Closure fasteners – Seals – Encasing
Patent
1994-12-19
1996-07-23
Meyers, Steven N.
Closure fasteners
Seals
Encasing
292323, 24136A, G09F 303, F16G 1104
Patent
active
055383009
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to cable lock and seal devices, of the kind consisting of a body enclosing a spring held friction member and having a passage therethrough and a flexible inextensible member having one end attached to the body, the opposite end being adapted to pass through the passage and engage the friction member therein.
A cable lock device of the kind set forth is described in U.S. 830,565. The passage in this device contains within it a larger chamber divided into upper and lower parts by a leaf spring. A small ball of diameter larger than that of the passage is held in the chamber. If the ball is above the leaf spring as the inextensible member passes down through the passage, the ball overcomes the force of the leaf spring and is held in a space defined by the leaf spring, the member and a stop provided in the lower part of the chamber. When an attempt is made to withdraw the inextensible member the ball is rolled between the moving inextensible member and the leaf spring due to the friction between the two. The ball overcomes the force of the leaf spring and continues to move upwards until it becomes wedged between the inextensible member and an inclined wall of the chamber which meets the passage-way. The inextensible member is thus held fast and cannot be removed from the locking device.
In a cable lock and seal device of the kind set forth in which the friction member comprises a ball, there is a tendency for the ball to rotate relative to the body in response to a force applied to the ball from the helically arranged strands which comprise the inextensible member and when a force is applied to the member in a longitudinal direction. Thus, when a sufficient force is applied to the member longitudinally, it can be withdrawn from the body with the ball rotating in a path as dictated by its engagement with the inextensible member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to our invention in a cable lock and seal device comprising a body enclosing a spring held friction member and having a passage therethrough and a flexible inextensible member having one end attached to the body, the opposite end being adapted to pass through the passage and engage the friction member therein in which the friction member comprises a roller which is rotatable about a single axis normal to the axis of the inextensible member and with respect to a ramp, in turn, inclined with respect to the axis of the inextensible member with which the roller co-operates during movement between a retracted position in which the inextensible member can be drawn through the first passage and a locking position in which the roller rolls up the ramp to clamp the inextensible member against movement in the opposite direction with the member trapped between the roller and the opposite face of the first passage, a spring acting on the roller to urge it up the ramp at all times, and in which the spring comprises a leaf spring having a finger which extends into the passage at the lower end of the ramp and acts on the peripheral edge of the roller to bias it up the ramp towards its upper end, the finger comprising one of a pair of spaced limbs, and the second limb of the pair is contiguous with a skeletal base portion by means of which the spring is anchored in the body, the first limb being deflectable with respect to the second limb, and the second limb being deflectable with respect to the base portion.
The ramp enhances the grip of the roller against the inextensible member.
Since the roller can rotate about its single axis it resists any forces applied to it in the said opposite direction, which may be applied from helically arranged strands.
The peripheral edge or surface of the roller may be roughened or otherwise serrated to enhance its grip with the inextensible member.
The peripheral edge or surface of the roller may also be formed with one or more circumferentially extending Vee grooves which enhance the grip on the member and centralise the roller in the passage.
In another construction the periphera
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Blair Security Products Limited
Maxham Lawrence A.
Meyers Steven N.
Pham Tuyet-Phuong
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