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 pair of aligned tandemly attached locking elements are cantilevered from a stud and a socket are hinged together to be placed in an engaged first locking mode with the outermost one of the locking elements. The elements are secured to the stud such that an axial separating force on the stud and socket for disengaging the locked engagement causes the engaged locked element to sever from the seal, and the other second intermediate element remains attached to the stud so the seal can be used with the second element in a second locking mode. A stop is provided for preventing insertion of the second intermediate locking element into engagement with the socket in a lock condition when the first locking element is attached to the stud and locked to the socket.

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 utility meter box lock construction includes a male assembly having a male body which is bolted to the front wall of the utility meter box with a threaded bolt having an annular groove which is locked to the male body by a set screw. The lid is secured in place in a closed condition by a conventional utility plunger lock which is assembled to a female assembly having a bore which aligns with a bore in the male body. A threaded insert is threaded to the male body in the bore which is aligned with a second bore in the female assembly for receiving the plunger lock. The balls of the plunger lock are expandable to an extension locking state for mating with a groove in the insert threaded to the male body. The position of the plunger balls is set along the plunger bore by rotation of the threaded insert for ensuring that the female member with a lid-locking flange closely closes the lid of the box to the box sidewalls.

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 security seal has an elongated flexible strap integral with a housing at one end. The other end of the strap can be moved through a passageway in the housing to form the strap into a closed loop. Facilities in the housing and on one surface of the strap permit movement of the strap out of the passageway and prevent reverse movement of the strap if the strap is properly inserted without a half-twist and into the proper end of the passageway. These facilities are ineffective to prevent reverse movement if the strap is improperly inserted. The seal is improved by forming a groove longitudinally in the passageway. A surface feature on the other surface of the strap is conformally received in the groove when the strap is properly inserted into the passageway without twisting. If the strap is improperly inserted, the passageway interferes with and applies force to the surface feature. This force discolors or deforms the surface feature to provide a visual indication of improper insertion.

Abstract: An improved security seal includes a plastic housing with a chamber open at one end and a plastic rotor which is insertable in the chamber. The housing wall contains bores aligned across the chamber and two annular grooves 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 may be partially inserted in the housing by snapping the lower ridge into the upper groove and locating the tabs in the relieved areas to align all of the bores so that a seal wire may thereafter be inserted through the seal. The ridge-groove and tab-relief cooperation prevent inadvertent relative rotation of the rotor and housing and full insertion of the rotor. With a seal wire inserted, the rotor and housing are relatively rotated to wrap the wire about the rotor. The rotor is then fully inserted into the housing so each ridge snaps into one groove.

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. A surface feature on the between its point of entry into the lock body and its point of entry into the flange is in interfering relationship with a surface feature within the flange, so that an attempted removal of the lock body from the shroud is indicated by cracking, chipping, or fracturing of the flange or the shroud.

Abstract: A security seal has a band mounting a protrusion at one end and a housing at the other end. The end of the protrusion may be first passed through apertures in a latch or closure and then may be inserted into, and held by gripping facilities within the housing. The portion of the protrusion extending away from the housing resides in the apertures and prevents operation of the latch or closure absent damage to or disintegration of the seal. Vibratory and oscillatory motion which occurs during shipping or handling of an item bearing the seal can cause the aperture walls to cut or saw through the protrusion, giving a false indication of tampering. A protective shroud is provided which surrounds the protrusion and is interposed between it and the apertures to prevent cutting or sawing of the protrusion.