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US 6,578,886 B1Granted
Self-locking wire seal
AssigneeBrammall, Inc.
InventorsJerry A. Bystry, Eric K. Hamilton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A self-locking wire seal includes a body in which one end of a wire is fixedly secured. The free end of the wire can be inserted through the hasp of a lock. The free end of the wire is then inserted through a channel in the body of the seal. The wire contacts a locking mechanism which automatically prevents the retraction of the wire out of the channel defined in the body. The locking mechanism may comprise a spring which engages notches defined on the wire. The notches may be defined by using a concentrically laid spiral wound wire. The spring flexes out of the way of these notches when inserted, but grips the wire when attempts are made to retract the wire from the body of the seal.
Claims28
A self-locking seal, comprising:
- a body;
- a spiral wound wire having a first and a second end, said first end secured to said body, said spiral wound wire comprising a first, single-stranded generally non-wound wire and a second, single-stranded wire wound about said first wire, said second wire being wound about and in contact with said first wire in such a manner as to define a series of notches on the external surface of said spiral wound wire, said notches being defined by spaces between windings of said second wire;
- a channel defined in said body, said channel being sufficiently large to receive said second end of said spiral wound wire;
- a lock positioned adjacent said channel, said lock adapted to contact said spiral wound wire and allow said wire to be inserted into said channel and past said lock but prevent said wire from being retracted from said channel through said lock, said lock preventing said wire from being retracted from said channel by being inserted into at least one of the notches defined on the external surface of said spiral wound wire.
1 more element
A self-locking seal, comprising:
- a body;
- a spiral wound wire having a first and a second end, said first end secured to said body, said spiral wound wire comprising a first, generally non-wound wire and a second wire wound about said first wire;
- a channel defined in said body, said channel being sufficiently large to receive said second end of said spiral wound wire;
- a lock positioned adjacent said channel, said lock comprising a spring having an edge that contacts said spiral wound wire, said lock adapted to contact said spiral wound wire and allow said wire to be inserted into said channel and past said lock but prevent said wire from being retracted from said channel through said lock.
1 more element
A self-locking seal, comprising:
- a body having first and second sides;
- a flexible, elongated member secured to said body;
- a channel defined in said body, said channel extending from said first to said second side;
- an interior space defined in said body and in communication with said channel;
- and
- a spring housed in said interior space, said spring including a side wall oriented generally parallel to said channel, a base wall oriented generally perpendicular to said channel, and a flexible arm oriented at an angle to said base wall and extending partially into said channel, said base wall defining an aperture in alignment with said channel whereby said flexible, elongated member is inserted through said channel and said aperture and is prevented from being removed from said channel by said flexible arm, said flexible arm urging said flexible member against said sidewall when attempts are made to remove said flexible member from said channel.
3 more elements
A self-locking seal, comprising:
- a body having first and second sides;
- a flexible, elongated member secured to said body;
- a channel defined in said body, said channel extending from said first to said second side;
- an interior space defined in said body and in communication with said channel;
- and
- a spring housed in said interior space, said spring including a side wall oriented generally parallel to said channel, a base wall oriented generally perpendicular to said channel, and a flexible arm oriented at an angle to said base wall and extending partially into said channel, said base wall defining an aperture in alignment with said channel whereby said flexible, elongated member is inserted through said channel and said aperture and is prevented from being removed from said channel by said flexible arm, wherein said body extends between said flexible arm and said base wall such that said body limits the amount of flexing of said flexible arm toward said base wall.
3 more elements
A self-locking seal, comprising:
- a body having a plurality of sides, said body defining a first channel and a second channel, said first channel extending out of one of said plurality of sides, said second channel extending through said body from one of said plurality of sides to an opposite one of said plurality of sides;
- a chamber defined in said body and in communication with said first channel;
- a slug dimensioned to fit within said chamber;
- a wire secured to said slug and extending out of said body through said first channel;
- a spring housed within said body and extending at least partially into said second channel, said spring being flexible enough to be pushed out of said channel when said wire is inserted into said second channel in a first direction, said spring being oriented at an angle in said second channel such that said spring grips said wire when said wire is retracted in said second channel in a second direction opposite said first direction.
2 more elements
A method of sealing an object having an opening, comprising:
- providing a seal body having a metal wire secured thereto, said metal wire having a free end, said metal wire also having a plurality of notches defined thereon;
- providing a channel defined within said body;
- providing a flexible spring within said body, said flexible spring extending at least partially into said channel, said flexible spring oriented to flex into one of said notches on said metal wire when moved through said channel in a first direction and to flex out of the way of said metal wire when moved through said channel in a second direction opposite said first direction, said flexible spring thereby preventing said flexible member from being moved out of said channel in said first direction;
- inserting said free end of said metal wire through said opening in said object;
- subsequently inserting said free end of said metal wire into said channel past said flexible spring.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.