Reusable, tamper-indicating seal

Patent · Tue Oct 03 04:00:00 EDT 1978

OSTI ID:6458560

Ryan, M J

A reusable, tamper-indicating seal is comprised of a drum confined within a fixed body and rotatable in one direction therewithin, the top of the drum constituting a tray carrying a large number of small balls of several different colors. The fixed body contains parallel holes for looping a seal wire therethrough. The base of the drums carries cams adapted to coact with cam followers to lock the wire within the seal at one angular position of the drum. A channel in the fixed body, visible from outside the seal, adjacent the tray constitutes a segregated location for a small plurality of the colored balls. A spring in the tray forces colored balls into the segregated location at one angular position of the drum, further rotation securing the balls in position and the wires in the seal. A wedge-shaped plough removes the balls from the segregated location, at a different angular position of the drum, the wire being unlocked at the same postion. A new pattern of colored balls will appear in the segregated location when the seal is relocked.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4118057
• OSTI ID: 6458560
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420200* -- Engineering-- Facilities
Equipment
& Techniques
CLOSURES
DESIGN
PHYSICAL PROTECTION DEVICES
SEALS
SECURITY
SECURITY SEALS
THEFT