Adjustable meter loop assembly
AssigneeUponor Aldyl Company
InventorHoward W. Hall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An adjustable meter loop assembly for connecting a gas meter to a gas supply line and a gas service line which includes a gas inlet conduit, a gas outlet conduit, and an adjustable brace. The gas inlet conduit is connectable to a gas inlet of the gas meter and the gas supply line. The gas outlet conduit is connectable to a gas outlet of the gas meter and the gas service line. The adjustable brace connects the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit. At least one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit is rotatable so as to permit the position of a second end of one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit to be selectively altered.
Claims11
A meter loop assembly for connecting a gas meter to a gas supply line and a gas service line, the gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the meter loop assembly comprising:
- a gas inlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas inlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas supply line;
- a gas outlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas outlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas service line;
- and
- an adjustable brace having a portion engaged with the gas inlet conduit between the first end and the second end of the gas inlet conduit and another portion engaged with the gas outlet conduit between the first end and the second end of the gas outlet conduit so as to connect the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit, the first end of the gas inlet conduit spaced a distance from the first end of the gas outlet conduit which corresponds to the distance between the gas inlet and the gas outlet of the gas meter, at least one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit being rotatable relative to the adjustable brace so as to permit the position of the second end of one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit to be selectively altered to facilitate connection of the second end of the gas inlet conduit to the gas supply line and the second end of the gas outlet conduit to the gas service line while the distance between the first ends of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit remain the same.
A method for forming a meter loop assembly for connecting a gas meter to a gas supply line and a gas service line, the gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the method comprising:
- providing a gas inlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas inlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas supply line;
- providing a gas outlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas outlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas service line;
- and
- connecting the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit between the first and the second ends of the gas inlet conduit and the first and second ends of the gas outlet conduit such that the first end of the gas inlet conduit is spaced a distance from the first end of the gas outlet conduit which corresponds to the distance between the gas inlet and the gas outlet of the gas meter and such that at least one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit is rotatable so as to permit the position of the second end of one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit to be selectively altered to facilitate connection of the second end of the gas inlet conduit to the gas supply line and the second end of the gas outlet conduit to the gas service line while the distance between the first ends of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit remain the same.
A method for connecting a gas meter to a gas supply line and a gas service line, the gas meter having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, the method comprising:
- providing a meter loop assembly, the meter loop assembly comprising:
- a gas inlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas inlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas inlet conduit connectable to the gas supply line;
- a gas outlet conduit having a first end and a second end, the first end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas outlet of the gas meter and the second end of the gas outlet conduit connectable to the gas service line;
- and
- an adjustable brace having a portion engaged with the gas inlet conduit between the first end and the second end of the gas inlet conduit and another portion engaged with the gas outlet conduit between the first end and the second end of the gas outlet conduit so as to connect the gas inlet conduit to the gas outlet conduit, the first end of the gas inlet conduit is spaced a distance from the first end of the gas outlet conduit which corresponds to the distance between the gas inlet and the gas outlet of the gas meter, at least one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit being rotatable relative to the adjustable brace so as to permit the position of the second end of one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit to be selectively altered to facilitate connection of the second end of the gas inlet conduit to the gas supply line and the second end of the gas outlet conduit to the gas service line while the distance between the first ends of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit remain the same;
- rotating at least one of the gas inlet conduit and the gas outlet conduit so as to align the second end of the gas inlet conduit with the gas supply line and the second end of the gas outlet conduit with the gas service line;
- connecting the second end of the gas inlet conduit to the gas supply line;
- connecting the second end of the gas outlet conduit to the gas service line;
- and
- connecting the inlet of the gas meter to the first end of the gas inlet conduit and the outlet of the gas meter to the first end of the gas outlet conduit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.