US392496A - Seal-lock - Google Patents

Description

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. A. BROWN.

SEAL LOOK.

No. 392,496. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

L. A. BROWN.

SEAL LOOK.

No. 392,496. Patented Nov. 6, 1888.

Altea-a? .Tnven $02;

arem Ut l ties,

LEWIS A. BROWVN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SEAL==LOCt(.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 392,4 96, dated November 6, 1888. Application filed August 27 1888. Serial No. 293,823. (X0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis A. Bnows, of Louis, Missouri, have made a new and useful Improvement in Seal-Looks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This improvement is related to construetions describedin my applications for Letters Patent of the United States therefor, filed, respectively, June 8, 1888, and July 19, 1888, and numbered serially 276,464 and 280,359, respectively, in that a seal, slotted link, hook, and staple are generally used in carrying out the improvement, and the seal is usually composed partly of a frangible plate and partly of a label. 111 the present construction the hook and the slotted link are employed, and in connecting and disconnecting the link and hook the link is first turned to bring its slot opposite the hook-point, whereupon the hookpoint can be passed through the slot. The link-extension, the part which contains the slot, is also, as in the constructions referred to, enlarged to form a frame to receive a lockingplate and seal. The seal is any plate of suit able size and incapable of being sprung out of its placein the look without so altering or al t'ecting its appearance as to render it noticeable.

The improvement relates more especially to the means for locking the plate which holdsthe seal in the link, so that the plate, alter being inserted in the link so as to conline the seal, cannot be moved unless the link is upturned, substantially as is hereinafter set forth and elaimed,aided by the annexed drawings, making part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the improved seal-lock in position, the seal being inserted and locked; Fig. 2, a similar elevation, the seal being removed, the locking-plate being turned around to bring its slot .under the hook point, and a portion of the lockingplate be ing broken away to exhibit the interiorconstruction; Fig. 3, a view showing the position into which the link is turned to withdraw the locking-plate; Fig. 4, a view in perspective of the seal; Fig. 5, a view in perspective from beneath of the locking-plate; Fig. 6, a view in perspective of one of the guide-plates upon the link; Fig. 7, View in perspective of the main part of thelink; Fig. 8, a View in perspective from above of the locking-plate; Fig. 9, a view in perspective of another of the guide-plates upon the link; Fig. 10,a section of the link and parts thereto attached, the section being on the line 10 10 of Fig. 11,which in turn is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10.

The views are upon various scales, and the same letters of reference denote the same parts.

In Figs. 1. and 2,A represents the staple, with which the link B is permanently connected, substantially as shown.

0 represents the hook, which, by means of the link, can be connected with the staple.

D and E are respectively any parts to which the staple and hook are applied, and in the present instance they may represent a doorpost and door of a railway freightcar, to which construction the improvement is well adapted.

The slot in the link 13, through which the hook-point 0 passes, is shown at b, and b represents the link -extension containing the slot, and constituting with the guide-plates b N, Figs. 6 and 9, respectively, the holder for the lockingplate F, the balls G G, used in connection with the locking-plate, and the seal H.

The locking-plate F, Figs. 2,3, 5, and S, and the linkextension b, are relatively so constructed as to enable the locking-plate to be slipped upon the link-extension into a position in which the seal His confined in the link, and there, by means of a movable part, held so that it cannot be slipped back again or otherwise shifted to release the seal without first turning the link-extension into a position which, so long as the hook and link are in engagement, it is impracticable to turn the linkextension into. The most desirable mode of carrying out this feature of theimprovement is that shown in Figs. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 10--that is, the lockingplate on its inner side is provided with or constructed to form the projection f, and the link-extension is recessed at b" to receive the main portion f of the locking-plate, and at If, Fig. 7, is further recessed to receive the projection f, and the recess 6 and the projection f are so relatively constructed that when the locking-plate is in its position in the link-extension a-channcl or slot, I, Figs. 1, 2, 3,10,and 11, is formedwithin thelink-extension behind the locking-plate. In this slot isheld the movable part referred to. The direction of the slot is such and the shape and size of the movable part are such that when the locking-plate is in position to confine the seal and the hook and link are interlocked, the movable part moves between the outer end, f, of the projection f and the wall I) at the outer end of the recess If, and the locking-plate is thereby prevented from being moved; but when the link-extension is turned into a position which enables the movable part to drop along thc'slot so as to be out of the way of the end f of the projection, the movable part does so drop and the lockingplate can be moved and into a posit-ion in which the seal can be inserted in the locking-plate. The movable part can be variously shaped and the slot I can be variously extended; but for a movable part I preferably employ a ball, G, and for a reason presently mentioned two or more balls, G G, are preferred to a single one, and the direction given to the slot is preferably the one shownthat is, beginning at a point near the side of the link-extension, the slot extends laterally at z toward the center of the linkextension; thence obliquely at i toward the inner end of the link-extension; thence at straight in the direction of the inner end of the link-extension.

