Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
2~8
SPECIFICATION
This invention relates in general to cable
locking and sealing devices and in particular to a
novel inclined ramp which has gear teeth formed thereon
and a mating locking gear.
The assignee of the present invention is the
owner of U.S. Patent 3,770,307 and 4,074l916 which
disclose cable locking and sealing devices. Such
devices are used for sealing truck or railway car doors
for example, by passing a cable through hasps and one
end of the cable is attached to a body member and after
the cable has been passed through the hasps, the free
end is then inserted into the body member where it can
be moved in a first direction into the body member but
cannot be removed from the body member when thieves and
other unauthorized persons attempt to open the seal and
then reseal it.
The present invention provides a no~el cable
locking and sealing device which provides a novel
inclined surface within the body member of the sealing
device which is provided with gear teeth along its
surface which mate with a toothed disc which has teeth
that mate and roll alon~ the inclined toothed surface
so as to lock and clamp the end of the cable. The
teeth on the disc lock into the teeth on the inclined
~; surface so as to positively position the disc in a
position to compress the cable within the body member
and with teeth locking into and firmly gripping the
cable. The inclined toothed surface of the block has a
surface angle relative to ~he side wall of the body
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member of 15 and such relatively small angle assures that the
seal cannot be opened. A spring biases the toothed disc
against the cable and the inclined tooth member.
A cable lock and seal device comprising a body member
formed with first and second op~nings, a cable with a first
end fixedly mounted in said first opening, a wedging member
mounted in said body member adjacent said second opening, an
inclined ramp formed on said wedging member on the side facing
said second opening and a plurality of gear teeth formed in
said inclined ramp, a disc-shaped gear mounted between said
wedging member and said second opening in said body member and
the teeth of said gear in mesh with the gear teeth on said
inclined ramp such that the second end of said cable can be
inserted into said second opening of said body member in a
first direction so as to rotate said gear so that it moves
along said ramp to make the second opening larger and such
that when said second end of said cable is moved in a
direction opposite to said first direction said gear moves
along said ramp to make said second opening smaller to lock
said cable to said body member.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention
will be readily apparent from the following description of
certain preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings although variations and
modifications may be effected without departing from the
spirit and scope of the novel concepts of the disclosure and
in which:
ON THE D~WINGS
; FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cable locking and sealing
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FIG. 1;
FIGo 3 is a sectional view through the invention;
FIG. 4 is a sect:ional view on line IV-IV from FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the invention; and
FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the invention illustrating
the cable being inserted.
The cable sealing and locking device of the invention 10
includes a ~irst inner body member 11 and a second outer body
member 12 which is received over the inner body member 11 as
illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4. A cable 13 passes through
the body member 11 as shown and is stak~d by staking
indentations 18 and 18a illustrated in FIG. 4 to the
inner body member 11. A
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wedgin~ member 21 illustrated in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6 is
formed with projections 22 and 23 which extend beyond
the walls of the outer body member 12 as illustrated.
A relatively small disc 27 is mounted between the cable
13 and an inclined ramp 24 formed on a first side of
the wedging member 21 and it engages the cable so as to
lock the cable in an immovable position to the body
member.
A portion of the cable 14 can be passed
10 through hasps 46 and 44 illustrated in F~G. 1 to lock
members 41 and 42 in a closed position. The hasps 46
and 44 are connected to the respective members by means
such as a plate 43 and bolts 45 which lock the hasp 44
to the member 42. Similar bolts and plate means are
15 provided for locking the hasp 46 to the member 41.
After the portion 14 has been passed through the hasps
46 and 44 its end 16 is inserted into an opening formed
; in the body members 12 and 11 such that the end 17
engages a toothed disc 38 so as to rotate it in the
20 clockwise direction relative to FIG. 6 down a toothed
inclined plane 28 on the member 21. The tooth disc 38
is biased by a spring 32 which has an end 33 that fits
within the confines of the first incline 24 and has a
free end 34 which flexibly biases the toothed disc 38
25 as illustrated in FIG. 6, for example.
The outer body member 12 is formed with
depressed portions 36 and 37 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and
6 so as to allow the end 16 and cable portion 17 to be
inserted into the body member.
The inclined surface of member 21 extends from
points 29 and 31 illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 6 and in a
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specific example 12 teeth were provided between points
29 and 31. The pitch of the teeth was 0.039
thousandths of an inch and the height of the teeth was
0.015 inch and the teeth had 60 angles between the
surfaces of adjacent teeth. The disc 38 is provided
with 20 teeth which are equally spaced about the
surface of the disc and the teeth had a radial length
of 0.20 thousandths of an inchO The teeth 39 on the
disc 38 mate with the teeth 28 on the inclined member
10 21 so that as the disc 38 is moved by the cable 17
downwardly relative to FIG. 3 and 6 the teeth 39 lock
with the teeth 28 to rotate the disc 38 against the
spring portion 34. After the end 16 has been inserted
to the position illustrated, for example, in FIG. 3,
15 the spring portion 34 will bias the disc 38 upwardly
relative to FIG. 3 causing the gear teeth 39 to move
along the teeth 28 of the wedging member 21 thus
forcing the gear teeth 39 into the cable portion 17
thus to lock it. The teeth 39 have relatively sharp
20 points which depress the cable and extend into it so as
to firmly lock it to the body member.
Since the teeth 39 are in mesh with the teeth
28 of the inclined member 21, the disc 38 cannot slide
or move relative to the member 21 unless the disc
25 rota~es. This locking action between the teeth 39 and
teeth 28 further assures that the locking engagement of
the disc 38 with the cable portion 17 will be
maintained thus preventing the cable 17 from being
withdrawn from the body member as, for example, by
30 moving it upwardly relative to FIG. 3 since the teeth
39 prevents such movement.
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The 15 incline of the teeth 28 is critical
and the angle of the incline must be approximately 15
for proper operation of the device.
Although the invention has been described with
respect to preferred embodiments, it is not to be so
limited as changes and modifications can be made which
are within the full intended scope of the invention as
defined by the appended claims.
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