An Improved Safety Fastening or Look and Address Holder, specially useful for Mail Bag Straps and other Strappings.
Year: 1896

page_text: Date of Application, 19th Aug., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1898
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Safety Fastening or Look and Address Holder,
specially useful for Mail Bag Straps and other Strappings.
We, CHARLES WADEY, of Queen's Road, Melbourne, in the Colony of Victoria,
Contractor, ALFRED WILLIAM THOMAS, of Railway Street, West Kogarah, near
Sydney, in the Colony of New South Wales, Plumber, and JOHN HARVEY
DONKIN, of High Street, Carlton, near Sydney aforesaid, Clerk, do hereby
declare the nature of our invention for "An improved safety fastening or lock
and address holder specially useful for mail bag straps and other strappings" 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 an improved safety fastening or lock and address holder
or indicator especially useful-for those articles which are tightened or attached or
fastened by means of straps and buckles (though the buckles may if desired be
dispensed with). Though generally useful to prevent illicit interference with
strappings this invention is especially applicable to mail bags whereon it will lock
the tightened strap and exhibit an address and a despatch stamp.
An improved safety fastening or lock and address holder specially useful for
mail bags and other strappings constructed according to this invention has a spring
bolt which is secured in its holding or "locked" position by a striking piece and
keeper which must be destroyed to release the bolt and this striking piece and
keeper is made integral with a tab or tablet to receive a stamp or identification
mark as the despatch stamp of a post office and it also carries a looked address
tablet. The lock and address holder is riveted with the holding strap to the bag
or other article and the tail of the strap passes between the frame having a
receptacle for the striking piece and keeper and the hasp or hinged part of the
lock said hasp jambing said strap upon a rivet or stud on said frame. The hasp or
hinged part carries in its upper part a slide to receive (when said hasp is in
one position) an address tablet which cannot be withdrawn until the lock is
released.
But in order that this invention may be clearly understood reference will now
be made to the drawings herewith in which
Figure 1 is an elevation of an ordinary leather mail bag fastened by an
ordinary strap through a buckle upon which atrap and bag is riveted an
improved safety fastener or lock and address holder constructed according to this
invention. Figure 2 is a similar elevation of the same bag locked and addressed.
Figure 3 is a longitudinal elevation of the hasp or hinged part of the lock while
Figures 4 and 5 are respective end views of the same and Figure 6 a cross
section.
Figure 7 is a longitudinal elevation and Figure 8 a plan respectively of the main
frume of the lock.
Figure 9 is longitudinal elevation and Figure 10 plan respectively of subsidiary
frame and attaching piece while Figure 11 is a vertical section through the joint of
the frame and hasp with the basp elevated.
Figure 12 is a plan of one construction of striking piece and keeper to which is
riveted a tag or tab and Figure 13 is a plan of a modified. construction of said
striking piece and keeper mado integral with the tab or tablet-holding rim or
bezel.

page_text: Figures 14 and 15 are elevation and section respoutively on a larger scale of the
sliding bolt carried by the hasp or hinged part.
Figure 16 shows plan and section of the address tablet.
The main frame A has integral therewith or riveted therein centrally a pia or
stud whose upper end forms pointer or holding pin B whose central part forms a
holding piece B' for the strap Y and whose lower end B' after passing or preferably
screwing through the subsidiary frame C is a rivet by which the lock and address
holder is attached to the bag Z. The part or hasp piece D is hinged by means of
jaw D' to knuckle piece A and has motion upon the hinged pin as hereinafter
explained. The locking end of the main frame A is box A adapted to receiving
flange D and lugs D' of the staple and to allow free sliding movement for the
spring bolt E' of barrel E which latter is brazed or soldered within a hollow of the
hasp D. In the top walls of box A' are L-slots A' a line joining the upper part
of the horizontal parts of which slots would just clear the upper-most part of the
sliding bolt E wheu said bolt is in its outer or protruding position. The lugs or
ear pieces D fit within the vertical part of said L-slot so that they form barriers
to movements of a rod or wire forming a striking piece placed within said L-slot.
In its locking position said bolt E protrudes from its barrel and the bolt is
adapted to normally hold such position and for the purpose of locking it is with-
drawn into its socket or barrel E by means of stud or knob E'. This is operated
by the finger and slides the bolt E against the force of its spring E* into its
Focket E and is then turned into the holding part of L slot Es. On the other side
of the bolt is a second stud or pintle E working in slot E which also has an
shaped end to assist in holding the sliding bolt in its ready-for-lucking position.
The bolt has an angular or helical face E adapted when it strikes a surface or
barrier to move the bolt backwardly and at the same time cause the bolt to partially
revolve. The bolt being placed in its ready-for-locking position it is only
necessary to provide a striking piece across the opening in slots A' to ensure
said bolt being released from its holding slots E and E' and so cause the spring Ex
to protrude and lock it and the hasp piece D by means of the striking piece in the
slots A to the frame pieco A. The striking piece is held by the upper parts of
the horizontal parts of the slots A the inner face of the ear pieces D and the
upper part of the bolt E¹ and it prevents the bolt from rising until it is
withdrawn.
The three separate pieces of the lock are so arranged and fitted together that
there can be no tampering with the joints nor can rivets be withdrawu without
destroying the whole lock. In the first place the frame A. is fastened by means of
rivet B through the subsidiary frame C riveted on the inside of the bag or
receptacle. The strap Y is secured under the lower part of the frame A and
within the stop piece of the subsidiary frame C so that not only will it have the
central part B of the fastening pin bolding it but also will be firmly held between
the frames A. and C. The hasp piece D has a knuckle joiut connection to the
frame A and the pin passing through said knuckle joint is kept in place and free
from interference by the shield C' rising from the subsidiary frame C. The other
end C of said subsidiary frame C forms a bottom for the box A' of the main
frame. Through the shield C is an angle slot C cut in such a position that when
the basp piece is elevatedt is of such a size that it will exactly fit the top of the
to its fullest extent a tablet G may be insorted through
said slot
hasp piece D and will slide under flauges forming grooves D on its longitudinal
edges. This tablet can only be inserted within these grooves when the end of the
grooves come in juxta-position with the slot C and when once iu place it cannot
fall out and can only be removed when the hasp piece is again in a proper position.
This tablet bears on both its sides the names of various termini preferably those
between which the package is transmitted.
The striking piece and keeper I is so made that it cannot be withdrawn until it
is destroyed that is to say it has two heads upon it which heads cannot pass
through the orifice bounded by the car pieces D' the bolt E the slots A' and the

