An Improved Lock and Seal applicable for Hampers, Boxes, Trunks, and other Receptacles used for Transporting and Storing Purposes.
Year: 1892

page_text: Date of Application, 30th June. 1892
Complete Specification Left, 30th Mar., 1893-Accepted 2nd June, 1893
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lock and Seal applicable for Hampers, Boxes,
Trunks, and other Receptacles used for Transporting and
Storing Purposes.
We, OLIVER SMITH of 26 Wigston Road, Leicester, Cabinet Maker, and
HALLEWELL SMITH of 6 Winfield Mount, Leeds, Gentleman, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention has reference to an improved lock and seal for hampers, boxes,
trunks and other receptacles used for transporting and storing purposes.
According to this invention a concave plate or equivalent is sunk into the
framework of preferably the side of the hamper, box or other receptacle.
In the concavity of the plate mentioned or of the framework there may be
located a suitable bellcrank lever, one end of which may project beyond the
vertical outside line of the concave plate, and the other end of the said lever may
be suitably formed to engage a pin, bolt, clutch or equivalent on a plate connected
to the lid, when the latter is closed. A further plate which may be designated the
seal plate, closes over the plate last mentioned and in doing so presses backwards
the projecting end of the bellcranked lever so as to cause its other end to engage
the pin, bolt, or clutch referred to and thus lock the receptacle.
The wax forming the seal may then be dropped on to the seal plate and the
receptacle will remain locked until the seal is removed.
It is obvious that various modifications of the bellcrank lever or its equivalent
may be employed and that it may be either spring controlled, counterweighted or
otherwise rendered self-acting as desired.
Dated this 30th day of June 1892.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULI,
Agents for the Applicants.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Lock and Seal applicable for Hampers, Boxes,
Trunks, and other Receptacles used for Transporting and
Storing Purposes.
We OLIVER SMITH of 5 Wilson Street (late of Wigston Road) Leicester,
Cabinet Maker and HALLEWELL SMITH of 6 Winfield Mount, Leeds, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is
to be performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement :-
This invention has reference to an improved lock and seal for hampers, boxes,
trunks and other receptacles used for storing and transporting purposes, constructed
in such a manner that it can be locked and sealed when the hamper or other
receptacle is ready for travelling or otherwise and which afterwards prevents the
contents thereof being tampered with without breaking the seal and showing
indications of surreptitious treatment.
The invention will be understood from the following Specification in reference to
the accompanying drawings in which,
Figure 1 is a central vertical section through a complete lock and seal constructed
in accordance with this invention and adapted for use with a hamper or similar
receptacle.
Figure 2 is a front elevation of the plate and clutch lever attached to the front
upper side rail of a hamper or the like receptacle.

