Disconnect watthour meter socket adapter

An electrical service apparatus mountable in an electrical socket having jaw contacts connected to electrical power conductors, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing including a base and a sidewall extending from the base;
• a plurality of rigid connectors mounted through the base and having a first end extending outward from the base adapted for connection to the socket jaw contacts and an opposed second end connectable to an electrical disconnect switch;
• an electrical disconnect switch mounted in the housing the electrical disconnect switch having switchable contacts connected to the second ends of the connectors to selectively connect and disconnect the connectors;
• a cover mounted over one end of the side wall of the housing
• an opening formed in the cover to open access to the electrical disconnect switch;
• at least one aperture formed between the cover and the sidewall of the housing permitting gas flow from an interior of the housing externally of the cover;
• and
• a plurality of radially extending, circumferentially spaced ribs carried on the cover and engagable with one end of the sidewall of the housing to form a plurality of apertures between the cover and the housing.

An electrical service apparatus mountable in an electrical socket having jaw contacts connected to electrical power conductors, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing including a base and a sidewall extending from the base;
• a plurality of rigid connectors mounted through the base and having a first end extending outward from the base adapted for connection to the socket jaw contacts and an opposed second end connectable to an electrical disconnect switch;
• an electrical disconnect switch mounted in the housing the electrical disconnect switch having switchable contacts connected to the second ends of the connectors to selectively connect and disconnect the connectors;
• a cover mounted over one end of the side wall of the housing;
• an opening formed in the cover to open access to the electrical disconnect switch;
• and
• a peripheral lip extending from the cover toward the base of the housing, the peripheral lip directing gas flow from the interior of the housing away from the cover and toward the base of the housing.

An electrical service apparatus mountable in an electrical socket having jaw contacts connected to electrical power conductors, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing including a base and a sidewall extending from the base;
• a plurality of rigid connectors mounted through the base and having a first end extending outward from the base adapted for connection to the socket jaw contacts and an opposed second end connectable to an electrical disconnect switch;
• an electrical disconnect switch mounted in the housing, the electrical disconnect switch having switchable contacts connected to the second ends of the connectors to selectively connect and disconnect the connectors;
• a cover mounted over one end of the side wall of the housing;
• an opening formed in the cover to open access to the electrical disconnect switch;
• a primary handle fixedly extending from the cover;
• an ejector handle mounted with respect to the cover for movement between first and second positions;
• and
• at least one ejector arm connected to the ejector handle and extending through the cover and the housing to a distal end disposed exteriorly of the base of the housing, the distal end of the ejector arm movable with respect to the base of the housing upon movement of the ejector handle from the first position to the second position to separate the base of the housing from an attached electrical component.

An electrical service apparatus mountable in an electrical socket having jaw contacts connected to electrical line and load power conductors and a bypass lever for selectively connecting the line conductors to the load conductors, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing including a base and a sidewall extending from the base;
• a plurality of rigid, bus bar connectors mounted through the base, each having a first blade terminal end extending outward from the base adapted for plugging into socket jaw contacts, and an opposed second end;
• and
• an electrical disconnect switch mounted in the housing, the electrical disconnect switch having switchable contacts connected to the second ends of the connectors to selectively connect and disconnect the connectors.

A method for removing and remounting an electrical watthour meter in a meter socket having jaw contacts connected to electrical power comprising the sequential steps of:

• removing a socket cover from a socket housing;
• moving a socket contact bypass lever to a position connecting bypass contacts between socket line and load jaw contacts;
• removing the watthour meter from the socket;
• providing a disconnect housing having an electrical disconnect switch carrying switchable contacts connected to a plurality of connectors extending externally of the housing for connection to the socket jaw contacts;
• moving an electrical disconnect switch control lever to a position placing the disconnect switch contacts in a closed position;
• installing the disconnect housing in a base having jaw contacts receiving the external ends of the connectors on the disconnect housing and external terminals adapted to be engaged with the socket jaw contacts;
• installing the disconnect housing and the base into the socket;
• moving the socket contact bypass lever to a position moving the bypass contacts to an open position from the socket jaw contacts;
• switching the electrical disconnect switch control lever to an off position opening the switchable contacts;
• verifying that potential lights carried on the housing are all off;
• and
• removing the housing from the base.