Abstract: A security seal includes a locking element and a locking body configured to receive an end of the locking element therein to secure the security seal at an object. The locking body may include a deformable wall that deforms responsive to a sufficient pressure applied to the wall of the locking body. A disk element may be disposed in the locking body and movable along a tapered channel to clamp against the locking element to limit retraction of the locking element. The tapered channel may have an arcuate surface along which the disk element moves to provide a progressively increasing bite angle and clamping force at the locking element. The disk element may have a knurled surface with a circumferential groove established circumferentially around the disk element, with the circumferential groove offset from a center line of the disk element and toward a respective end of the disk element.

Abstract: A lock apparatus for a utility service enclosure with a cover mountable over a sidewall includes an attachment member having a pair of spaced legs and aligned apertures formed in the legs. A fastener is extensible through the aperture in the one leg disposed interiorly of the enclosure when the attachment member is mounted over the sidewall of the enclosure and deforms the sidewall into engagement with the aperture in the other leg. A flange extending from the attachment member interengages a body having a lip overlaying the cover to inhibit removal of the cover from the enclosure. A lock is engageble with the body and the flange to lock the body to the attachment member.

Abstract: A robust rigid block forming a fastener and tamper evident seal attaches a cover to a tote bin. The seal is formed partially into a C-shaped locking device for insertion into aligned bores in the tote bin cover and bin. The C-shaped device is inserted to an insertion position and then displaced to a locking position with the legs of the device overlying the cover and bin members at the bores fastening the cover to the bin and capable of withstanding high shock loads. A locking element connected to the device by a frangible web has a camming surface that engages an edge of the cover for camming the device during insertion of the element in the bores to the insertion position at which time the web is fractured. The element has a flange plate attached to the element body by a weak web for selective removal of the plate. A resilient tang is attached to the element for engaging a mating locking recess in the body for locking the element to the device and to the bin and cover in the insertion position.

Abstract: A housing has a rotor receiving chamber with filament receiving bores lying in a plane normal to the rotor axis of rotation, a rotor being rotatably received in the chamber. The rotor and housing have complementary locking shoulders for axially locking the rotor in the chamber. The rotor has a pair of filament receiving bores aligned with the housing filament receiving bores. The rotor has an annular rib in the plane of the bores defining upper and lower rotor sections. The locking shoulders are in the lower section of the rotor and are located between the plane and the closed end of the chamber, at which end the rotor and housing have a complementary ratchet and pawl mechanism for allowing only one way rotation of the rotor relative to the housing for securing the filament to the rotor.

Abstract: A seal and lock mechanism employs a cable and a mechanism for securing a free end of the cable to the seal by a wedging action within a tapered housing bore employing wedging means such as balls and the like. The wedging action is enhanced by roughening the surface of the wedging means or otherwise improving their resistance to displacement with respect to the surface of the cable.

Abstract: A preferably cast zinc housing has a chamber for receiving a metal stranded cable 1/16 inch in diameter which is swaged at one end to the housing in the chamber. The housing has a conical bore in communication with the ambient about the housing via apertures at opposing ends of the housing. A channel having a depth of about one half the cable diameter is in the bore surface aligned with the apertures to form a continuous cable insertion path with the apertures. A relatively weak coil spring and a pair of different diameter steel balls are in the conical bore. The cable free end is inserted into the path through the housing with minimal insertion resistance from the balls and spring. Withdrawal of the cable wedges the balls uniformly against the cable deforming it and locking the cable to the housing. The balls each uniformly stress the cable to spread the stress of the wedging action. This reduces stress concentration on the cable at each ball so that the cable fails only at its maximum tensile load.

Abstract: A serpentine shaped wire clip is disposed in a tapered bore of a housing for axial displacement in the bore and has in a preferred embodiment three U-shaped loops interconnected by end portions. The clip has a bore dimensioned for receiving a cable or rod in radial resilient compressive engagement along the clip entire length which engagement causes the clip to axial displace with the displacement of the cable or rod. The axial displacement of the clip in the tapered bore wedges the clip to the housing and cable or rod locking the elements. The clip may have any number of loops and wire diameter. Also, the housing may have a cylindrical bore and the tapered region may be formed on a rod or bar. The clip may be locked to smooth and grooved surfaces including threads. The housing and rod each have a different one of a cylindrical surface and tapered surface. The clip radially grips the cylindrical surface while wedging in response to relative displacement of the tapered surface to the cylindrical surface.

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 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: 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 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.