Improvements in Seal Locks, and in Seals therefor.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 28th May, 1895-Accepted, 16th Nov., 1895
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Seal Locks, and in Seals therefor.
I, JOHN ANSCHAU, of Lismore, New South Wales, Post and Telegraph
Master, 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 locks for mail bags, ships' holds, freight cars, document
boxes, luggage straps, and for other like uses generally for the purposes of which
it is required that the lock must be capable of being opened only after the scal has
been so defaced or mutilated as to shew at a glance that it has been tampered
with. The invention also relates to seals for use in connection with such locks.
".
For
In carrying out my invention, various forms of locks may be used, all, however,
having as their essential features a secret bolt, and a staple which is formed of a
Joop of wire whose ends are embedded in a seal consisting of a tag or label of
paper, fibre, lead or other suitable substance, but by preference thick paper.
mail bag or other purposes for which a return under seal is required, I make
duplex-seals," which consist of a button or tablet with two loops of wire
connected to it, one of these loops being for the use of the forward journey, and
the other for the return journey, the original seal being thus returned to the
original sender for inspection, and the cost diminished. A portion of the wire loop,
which portion is within the shell of the lock, forms the staple, and the lock can be
opened only by cutting the loop and drawing the wire out of the lock, thus leaving
the bolt free.
66
In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side view of a mail bag strap locked
up with my duplex seal"; Fig. 2 top view of same; Fig. 3 sectional side
clevation of lock closed, with seal in place; Fig. 4 longitudinal section through
sane, open; Fig. 5 back elevation of the same, open; Fig. 6 front elevation
of the same, open, and with seal placed ready for fastening; Fig. 7 side view of
lock for cord or tape; Fig. 8 longitudinal section through same; Fig. 9 front
elevation of same open, with seal placed ready for fastening; Fig. 10 view of
"duplex seal" for mail bag; Fig. 11 side elevation of lock having an alternative
form of bolt guard and device for preventing opening of the lock by bending it;
Fig. 12 longitudinal section through same, open; Fig. 13 front elevation of same,
open; Fig. 14 top plan of the jaw of same, hasp removed; Fig. 15 a side
elevation of another lock, embodying additional safeguards against picking;
Fig. 16 longitudinal section through same; Fig. 17 top plan of the jaw of same;
and Fig. 18 bottom plan of the hasp of the lock.
:
All the locks consist essentially of a jaw or bow A, and a hasp B which contains
the bolt and is hinged to the part A by a pintle C. One end of the jaw A
terminates in a staple-box D, which receives the bolt end of the hasp B and carries
the staple slots in the cheeks d receive the wire, forming the loop of the seal,
which acts as a staple and the slots are so placed that they will hold this wire in
the proper position to be engaged by the bolt. In the hasp B is a recess in which
works the bolt G, which is acted upon by a compression spring H. The outer end
of this bolt is formed into a latch K.
Referring to Figs. to 9, a feather is provided to prevent the bolt turning or
coming out of its place in the hasp. In order to guard against the insertion into
the staple box of a tool or picking instrument to shoot the bolt, a hood b is formed
on the front end of the hasp B. This hood completely encases the cheeks d when

page_text: the hasp is closed; two slots 6' are made in it to allow of it slipping over the
wire F of the seal, as indicated in Fig. 3. The hood also prevents the opening
of the lock by bending the jaw A backwards, so as to draw the two erect portions
away from one another, and so free the bolt from the staple. In lieu of the hood b
a shield piece 2 (see Fig. 8) may be used to prevent interference with the bolt by
means of a tool or instrument inserted as above mentioned; when this shield is
used with the form of lock shewn in Figs. 3 to 6, I prefer to use a feather with
a large head, which forms a dowel, and fits neatly in a hole al bored in the bottom
of the staple box.
I prefer to construct the hasp of the lock as indicated in Fig. 4, that is to say,
by completely boring through it, inserting the bolt G and the spring H, and then
screwing in the tail piece 6, through which passes the pintle C which is secured by
a pinching screw, which makes it impossible to take out the pinule whilst the lock
is fastened.
When the wire loop of the seal is placed in position as indicated, the part of it
between the cheeks d forms a staple over which the latch end K of the bolt G
snaps when the hasp B is closed. The leaf M of the cap fits tightly upon the top
of the cheeks d, and it is impossible to enter a tool to shoot the bolt without
breaking the lock. Once locked, the hasp can be lifted only when the wire is
drawn out so as to leave the latch loose, and this is only possible when the wire
loop is cut or when the seal has been broken or removed from the loop. The
only openings in the shell of the lock when the hasp is closed, are the holes in the
jaws d, through which the staple wire passes, and as these are a neat fit, there is no
aperture through which a picking tool can be entered.
