Improved Fastening for Mail Bags, Boxes, Vans, and other Objects, and Stamping and Cutting Tools therefor.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 25th Nov., 1889-Accepted, 28th Dec., 1889
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fastening for Mail Bags, Boxes, Vans, and other Objects,
and Stamping and Cutting Tools therefor.
I, JOSEPH HECQ of No. 7 Place Haurvaert Brussels, Belgium, Advocate do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to a construction of fastening that cannot be tampered with;
applicable more particularly to postal packages and bags, boxes, or enclosures con-
taining valuables of all kinds also to railway vans and other vehicles that require to
be securely closed.
The fastening, which is of very simple construction, consists of a metal blade or bar
which is passed through the corresponding slots of two lugs or plates on the object
to be closed, the bar being provided at each end with a head, one of which is im-
moveable, and can be formed in one piece with the bar, while the other is of a
separate piece, although it forms practically one piece with the bar after closing the
fastening, and which while it can be readily removed at any time (that is to say, when
the receptacle is to be opened by the proper authority) cannot be removed improperly
and then replaced again, so that no attempt can be made to tamper with the
fastening without its being observed.
This second head or stud which prevents the separation of the lugs which the
fastening holds together, cannot be applied to and removed from the bar or blade
with the rapidity necessary for proper service, at any rate for objects that are easily
handled, such as mail bags, unless a stamping or punching and cutting tool of
special construction is employed, which tool consequently constitutes an essential
part of the invention.
On the accompanying drawing Figs. 1, 2 and 3 shew three views of the above described
blade or bar with its fixed and removeable heads. Figs. 4, 5 and 6 shew bags or
receptacles to which the fastening is applied. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of the
stamping or punching and cutting tool. Fig. shews a side view of the same, and
Figs. 9 and 10 shew two views of the special form of cutter by means of which the
removeable head of the bar is separated froin the same when the bag requires to be
opened.
As shewn, the head of the bar o may consist simply of a lateral enlargement, it
might however also be formed as two circular projections or enlargements of the
bar's thickness, like the removeable head y which is formed of a rivet of soft metal,
by preference lead, one end of which has a flat head, while the other is formed as
a shank which is flattened down into a correspondingly shaped second disc, as at
Fig. 2, after it has been passed through a hole in the bar, the rivet thus con-
This rivetting
stituting a second head practically forming one with the bar.
operation is effected by means of the same tool as that which afterwards serves to
remove the head.
For facilitating the flattening down of the stein of the rivet, this may be
notched or recessed to a certain extent as indicated at Fig. 1, so that on introducing
into this recess a point at the end of the rivetting punch it will be seen that as
the metal will offer much less resistance to the flattening. down than when solid, the
rivetting will be much more easily effected. The permanent rivet head has formed
on it the impression of the seal of the post office, or other department company
or firm to which the receptacles belong, and a second such impression is formed on
the other head by the punch by which it is produced. It is therefore evident that
any objects, such as inail bags, vans &c. that are secured by this fastening cannot be
opened except by the removal of the rivet y, and as this bears the seal of the office,
it will be seen that no one can effectually remove and afterwards replace, the
fastening who is not possessed of a rivetting instrument having this seal, formed

page_text: thereon, in addition to which, the removeal of such a rivet is evidently much more
difficult than that of an ordinary wax seal that secures a string, such as is ordinarily
employed for securing such receptacles.
The flattening and stamping of the rivet head y, is effected by means of a punch
or die E, which has no other peculiarity than that it is provided with a point pat
its end for entering the recess of the rivet, but the rivetting tool also carries a cutter (),
the construction of which is shewn to an enlarged scale at Figs. 9 and 10.
peculiarly shaped cutter has on one side a blade or chisel-edge S and at a small
distance in front hereof, a fork formed of two wedges N N¹.
This
The cutter and punch E are guided vertically in the framing of the tool so as
always to rise automatically under the action of springs situated in the framing,
so that they are only depressed by the downward movement of the lever L.
:
In operating with this tool, for closing a fastening, the bar or blade o having been
passed through the slots in the lugs or plates of the fastening, the rivet Y, is
introduced into the hole thereof, and the end of the bar with the rivet, having its
shank end uppermost, is introduced under the punch E of the tool, which may be
conveniently fixed on the corner of a table. The lever L is then depressed so as to
form the second head of the rivet and at the same time impress the official stamp
thereon.
For opening this fastening, one of the heads of the rivet is cut off by means of the
cutter C, and the rivet is then pushed out of the bar.
