Improvements in and relating to Seal-locks.
Year: 1889

page_text: Improvements in and relating to Seal-locks.
I, EDUARD MEISE, residing at Pittsburg, in the County of Allegheny and State of
Pennsylvania, one of the United States of America, 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 :—
My invention relates to seal-locks for freight-cars, mail-boxes, express-boxes, &c.,.
the present invention relating to certain improvements upon the seal-lock described and
claimed in United States Letters Patent granted to me April 3, 1888, No. 380,446. The
seal-lock described in said patent consists, generally stated, in a bow, which is adapted
to be passed through the hasp of the lock, and a seal-plate connecting the ends of the
bow, and so closing it, and a locking apparatus in one arm of the bow engaging with
the seal-plate and holding it in place, the locking apparatus described in said patent
consisting, generally stated, in a rotating block fitting into the end of the arm of the
bow and having a cam-face formed thereon; a cylindrical pin which engages with
the cam-face and the bearing for said block and permits the turning of the block in
one direction, but prevents its rotation in another, this block having a locking-bar
thereon which comes in contact with a stop-lug on the seal plate. In said seal-lock,
as described and shown in said patent, the seal-plate was forked at each end, one
forked end passing into grooves in one arm and the other forked end engaging with
the locking apparatus, and the seal-plate being held so that its face was downward,
and requiring the raising of the lock to examine the seal; and where this seal-plate
carried certain marks showing the place of sealing or destination of the car, as was

page_text: desirable, much time was required for the inspection of the lock, it being necessary
to turn up the bow to examine the sealing plate. In the manufacture of the lock, as
described in said patent, certain difficulties were also found, the principal one being
that in making the body of the lock of cast metal the corrugated or roughened
bearing could not well be made in the body of the bow or in the extension thereof,
as shown in said patent, as this part of the apparatus required careful workmanship.
The principal objects of my invention are to overcome these objections to the use
of the seal-lock by so constructing it as to always expose the face of the scaling-plate
while the lock is hanging in the ordinary perpendicular position, and by providing
means for securing a separate sleeve within the body of the bow; and to these
ends my invention consists in improvements hereinafter particularly set forth and
claimed.
To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will describe
the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which-
Figure 1. is a face view of my improved lock, showing it sealed;
Figure 2 is a cross-section thereof on the line, a, a, Figure 1, showing the
sealing-plate in position for sealing and the locking block turned in proper position to
receive the plate;
Figure 3 is a vertical section of my improved lock;
Figures 4 and 5, are views of parts of the locking apparatus ;
Figure 6, is a view of the sealing-plate;
Figure 7. is a view of the inspection-tag employed with the lock, and
Figure 8, is an enlarged cross-section of the locking apparatus.
Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.
The body portion or bow, a, of my improved lock is preferably formed of cast-iron
of proper quality, though it may also be formed of cast-steel, if so desired, it being
found, however, that a body of proper strength can be obtained when it is formed of
cast-iron. The body, a, las in one arm, b, thereof a longitudinal slot, d, for the
reception of the lip of the sealing-plate, which fits into this slot, d, as hereinafter
described, the slot, d. extending in the direction of the bow, so that the seal plate is
held in the same line and its face is exposed when the body is hung in the ordinary
perpendicular position, as hereinafter described.
The arm, c, carries the locking apparatus, which fits into the socket, e, cast therein,
this socket, e, extending from one side or face of the arm, c, inwardly toward the
other face thereof, but the wall, e', closing the base of the socket, so preventing access
to the locking apparatus from this end thereof. The arm, c, may also have a ring, c¹,
by means of which the chain, c², connecting the body, a, to the car, engages with the
lock.
Fitting within the socket, e, of the lock is the sleeve, f, forming the bearing of the
locking block, g, this sleeve being preferably formed of steel and having the roughened
or corrugated bearing or inner surface, f, with which the locking-block, g, engages.
The locking-block, g, has the lock-bar, h, the collar, i, below the bar, the cam face or
faces, k, and shoulder or shoulders, l, and at the other end thereof the threaded
stud, m. The body portion of the locking-block fits within the corrugated bearing, f",
of the sleeve, f, the collar, i, fitting against the upper end of said sleeve and being of
the same diameter, while the washer, n, screws upon the threaded stud, m,
and secures
the block within the sleeve the washer, n, being of the same diameter as the collar, i,
and fitting against the sleeve, f. The depth of the socket, e, in the arm, c, is equal to
the length of the sleeve, f, and thickness of the collar, i, and washer, n, so that these
parts fit neatly within the socket. In the sleeve, f, is formed a longitudinal key-
groove, p, and a like groove, pl, is formed in the side of the socket, e, the key, o,
fitting in said grooves; and extending into the sleeve, f, nearly through the wall
thereof, is a seat, which corresponds in position to a rivet-hole extending through
the wall of the socket, e, and receiving a rivet, r.
In order to secure the locking apparatus in position in the arm; e, the sleeve,, is
first placed over the locking-block, g, and the cylindrical pins, j, dropped into place
therein, so as to engage with the cam-faces of the locking-block, and the washer, n, 'is

