US2118638A - Sealing device for meters - Google Patents

Description

May 24, 1938.

H. A. BAKKE SEALING DEVICE FOR METERS Filed July 29, 1936 Inventor: Hans A! 1 A by His Attorney.

.Bakke Patented May 24, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SEALING DEVICE FOR METERS New York Application July 29,

7 Claims.

My invention relates to sealing arrangements and concerns particularly arrangements for sealin electric integrating meters.

It is an object of my invention to provide a simple, relatively inexpensive but sturdy and reliable arrangement for sealing covers on casings.

A further object of my invention is to provide such an arrangement for both sealing a cover on the terminal chamber of an electric meter and sealing the locking arrangement for the cover of the meter mechanism.

Other and further objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

In accordance with my invention in preferred form, I provide a terminal chamber cover for an electric meter with a sliding bar for covering screws adapted to fasten the cover to the meter casing. The sliding bar is adapted to be sealed by sealing wire or other suitable seal when in its sealed position and to uncover said fastening screws when in its unsealed position.

My invention will be understood more readily from the following detailed description when con- SlClQlT-ld in connection with the accompanying drawing and the features of my invention which are believed to be novel and patentable will be pointed out in the claims appended hereto. In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an electric integrating meter employing a sealing arrangement forming an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the terminal chamber of the apparatus of Fig. 1 cut by the plane 2-2; and Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the arrangement of Fig. 1 showing the cover removed from the terminal chamber and the cover sealing bar in its unsealed position. Li is reference characters are utilized throughout the drawing to designate like parts.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, the meter which my invention is applied is shown one of conventional design having a l H with a chamber for receiving the meter mechanism enclosed by a cup-shaped glass cover l2, and a terminal chamber I3 adapted to be closed by a cover Id.

The cup-shaped cover I2 is of conventional having a bayonet lock for fastening it in position a twisting motion. Such bayonet locks are well known and consist of a plurality of slots and cooperating pins, one of which is shown at (5 in 3. A sliding bar arrangement, such that described more in detail in my Patent No. 1,979,928, is provided for locking the cover l2 in position and consists of a locking bar l6 1936, Serial No. 93,218

with a nose I? adapted to engage a projection IS on the rim of the cover !2, thus preventing its being untwisted and removed when the locking bar I6 is in the locked position. The locking bar l6 has a slot adapted to slip over a lug !9 with an opening for receiving a sealing wire 2!] when it is desired to seal the chamber for the meter mechanism independently of the terminal chamber.

In the drawing, I have shown only a portion of the cover i serving to enclose the terminal chamber 53. It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the specific arrangement shown but includes the use of my novel seal in connection with a cover for closing both a terminal chamber and a connection box. The side walls 2! and 22 of the terminal chamber l3 are provided with tapped holes 23 and 24 for receiving cover fastening screws. The cover I4 is provided with corresponding screw holes 25 and 26 for receiving sc-ews 2? and 28. Preferably, the screw holes 25 and 25 are counterbored as shown 2 to permit the heads 29 and 3.5! to drop below or come flush with the surface of the cover M.

For covering the screw holes 25 and 25 in the cover M, a sliding sea .5; bar 3| is provided. To receive the sliding bar 3!, there is a longitudinal groove 32 in the cover M in line with the screw holes 25 and in order that the bar 3| may be placed in position to cover the screw holes 25 25. Preferably, the cover is so formed that, at the ends of the groove there are projecting portions 3 with slots 34 through which the bar 3i may slide and which may prevent the bar 3| from being pulled away from the cover it out of the ;;I'OC=V 32. The sealing bar 3! is provided with an opening 35 so positioned as to uncover the left-hand screw hole 25's when the bar 3i moved 1.. enough to the left so that its right-hand 3'6 uncovers the screw hole A stop 3?, which may take form of a projection the left-hand end of the bar 3|, is provided. to prevent the bar 3| from being slipped out of the groove 32 by sliding the bar to the right, and the right-hand end of the bar 3! is provided with an opening 38 adapted to receive a sealing wire or other suitable type of seal to prevent the sealing bar 3| from being moved to the left without giving evidence that the seal has been broken and the ieter has been tampered with.

It is evident that, wh n the sealing bar 3| in the right-hand position shown in Fig. l, the screw holes 25 and 26 are covered,

it is impossible to unscrew the screws 2'! and 28 or to remove the cover 55 from the terminal chamber Inasmuch as the conductors for making connection to the meter are secured by means of terminal s rows til within the terminal chamber 53, the sealing of the terminal chamber cover M also prevents the conductors from being removed from the meter and prevents electrical connections from being made to the meter or to the conductors without mutilating either the meter or the insulation on the conductors and evidence that the apparatus has been tampered with.

Furthermore, the cover 24 is provided with flanges which overhang the terminal chamber it to p-event instruments from being inserted between the cover i and the edges of the terminal chamber 53 and to prevent the locking bar it fr so being moved out of its locked position. single sealing wire 39 inserted in the sliding bar EM consequently serves to seal both he al chamber iii the chamber con-- e meter mechanism enclosed by the e ii is provided with screw holes 42 to receive screws (not shown) for fastening the apparatus to a wall or panel, and the cover M is provided with overhanging extensions 63 reeniorced with ribs in order that the scaling in place of the cover it will also serve to seal the meter in position on the panel or wall where it is mounted. In this way, attempts to tamper with th meter mechanism or wiring by detaching the meter are discouraged.