For this purpose the blade with the rivet is placed edgewise in a suitable slot in
the framing, so that the rivet y, is situated exactly under the cutter. The lever being
then depressed the cutter S, which is longer than the fork N N¹, will penetrate
between the head and the surface of the bar o and will cut off the former, after
which, by the further descent of the tool, the extremities of the wedges N N¹ will
penetrate between the second head of the rivet, and the other face of the bar o will
force the former out of the latter, thereby allowing the bar to be withdrawn from the
lugs of the fastening.
The above operations can be effected so rapidly that a great saving of time is
effected as compared with the ordinary mode of fastening with threads and
sealing wax.
There arises also a saving of material from the fact that the cut rivets can be
melted down and used over gain, whereas the thread and sealing wax are wasted after
having been once used.
When the above described fastening is to be used for securing vans and other
vehicles, the stamping tool can be made portable, that is to say, instead of making
it with a framing to be secured to the table, it is made like nippers with a pair of
handles, as will be readily understood.
Dated this 25th day of February 1889.
ABEL & IMRAY,
Agents for the Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improved Fastening for Mail Bags, Boxes, Vans, and other Objects,
and Stamping and Cutting Tools therefor.
I, JOSEPH HECQ of No. 7 Place Haurvaert Brussels, Belgium, Advocate, 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 relates to a construction of fastening that cannot be tampered with,
applicable more particularly to postal packages and bags, boxes, or enclosures con-
taining valuables of all kinds also to railway vans and other vehicles that require to
be securely closed.
The fastening, which is of very simple construction, consists of a metal blade or bar
which is passed through the corresponding lots of two lugs or plates on the object

page_text: to be closed, the bar being provided at each end with a head, one of which is im-
moveable, and can be formed in one piece with the bar, while the other is of a separate
piece, although it forms practically one piece with the bar after closing the fastening,
and which while it can be readily removed at any time, (that is to say, when the
receptacle is to be opened by the proper authority) cannot be removed improperly
and then replaced again, so that no attempt can be made to tamper with the fastening
without its being observed.
This second head or stud which prevents the separation of the lugs which the
fastening holds together, cannot be applied to and removed from the bar or blade
with the rapidity necessary for proper service, at any rate for objects that are easily
handled, such as mail bags, unless a stamping or punching and cutting tool of special
construction is employed, which tool consequently constitutes an essential part of the
invention.
On the drawing accompanying my provisional specification Figures, 1, 2 and 3
shew three views of the above described blade or bar with its fixed and removeable
heads. Figures 4, 5 and 6 shew bags or receptacles to which the fastening is
applied. Figure 7 is a front elevation of the stamping or punching and cutting tool.
Fig. 8 shews a side view of the same, and Figs. 9 and 11) shew two views of the
special form of cutter by means of which the removeable head of the bar is separated
from the same when the bag requires to be opened. Figs. 11, 12 and 13 of the
accompanying drawings shew a modified form of the fastening to an enlarged
scale.
As shewn, the head of the bar o may consist simply of a lateral enlargement, it
might however also be formed as two circular projections or enlargements. of the
bars thickness, like the removeable head y which is formed of a rivet of soft metal,
by preference lead, one end of which has a flat head, while the other is formed as a
shank which is flattened down into a correspondingly shaped second disc as at Fig. 2,
after it has been passed through a hole in the bar, the rivet thus constituting a second
head practically forming one with the bar. This rivetting, operation is effected by
means of the same tool as that which afterwards serves to remove the head.
For facilitating the flattening down of the stem of the rivet, this may be notched
or recessed to a certain extent as indicated at Fig. 1 so that on introducing into this
recess a point at the end of the rivetting punch it will be seen that as the metal will
offer much less resistance to the flattening down than when solid, the rivetting will
be much more easily effected. The permanent rivet head has formed on it the
impression of the seal of the post office, or other department company or firm to
which the receptacles belong and a second such impression is formed on the other
head by the punch by which it is produced. It is therefore evident that any objects
such as mail bags, vans &c. that are secured by this fastening cannot be opened
except by the removal of the rivet y, and as this bears the seal of the office, it will be
seen that no one can effectually remove and afterwards replace the fastening who is
not possessed of a rivetting instrument having this seal, formed thereon, in addition to
which the removal of such a rivet is evidently much more difficult than that of an
ordinary wax seal that secures a string, such as is ordinarily employed for securing
such receptacles.
The above described constructions have the disadvantage that a clever fraudulent
person could saw or cut off the head of the rivet flush with the bar; andtafter opening
the fastening might fit the parts together again by soldering on the separated head,
so that the fraud would not be detected until the fastening was again: opened.
Figs. 11, 12 and 13 shew a modification in which this is not possible.
