Abstract:
A rotary lock seal includes a pin with an elongated shaft and an enlarged head at a rearward end. The forward end of the shaft has a peg projecting coaxially therefrom. An end cap has an enlarged head at a forward end and a central bore extending forwardly through the rearward end, forming an annular sidewall. An annular groove on the inner surface of the cap sidewall corresponds with a groove formed on the peg to retain a locking ring within the pair of aligned grooves when the cap is positioned over the peg on the pin. The locking ring prevents removal of the cap once secured on the pin.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    Applicant claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 60/364,203, filed Mar. 14, 2002. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    (Not applicable)  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    (1) Field of the Invention  
           [0004]    The present invention relates generally to apparatus for securing the latch of a shipping container, and more particularly to an improved lock seal on a rotary lock for preventing unauthorized access to a shipping container.  
           [0005]    (2) Background Information  
           [0006]    Shipping containers are widely used in the transportation of various types of goods, both domestically and internationally. However, the task of securing such containers against break-ins has proven difficult to solve.  
           [0007]    Prior art attempts include such devices as hasp protectors and various bolt seals. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,118,149 discloses a container hasp protector with a metal box with an open rearward side. A shield plate on the front face extends between the sides to form upper and lower openings in the face between the shield plate and the top and bottom walls of the box. The box encloses the container&#39;s hasp, to protect against damage by a thief.  
           [0008]    Although this apparatus provides protection for the hasp, it still leaves the shank of the security seal/pin open for tampering or cutting, through the openings in the front face.  
           [0009]    Similarly, padlock-type security devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,477,710, 5,146,771 and 4,898,008 suffer the problem of exposure of the shanks or shackles to bolt-cutters or other shears.  
           [0010]    U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,010,166, 6,009,731 and 6,036,240 all disclose bolt seal lock devices that utilize a pin with an enlarged head on an upper end and a lock body on a lower end, the shank of the pin journaled though aligned apertures in a housing to cover a portion of a keeper bar and prevent operation of the keeper bar while the cover is in place. However, each of these devices incorporates an enlarged locking body which is preferably releasable, and exposed on one side. This exposed locking body can therefore be accessed by unauthorized persons, and potentially permit tampering and prying of the locking body off the shank of the pin.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved security system for cargo containers with an improved seal pin.  
           [0012]    Yet another object is to provide an improved seal pin for a cargo latch which is simple and economical to manufacture.  
           [0013]    These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.  
           [0014]    The rotary lock seal of the present invention includes a pin with an elongated shaft and an enlarged head at a rearward end. The forward end of the shaft has a peg projecting coaxially therefrom. An end cap has an enlarged head at a forward end and a central bore extending forwardly through the rearward end, forming an annular sidewall. An annular groove on the inner surface of the cap sidewall corresponds with a groove formed on the peg to retain a locking ring within the pair of aligned grooves when the cap is positioned over the peg on the pin. The locking ring prevents removal of the cap once secured on the pin. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0015]    The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar or corresponding parts are identified with the same reference numeral throughout the several views, and in which:  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the rotary lock seal of the present invention with the cap separated from the pin, prior to connection;  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the lock seal shown in FIG. 1; and  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3 is an elevational view similar to FIG. 2, but with the cap removed from the pin. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0019]    Referring to the drawings, in which similar or corresponding parts are identified with the same reference numeral, and more particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, the rotary lock seal of the present invention is designated generally at  10  and includes three major components, namely, a pin  12 , a cap  14 , and a locking ring  16 .  
         [0020]    Seal pin  12  is preferably formed of hardened steel or similar material that is not easily bent, cut or broken. Seal pin  12  includes an elongated solid cylindrical shaft  18  with a forward end  18   a  and a rearward end  18   b . An enlarged head  20  is formed on the rearward end  18   b  of shaft  18 , with a diameter larger than that of shaft  18  to prevent the pin  12  from passing through ears of a latch or other similar lock. The forward end  18   a  of shaft  18  includes a forwardly projecting peg  22  that is cylindrical in shape and coaxial with shaft  18 . Peg  22  has a diameter less than the diameter of shaft  18 .  
         [0021]    An annular wall  24 , having an outer diameter equal to the diameter of shaft  18 , projects forwardly from the shaft and is coaxial therewith. Annular wall  24  has an inner diameter greater than the diameter of peg  22  so as to form an annular channel  26  between wall  24  and peg  22 . Peg  22  extends a length greater than the length of annular wall  24 , as shown in the drawings.  
         [0022]    A forward portion of peg  22  is tapered from a larger diameter at a rearward end to a narrower diameter at the forward end to form a generally conical portion  23  that will assist in aligning peg  22  with a bore formed in cap  14 . An annular groove  28  is formed around the circumference of peg  22  approximately midway between the forward end  22   a  of peg  22  and the forward end  18   a  of pin shaft  18 , and spaced slightly rearwardly of the rearward end of conical portion  23  of peg  22 . Groove  28  will receive locking ring  16  therein, to retain end cap  14  in position on peg  22 , as described in more detail hereinbelow.  
