Abstract: A molded one piece thermoplastic seal comprises a tab, a socket depending from the tab, a pair of links extending from the tab and a locking member secured to the other end of the links. A tether is secured at opposite ends to the locking member with one of the tether ends weakened. The locking member comprises a pair of resiliently secured tangs attached to a cross-member in which there are a pair of opposing grooves and a transverse hole for receiving the tether. The recesses and hole are inserted within the cavity of the socket with the tether free end inserted so as to lock the tether within the recesses and hole. The tether includes a plurality of projections, one projecting from the tether on each side of the locking member so that when the tether is locked to the locking member in the socket the tether cannot be removed. In a further embodiment, two locking members each having a pair of locking tangs are attached to a strap in tandem.

Abstract: A one piece molded thermoplastic, preferably polypropylene, high security seal for coin bags has a locking socket body from which a flag extends on one side and a rectangular flat elongated shackle extends on the opposite side via an intermediate flat member which has a tear band there across for selectively separating the member into two pieces to facilitate removal of the locked seal. The shackle has several locking circular segment teeth in two parallel linear arrays on opposite edges of the shackle adjacent to a tamper resistant flange at the member end. A locking sheet metal stamped insert has two sets of tangs defining two spaced tooth receiving openings in a socket locking cavity aligned with shackle receiving openings in the body. The body receives the insert transverse to the shackle insertion direction through a cavity side wall later sealed with a flap formed in the seal body. The locked shackle precludes removal of the insert should the side wall seal be tampered with.

Abstract: A stamped hardened sheet steel tapered ferrule with cantilevered radially resilient fingers is wedged by a spring against a tapered bore of a hardened steel housing. The fingers bend radially inwardly to grip a stranded steel cable in the ferrule bore in response to the spring action. When the cable is slid in the ferrule in one direction, the ferrule gripping the cable is further wedged against the tapered bore and further grips the cable. The cable is released when it is slid in the opposite direction pulling the engaged ferrule away from the tapered bore of the housing. The cable has a flag at one end which with the seal lock a hasp therebetween limiting the relative motion of the cable in the opposite ferrule release direction. In a second embodiment, the ferrule is in interference fit with a rod or cable and the spring is not used forcing the ferrule to always grip the rod or cable.

Abstract: A thermoplastic unitary molded seal comprises a tab, a socket depending from the tab, a pair of links extending from the tab and a locking member secured to the other end of the links. A tether is secured at one end to the locking member adjacent to one of the links and at another end adjacent to the other of the links. The tether is attached at one of its ends by a reduced cross-section to permit the tether to be severed from the locking member. The locking member comprises a pair of resiliently secured tangs attached to a cross-member in which there are a pair of recesses and a transverse hole. The recesses and hole receive the tether therethrough. The recesses and hole are inserted within the cavity of the socket with the tether free end inserted so as to lock the tether within the recesses and hole.

Abstract: A molded rectangular plastic body in one embodiment is formed with a shallow depth rectangular chamber in which an insert is inserted. The insert takes up the full width, depth and length of the chamber and comprises a relatively thin molded plastic sheet. A plurality of thin walls upstand from one side of the sheet to form a plurality of chambers with the body. A shackle formed of resilient wire has two legs each with a reversely bent end portion. Each leg is inserted into and lockable in a different chamber. A bar code label or bar code indicia is adhered to or imprinted on a side of the insert opposite the locking chambers and recessed in the insert. The indicia is surrounded by a wall which is welded to the body to seal the indicia. The body is transparent so the bar code is externally readable. The insert may be opaque to provide seal identity classification by color coding the insert.

Abstract: A thermoplastic housing has a chamber open at one end and a thermoplastic rotor inserted in the chamber. The housing wall contains bores aligned across the chamber and two annular grooves in the chamber adjacent the chamber entrance. Tabs are formed adjacent the chamber entrance. The rotor has a bore and two annular ridges near its top. The ridges are relieved complementarily to the tabs. The rotor is inserted and locked axially in the housing by snapping the ridges into the grooves. The tabs are located in the relieved areas to align all of the bores so that a seal wire may thereafter be inserted through the bores. The rotor includes flexible spiral-like co-planar pawl teeth which engage ratchet teeth formed on the housing in the chamber. The ratchet and pawl teeth rotationally lock the rotor relative to the housing while permitting the rotor to bend a seal wire inserted in the bores during rotation which rotation in one direction locks the rotor.