page_text: then screwed on the stud, m, and so securing the said locking-block and sleeve
together, and, if desired, the end of the stud, m. may be spread to hold the washer
in place. The key, o, corresponding in length to that of the sleeve, f, is then placed
in the groove, p, of the sleeve, and the sleeve slipped into the socket, e, of the arm, c,
the key, o. fitting into the groove, pl, formed for it in the socket, e, and so preventing
the rotation of the sleeve within the socket, while as the collar, i, extends over one-
half of the key, o, this key is held securely in place by said collar. The rivet, ¹, is then
driven through the arm, a, and into the seat, r, formed in the sleeve, j, so securing
the sleeve and the locking parts connected therewith from being withdrawn from the
socket, and this rivet can then be filed off to prevent its being withdrawn, the locking
apparatus being thus secured within the cast-metal body of the lock by means of
these two rivets, the rivet, r, holding the sleeve within the socket and the key, o,
preventing its rotation therein. while in so securing the sleeve within the socket the
locking apparatus is also held in place thereby. The scal-plate, s, is generally formed
of a frangible material-cast-iron being preferably employed for the purpose-and
has at one end thereof the lip. s. and at the other end the fork, s2, while formed at the
proper place thereon is the stop lug, t, against which the locking-bar, h, of the locking
apparatus is turned. This seal-plate is secured in place by slipping the lip, s¹, into
the slot, d, of the arm, b, and then dropping the forked end, s³, over the locking-
bar, h, of the locking apparatus and turning the locking-block and its locking-bar a
quarter of a turn, when said bar will strike against the stop-lug, and as the cylindrical
pins, j, prevent the turning back of the locking-bar and the ends of the locking-bar
extend over the forked end of the seal-plate, it is evident that the seal-plate is locked
in position, and that it cannot be removed, nor the bow removed from the hasp, except
by breaking the plate. The seal-plate is thus held with its face exposed-that is, in
such position that, when the bow is hanging in the hasp in the ordinary vertical
position, the numbers or letters on the seal-plate can be easily read from a distance,
and the necessity of turning up the lock to examine the marks on the seal-plate is
overcome, this being accomplished by the improved construction of the lock, which
overcomes the necessity of the locking-bar exten ling out from the end of the bow.
As it is desirable to have means for recording the inspection to which the car is
subjected in its passage from the place where it it sealed to its destination, I
provide the inspection-tag, u, which can be slipped over the arm, b, of the bow or
lock-body, a, previous to the sealing of the car, the seal, s, securing this inspection
tag in place. This tag is formed of lead, leather, or other suitable material, which
can either be impressed or punctured by the recording-instruments, and which is
not liable to injury by exposure to the weather, and, as the car is inspected at the
different points in its route from the place of its sealing to its destination, the marks
of the inspection may be recorded upon this tag either by impressing them into it-
such as where the lead tag is employed-or by puncturing the tag-such as where
leather is employed-and the car thus be regularly examined and a record of the
inspections preserved by means of this tag.
b,
When my improved seal-lock is in use, after closing the car-door and placing the
hinge-plate of the basp-lock over the hasp, the free arm, b, of the lock-body, a, is
slipped through the hasp and the inspection tag, u, slipped over said arm, and the
Seat-plate, s, secured in place th lip, s, entered within seat, d, of the free arm,
and the fork,, fitting on each side of the locking-bar h, and the locking-bar being
then turned until it strikes against the stop-lug, t. As the locking bar is turned,
the cylindrical pius, j, of the locking apparatus are carried along by the shoulders, 7;
but if it is attempted to turn the locking-bar in the opposite direction these cylindrical
pins are carried back by the corrugated or roughened surface of the bearing, fi
and press against the cam-face, k, of the rotating block, g, and so prevent the
turning back of the locking-bar, h.
While the car is in transit the presence of the seal-plate, the flat surface of which
is exposed so that it can be easily seen, shows that the car has not been tampered
with but in case any person has broken the seal in order to obtain access to the car
this at once becomes evident by the absence of the seal-plate.

page_text: The car scaled as above described can be carried from one to another place and
properly inspected at different points while in transit, and the inspection thereof
recorded on the inspection-tag, so that a proper record of the passage of the car is
preserved.
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
1 claim is
1st. In seal-locks, the combination of the bow having in one arm thereof a slot
extending longitudinally of the arm, and having locking apparatus in the other arm
provided with a locking-bar extending out on the side of said arm, and a seal-plate
having one end fitting into said slot and the other end engaging with said locking-bar,
so that the face of the seal-plate is exposed when the lock is hanging in a perpendicular
position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2nd. In seal-locks, the combination, with the bow or body, a,. having the socket, e,
in one arm thereof, of the sleeve, f, the rotating block, g, fitting within said sleeve,
and the washer, n, holding the block within the sleeve, and means for securing the
sleeve within the socket, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
- Brd. In seal-locks, the combination, with the body or bow, a, having the socket, e,
provided with a keyway, p¹, of the sleeve. f, having the corresponding keyway, P,
the key, o, the rotating block having the collar, i, extending over said sleeve and key,
and the washer, n, engaging with said block, substantially as and for the purpose
set forth.
4th. In seal-locks, the combination, with a bow-shaped body and a seal-plate closing
the ends of said how and locking apparatus to secure it in place, of an inspection-
tag adapted to be slipped upon one arm of the body before the lock is sealed and
receive any inspection marks to be made, substantially as and for the purpose set
forth.
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