N is a strap provided with the usual buckle O and perforated end P, as
ordinarily used for mail bags. The jaw A of the lock is fastened by rivets to
the strap, which is placed upon the bag in the usual way, and the end P is brought
through the jaw A and the pin R passed through one of the perforations in it.
To lock up, the seal wire F is inserted in the slots in the checks d, and the
hasp B closed down, whereupon the latch end of the bolt engages with the part
of the wire loop between the cheeks, as before described. The buckle O might be
dispensed with. In lieu of riveting the base of the lock to the strap, both ends
of the strap may be perforated, and the pin R passed through them. For the
strap there may be substituted a flexible metallic band, or a chain, or any flexible
or jointed fastening terminating in perforated tags or ends capable of being
engaged or nipped between the jaw and hasp of the lock. A common hasp can be
sealed with my lock by passing the pin R through the eye of the staple, or
alternatively, if the jaw A is sinall enough, passing it through the eye of the
staple.
Figs. 7, 8 and 9 shew a lock for securing tape or cord. The same construction
of lock and seals is used as herein before described, with the exception that the
jaw A is of box form, its base having lugs which are riveted or sewn to the box,
bag, or other parcel to be secured. There are T or L shaped openings T in the
sides of the jaw A. U is a spring, or alternatively a solid piece, to squeeze the
cord or tape up into the depression V in the underside of the haep, and nip it.
The cord or tape if first knotted can be best secured in the lock, for if the knot
be put inside the jaw, it will be impossible to pull it through. In any case,
however, the cord or tape could not be replaced so as to avoid suspicion unless the
lock were first opened.
The duplex seal or tablet I prefer to use for mail purposes is shewn in Fig. 10;
it is useful also for other purposes generally in which the package or parcel sealed
by it is required to be returned to the sender by the receiver, or forwarded to
another person.
It is formed of wire and paper or some similar substance. The
duplex or double ended wire loop is formed, and paper fibre or other suitable label
stuff is moulded about it, so that the wire is embedded and cannot be withdrawn
without defacing the seal thus formed. I propose that in issuing a mail bag, the
issuing office should impress its date stamp upon one side of a new tablet, and

page_text: that the receiving office when returning the same bag should reverse the same
tablet, impress its date stamp on its other side, and use the second loop to fasten
the lock; or in lieu of or in addition to a date, a signature, record number, or
other matter may be written or impressed on the seal or tablet. A check is thus
obtained, and if necessary, the used up tablets can be kept for record.
Referring to Figs. 11 to 14, the main features of the lock are identical with
those of the locks previously described. In lieu of the fixed hood or shield M, a
separate piece 1, which is made to act also as a feather and check piece for the
bolt, is inserted and secured in position by a pin 2. The toe of the latch K comes
into contact, or nearly so, with the front (12) of this shield piece 1, the staple wire
passing through the space 3 whose position when the hasp is closed is exactly in
line with the parts 4 of the gaps or slots in the cheeks d. The vertical portions 5
of the gaps are made so wide as to leave the horizontal portions 4 only of sufficient
size to contain the wire staple, and on the underside of the hasp two solid lugs 6
are formed; they are adapted to enter and fill the spaces 5 and thereby lock the
hasp to the jaw longitudinally, so as, as already described, to prevent the bolt being
drawn away from the staple by the bending of the jaw A; and further, to
completely close the shell, and thus make picking impossible.
Referring to Figs. 15 to 18, the separate shield piece 1 shewn in the preceding
four figures is again shewn, though it is not necessary to use it with this design, a
simple feather only being necessary. The security against picking which in the
previously described designs was obtained by the use of integral or separate shields
or hoods, is in this design obtained by means of a special formation of the joints of
the hasp with the staple box. 7 is a recess made across the lower part of the hasp,
and 8 is a ridge on the bottom of the staple box which fits up into this recess and
prevents the entering of any tool to interfere with the bolt. A similar form of
construction is also adopted for the joint at the top of the staple box D. 9 is a
rib upon, or a thickened part of, the hasp leaf 10, formed integral with the leaf;
this part 9 fits neatly inside the cheeks d, whilst the leaf itself fits neatly on the
top edges of the cheeks. If a tool be inserted between the leaf and the cheeks, it
will be checked by coming in contact with the part 9 and thus prevented from
touching the bolt. 11 are rivets by which the lock is secured to the strap. The
staple box D is contracted in width (d) so as to fit the bolt neatly at the sides and
leave no spare room between it and the cheeks of the box, thereby making it
impossible to prize the hasp up without shearing the staple wire; a similar result
could be obtained by forming a T-head on the bolt to make it fill the staple box,
but this method involves some expense, as the body of the hasp must be recessed
to allow of the bolt-head receding during the locking operation.