page_text: Figures 3 and 4 are front elevation and cross section respectively of the plate
and clutch lever attached to the lid of the hamper.
Figure 5 is a central vertical section and Figure 6 a front elevation of the seal
plate, detached, and
Figures 7, 8 and 9 represent modifications in details of the lock and seal.
Figure 11 is a front elevation of a portion of the framework of a hamper having
our improved seal and lock applied thereto.
The lock consists of a case A which may be of any suitable shape and be sunk
into preferably the front or the upper side rail E of the framing of a hamper or
other receptacle.
In each of the sides of the said case there may be located the ends of the axis B¹
upon which is mounted the rear end of, preferably, a clutch lever B upon whose
upper end there rests a spring C fixed in position by a pin C¹ the extremes of
which enter the sides of the case A.
The said spring bears also against the upper part of the case A and when in its
normal condition as in Figure 1 it keeps the lever B resting on the supporting bar
or block D which may be cast in the sides of the case A.
The case A has formed therewith a plate A Figs. 1, 2 and 11 connected to the
front rail E of a hamper by screws A passing downwardly into the same and also
by screws passing through holes A*** Fig. 2 into the inner face of the said rail.
To the underside of the front rail J of the lid of the hamper there is attached
by screws F a plate F provided with tubular lugs F Fig. 11 between which there
is movably hung on a pin F passing through the same, a plate G shown detached
in Figures 3 and 4.
This plate G is also furnished with two lugs G¹ through which the pin F³ also
passes and is further provided on its inner face with a catch or clutch lever H
adapted to engage the clutch lever B as shown in Figure 1.
Located between the lugs G¹ of the plate G is a disc or circular plate K (shown
separately in Figure 5) hung also on the pin F' which passes through the hole K¹
in the upper part of the plate K. The plate K in its normal position lies within a
recess in the face of the plate G so that the lug or projection K' thereon passes
through the slot G therein and enters just over the upper edge of the catch B to
prevent it rising and becoming accidentally disengaged with the clutch H on the
plate G and thus admit of the lid of the hamper or other receptacle being raised.
To lock and seal the hamper with the herein before described device the operation
is as follows:-Presuming the lid of the bamper to be closed down upon the body
thereof, the plate G is first placed against the case A so that the curved faces of
the catches or clutch levers B, H, respectively are in contact with each other, the
plate K being raised meanwhile at an angle thereto as shown by the dotted lines
in Figure 1.
A slight pressure on the plate G will cause the clutch H to move forward and
thereby raise the clutch B which latter under the influence of the spring C will
immediately fall and become engaged as in Figure 1.
The plate K must now be lowered into the position indicated in the last named
figure so that the projection K* enters over the upper edge of the clutch B and
prevents it moving upwardly to disengage the clutch H until the plate K is again
raised.
The lock is then sealed and insured against unauthorised interference by
covering the plate K with sealing wax and filling the recess in the plate
therewith.
In order to unfasten the lock and seal, the end of a screw driver or similar lever
is pressed against the sealing wax so as to break it and pass into the opening K
Figs. 1, 5, and 6, when by downward pressure on the said lever the seal plate K is
prised open and completely destroys the wax seal thereon.
The moving of the seal plate K on its axis F as described withdraws the
projection K³ thereon from over the clutch lever B, the latter can then be raised
by hand or by the lever mentioned thereby disengaging it from the catch H on the

page_text: plate G when the said plate can be moved on its axis F at an angle thereto and
allow of the lid of the hamper being raised in the usual way.
In the modifications shown in Figures 7 to 9 the clutch lever B is movably
carried on its pin B' which has bearings in the sides of the two plates Li (only one
of which is shown in Figs. 8 & 9) formed at a right angle to the plate L which is
fixed by bolts L passing through holes therein to the front upper side rail E,
Fig. 11, of the hamper, while the plates L' are sunk into the face of the said rail E.
The boss of the clutch B is cut away at B2 so as to rest on the horizontal extension
of the plate Land be thereby maintained in its correct position relatively to the
clutch H Fig. 7.
The said clutch B is also used without the spring C shown in Fig. 1 and the
edge of the plate G is also formed with a central recess G having an inclined
base to enable the seal to be more readily broken by the lever hereinbefore
referred to and to direct the end of such lever into the opening K³ in the seal
plate K.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
1. In a combined lock and seal the combination of a clutch lever connected to the
body of a hamper or similar receptacle and adapted to be engaged by a similar
clutch lever attached to the lid thereof and sealed in position substantially in the
manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in Figures 1 to 9 of the
accompanying drawings.
2. A combined lock and seal consisting of a clutch lever such as B spring
controlled or otherwise connected to the body of a hamper or similar receptacle
and a clutch lever such as H connected to the lid thereof constructed and operating
substantially in the manner and for the purpose described and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings.
3. A combined lock and seal consisting of a clutch lever such as B spring
controlled or otherwise connected to the body of a hamper or similar receptacle a
plate such as G clutch lever such as H and a seal plate such as K K' connected to
the lid of the said hamper constructed and operating substantially in the manner
and for the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
4. The complete lock and seal for a hamper or similar receptacle consisting of
the parts constructed arranged and operating substantially in the manner and for
the purpose described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Dated this 30th day of March 1893.
W. P. THOMPSON & BOULT,
Agents for the Applicants.