Watthour meter socket adapter

• US 6,752,652 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 06/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: E J Brooks Company
• Original Assignee: Ekstrom Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Robinson, Darrell
• Primary Examiner(s): Bradley, P. Austin
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONGCHI T
• Application Number:
  US10/405,522
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 439/517, 439/508, 439/638, 439/719, 439/745, 439/747, 439/856, 439/733.1, 361/111, 361/118, 361/102, 361/127, 361/661-663, 361/664-665, 361/659, 361/668
• US Class Current: 439/517
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 11/04 Housings; Supporting racks; Arrangements of terminals

Abstract

A watthour socket adapter base carries jaw blades for receiving blade terminals on a meter device and connectable to meter socket jaw contacts. Latch member carrier by drive members on an annular ring engage a socket cover to fixedly mount the latch base to the socket cover. Barriers surround each drive member to electrically insulate the drive members from the jaw contacts. Apertures in the base are surrounded by strain relief and lock fingers to accommodate the passage of conductors throgh the base. Conformable discontinuities are formed in the annual ring of the base to conform to different diameter shells attachable to the base. In another aspect, the latch members are pivotally mounted on an outer surface of the base and movable between latching and unlatching positions by rotation of a fastener extendible through the shell and the base and engaged with the latch members.

Claims

1. An electrical power service apparatus mountable in a meter socket having a cover with an aperture, the electrical power service apparatus comprising:

a housing with a base and a flange extending radially outward from the base;

an annular ring extending from the base;

a plurality of drive members radially extendible through the ring; and

a latch coupled to each drive member for movement into engagement with a meter socket cover adjacent to an aperture in the cover.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

frangible means, formed in the housing flange, for separating an outer ring portion from the flange.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

trap members carried on the barrier means for axially capturing the drive members for rotation with respect to the annular ring.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an ear carried and extending radially outward from the annular ring on the housing;

an aperture formed in the ear,

an aperture formed in a portion of the drive member disposed radially exteriorly of the annular ring; and

tamper indicator seal means, extendible through the apertures in the ear and the drive member, for indicating a sealed position of the drive member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

a seal member carried on each drive member for environmentally sealing each drive member to the annular ring.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an ear carried and extending radially outward from the annular ring on the housing;

one side of the ear spaced from the flange on the housing and defining a recess with respect to the flange on the housing; and

a sealing ring having a central wall and two outward projecting sidewalls, one sidewall insertable into the recess.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 further comprising:

a plurality of ribs carried on the annular ring on the housing, the ribs engagable with a sealing ring mountable about the annular ring to center the sealing ring with respect to the annular housing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drive members comprise:

a die cast metal fastener having a threaded shank and an enlarged head.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein:

the head of each threaded fastener has a plurality of angularly disposed peripheral flats, at least one of the peripheral flats alignable with the flange extending radially outward from the base to receive a sealing ring over the head of each threaded fastener.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one aperture extending through the base of the housing; and

a plurality of perforations formed in the base and extending from the aperture, the perforations separable from the base to form a plurality of fingers having a free end at the aperture, the fingers forming a strain relief for an electrical conductor passing through the aperture.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the fingers having an apex edge, the fingers bendable from a plane of the base to lock an electrical conductor extending through the aperture from withdrawal from the aperture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein:

the fingers are bendable out of the plane of the base to enlarge the diameter of the aperture in the base.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one latch member carried on the base of the housing and movable between a first retracted position allowing insertion of the housing through an aperture in the socket cover and second extended position fixedly latching the housing to the cover.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising:

a fastener extendible through the housing and one latch member; and

wherein

rotation of the fastener moves the one latch member between the first and second positions.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising:

a shell mountable to the mounting flange on the housing, the fastener securing the shell to the base of the housing and extending through the base of the housing.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

frangible means, formed on the flange of the housing, for varying the diameter of the mounting flange.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a separable outer annular ring carried on the flange.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a plurality of shallow recesses formed in the flange.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

barrier means, disposed in the housing, for electrically insulating each drive member from adjacent electrically conductive elements in the housing, the barrier means disposed about substantially all sides of the drive member with respect to the base.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein:

the barrier means extends from the base of the housing substantially to the outer edge of the annular ring.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the barrier means comprises:

a continuous wall.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein:

the wall is integrally formed with the base in the housing.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

conformable means, carried on the annular ring for adjusting the engagement of the ring with a shell attachable to the housing.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:

at least one aperture extending through the base of the housing; and

a plurality of perforations formed in the base and extending from the aperture, the perforations separable from the base to form a plurality of fingers having a free end at the aperture, the fingers forming a strain relief for an electrical conductor passing through the aperture.

