USRE9869E - Lexandee macket - Google Patents

Description

A. MACKBY.

coNNBcTIoNs 'ro METERS.

No. 9,869; l Reissued Sept. 13, 1881.

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A UNITED STATES SPECIFICATION forming part of Beissued Letters Patent No. 95,869, dated September 13, 1881.

Original No. ZILSM, dated February 8, 1881. Application for reissue tiled June 2B, 1881. I

' To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, ALEXANDER MAGKEY, a citizen ofthe United States, residing in the city of New York, in the State of New York, have'invented certain new and useful Improvements lrelating to Connections to Meters, of which the following is a specilication.

The invention is designed to apply to gasmeters and analogous meters generally. I will describe it as applied to a gas-meter.

The object is to better guardagainst the ordinary fraud perpetrated by consumers indisconnecting the service-pipe from the meter and making temporary connections to carry the iluid past the meter and using it in the house,

manufactory, or other place to be supplied foraconsiderable time between the monthly inspections, thereby obtaining a large quantity of gas or other tluid which is not measured in `the meter, and for which the consumer does not pay.

My invention consists in the combination,

with the nut of a screw-coupling which is of polygonal form,of a lock or locking-piece composed of a collar or yoke surrounding and litting said nut and a tail-piece or arm projecting from said collar and adapted to be sealed to one of the parts connected by said nut. This lock or locking-piece prevents the turning of the nut unless the seal is broken, which secures the tail-piece to one of the 'parts of the coupling which cannot be turned.

Theinvention also consists in a lock or locking-piece of the kind and adapted for use as above described, and also in another method of forming a lock, which I may employ as an auxiliary of the one first described to give additional security.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a perspective view,'showin g a portion of a meter with three separate connec- One-the one nearest the eye-does not contain the invention. I introduce it as an illustration; The dotted lines show the condition when the fraud is perpetrated which it is the object of my invention to prevent. The union ALEXANDER MAGKEY, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONN EoTloN To METERS.

PATENT OFFICE.

has been disconnected from the service-pipe,` bent suiciently out of the proper line to allow a temporary connection (not represented) to be formed therewith, which leads over or past the meter and connects with the house-pipes, the gas thus ilowing to the house being utilized without being registered by the meter. The other two connections in this tlgure, 1, show my invention applied to some extent so as to prevent snch fraud. Fig. 2 is an elevation, and Fig. 3 a sectional view, showing the fullest form of my improvement. In this the two means of guarding against fraud shownin the two distant connections in Fig. 1 are combined. A meter, as ordinarily connected with screwcoupling connections or union-joints, is but small protection against fraud, because of the readiness with which the pipes may be discon nected from it and a temporary pipe be led past it, connecting the service with the house pipe. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the locking-piece.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the ligures.

B is a portion of the meter, beingthe side of the meter in which the gas is received. It will be understood that themeter may be of any ordinary or suitable construction.

C is the service-pipe, conveying the gas from a street-main.

H is a union, constructed in any ordinary or suitable manner, to connect or disconnect the parts by being turned hy any suitable wrench. v

P is a locking-piece, having a hexagonal or suitabl y-formed yoke or collar adaptedl to match on the hexagonal or other suitably-formed periphery of the union H, and thus be held from turning. Thelocking-piece Pis provided with an arm or tail-piece, p, extending out parallel, or nearly parallel, to the axis of the pipe C. At or near its outer end is an offset, p', which extends a little distance toward the axis of the pipe G.

M is a joint, formed with soldering in the mannerknown as a wiped joint. There may be as many more such joints as the numberv of pieces or material or other conditions may require. My invention involves only the one nearest the screw-union.

I form a dovetailed recess, m,- ou the upper or other convenient side of the wiped joint M,

sys

Ascrew-cap H of the union.

will stand right to enter the recess m. WhenY the parts are thus in place a proper quantity of melted sealing-wax, D, is applied to ll the recesses m and something over, and upon this is imprinted the seal of the inspector.

The invention, so far as yet described, is shown in the middle connection in Fig. 1. This may be applied to old work.

In tting up new work, or wherever the ex pense will be warranted,-I employ, instead of the plain screw-union shown in the middle connection in Fig. 1, the specially-formed union G. (Shown in the farthest connection in Fig. 1 and in the additional Figs. 2 and 3.) This hasahead orenlargement,G',formed as shown, of about equal diameter with the hexagonal At several points inthe periphery of the' enlargement G and of the union H, I form recesses g h inthe enlargement G' and in the union H. These are distributed at unequal distances, there being two more partial recesses in the union H than in the enlargement G. It follows that in turning the screw-union H to complete a joint it is certain to come to rest with the recess at some point coinciding, or very nearly coinciding, with one of the recesses in the head G'.

I apply in those recesses where they correspond a proper qnantityof melted sealing-wax, and apply the seal of the inspector.

By having two more recesses in the union H than in the enlargement G', I am certain to have the recesses match together at two points n the periphery. I can secure the devices eectually by sealing only one. The arrangement to insure two avoids the inconvenience of ever having to eifect the sealing on the under side.

The lock or locking-piece P p may, and generally will,`be used alone; but additional security will be aiorded hy using it in connection with a coupling having the parts H G' provided with matching recesses. The lockin g- A yoke P is engaged on the properly-formedperphery of the union H, andthe offset p', from its arm p, is entered inl the recess m in the,

wiped joint M and securedwith wax D with the impression of the seal, and in combination therewith I nd the point on the :upper side of the joint where the recesses in the parts G'c means for insuring a tightness of the union H, having vone of its angles inline with recess m in the wiped joint, whether that position brings the coupling quite together, metal and metal, or not. To make a tight joint under these conditions I employ a considerable washer, J, of leather or other yielding material, in the position represented. (Shown in Fig. 3.) This makes a tight joint, with the union H screwed down a little more or a little less. With this provision I can turn the union H until it begins to bear gently on the soft washer J, and then, applying theV locking-piece, observe whether the o'setp matches the hole m. If it does not, I shift the locking-piece around to a new position, so that its arm p corresponds with auother angle of the union H, and turn the latter farther until its offset p coincides with the recess, and then seal at the two points.

Modifications may be made in the detail. I can make the enlargement G round instead of square or qnarterfoil, as shown. I can provide a greater or less number of sides inthe union H, or can make it star-shaped, or with teeth of greater or less lineness, always providing that the coupling-yoke P be adapted to be reliably engaged therewith. Instead of the oii'- set p', the arm p may be formed with a branch which will extend into the recess m and perform the same function.

What I claim as my invent-ion, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isy A 1. The combination, with the nut of a screwcoupling, of a lock composed of a collar or yoke fitting said nut and a tail-piece or arm projecting from said collar and adapted to be sealed to one of the parts connected by said nut, substantially as specied.

2. A lock for a screw-coupling, composed of a collar or yoke adapted to tit the lnut of such coupling and a tail-piece or arm projecting from said collar and adapted to be sealed to one of the parts connected by said nut, substantially as specified.

3. The meter B, nozzle G, union H, andv locking-piece P p, having an o'set or branch, p', in combination with the wiped joint M, having a recess, m, and wax Dadapted to prevent the disconnection of the service-pipe C from the meter, as and for the purposes herein specied.

4. The enlargement G and union H, having partial recesses g h, and wax D, in combina- IOO IIO

tion with the locking-piece P, having au arm,

p, and oiset or branch p', and the wiped joint M, having a recess, m, and wax D, and with the meter B and service-pipe U, all. substantially as and for the purposes herein specified.

ALEXR. MACKEY. `Witnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, ED GLATZMAYER.

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