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US 5,870,911 AGranted
Electric meter box lock
OwnerNorman Binz DeWalchinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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OwnerNorman Binz DeWalchinventor
Estimating the term…
A lock for meter boxes and similar enclosures includes an outer case with a central bore mounted on an electric meter box. Inside the bore are two extrusions of unequal length spaced 90 degrees apart. A sleeve having a deep bore is held in the case by a screw, and a spring assembly transmits motion from the screw to the sleeve. The sleeve includes a flange at its end with an arcuate cutout portion which spans both extrusions. The sleeve further includes several internal grooves for retaining a barrel type lock which prevents access to the screw. A heavy cover plate is welded to the top of the sleeve so that it overlays and retains the door of the meter box. To unlock the meter box lock, the barrel lock is removed to allow access to the screw. As the screw is unscrewed, the sleeve moves with the screw until the flange on the sleeve clears the shorter extrusion. The sleeve then rotates with the screw until the flange engages the longer extrusion. In this position, the cover plate no longer overlays the door, and the door can be opened.
A locking device for locking an enclosure having a sidewall and a cover oriented generally perpendicularly to said sidewall, said locking device including a base member having a mounting surface for mounting on said sidewall and a bracket member cooperative with said base member to prevent relative rotation of said bracket member and said base member when said locking device is locked, said bracket member having a plate portion for overlaying said cover when said locking device is locked, said plate portion being oriented generally perpendicularly to said mounting surface, said plate portion being rotatable relative to said base member about an axis generally perpendicular to said plate portion when said locking device is unlocked, said bracket member being continuously coupled to said base member when said plate portion is rotated, and said bracket member having at least one recess therein, said recess being adapted for receiving a barrel lock of the type having a generally cylindrical body with one or more retractable locking elements extending therefrom.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.