US2538323A - Car seal - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 16, 1951 R. PERRQTTA CAR SEAL Filed Nov. 25, 1946 3mm flffaele 'few/'aim Patented Jan. 16, 1951 Raffaele Perrotta, Pueblo, Colo.

Application November 25, 1946, Serial No. '712,195

`1 Claim. I

This invention relates to car seals, a primary object of the invention being to provide a car seal which will berso constructed as to preclude the possibility of its being tampered with undetectably.

Another important object of 'the invention is to provide a car seal which can be constructed in an extremely simple manner, and which will be very inexpensive, both as to materials used and cost of time and labor expended in its construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the

invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described' and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawng Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car seal constructed in aocordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail plan View, with part of a seal strap embodied in the invention being cut away.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the seal, with parts thereof cut away and With the lower and upper members of the seal strap removed from the body portion, to show details of construction.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the invention embodies a body portion 5, of substantially rectangular form, having a longitudinal passage 6 in which is inserted the ends of 'ap/seal strap 1. Both the body portion and the seal strap l are preferably formed 'of metallic material, the seal strap 1 being formed of a length of thin bendable metal of springable quality. The seal strap 1 may in addition be formed with an opening or registering openings 8 providing a stringing opening. t

In preparing the ends `of the seal strap 1 for positioning within the body DOI'tOn 5. the end of the upper member of the strap, as shown in Figure 3, is folded backvand under said upper member for a distance which is approximately one-fourth the length of the body portion 5, providing a rearwardly extended spring tongue 5'. The end of the lower member is folded back and under the lower member for a similar distance, then forwardly and under the first fold of the lower member for a distance approximately equal to the length of the body portion 5, providing the shoulder 6'.

The folded end of the lower member of the seal strap 'l is then positioned through the passage 6 in the body portion 5, and in close engagement with the sides of said passage, where it is secured therein by punching deep depressions G into the surface of the body portion 5 resulting in the metal depressed, pressing against the strap securing the strap within the body portion 5, as clearly shown in Figure 3.

It is to be noticed that the fo1ds in the 1wer w member, together with its clamped engagement with the body portion 5, makes it impossible to Withdraw the lower member from the body portion 5 without clearly showing the seal has been tampered with.

Referring to the upper member of the seal strap 1, it is to be noted that the opening into the passage 6 is of a size barely large enough to allow the folded upper member of the strap 1 to pass over the initial fold of the lower member, in entering the passage.

As the folded end of the upper member on the strap 1 passes over the first fold of the lower member the inherent spring in the upper member causes the tongue 5' to move into enga'gement with the shoulder 6' of the lower member thereby looking the upper member securely in the long passage 6 of the body portion. i

Any attempt to withdraw either member from the passage 6 only tends to lock the device more tightly, but if sufficient force be applied to rupture the member, it will break at the point where the metal is weakened from the sharp bend in the formation of the tongue 5', and leave part of the member in the passage 6, which is too small to permit the strap being folded and replaced in the passage.

What is claimed is:

A car seal comprising a metallic tubular body portion, a metallic seal strap of a width equal to the interior width of the body portion, one end of the seal strap being extended into the body portion, said seal strap being clamped and held between the walls of the body portion at one end of the body portion, closing one end of the body portion, said strap being bent upon itself at a point within the body portion providing a shoulder intermediate the ends of the body portion, the free end of the seal strap being extended laterally and rearwardly providing a locking tongue, said tongue adapted to snap into engagement with the shoulder holding the strap against removal from the body portion, the inner end of the seal Strap at the base of the tongue,

engaging the inner surface of the tubular body preventing reverse movement of the strap.

RAFFAELE PERROTTA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 4 UNITED sTATEs PA'I'ENTs

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