26. The apparatus of claim 25 wherein:

the fingers having an apex edge, the fingers bendable from a plane of the base to lock an electrical conductor extending through the aperture from withdrawal from the aperture.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein:

the fingers are bendable out of the plane of the base to enlarge the diameter of the aperture in the base.

28. The apparatus of claim 24 wherein the conformable means comprises:

at least one annular discontinuity in the annular ring.

29. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the at least one angular discontinuity comprises:

a plurality of angular discontinuities in the annular ring.

30. The apparatus of claim 28 wherein the at least one angular discontinuity comprises:

a sawtooth shaped discontinuity in the annular ring.

31. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising:

frangible means, formed on the flange of the housing, for varying the diameter of the mounting flange.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a separable outer annular ring carried on the flange.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a plurality of shallow recesses formed in the flange.

34. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

trap members carried in the housing for axially capturing the drive members for rotation with respect to the annular ring.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising:

one edge of the flange spaced from the flange on the housing and defining a recess; and

a sealing ring having a central wall and two outward projecting sidewalls, one sidewall insertable into the recess when the sealing ring is mounted over the flange and one drive member.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein:

each of the trap members includes a wall extending from the housing and having an edge angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the drive member;

a recess carried on each drive member; and

the edge of the wall cooperating with the recess to prevent axial displacement of the drive member during rotation of the drive member.

37. The apparatus of claim 36 further comprising:

a flange carried and extending radially outward from the annular ring on the housing.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising:

barrier means, disposed in the housing, for electrically insulating each drive member from adjacent electrically conductive elements in the housing, the barrier means disposed on substantially all sides of the drive member with respect to the base.

39. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein:

the barrier means extends from the base of the housing substantially to the outer edge of the annular ring.

40. The apparatus of claim 38 wherein the barrier means comprises:

a continuous wall.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein:

the wall is integrally formed with the base in the housing.

6. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising:

an annular recess carried on each drive member, the seal member mounted in the recess.

42. An electrical service apparatus mountable to a watthour meter socket and carrying jaw blades engagable with jaw contacts in the watthour meter socket, the apparatus comprising:

a base;

a sidewall extending axially from the base; and

conformable means carried on an end of the sidewall for adjusting, the an engagement of the sidewall with a shell attachable to the sidewall.

43. An electrical service apparatus mountable to a watthour meter socket and carrying jaw blades engagable with jaw contacts in the watthour meter socket, the apparatus comprising:

a base;

a sidewall extending axially from the base; and

a plurality of ribs carried on the sidewall, the ribs engagable with a sealing ring mountable about the sidewall to center the sealing ring with respect to the sidewall.

44. An electrical power service apparatus mountable in a meter socket having a cover with an aperture, the electrical power service apparatus comprising:

a housing with a base and a flange extending radially outward from the base;

an annular ring extending from the base;

a plurality of drive members radially extendible through the ring;

a latch coupled to each drive member for movement into engagement with a meter socket cover adjacent to an aperture in the cover;

a plurality of trap members carried in the housing for axially capturing the drive members for rotation with respect to the annular ring, each of the trap members including;

a wall extending from the housing and having an edge angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the drive member;

a recess carried on each drive member; and

the edge of the wall cooperating with the recess to prevent axial displacement of the drive member during rotation of the drive member.

45. An electrical service apparatus mountable to a watthour meter socket and carrying jaw blades engagable with jaw contacts in the watthour meter socket, the apparatus comprising:

a base;

at least one aperture extending through the base of a housing; and

a plurality of perforations formed in the base and extending from the aperture, the perforations separable from the base to form a plurality of fingers having a free end at the aperture, the fingers forming a strain relief for an electrical conductor passing through the aperture.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein:

the fingers having an apex edge, the fingers bendable from a plane of the base to lock an electrical conductor extending through the aperture from withdrawal from the aperture.

