US2740654A - Cord seal lock - Google Patents

Description

April 3, 1956 J. E. ORSCHEL CORD SEAL LOCK Filed Jan. 9, 19

s y V// I NVENTOR Jo SEF/7' f. 02509&

ATTORNEY United States Patent O CORD SEAL LOCK Joseph E. Orschel, Arlington, Va., assignoto Stolfel Seals orporatio, Tuckahoe, N. Y., a corporatio of New ork Application January 9, 1953, Serial No. 330,602 1 Claim. (Cl. 292-323) (Grated under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described and used by or for the herein may be manufactured Government of the United States for governmental purposes without the payment to me of any royalty thereon in accordance with the provisions of the act of April 30, 1928 (Ch. 460, 45 Stat. L. 467).

This invention relates to a cord looking and scaling device for tying, securing, and scaling bundles, packages, mail pouches, sacks, and the like, and more particularly, relates to a device of this type having a corc permanently secured at one end to a lock through which the other end of the cord may be inserted, pulled tight, and locked after having been looped around the part or parts to be closed and sealed.

An object of this invention is to provide a one-time, throw-away cord seal lock of the type described, which is simple and economical to construct but which holds so securely that it cannot be slipped or removed without cutting the cord.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cord seal lock of the type described in which the cord is securely held in the lock with a positive pressure thereby insuring that there will be no slippage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a cord seal lock of the type described wherein both ends of the cord are held within the lock and secured from slippage by a positive pressure means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cord seal lock wherein the cord may be drawn through the lock in one direction only and wherein positive pressure means prevent slippage of the cord in the opposite direction.

Another object of the invention is to provide a cord lock which holds with a positive pressure against the cord regardless of the size or firmness of the cord.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing description and from the drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an isometric view of the cord seal lock of this invention showing the free end of the cord outside of the lock.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the cord seal lock of Fig. l showing the free end of the cord inserted through the lock to form a loop.

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the cord seal lock of Fig. 1 with one side wall removed to show the fastening and looking means.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation view of the cord seal lock of Fig. 1 with one side wall removed showing how the free end of the cord is secured by the locking means.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing in detail an end of the spring looking means of the device of Figs. 1-4.

Fig. 6 is a view showing an application of the cord seal lock to the looking and scaling of mail bags.

The cord seal lock of this invention is a one-time, throw-away device comprising, in the preferred embodiment thereof, only three pa'ts, a box-like housing, a leaf type spring and a cord. In operation, the cord forms a loop around the object or objects to be secured and sealed, and the ends of the cord are securely held in the housing by the force of the spring arms urging them against opposite side walls of the housing. Provision is made in the housing for the passage of one end of the cord completely therethrough beneath one of the spring ends whereby the loop may be tightened. Multiple teeth or serrations on the spring ends in cooperation with the spring pressure very efiectively prevent backward slippage of the cord, whereas due to the angle of the spring arms in the direction in which the cord is drawn for tightening the loop, forward motion for this purpose is permitted. The cord once passed through the housing and drawn tight holds so securely that it is impossible to work it loose, and it is necessary to either cut the cord or break the housing to remove it. The opening of a bundle, sack, or other object secured by this device s thereby made impossible without becoming apparent on inspection.

Referring now to the drawings for a more complete understanding of the invention, the cord seal lock consists of a box-like housing generally designated as 10, of metal or other suitable rigid material, having an opening 11 in an end wall 12 thereof to accommodate the passage of a cord 13. For convenience in illustrating the interior parts of the cord seal lock and the operation thereof, Figs. 3 and 4 show the housing 10 with a sidewall removed. lt will be understood that the article as manufactured would be complete with this sidewall in place. The sidewalls of the housing may be attached by crimping them to the end wall or by other known fabrication methods. The cord 13 would also normally be secured at one end within the housing, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, during the course of manufacture, although the cord could be inserted later if desired.