Abstract: A self locking reusable rod seal includes a case hardened stamped frustro-conical member comprising a C-shaped section from which two like opposing arcuate segments are cantilevered. The member is located and secured for axial displacement in a frustro-conical bore of a case hardened steel housing. The segments have axially spaced ridges, the end most ones of which grip a rod in the bore thereof, the rod axially displacing the member when the rod is displaced in opposite directions relative to the housing. The rod has circumferential axially spaced grooves. The member ridges engage the grooves so as to be pulled by the axial displacement of the rod. The ridges and grooves are resiliently engaged and when the member is displaced toward one end of the housing bore, the ridges disengage and when the member is displaced toward the other end of the bore, the ridges are wedged against the rod grooves.

Abstract: An improved bag seal of the type typically used to close and seal the necks of cloth or other similar bags with a flexible strap. One end of the strap is attached to a non-resilient ferrule having an elongated housing with a passage therethrough for receiving the second end of the strap. The housing is received within a bore of a sealing block and thereafter is crimped to lock the housing to and within the sealing block and the strap to and within the housing. One or more cutting edges formed on the exterior of the housing permit insertion of the housing within the bore without cutting the sealing block, but upon attempted removal of the housing, the cutting edge cuts into the sealing block to provide a visual indication of tampering. Moreover, before passing the second end of the strap through the passage in the housing, the strap is passed through a slot in a flap rotatably mounted to the sealing block near an end of the bore.

Abstract: A progressively set of more costly and higher level keyless locking devices secure an electric utility meter. A first low level and low cost keyless device includes a female member with spaced resilient legs which compressively converge when inserted in a plate hole and then naturally diverge to a normal state. A male locking member is inserted between the legs to lock the legs in the plate hole. A seal secures this arrangement. In a further embodiment, a female locking body is attached to a first end of a clamp ring. A second apertured ring end is inserted through the first ring end into the body. A keyless thermoplastic locking device of a first level is inserted into the body for securing the ring ends. A seal secures this arrangement. Other embodiments are disclosed including an all metal locking body used with a thermoplastic keyless male member for providing a higher security level and higher cost.

Abstract: A self locking rod seal includes a plurality of stamped sheet metal tapered frustro-conical segments which mate in a tapered frustro-conical bore of a steel housing. The segments are identical and include a projection upstanding from a recess in each of two opposing shoulders. The projections are received in the recess formed in an opposing shoulder of the other segment. The recesses receive the projections of the different segments in interengaging relation so that axial displacement of one segment requires axial displacement of the other segment. A spring urges the segments against the tapered bore of the housing. The segments in one embodiment have cantilevered radially resilient fingers which grip a rod in the bore thereof when the rod is slid in one direction and which release the rod when the rod is slid in the opposite direction. The rod has a flag at one end which with the seal lock a hasp therebetween.

Abstract: A padlock type security seal and method of making same include a U-shaped shackle, a pair of reversely bent end portions, and a transparent body having a pair of chambers for receiving the bent end portions. The chambers each have a locking groove therein for receiving the bent end portions. The seal elements are formed from two molded thermoplastic pieces, an insert and a body. The relative dimensions of the chambers, the shackle, and the locking grooves are chosen to prevent picking.The insert has a channel in which a liquid filled vial is inserted. The vial contains a colored liquid. When the shackle is attempted to be removed from the body portion, the shackle end portions penetrate the insert and the vial causing the liquid to seep into the various chambers, the seepage being visible through the body.

Abstract: A brittle thermoplastic molded cylindrical hollow hole seal has a top wall and a depending side wall. An annular external rib snap fits to an annular groove in a hole side wall to secure the seal in place. Axially extending angularly shaped in cross section grooves are on the side wall interior and spaced axially extending slots pass through the side wall. The top wall internally has an eight point star shaped set of ridges and troughs whose points terminate at the side wall forming the interior grooves. Reflective aluminum flakes are in the material to provide a spotty finish. The slots, grooves, ridges and troughs form weakening regions causing the seal to shatter in response to an applied local pressure, for example, exerted by a screw driver for use with a screw plugged by the seal. The spotty appearance is difficult to hide when the seal is broken.

