Reusable, tamper-indicating seal

Patent · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1978

OSTI ID:863196

Ryan, Michael J ^[1]

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1. Plainfield, IL

A reusable, tamper-indicating seal comprises 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 position. A new pattern of colored balls will appear in the segregated location when the seal is relocked.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4118057
• OSTI ID: 863196
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/292/70/
adapted
adjacent
angular
angular position
appear
balls
base
cams
carries
carrying
channel
coact
colored
colors
comprises
confined
constitutes
constituting
contains
direction
drum
drums
fixed
followers
forces
holes
location
lock
looping
outside
parallel
parallel holes
pattern
plough
plurality
position
relocked
removes
reusable
rotatable
rotation
seal
seal comprises
securing
segregated
spring
tamper-indicating
tamper-indicating seal
therethrough
therewithin
top
tray
unlocked
visible
wedge-shaped
wire
wires