I have described a construction having the stop 3? to prevent slipping the sealing bar 3i out of its groove 32 and having the slotted projecting portions and 3 3 to prevent pulling the sealing bar forward away from the cover M. It will be understood, however, that my invention is not limited to this precise construction but obviously includes other arrangements for preventing removal of the sealing bar 3i. If desired, the sliding bar 3i may be provided with an elongated slot and the cover l4 may be provided with a rivet 4t cooperating with the elongated slot to limit the extent of sliding of the sealing bar 3i in either direction and to prevent removal thereof. The stop 31 may be omitted when the rivet is employed but it will be apparent that the retention of both means for limiting the travel of the sealing bar 3! serves to provide maximum protection against undetected tampering with the apparatus.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation. of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative that the invention may be carried out by other means.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by LQtJCFS Fatent of the United States is:

1. In combination, a meter casing with a terminal chamber having side walls and an open front, a cover for said terminal chamber, and a sealing bar for said cover, said side walls having holes threaded to receive screws for fastening said cover to said terminal chamber, and said cover having screw holes cooperating with the threaded holes in said side walls, said cover having a groove for slidably receiving said seal ing bar, said groove being in line with said screw holes, said bar having a stop for limiting its motion to an extreme position in one direction, and being of such length as to protrude from said cover when in the extreme position permitted by said stop, and having an opening in the end thereof protruding from said cover when the bar is slid in said extreme position, said bar normally covering said screw holes and preventing access to the screws therein but having an opening for exposing one of said screw holes when slid away from said extreme position far enough for its end to uncover the other of said screw holes.

2. A sealing arrangement for a meter having a terminal chamber and a slidable locking bar adapted to lock a meter chamber, said sealing arrangement comprising a cover adapted to close said terminal chamber and having a flange overhanging said locking bar when the latter is in its locking position, screws for fastening said cover to said meter over said terminal chamber, and a sealing bar supported on the cover slidable between sealing and unsealed positions, said cover having screw holes adapted to receive said screws, the sealing position of said sealing bar being over said screw holes, said sealing bar being adapted to be moved to an unsealed position, uncovering said screw holes, and having means for sealing it in said sealing position.

3. A sealing arrangement for a meter casing having a terminal chamber, a slidable locking bar adapted to lock a meter chamber, and mounting-screw holes near the edges of said terminal chamber, said sealing arrangement comprising a cover adapted to close said terminal chamber, having a flange overhanging said locking bar when the latter is in its locking position, and having extensions covering said mounting screw holes, screws for fastening said cover to said casing over said terminal chamber, a sealing bar supported on the cover slidable between sealed and unsealed positions, and means for sealing said sealing bar in a sealed position, said cover having screw holes adapted to receive said coverfastening screws, the sealed position of said sealing bar being over said cover-fastening screw holes, and said sealing bar being adapted to be moved to an unsealed position uncovering said screw holes.

i. In combination, a chamber sealing cover with screw holes adapted to receive screws for fastening said cover, and a sealing bar slidable on said cover in one direction to a sealed position covering said screw holes and slidable in the opposite direction, said cover having a groove for receiving said sealing bar and means for holding the bar slidably in said groove, said bar being adapted to fill the groove, having a stop for limiting motion in one direction to the sealed position and being of such length as to have an end protrude from said cover when the bar is in the sealed position, said protruding end having an opening for receiving a sealing device.

5. In combination, a chamber sealing cover with screw holes adapted to receive screws for fastening said cover, and a sealing bar slidable on said cover in one direction to a sealed posi tion covering said screw holes and slidable in the opposite direction, said cover and bar including means for limiting motion of the bar in the former direction, said bar being of such length as to have an end protruding from said cover when in the sealed position, and having an opening in said end adapted to receive a sealing device, and having a second opening so placed as to register with one of said screw holes when the bar is moved sufficiently away from its sealed position for the end thereof to travel beyond and uncover the second of said screw holes.

6. A meter-sealing arrangement comprising in combination with a terminal chamber in a meter casing having tapped holes at the edges of said terminal chamber, a terminal chamber cover, cover-fastening screws, and a sealing bar with means for sealing it in a sealed position, said cover having a longitudinal groove therein with screw holes in said groove registering with said tapped holes for receiving said screws to fasten said cover over said terminal chamber, said sealing bar being slidably supported in said groove,

being adapted to fill the groove, having a sealed position in which the bar covers said screw holes, and being slidable from said position to uncover said screw holes.

7. In combination, a chamber-sealing cover having a longitudinal groove therein with screw holes in said groove adapted to receive screws for fastening said cover, and a sealing bar with means for sealing it in a sealed position on said cover covering said screw holes, said sealing bar being supported in said groove, being adapted to fill the groove and being slidable from said sealed position for uncovering said screw holes.

HANS A. BAKKE.

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