Positioning member for a curb stop box
OwnerWayne R. Albericoinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A positioning member for a curb stop box which extends into the ground over an underground valve to hold the passageway through the curb stop box in alignment with the operating member of the underground valve so a tool can be extended down into the stop box passageway for turning the valve on and off. The positioning member comprises a cylindrical sleeve made of a durable rigid plastic material, having securing means such as internal threads to engage external threads on the neck of the valve body. The outer diameter of the cylindrical sleeve corresponds to the inner diameter of the facing portion of the curb stop box passageway when in position over the underground valve.
Claims11
A positioning member for a curb stop box having an elongated tubular wall and a through passageway to hold said curb stop box in position relative to a valve assembly having a valve operating member, said positioning member including holding means engageable with said curb stop box to hold said curb stop box in a position whereby said through passageway of said curb stop box is held in alignment with said valve operating member of said valve assembly, said holding means including first holding means to hold said curb stop box against lateral movement relative to said valve assembly, second holding means to hold said positioning member against longitudinal and lateral movement relative to said valve assembly, and third holding means to hold said curb stop box against longitudinal movement relative to said valve assembly, said third holding means comprising an outer wall surface portion of said positioning member extending around the entire periphery of said positioning member, an inner wall surface portion of said curb stop box extending around the entire periphery of said through passageway thereof, said inner and outer wall surface portions being in full facing frictional contact throughout their respective facing surface areas when said positioning member is received in said through passageway of said curb stop box to thereafter frictionally hold each against movement relative to the other, said second and third holding means being laterally spaced apart, and spacing means to space said outer wall surface portion of said third holding means a pre-selected lateral distance from said second holding means for full facing frictional contact of said outer wall surface portion with said inner wall surface portion of said curb stop box when said positioning member is received in said through passageway of said curb stop box.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.