US958686A - Sealing device for electric meters. - Google Patents

Description

W. N. ALEXANDER. SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 25, 1910.

Patented; May-1'7, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER N. ALEXANDER, OF SIDNEY, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE T0 KARL T. MILLER, OF SIDNEY, NEBRASKA.

SEALING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC METERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 17, 1910.

Application filed January 25, 1910. Serial No. 540,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVALTER N. ALEX- ANDER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sidney, in the county of Cheyenne and State of Nebraska, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sealing Devices for Electric Meters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sealing devices for electric meters and the like and it has for its object to provide a device of this class which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability and general efiiciency.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural, details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the invention may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawing,Figure 1 is a front view of a meter cover equipped with the improved sealing device, and showing the same applied to a meter, a portion of the casing of which only appears. Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section.

Corresponding parts in both figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The meter, a portion of whose casing is shown at l, is provided with outwardly projecting bars or fastening members 2, 2, and the cover 3 which is to be detachably mounted upon the meter casing is provided with apertures 4, 4: for the passage of said bars. Firmly secured upon the cover 3 by fastening means, such as a rivet 5, is a resilient cross bar 6 having upturned ends 7 lying adjacent to the outer edges of the apertures i, said upturned ends being provided with laterally extending finger pieces 8 and with forwardly extending lugs or flanges 9. The latter are adapted to abut upon bracket members 10 which are riveted or otherwise secured upon the cover, said bracket members and the lugs or flanges being provided with alining apertures for the passage of a fastening member consisting of a sealing rivet 11 of soft metal which, subsequent to its insertion, may be conveniently compressed or upset by means of an ordinary sealing punch.

The portions of the resilient cross bar 6 extending from the centrally disposed rivet or fastening member 5 are confined in keepers 12 for the purpose of limiting the movements of said parts, and said resilient cross bar is provided adjacent to the upturned ends 7 with toothed portions 13 adapted to engage teeth 1 1 upon the undersides of the bars 2. The forward or outer ends of said bars 2 are preferably beveled, as will be seen at 15, in order to facilitate the engagement with the apertures i in the cover.

In operation, when the cover is applied to the meter casing, the notched or toothed bars 2 will project through the apertures 4: of the cover in engagement with the toothed portions 13 of the resilient cross bar 6, which latter will yield downwardly when the cover is being placed in position. After the cover has been properly adjusted, the sealing or fastening members may be placed in position and secured, as will be readily understood. To remove the cover it is only necessary to insert the blade of a knife, screw driver or other suitable implement between the lugs 9 and the bracket members 10, thus severing the shanks of the rivets or fastening members, after which the toothed ends of the resilient bar 6 may be depressed by placing the fingers upon the finger pieces 8 and bearing downward until the toothed portions 13 are disengaged from the ratchet bars 2, when the cover may be readily detached.

It is obvious thatany tampering with the sealing devices of the cover will be readily apparent, and any unauthorized interference will thus be instantly detected. Parts of the seal remaining in the apertures of the lugs 9 and the bracket members 10 may be readily removed with the point of a knife or by some other suitable tool.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. A meter casing having projecting ratchet bars, a cover having apertures for the passage of said bars, a resilient cross bar secured upon the cover by a fastening member intermediate the ends thereof and said cross bar having ratchet bar engaging teeth and upturned terminals lying adjacent to the outer edges of the apertures, and sealing means for securing the ends of the resilient cross bar against movement.

2. A casing having forwardly extending toothed locking bars, a cover having apertures for said locking bars, a resilient cross bar secured upon the cover engaging said locking bars, and sealing means to secure the resilient cross bar against movement when in locking-bar engaging position.

3. In a device of the character described, a cover member, a resilient cross bar secured upon the same by fastening means intermediate the ends thereof, keepers to limit the movement of the ends of the resilient cross bar, finger pieces upon the latter, brackets upon the cover member adjacent to and lying in the path of the ends of the re silient cross bar, and sealing means to secure the ends of the resilient cross bar against movement; in combination With a casing having locking means to engaged by the resilient cross bar.

4 A meter casing having forwardly extending lock bars, a cover having apertures for the passage of said lock bars, a resilient cross bar secured upon the cover by fastening means intermediate the ends thereof and having lock-bar engaging portions and upturned terminals lying adjacent to the outer sides of the apertures in the cover, said upturned terminals being provided with laterally extending finger pieces and With forwardly extending apertured lugs, and apertured bracket members secured upon the cover adjacent to the apertured lugs for the passage of the sealing members.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of tWo Witnesses.

WALTER N. ALEXANDER.

C. G. LE SUEUR.

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