US1956698A - Sealed switch cabinet and meter and means for removing alpha fuse therefrom - Google Patents

Description

y 1, 1934- E. H. RUEPPEL 1,956,698

SEALED SWITCH CABINET AND METER AND MEANS FOR REMOVING A FUSE THEREFROM Filed Sept. 24, 1931 skil E] LEE- gvvuantox lama 64 Patented May 1, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE SEALED SWITCH CABINET AND MEANS FOR THEREFROM AND METER REMOVING A FUSE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to switch cabinets such as are commonly employed in electrical installations.

It is customary in electrical installations to insert fuses between the main line and the meter,

these fuses being commonly located in a cabinet, the flow of the current being controlled by a switch. In such installations, the interior of the cabinet is often accessible to the consumer, thus enabling to take off current ahead of the meter which will therefore not register the actual amount of the current consumed. Moreover, in making these fraudulent connections to the main line fuse, the consumer will often be seriously injured. In order to avoid these undesirable incidents, a large proportion of installations now include a sealed cabinet for the main line fuse.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch cabinet of such construction that access cannot be had to the main line fuse after the meter has been positioned except by properly authorized persons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet of such construction that the meter may be positioned directly thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet with a flexible meter loop and meter connections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet, the door of which is locked in closed position by the meter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet having means whereby the main line fuses will be accessible to a properly authorized person without the breaking of a seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for removing the main line fuses from the cabinet without the breaking of the seal of the cabinet.

I accomplish the above and other objects of the invention by means of the construction shown in the accompanying drawing:--

Fig. l is a perspective View of my improved switch cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch cabinet with a meter positioned in operative relation thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved switch 1 cabinet with the door partly opened;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one form of my improved tool for removing a fuse.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters indicate like parts on all the views thereof 1 indicates the switch cabinet having a door 2 hinged at 3. The door 2 comprises the front 5 of the cabinet and the top 6. The top 6 of the cabinet has formed therein an opening 7 through which extends the meter loop connections 8. The top 6 of the cabinet is provided with an upright flange 9 having a plurality of openings 10 therein.

The flange 9 is also provided with a centrally located cutout 16 through which the meter loop is threaded when the meter is set.

11 indicates the switch operating handle which is of usual construction. The interior of the cabinet has the usual fuse block and fuses (not shown).

When the meter 12 is set in place, its base extends down into the opening 7 and is secured to the wail by screws 13 or similar fastening means passing through the openings provided therein and through the openings 10 in the flange 9 of the switch box door 2. In setting up the switch cabinet and the cooperating meter, the cabinet 1 is first secured against a wall in its desired location, by means of suitable fastening means passing through the rear wall thereof. The meter loop is pulled up through the opening 7 and the door 5 is closed so that the flange 9 rests against the supporting wall. The meter loop is then connected to the meter, the meter base set down into the openin 7 and the proper fastening means 13 passed through the rear wall of the meter and the openings 10 into the supporting wall. The meter is then sealed. It is apparent that access cannot be had to the interior of the switch cabinet without the breaking of the meter seal.

In order to obtain access to the fuses without breaking the meter seal, I have provided the tool 14 shown in 4. This tool comprises an insulating handle and a spring clip 15 adapted to grasp the fuse and an insulating handle 16. When installing the device, the fuses with their tools are positioned in the fuse block and the cabinet is then locked and sealed. While a fuse may be easily removed by means of its associated tool, the tool cannot be disassociated from its fuse while the fuse is in the fuse block. It will thus be seen that access to the fuse, with a consequent possibility of taking off of current ahead of the meter, is prevented.

It is well known that many persons are often badly burned in attempting to take current from a meter or switch cabinet ahead of the meter. It is also well known that many persons attempt to take current from the main fuse ahead of the meter in order to avoid payment for the current thus obtained.

My improved cabinet is designed to prevent access to the main line fuse and thus prevent theft of the current and also injury which might result from tampering with the main line fuses. I am aware that similar cabinets have been designed which have separate sealing means for the cabinet and the meter but these constructions permit of more or less easy tampering with the main line fuse. The breaking of the seal of a meter cabinet is a comparatively simple matter whereas the breaking of the seal of the meter and removing the same in order to obtain access to the main line fuses is a dimcult task for an unskilled person. Moreover, such extensive tampering would be patent to an inspector.

It will thus be seen that I have designed an improved switch cabinet which is efficient in construction and which, with the meter, provides a compact structure which prevents access to the main line fuses except for their removal and renewal by a properly authorized person.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, a closure therefor, means on said closure whereby it may be held in closed position and secured to said supporting surface, means on said cabinet for supporting a meter in operative relation thereto, said meter when in operative relation to said cabinet covering said first named means.

2. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, said cabinet having an open face, a closure for said open face, said closure having a flange, said flange being adapted to be secured to said supporting surface, said cabinet having means whereby a meter may be mounted in operative relation thereto abutting against and covering said flange.

3. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, said cabinet having an open face, a closure for said open face, an apertured flange secured to said closure at an angle thereto, the aperture in said flange being adapted to receive securing means, said closure having means for positioning a meter in operative relation thereto, said meter positioning means being so located with reference to said apertured flange that when said meter is in position thereon it will conceal said securing means for the flange and render the same inaccessible.

4. The combination of a switch cabinet and a meter adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, said cabinet having an open wall, a closure for said wall, said closure having an opening therein adapted to receive the base of the meter, a meter loop in said cabinet adapted to be con nected to said meter, common means for securing the closure and the meter to the supporting surface, sealing means for the meter, the meter when positioned and sealed concealing the securing means and rendering the same inaccessible.

EDWIN HEIDT RUEPPEL.

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