An Improvement in and relating to Sealed or Detection Padlocks for Automatic Gas Meters and other purposes.
Year: 1898

page_text: Date of Application, 10th Mar., 1898
Complete Specification Left, 8th Nov., 1898-Accepted, 10th Dec., 1898
An Improvement in and relating to Sealed or Detection Padlocks for
Automatic Gas Meters and other purposes.
ALBERT ERNEST LAYTON, Gas Works, Redditch, Gas Manager, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
a
The construction of a spring, or automatically-locking padlock in such
manner that a link to form a seal or badge can be so attached that the keyhole
cannot be uncovered for the purpose of unlocking without damaging or de-
facing the seal or badge. I make the scutcheon, or keyhole cover with a pro-
jecting arm, or lever, to which can be hooked, or otherwise fastened a link of
any convenient material to form a seal or badge, and through a hole in the
sealing-link the shackle of the lock will pass, and thus link together the scutcheon
and the shackle of the lock. The scutcheon is hinged or pivoted in such a
manner, and the sealing-link is of such a length, that when the keyhole is
covered by the scutcheon, and the shackle snapped to, or pushed home, the seal-
ing-link will have to be cut, or otherwise damaged before the keyhole can be
again uncovered. The link can be stamped, or marked as desired.
Dated this 9th day of March 1898.
An Improvement in and relating to Sealed or Detection Padlocks for
Automatic Gas Meters and other purposes.
I, ALBERT ERNEST LAYTON, of the Gas Works, Redditch, in the County of
Worcester, Gas Engineer, 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 sealed or detection padlocks for use in con-
nection, with the coin boxes and other parts of automatic gas meters, and for
various other purposes and has for its object, to provide a snap-action of auto-
matically fastening padlock with simple and easily-applied seal or means for
connecting the key-hole cover plate to the shackle of the lock, so that the said
cover plate cannot be turned away for obtaining access to the key-hole for un-
locking without first destroying or damaging the said sealing device, whereby
tampering with or surreptitious opening of the lock is prevented and any attempt
to open the lock is indicated.

page_text: My invention consists essentially in providing the cover plate or scutcheon
of the lock with a hook or other projection adapted to be engaged by one part
of a suitable seal or tie, having at another part a hole which is placed over or
coincident with the shackle hole of the lock and through both of which the
end of the shackle passes when forced into its locking position, whereby the
shackle and key-hole cover-plate are coupled together by a sealing link or tie,
which is preferably made of soft lead or other substance that will indicate any
attempt that may be made to clandestinely disconnect the shackle and cover
plate in order to gain access to the key hole. The said cover plate or scutcheon
is hinged or pivoted in such a manner and the sealing link is of such a length
that when the key-hole is covered by the scutcheon and the shackle snapped
home, the said link will have to be cut through or otherwise damaged before
the key hole can be again uncovered.
In order to prevent the seal being clandestinely removed and a duplicate
imitation substituted by an unauthorized person after the lock has been opened
for a fraudulent purpose, the seal, either before or after being applied, may be
stamped with the indentification mark of a gas company or other owner of the
meter or the like to which the lock is applied.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of a snap-
action or self-locking padlock provided with a scutcheon or key hole cover plat
of my special construction which is adapted to be coupled to the shackle by means
of a sealing link or destructible tie, which latter is represented separately in
elevation, vertical section and edge view in Figure 2.
Figure represents a like view of the lock as Figure 1, but shows the cover
plate turned into position in front of the key hole.
Figure 4 is an elevation representing the tie or seal applied to a padlock, but
before the shackle is snapped home.
Figure 5 is a plan of Figure 4, showing how one of the holes in the seal lies
over the shackle hole of the lock.
Figure 6 is an elevation showing the self-locking shackle snapped home and
coupled by means of the seal to the cover plate for retaining the latter in front
of the key hole.
Figure 7 is a vertical section of Figure upon the dotted line ..
Figure 8 is a vertical section of Figure 6 upon the dotted line art.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several
figures of the drawings.
a is a padlock, which may be of any known snap-action construction adapted
to automatically lock the shackle a', in its fastened position without the employ-
ment of a key by means of a spring bolt such as a², engaging with the eved
end a³, of the said shackle after the said eye has been forced home through the
hole or clearance a, made or left at one end of the top plate as, of the lock. b is
the scutcheon or cover plate, which is pivoted at 1, to the front of the lock
and has an extension 2, adapted to be brought in front of the key hole as and
when in this position, to prevent the insertion of a key thereinto for unlocking
the shackle. A lever end 3, is also provided for convenience in manipulating the
said plate and to hold it in the desired position during the application of
the seal or link c. This said link (in the form represented in the drawings)
consists of a rectangular piece of soft lead or other metal or flexible material
which will admit of being readily cut or broken through, pierced with holes
or gaps c, c, near the opposite ends, the former of which is engaged by the
hook, provided on the upper edge 6, or other convenient part of the pivoted
cover plate b, whilst the other hole 2, is so disposed as to come, when the seal
is bent over as represented in Figures 4 to 8, coincident with the hole a², so that
when the shackle is closed its eyed end passes through the coinciding clear-
ances into the interior of the lock and is there automatically fastened by
the spring bolt, whereupon the cover plate, being coupled to the shackle, cannot

page_text: be turned away for exposing the key hole without first destroying or breaking
the sealing link.
The front of the lock is also provided with a stop such as d, which prevents
the turning of the cover plate upwards in the direction of the arrow Fig. 6, it
being understood that this stop may be placed in any other operative position
than that shown.
Figure 9 represents an elevation of a modified form of my invention.
Figure 10 is a part vertical section of a portion of the same upon the dotted
line a.
Figure 11 represents a section of the sealing tie employed in this arrange-
ment. a is the padlock, a' the shackle, and the key hole cover, which, instead
of being hooked as in the preceding arrangement, has a slit or hole b, near the
upper edge, through which the sealing tie c, is passed. This seal consists of a
staple shaped piece of soft metal or the like, the two ends of which are coinciden-
tally pierced at 2, and after the sealing tie has been threaded through the slit
in the pivoted cover plate, its holes come over the shackle hole a, of the lock
(see Figure 10) and through which the shackle is passed when snapped home.
Instead of the cover-plate being pivoted, it may be arranged to be guided to
slide to and fro in front of the key hole as represented in Figure 12, or it may
slide vertically up and down and be tied to the shackle by the seal engaging
with a hook or eye thereof, as before.
f
Figure 13 represents an elevation and a vertical section of a modified form
of sealing tie to be employed in connection with a pierced or slit key hole cover
plate. The body part c¹, is passed through the slit and has a hole, through
which the lock shackle is snapped, whilst the outer part is T-ended or has a
cross stop head c, of a width greater than the length of the said slit to prevent
pulling through, and being further encased with hard metal at et, to prevent
the bending over of the corners of the seal for surreptitiously gaining access
to the lock.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, 1 declare that what
I claim is;
First: In snap-action or self-locking detection locks, the employment of a
destructible or soft metal sealing link or tie adapted to be engaged with the key-hole
plate of a lock, when in its covering position, and also with the shackle or bolt
on the latter being snapped home.
Secondly in snap-action detection padlocks, the employment of a destructible
or soft metal sealing link, adapted to be engaged with a swinging or sliding
and stopped key-hole cover plate, with a pierced part of the said seal coming
coincident with the shackle hole of the lock and through which, the said shackle
passes or engages when snapped home, substantially as represented in Figures 1
to S and also herein described.
Duted this th dor of
A
1000