Clamshell security device

Claim 1

A security device for enclosing a valve in a material supply line to prevent unauthorized access to the valve comprising first and second shell halves, each shell half including lip regions, the lip regions of the first shell half being mateable with the lip regions of the second shell half to form an enclosure for the valve, means providing openings through the enclosure for the line, the enclosure and the openings being sufficiently large to permit the enclosure to rotate freely relative to the valve and line, each shell half also including an interior surface and an exterior surface, and first and second locking means for locking the shell halves together, the first locking means including a first lock, a first lock-receiving bracket attached to the interior surface of the first shell half, the first lock-receiving bracket including an aperture for receiving the lock, a first lock-engaging means attached to the interior surface of the second shell half for engaging the first lock when received in the bracket, and means providing an access opening in the first shell half for inserting the first lock into the enclosure, the second locking means including a second lock, a second lock-receiving bracket attached to the interior of the second shell half, a second lock-engaging means attached to the interior of the first shell half, and means providing an access opening in the second shell half for inserting the second lock into the enclosure, the first and second lock-receiving brackets being aligned with the respective first and second lock-engaging means when the shell halves are mated to permit the first lock to be received by both the first lock-receiving bracket and the first lock-engaging means, and the second lock to be received by both the second lock-receiving bracket and the second lock-engaging means to lock the first shell half to the second shell half.