a seal embodying our invention in its engaged position; Fig. 2 shows in perspective the shackle detached; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of'the combined box and tag portion; Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the plane 44, Fig.1; Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively side and front elevations of a slightly modified form of box and tag portion; Fig. 7 shows a modified shackle; Figs. 8 and 9 show modified parts ready for assembling, I the shackle being partly broken away.

Referring to the first four figures, 11 designates an integral box and tag portion, comprising tag 12, rear box wall 13, top box wall 14, front box wall 15, lower box wall 16 and plate17, which last bears against and is firmly welded to rear wall 13. 21 is a shackle shown as formed from an integral strip of sheet metal and comprising body 22, having a quarter turn near each of its ends, and engaging portions, each having a sharp transverse return'bend 23,

a series of longitudinal superposed return bends. 24 and a hooked end conslsting of members 25 and 26. The two parts are assembledby welding one end of the shackle within the box shown in Figs. 1 and 2, plate 25 and the opposite face of bends 24 Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed June 9, 1914.

as shown ineith'er Fig. l or 5.

Serial No. 843,971.

Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

being secured to walls 13 and 15, the resilient hook member 26 being of course left free.

In practice, we prefer to weld within the box the left end of the shackle having a slightly longer hook member 26, but this is,

of course immaterial.

In operation, the body 22 of the shackle is passed through the staple or through the two parts of a fixture to be secured together, and the'free end offthe shackle pressed into the end of the box until the resilient hook members 26 have passed and engaged each other, as shown in-Fig. 4. It will be seen that the ends of the box are completely filled by the bends 23 and 24, so as toabsolutely prevent the insertion of any tool by which the hooks might possibly be disengaged, and that the sharp transverse bends 23 are positioned half within and half without the ends of the box, so that any attempt to pull out the shackle end would result in breaking the strip at thea'lready strained'junction of the sides of the bend, thus leaving the box effectually stoppered. This feature forms no part of the present invention, being the subject of an Martineau, one of the present applicants, on March 13th, 1914, Serial Number'824,533.

The modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6 merely consists in forming the box, portion of the integral box and tag 31 with its longer walls 34 and 36 at right angles with the tag 32, so that a shackle like that already described except for the commission of the quarter turns would lie in the same plane with the tag, the shackle end being welded to these walls 34, 36. The alteration in the shackle is so slight that it is thought unnecessary to make a special drawing thereof. In Fig. 7 is: shown a shackle differing from that of Fig.2 chiefly in that both ends of its loop or bight project from the same end of the box. Its body or loop 42 is bent at one end to form a transverse member 43 and a parallel member 44 having a reverted hook end 45, the member 44 and the portion of the strip opposite thereto, being as before firmly welded within the box, which may be The free end of the shackle is formed into parts 23 to 36, as in Fig. 2. It will be understood that the operation of the complete device will be like that of the forms described.

I, In Figs. 8 and 9, the integral box and tag application filed by Wm. G.

portion 51 is composed of parts 52 to 57 precisely like the analogous parts 12 to 17 of Fig. 8, except that lower box wall 56 is very slightly shorter, so that plate 57 is spaced away from the rear wall 53 a distance equal to the thickness of the metal of which the shackle 61 is formed. This shackle, instead of being cutfrom a long strip of metal as before, is blanked from a sheet so as to have a lateral projection 62, shown as pierced at 63. This part 62 is substantially of equal dimensions with plate 57 and is welded between parts 58 and 57 of the box portion. It is first formed with engaging hooked ends constructed and functioning as already described. The end which is permanently within the box, comprising parts 64:, 65 and 66, similar to parts 43, 4e and 45 of Fig. 7, is shown, the other end being broken away as being like the right ends of both forms of Figs. 2 and 7.

It will be obvious that modifications other than those shown may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

It may be well to explain that the tag portions 12, 32 and 52 are intended to be stamped both before and after assembling with insignia of ownership and the like; and that the thickness of the metal of which all parts are made is exaggerated for clearness of illustration. An advantageous gage for both partsisabout .015, though this may be varied as desired.

What we claim is:

l. A car seal comprising an integral box and tag portion consisting of a blank of thin sheet metal folded at one end to form a transverse open-end box, the long side of which is securely closed; and a shackle having a hook at each end and a thickened part adjacent each of said hooks and adapted to fill an end of said box, said hooks being adapted to interlock within said box, one end of said shackle being secured therein.

2. A car seal comprising an integral box and tag portion consisting of a blank of thin sheet metal folded at one end to form a transverse open-end box and a plate depending therefrom, said plate being welded to the body of the blank whereby the long side of said box is securely closed by a line of welding of substantial width; and a shackle having a hook at each end and a thickened part adjacent each of said hooks and adapted to fill an end-of said box, said hooks being adapted'to interlock within said box, one end of said shackle being welded therein.

WILLIAM G. MARTINEAU. CLARENCE R. MABTINEAU. Witnesses Gno. L. Ooornn, WM. W. MORRILL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. 0.

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