In lieu of making the staple loop of wire and connecting the ends in a seal or
tablet, they may be made integral with the latter by stamping out of a piece of
suitable metal.
I am aware that it is customary to seal freight-cars, ships' holds, store-rooms,
and the like by a lead label moulded or impressed into the form of a seal about the
jointed ends of wire used to tie up the locks, bolts, hasps, or other fastenings, so
that the seals must be defaced or broken, or the binding wires cut before the hold
or car or room can be opened. I disclaim these devices.
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 :-
-A seal lock for the purposes set forth, consisting of a jaw and hasp which are
locked together closed by a secret spring bolt which engages with a wire loop
staple having a seal set upon its joint, which staple is withdrawable only when the
wire is cut or the seal defaced, substantially as described.
2-A seal lock which is fastened by a bolt and staple in the manner set forth,
wherein the part of the hasp through which the bolt end protrudes enters a box-
like portion (which contains the withdrawable staple) of the jaw of the lock, which

page_text: it completely closes in such a way as to prevent the insertion of a tool through the
joints, substantially as described.
3-A seal lock whose essential operative parts consist of a secret spring bolt and
a wire staple with attached seal, said staple being inserted in retaining slots in
the cheeks of the staple-box on the jaw of the lock before the hasp is closed and
latched.
4-A seal lock wherein a spring bolt or latch is engaged by a staple of wire
whose ends terminate in a seal, so as to necessitate the cutting of the wire or the
breaking of the seal before the bolt or. latch can be freed, substantially as
described.
5-A seal lock for securing cord and tape, having locking mechanism as set
forth in the preceding claiming clauses, and nipping jaws, substantially as shewn in
Fig. 7, 8, and 9 of the accompanying drawings.
6-In a lock of the kind herein described, a hood such as 6 to guard against the
picking of the lock by a tool or instrument entered through the joint of the hasp
and staple box, and to secure the lock from being opened by bending it back,
substantially as described.
7-In a lock of the kind berein described, a shield plate such as 62 guarding the
joint of the jaw and the hasp, to prevent the picking of the lock by means of a tool
or instrument entered through such joint, with or without a locking dowel such
ase, substantially as described.
8-In a seal lock of the kind herein described, a removable guard shield 1 to
protect the bolt and to act as a check and feather for the bolt, substantially as
described with reference to Figs. 11 to 18 of the drawings.
9 In a seal lock, substantially as herein described, the combination with the
staple carrier slots 4 and 5 in the cheeks of the staple box, of lugs 6 on the hasp,
adapted to enter the slots 5 and so lock the hasp and jaw, for the purpose set
forth.
10 In a seal lock substantially as herein described, making the cheeks of the
staple box to fit close up to the bolt, or conversely, making said bolt to fit said box,
in order to prevent the springing of the staple wire by the prizing up of the hasp,
substantially as described.
11 In a seal lock, substantially as herein described, forming the parts of the
hasp which rest upon the staple box, substantially as indicated by the reference
figures 7, 8, and 9 in Figs. 11 to 18 of the drawings, in order to prevent the
insertion of a picking tool or instrument into the staple box.
12-Seals for a seal lock which is opened by the cutting and withdrawing of a
staple wire, consisting of a loop of wire whose ends are embedded in a seal or
tablet, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
13-A "duplex seal" for a seal lock, that is to say, a seal or tablet provided
with two attachments which engage with the operative parts of the lock to secure
the same, one of which said attachments may be employed in the forward and
return journey, respectively, of the package to which the lock is attached, and the
tablet being adapted to receive a stamp or signature on either side, substantially
as described.
14-A "duplex seal" for mail or similar purposes, for use in connection with a
lock of the kind set forth in the preceding claiming clause numbered 4, consisting
of two loops of wire whose ends are embedded in a tag or tablet adapted to
receive the impression of a stamp on either side, substantially as described.
Dated the 28th day of May LXYA
For the Applicant,
G. G. M. HARDINGHAM,
191, Fleet Street, London, E.C., Associate Agent.