Within the housing 10, a leaf-type spring 14 of spring steel or other suitable resilient material is arranged in approximately the form of a V with its apex toward the central portion of end wall 12 and with its arms slanting toward opposing sidewalls. The apex or base of the spring preferably is flattened where it contacts the end wall 12 to ensure that no shifting of the spring will occur in usage. The arms of the spring 14 are compressed between the sidewalls of the housing and exert a positive pressure thereon. These arms may be curved slightly out wardly, as shown, toward the sidewalls of the housing whereby the spring ends are directed substantially normal to the side walls. Raised stops 15 in the sidewalls of hous` ing 10 retain the spring 14 in the proper position. These stops 15, for convenience and Simplicity of manufacture are preferably formed by stamping the metal sides of housing 10 to form opposed inwardly projecting portions which engage the center or apex of the spring 14 and thereby in cooperation with the end wall 12 maintain it in proper position. These inwardly projecting portions appear as indentations 17 on the outside of the housing as seen in Figs. 1 and 2. They may be round or may be of such configuration to engage a substantial portion of the flattened inner portion of the spring base. Alternatively, the spring may be held in place by other suitable means without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

An end of cord 13 is firmly anchored within the housing 10 between one end of the spring 14 and the adjoining sidewall. The ends of the spring 14 are provided With multiple teeth or serrations 16 which grip the cord under the positive pressure of the spring arm and prevent movement of the cord toward the opening 11. As shown in Fig. 3, when the cord seal lock is not in use, one end of the spring 14 bears against the side of the housing 10 opposite the fixed end of cord 13.

The housing 10 is also provided with openings 18 and 19 in approximate alignment in the end walls on the opposte side of the box from the fixed end of the cord. These openings are arranged to receive the free end of the co'd 13 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The free end of the cord is beaded as shown at 20 to facilitate its insertion into the openings. lt is inserted n opening 18` passes heneath spring lock 14, urging it upwa'dly, and at the same time causing this member to exert an increased pressure on the anchored end of the cord, and then is passed out of the box through opening 19. lt Will be understood that the loop in the cord is placed around the gathered end of the mail bag or ethe; object to be sealed either before or after insertion of the free end of the cord in the housing, and the end of the cord is then pulled tight through the housing.

A locked and sealed bag 21 is shown in Fig. 6. As

shown in this figure, a tag 22, as, for instrnce a mailing tag, may be placed on the cord before the ree end is inserted into the looking device. The cord thereby locls and seals the bag as well as provides a convenient means for holding tags.

When the cord 13 is drawn tight after having been proper y pos tioned, it is securely locked by the spring clip 14, which holds With a constant pressure against the cord regardlcss of the ci cumference or hrmness of the cord. The teeth 16 are urged into the cord material With a positive pressu-e, which prevents any one from working the cord loose by twisting or other manipulations. The spring is constructed of material of suflcient weight and strength that there will be substantially no distortion or buckling or' the spring arms under the back pressures encountered. The only way the bag may be opened is by cutting or breaking the eord or by breaking the lock. The device is particularly useful in applications requiring a high degree of security as, for example, on mail bags, mail pouches, and the like, where it performs both closing and scaling functions. The Simplicity of manufacture and economy of parts and materials also render it useful for a closure alone, and obvously it may also be used as a seal for containers having other closure means.

lil

It will be appreciated from a reading of the foregoing specification that the invention herein described is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

A cord lock seal comprising a box-like housing having spaced top and bottom walls, spaced apart end walls and spaced apart side walls, a leaf spring in said housing bent in approximately the form of a V having a attened apex adjacent a central portion of an end wall of said housing and arms compressed within and curving outwardly toward the opposing side walls of said housing, so that the spring ends are directed substantially normal to said side walls, means for maintaining the apex of said spring in said position, a plu'ality of teeth on the ends of said spring arms leaving a space between the teeth and the adjoining side wall less than the diameter of a cord to be drawn through an opening, said end wall having an opening on each side of the apex of said spring, the other end wall of said housing having a third opening opposite one of said first mentioned openings, whereby the ends of the cord may be inserted through the respective first mentioned openings and secured by a constant pressure of the teeth of the arms of said spring pressing the cord against the side walls of the housing, and one end of said cord may be drawn through said third opening to tighten the loop so formed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 830,565 Brown Sept. 11, 1906 %8,665 Humphrey Aug. 30, 1910 l,333,276 Murray Mar. 9, 1920 1,871,064 Kipper et al Aug. 9, 1932 1,930,560 Keidel Oct. 17, 1933 1,987,351 Rose Jan. 8, 1935 2,348,627 Holland et al May 9, 1944

Images