The bar B is made thicker than before, and has recesses formed in it round, the
hole through which the rivet stem passes, so that the heads of the rivet are partly
sunk into such recesses, without weakening the resisting powers of the bar, the one
end of tho rivet stem being rivetted down into the recess or on one side after the
rivet, head has been inserted into the other recess. In order to afford, still
greater security, the form of rivet shown at Fig. 13 may be employed.
'

page_text: This consists of two separate parts, each part being formed with a head, while the
part M is formed tubular, so as to allow the stem R of the other part to pass through
it, and have its projecting end rivetted into the countersunk recess of the head of M by
means of a suitable die or punch. Both the heads being impressed with any desired
design, it will be seen that no removal of the head can be effected. without destroying
the design, and consequently although the parts might be soldered together again the
fraud would be readily detected. When using the chisel for opening this rivet by
cutting off the one or the other head flush with the bar, the ring or flange of lead
left in the recess is so thin that it will readily yield on pressing the rivet with the
fingers so as to force both parts out of the hole of the bar.
י
"
The flattening and stamping of the rivet head y is effected by means of a punch
or die E, which has no other peculiarity than that it is provided with a point p at
its end for entering the recess of the rivet, but the rivetting tool also carries a
cutter C, the construction of which is shewn to an enlarged scale at Figs. 9 and 10.
This peculiarly shaped cutter has on one side a blade or chisel-edge S and at a small,
distance in front hereof a fork formed of two wedges N N.
The cutter C and punch E are guided vertically in the framing of the tool so as
always to rise automatically under the action of springs situated in the
framing, so that they are only depressed by the downward movement of the
lever L.
In operating with this tool, for closing a fastening, the bar or blade o having
been passed through the slots in the lugs or plates of the fastening, the rivet y is
introduced into the hole thereof, and the end of the bar with the rivet, having its
shank end uppermost, is introduced under the punch E of the tool, which may be
conveniently fixed on the corner of a table. The lever L is then depressed so as to
form tho second head of the rivet and at the same time impress the official stamp
thereon. For opening this fastening one of the heads of the rivet is cut off by
means of the cutter C, and the rivet is then pushed out of the bar.
For this purpose the blade with the rivet is placed edgewise in a suitable slot in
the framing, so that the rivet y is situated exactly under the cutter. The lever being
then depressed the cutter S which is longer than the fork N N will penetrate between
the head and the surface of the bar c and will cut off the former, after which, by the
further descent of the tool, the extremities of the wedges N N will penetrate between
the second head of the rivet, and the other face of the bar o and will force the
former out of the latter, thereby allowing the bar to be withdrawn from the lugs of
the fastening.
The above operations can be effected so rapidly that a great saving of time is
effected as compared with the ordinary mode of fastening with threads and
sealing wax.
r.
There arises also a saving of material from the fact that the cut rivets can be.
melted down and used over again, whereas the thread and sealing wax are wasted
after having been once used.
When the above described fastening is to be used for securing vans and other
vehicles the stamping tool can be made portable, that is to say, instead of making it
with a framing to be secured to the table it is made like nippers with a pair of
handles, as will be readily understood.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. A fastening for mail bags, strong boxes and the like, consisting in a bar or
blade o passed through the loops or other parts of the bag, which blade is formed with
a head X at one end while the other end is formed to receive a rivet Y of soft metal,
forming a projection which prevents the withdrawing of the bar from the loops
without cutting off the head of the rivet, substantially as described.
2. For facilitating the rivetting down of the stem of the rivet Y referred to in the

page_text: preceding claim for forming the second head, forming a recess in the end of the
stem into which enters the point at the end of a punch E, substantially as
described.
3. The use for cutting the rivet Y referred to in the preceding claims, for opening
the fastening, of a cutting instrument C consisting of a blade S of greater length
than the fork N N 6ixed at a small distance from the blade S, which first cuts the
rivet, which is then withdrawn from the bar o by the fork N N, substantially as
described.
4. In a stamping or rivetting tool, the combination of the punch E with or
without the point p, with the cutting tool substantially as and for the purposes
described.
5. The use for the fastening referred to in the preceding claims, of a blade or
bar having round the hole for receiving the rivet, recesses into which the rivet
heads partly enter so as to prevent their being fraudulently removed without making
the fraud apparent, substantially as described.
6. The use for the fastening referred to in the preceding claims, of a rivet composed
of two separate parts one of which M is formed tubular while the other has a stem
passing through the tubular part, both parts being provided with a head having a
design stamped thereon, and being fixed together by rivetting the end of the stem
of the one part in a countersunk recess of the other part, substantially as
described.
Nbow 1080
ABEL & IMRAY.