47. The apparatus of claim 46 wherein:

the fingers are bendable out of the plane of the base to enlarge the diameter of the aperture in the base.

48. An electrical service apparatus mountable to a watthour meter socket and carrying jaw blades engagable with jaw contacts in the watthour meter socket, the apparatus comprising:

a base;

a sidewall extending axially from the base;

a mounting flange extending radially from at least one of the base and the sidewall adapted to be engagable with a watthour meter socket cover; and

frangible means, formed on the flange, for varying the diameter of the flange.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a separable outer annular ring carried on the housing.

50. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the frangible means comprises:

a plurality of shallow recesses formed in the flange.

51. An electrical power service apparatus mountable in a meter socket having a cover with an aperture, the electrical power service apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a housing with a base and a flange extending radially outward from the base;

an annular ring extending from the base and carrying a mounting flange at one end;

the base having an interior surface concentrically within the mounting flange and an opposed outer surface; and

a plurality of pivotal latch members carried on the outer surface of the housing and pivotal between a first retracted position allowing insertion of the housing through an aperture in the meter socket cover and second extended position fixedly latching the housing to the cover.

52. The apparatus of claim 51 wherein the conformable means comprises:

at least one annular discontinuity in the annular ring.

53. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the at least one angular discontinuity comprises:

a plurality of angular discontinuities in the annular ring.

54. The apparatus of claim 52 wherein the at least one angular discontinuity comprises:

a sawtooth shaped discontinuity in the annular ring.

55. An electrical power service apparatus mountable in a meter socket having a cover with an aperture, the electrical power service apparatus comprising:

a housing with a base and a flange extending radially outward from the base;

an annular ring extending from the base;

a plurality of drive members radially extendible through the ring;

a latch coupled to each drive member for movement into engagement with a meter socket cover adjacent to an aperture in the cover; and

barrier means, disposed in the housing, for electrically insulating each drive member from adjacent electrically conductive elements in the housing, the barrier means disposed about substantially all sides of the drive member with respect to the base.

56. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein:

the barrier means extends from the base of the housing substantially to the outer edge of the annular ring.

57. The apparatus of claim 55 further comprising:

trap members carried on the barrier means for axially capturing the drive members for rotation with respect to the annular ring.

58. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein the barrier means comprises:

a continuous wall.

59. The apparatus of claim 58 wherein:

the wall is integrally formed with the base in the housing.

60. An electrical service apparatus mountable to a watthour meter socket and carrying jaw blades engagable with jaw contacts in the watthour meter socket, the apparatus comprising:

a housing with a base and a flange extending radially outward from the base;

an annular ring extending from the base;

a plurality of drive members radially extendible through the ring;

a latch coupled to each drive member for movement into engagement with a meter socket cover adjacent to an aperture in the cover;

an ear carried and extending radially outward from the annular ring on the housing;

one side of the ear spaced from the flange on the housing and defining a recess with respect to the flange on the housing; and

a sealing ring having a central wall and two outward projecting sidewalls, one sidewall insertable into the recess.

61. The apparatus of claim 60 further comprising:

an aperture formed in the ear;

an aperture formed in a portion of the drive member disposed radially exteriorly of the annular ring; and

tamper indicator seal means, extendible through the apertures in the ear and the drive member, for indicating a sealed position of the drive member.

62. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein:

the drive members are formed of a threaded fastener having a threaded shank and a head, the head of each fastener having hex peripheral flats; and

at least one of the flats on the head of each fastener alignable with the flange on the housing to enable one side wall of the sealing ring to be disposed in the recess; and

the sidewall of the sealing ring in the recess blocking substantial rotation of the fastener.

63. The apparatus of claim 62 wherein:

the sealing ring is mounted over the ear and the drive member.

64. The apparatus of claim 62 wherein:

the sealing ring is mounted over the flange of the housing and a portion of a watthour meter socket cover.