         [0023]    Locking ring  16  is of conventional design, with a toroidal shape, and split to permit the ring to expand in diameter. Preferably, the ring is formed of steel or similar material with memory to return to its original shape after expansion.  
         [0024]    It can be seen that the conical portion  23  on peg  22  will cause the locking ring  16  to gradually expand in diameter until the ring falls into the groove  28 , where it will contract to its original diameter. Groove  28  has a depth approximately one-half the thickness of the locking ring  16 , such that the ring will project outwardly beyond the diameter of peg  22  when it is received in groove  28 . Groove  28  is generally rectangular in cross-section, with flat forward and rearward walls perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of shaft  18  and peg  22 . This shape assists in retaining locking ring  16  in position within groove  28 .  
         [0025]    End cap  14  is case-hardened steel and generally cylindrical in shape, with a forward end  14   a  and a rearward end  14   b . A generally cylindrical bore  32  is formed in the rearward end  14   a  of cap  14  and extends forwardly along the longitudinal axis of the cap towards the forward end  14   b , to form a generally cylindrical sidewall  34 . Sidewall  34  has an outer diameter equal to the diameter of pin shaft  18 , so that the two will be in flush alignment when cap  14  is attached to pin  12 .  
         [0026]    Bore  32  has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of peg  22 , to slidably receive peg  22  therein. An annular groove  36  projecting radially outward into the inner surface of sidewall  34  is formed to receive locking ring  16  therein. As peg  22  slides forwardly into bore  32 , conical portion  23  will expand the diameter of locking ring  16  radially outwardly into groove  36 . Once ring  16  contracts into groove  28  on peg  22 , the projecting thickness of the ring  30  will project into groove  36  of cap  14  and secure peg  22  in end cap  14 . Thus, the diameter of bore  32  is less than the combined diameter of the locking ring  16  and peg  22  when the ring  16  is received within groove  28 .  
         [0027]    Preferably, groove  36  in end cap  16  has a flat forward surface, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the peg, and a generally conical rearward surface with a reducing diameter from the forward end to the rearward end of the conical surface. Similarly, bore  32  preferably includes a conical entry surface, reducing in diameter from the rearward end towards the forward end thereof for a short length of the rearward end of bore  32 . These conical surfaces assist in the insertion of locking ring  16  through bore  32  and into groove  36  of cap  14 , prior to the introduction of peg  22  of pin  12 . Once locking ring  16  is in position within groove  36 , the insertion of peg  22  into bore  32  will cause the ring  16  to expand in diameter within groove  36  as conical portion  23  contacts ring  16 . The flat forward surface of groove  36  prevents ring  16  from moving forwardly during this expansion of ring  16 .  
         [0028]    The rearward end  34   a  of cap sidewall  34  has an annular, cylindrical notch formed therein, reducing the diameter of sidewall  34  at end  34   a . The reduced-diameter sidewall  34   b  has a shape and size to fit within channel  26  in forward end  18   a  of pin shaft  18 , with cap sidewall  34  in flush alignment with the shaft sidewall  18  when cap  14  is attached to the end of pin  12 , as show in FIG. 3.  
         [0029]    The forward end  14   a  of cap  14  has an enlarged head  40 , similar in diameter to head  20  on shaft  18 . A bar code  42  is printed on the outer face  40   a  of head  40 , for identification and tracking.  
         [0030]    Once cap  14  is secured on pin  12  using locking ring  16 , it can only be removed by the destruction of locking ring  16 . The preferred method of removal is by the application of a punch on the center of the forward end of the cap  14 . The punch is forced through the cap  14  and pushes peg  22  in a rearward direction with sufficient force to shear locking ring  16 . In this way, cap  14  and ring  16  are destroyed, but pin  12  may be reused. Preferably, a removal tool will grip the projecting edges of cap  14  as a resisting force while the punch is pushed through the cap  14 .  
         [0031]    It can be seen that the provision of peg  22  within the interior of the outside diameter of shaft  18  assists in protecting the peg from being cut or otherwise broken. In addition, it is more difficult to attempt to remove the end cap  14  because of the provision of sidewall  34  on cap  14  with a diameter equal to the shaft  18 . In order to attempt to remove cap  14  it would be necessary to grip a portion of the shaft  18 , spaced a distance from the cap  14 , rather than simply prying the cap  14  from a point immediately adjacent the cap.  
         [0032]    Whereas the invention has been shown and described in connection with the preferred embodiment thereof, many modifications, substitutions and additions may be made which are within the intended broad scope of the appended claims.