page_text: tops of orifices or slots D' of the hasp piece D. Thus to release the hasp piece D
from the frame A it is necessary to destroy the striking piece and keeper F by
cutting or shearing off one of its ends or heads 'F' as in Figure 12 when its etem
may be sidewardly pulled through the described orifice and the basp piece lifted
from the receiving box A' to free the strap Y. When required for postal purposes.
or the like when it is necessary to place memoranda upon the lock a tab or tablet F*:
as in Figure 12 riveted to eyes or apertures in the heads F1 of the striking piece:
or keeper F. A modified construction of striking piece and keeper is made as
shown in Figure 13 of the one piece of metal forming three sides or striking
pieces F and a bezel F to hold a paper tag or tab F. This striking piece or
keeper is placed in position as shown in Figure 2 with one of its sides in the
slots A and another of its sides within the lock so that the bottom of the hasp
piece D will press it upon the looked part of the strap Y when the tab or tablet F.
may receive a despatch stamp or other mark of the packing office.
In use the lock is fixed as before described upon the strap Y and the bag Z (or
other article to be fastened) and when the bag is ready for use basp piece D is
lifted as shown in Figuro 1 so that the tablet G may be inserted through slot C
into the grooves D of the upper surface of said hasp D. The bag being ready for
locking the strap Y is buckled as tightly as possible and the tail of the strap
passed under the hasp piece D so that one of its holes takes upon pointer or pin B.
The bolt E having been placed in its backward or inner position as before
described the striking piece F is placed within the slots A and tho hasp piece
brought down upon it when the bolt E' will be released and protrude itself under
the striking piece F and so be securely locked and lock the striking piece F the
tab F and the tablet G in the manner before described until the proper receiver
nips or cuts or destroys the striking piece so that it may be drawn away from the
lock and release the whole.
It is to be understood that though this invention has been described as consisting
of an improved safety fastening or lock and address holder specially useful for
certain purposes yet as may be plainly seen the safety fastening or lock might be
used independently of the address holder and though the safety fastening or lock
and address holder has been described of such construction as is specially applicable.
to mail bags yet with slight modifications which will easily suggest themselves to
the skilful locksmith the safety fastening or lock with or without the address
holder might be used for various other purposes.
Having now particularly described and explained the nature of this said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what we
claim is :-
First. An improved safety fastening or lock consisting of a frame to which is
hinged a hasp piece carrying a spring bolt which is adapted to be secured to said
frame by an operating or striking piece and keeper which must be destroyed to
release or unlock said hasp piece from said frame substantially as herein described
and explained.
Second. An improved safety fastening or lock and address holder having a
shielded main frame (for attachment to the strap of a bag or other article to be
locked) to which frame is hinged a hasp piece carrying a spring striking bolt and
in which frame is a pointer or pin for taking through a hole in a strap or fastening
and receptacles or slots for a striking piece and keeper said bolt and striking piece
and keeper being adapted to engage and to be locked one with the other until
said striking piece and keeper is destroyed substantially as herein described and
explained.
Third. An improved safety fastening or look and address holder having a
shielded main frame a hinged hasp piece with spring bolt a locking striking piece
and keeper (having riveted thereto or integral therewith a tab or tag) and holding
grooves or a bed on said hasp pioce for an address label or tablet substantially as
herein described and explained.

page_text: Fourth. In safety fastenings or locks of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a strap and bag such as Y and Z of frames such as A and C and
a hinged hasp piece such as D carrying a spring bolt such as E' adapted to engage
with an irremovable keeper held in said frame such as A and having its hinge joint
covered or hidden by part of said frame such as C substantially as herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Fifth. In safety fastenings or locks of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with parts as set forth in the preceding fourth claiming clause hereof
of a tablet such as G and angular slot such as C in the shield such as C' and
grooves D in the top of hasp piece such as D substantially as herein described
and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Sixth. In safety fastenings or locks of the class set forth the combination and
arrangement with a hinged hasp pieco such as D having a spring sliding bolt such
as E with fastenings such as studs such as E and E and slots such as E and E
with an angular or helical face. such as E of slots such as A and D' and a striking
piece and keeper such as F having ends or heads thereon substantially as herein
described and explained and as illustrated in the drawing.
Dated this Eighth day of July, One thousand eight hundred and ninety-six.
C. WADEY.
ALF. W. THOMAS.
J. H. DUNKIN.
Edwards & Co.,
65 & 66 Chancery Lane, London, Agente for the Applicants.