The parts are combined and operated as follows: The locking-plate is applied to that part of the link which is shown in Fig. 7, and so that its projection f enters the recess If. The strips termed the guide-plates I) b are then fastened to the linleextension, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 10, and 11., and so as to cause the plates to overhang or lap upon the lockingplate, substantial 1y as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. This serves to permanently unite the lockingplate and link-extension, and so that the locking-plate may be shifted in the link-extension, as indicated by its two positions. (Shown respectively in full and broken lines in Fig. 3.) Any other suitable means may be adopted to thus unite the locking-plate with the link-extension. The locking-plate at its outer end has a projection, 1', Figs. 1., 2, 3, 5, and 8, and at its inner end the locking-plate is notched, as shown atf, partly to provide an opening coincident with the slot in the link-extension and partly to enable the locking-plate to fit around a projection, b of the link-extension, whose main function is the closing of the structure at that point against the entrance of rain, snow, or dirt. The seal H is held in position to bar the passage of the hook-point by allowing its outer end, h, to come against the projection f of the loekingplate, and hav ing all or a suitable portion of. its inner and side edges come beneath an overhanging flange, b of the guideplates b" I)", substantially as shown.

The seal is introduced as follows: The link is upturned, as in Fig. 3. The balls G G now drop, as shown, into the part of the slot I.

The locking-plate can now be and is withdrawn, as indicated by the broken lines, Fig.

3, and then the link is turned downward into the position of Fig. 2, for the hook to be united with the link by passing its point through the link-extension and locking-plate slots. The link is then turned into the position of Fig. 1, and the seal is laid upon the locking-plate with its outer end against the inner side of the projection f, and its side edge beneath the flange If of the guideplate I). The locking-plate carrying the seal is now closed into the link-extension, bringing the inner edge of the seal beneath the flanges I) of the guideplates I)" I)", as shown in Fig. 1. As the locking-plate is thus moved into the link-extension, the balls G G drop into the part i of the slot I, and thereby lock the loeking-plate and seal in their last-namcd position. Now the hook cannot be disengaged from thelink without first breaking the seal, for the lockingplate cannot be withdrawn to release the seal without first uptnrning it, as described, so that the balls can enter the part of the slot, and the link or link-extension is so con strueted and combined with the other parts of the construction thatit cannot be so upturned as long as the hook is in engagement with the link. This last object can be attained in various ways, and preferably by relatively eonstrueting thelink and the parts behind it, and against which it hangs, so that the link can- .not be turned around upward. Forinstance, in turning the link to the left, as viewed in Fig. 1, it may be made to encounter the boss (1 upon the part 1'), and in turning the link to the right it may be made to strike the hook.

\Vh y two balls, G and G, are used is this: It is possible, but not probable, that by sharply striking the link-extension at the side a single ball might be jostled out of the part 7: of the slot I into the part thereof. By using two balls this is prevented, for the motion of the first ball, G, being communicated to the second ball, G, the first ball tends to become wedged downward beneath the second ball, and the force of the blow is dissipated with out lifting the first ball from its place.

As the hook and link or link-extension can be combined in various ways without affecting the above-described means for locking the locking-plate and seal, I desire not to be restricted to the present mode of combining them. The seal H can also be variously constructed. A gravity-pin can be used in the place of the balls.

I claim 1. The combination of the staple, the link having the extension slotted and constructed substantially as described, the movable locking-plate, the movable locking part, the seal, and the hook, said locking part moving in a slot in thelink-extension, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the 1ink-extension and the loekingplate, said parts being relativcly constructed to inclose between them a slot, I, whose part i is opened or closed by the shifting of the locking-plate, as described.

IIS

- 3. The combination of the link-extension and the movable locking-plate relatively constructed to inclose the slot I, as described,with the ball or balls, the seal, and the hook having the hook-point,snbstantially as described. .4. The combination of the link having an extension slotted and recessed at b", and constructed to receive the adjustable lockingplate, the locking-plate having the inner and outer projections, and being notched as described, the ball, and the seal, said projection of the 1ocking-plate and the wall of said recess I forming a slotfor said ball, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the linlrextension I5 and the movable locking-plate relatively constructed to form the slot I, having the parts i 2" F, as described, and the two balls G G, substantially as described.

Witness my hand.

LEWIS A. BROWN.

Witnesses:

(1. D. MooDY, JAS. XV. ALLEN.

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