Untitled record

Application filed May 29,1893. Serial No, 475,822. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joseph Nadon, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Min5 nesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it io appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-seals, and has for its object to provide an improved car sealing device, which may be sealed or locked, without the aid or use of any tool; and which r 5 is so constructed that the sealing strips may be preserved intact, after the seal is broken.

To these ends, my invention consists in the novel device, several forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, where2o in, like letters referring to like parts throughout the several views—

Figure 1 is a side elevation, illustrating one form of my device. Fig. 2 is a transverse section, taken on the line X' X' of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 25 is a plan view of the lock-piece of the seal, the sealing strip being removed. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section of the seal, taken on the line X² X² of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are views, respectively, in edge elevation and transverse 30 vertical section, illustrating another form of the device. Fig. 7 is a view, also in transverse vertical section, some parts being broken away, illustrating still another form of the locking device; and Fig. 8 is a view in plan, showing one of the sealing strips laid out its full length.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, A is the sealing strip provided at its ends, with hooklike portions a formed by bending the ends 40 of the strip backward upon the main portion or body of the strip, so that they lie normally, at a slight angle to said body portion.

B is the lock-piece, in the form of a shell or hollow block, constructed with a pair of 45 openings or slots b, and a pair of internal depending wedge shaped locking surfaces or detents b'.

The hooked ends a of the sealing strip A are interlocked with the locking detents b' of 50 the lock-piece B, by forcing the same, one through each of the slots b, with their hook portions facing, each its respective locking detent. As the ends of the sealing strip are forced through the slots, the hook portions a will be pressed upon the body portion of the 55 strip. When the said hooks a are passed below the detents b', they will immediately assume their expanded or angular positions. The wedge shaped detents b' will then engage in the angles of the hooked ends of the 60 strips, and prevent their withdrawal. With this construction, it is impossible, after the parts are once interlocked, as above described to open the seal, without cutting or breaking the hooked ends, or without breaking the lock- 65 piece B.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5,6 and 7, the parts are similar to those in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, with the following exceptions, to wit: In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, 7α the lock-piece B is provided with a single opening or slot &², located between the detents b’, in lieu of the pair of slots b employed in the construction above described; and the hooked portions a of the sealing 75 strip A, are turned from each other and their backs are placed together, in passing the same through the slot b² into their interlocking position with the detents b'. In the construction shown in Fig. 7, the locking piece B is 80 provided with a dividing partition b^s, located between the locking detents b^r, and serving to prevent an excessive spreading of the hooks a, under a drawing strain upon the sealing strip A. It will be noted, that in all of the 85 forms shown, the distance between the depending edges of the wedge-shaped detents b^r and the bottom of the lock-piece, is greater than the length of the hooks a of the sealing strip A, and also that the length of said de- 90 tents b' is greater than the said hook portions a. The purpose of the former feature is to permit the hooks to be interlocked with the detents; while, in virtue of the latter feature, the edges of the detentswill engage the 95 crotches formed by said hooks.

A very important action, due to the shape of the hooked ends of the sealing strip, and the V-shaped or chisel edged locking detents should be here noted. As before stated, the 100

511,642 points of the detents engage the crotch of the hooked ends of the sealing strip; and hence, under an excessive drawing strain on the strip the' hooked points would be cut off by the 5 chisel edges of the detents rather than be withdrawn by an unrolling or straightening action.

Preferably, I construct the lock-pieces B of some brittle material, such as, for example, io earthenware glasses, or other similar material having considerable strength and adapted to be easily broken by a blow. The lock. piece B may, however, be made of a thin shell of cast iron, which may also be readily broken 15 by a blow. In practice, when the car is to be opened, the seal is removed by breaking this lock-piece B. Of course, the lock-piece B might be made of a soft tenacious material, such as lead, adapted to be cut open; but the 20 former construction is preferable. In either case, the sealing strip A is left intact and unmutilated, after the seal is broken.

If so desired, the ends of the sealing strip A may be marked with some character, such 25 for example, as an arrow, to indicate the original or full length of the same. When so marked, as is evident, the hooked ends of the sealing strip cannot be broken off and again bent to form hooks and be reused without detection. 30

From the foregoing, it is obvious that my improved seal is a convenient and reliable device for the purpose had in view.