Abstract: A hand repairable plunger lock key includes a hollow body in which is hand inserted or removed a pair of springs and a cartridge which tends to periodically wear out and require replacement. A cap is threaded to the body and is manually removed or attached without tools. A key operating cam has a pin which is releasably secured to a mating slot in the cartridge operating shaft which protrudes from the cap. The body and cap are resiliently displaced a distance sufficient for the slot to be engaged or disengaged with the cam pin. Once engaged, the body and cap are released to normally bias the pin to the shaft slot via springs in the key used to bias the cam against the cap.

Abstract: A seal and lock includes a flexible metal cable held permanently at one end in a housing, the other end being insertable through the housing and is locked therein by a spring-biased ball which wedges against the cable upon an attempt to pull the cable from the housing. A second ball is located between the spring and the first-mentioned ball, and wedges against the cable to further prevent removal thereof and to prevent twisting of the cable as a way of removing the cable from the housing. The second ball is of sufficiently soft material so that the cable when pulled digs into the second ball to increase the jamming force against the cable.

Abstract: A tamper-indicating seal of the type having a bolt retained in a lock body, wherein the lock body is surrounded by a shroud of frangible, brittle material and provided with a grooved outer surface and flanged entrance way for receiving and surrounding the bolt end, whereby the shroud is easily fractured, thus providing visual indication of tampering. Visual detection of tampering may be enhanced by a coating applied to the outer surface of the shroud.

Abstract: The present invention provides a heavy duty seal for hasps and latches in combination with a light duty tamper-indicating seal, which extends through the heavy duty seal for indicating tampering or breaking of the heavy duty seal. A sheathed bundle of optical fibers extends through aligned bores in parts of a heavy duty bolt type seal. End portions of the bundle are locked in a locking block and terminal ends of the fibers are exposed in surfaces of the block for observation and indications of light transmittal.

Abstract: A ball seal having an elongated, flexible metal strap for providing locking engagement with a ball-shaped housing. A locking platform, having two frangibly joined leaves, is mounted in the housing for receiving the ends of the metal strap. A pair of locking tabs are located on one leaf and a pair of locking rings are mounted on the locking platform. The seal is placed in use by passing the strap through a structure to be sealed and then sliding the ends into the locking platform to effect locking engagement between the strap ends, and the locking tabs and rings. If the strap is forced from the housing, the leaf having the locking tabs thereon will be torn from the other leaf at the frangible joint, thereby destroying the locking platform beyond reasonable repair.

Abstract: A padlock-type security seal including a U-shaped shackle having a pair of reversely bend end portions. A body portion and a brightly colored insert are assembled to form a pair of chambers for receiving and locking the bent end portions. Movable tangs and matching cavities are formed as an integral part of the insert adjacent the chambers. The body portion has a plurality of transparent windows adjacent the cavities. Attempts to open the seal by deforming the shackle to remove the bent end portions from the chambers will result in moving the tangs into locking containment with the cavities thereby visually indicating tampering via the transparent windows.

Abstract: A padlock-type security seal having tamper-indicating means to cause the shackle ends to break through and protrude from the walls of the seal body when serious attempts are made to remove the shackle. The seal includes a pair of slots each having a shoulder for engaging the shackle ends. When serious attempts are made to force the shackle from the seal, a ramp will engage the shackle ends and force them against the seal walls. With sufficient force applied to the shackle, the shackle ends will rupture the seal body.

Abstract: A padlock-type security seal including a U-shaped shackle, a pair of reversely bent end portions, and a transparent body portion having a pair of chambers for receiving the bent end portions. The chambers each have a locking groove therein for receiving the bent end portions. A frangible tab is mounted adjacent one of the locking grooves. Attempts to pick the seal by deforming the shackle will result in breaking the tab. The tab, after breaking, will protrude into the chamber where it can be viewed through the transparent body to indicated tampering.