Water meter pit cover latch

• US 9,663,973 B2
• Filed: 04/06/2011
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Original Assignee: Rehrig Pacific Company
• Inventors: Foster, Derick
• Primary Examiner(s): Chu, King M
• Application Number:
  US13/080,707
• Publication Number:
  US 20110303675A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,246 Days
• Field of Search: 220324, 220484, 292101, 292102, 292105, 292108, 292240, 292241, 292200, 292202, 292203, 292197
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 35/008 for simple tool-like keys
• CPC Class Codes: E05B 65/006 for covers or panels for manholes E02D29/1427; for holes enabling access to installations in buildings E04F19/08; for pressure vessels F16J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: E05C 3/042 the handle being at one side, the bolt at the other side or inside the wing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 292/1077 Cam

Abstract

A water meter pit assembly includes a water meter pit frame defining an opening and a cover supported within the opening. A latch is moveable between a locked position where the cover is held fixed relative to the water meter pit frame to close the opening and an unlocked position where the cover is moveable relative to the water meter pit frame to allow access to the opening. The latch comprises a rotatable cam that engages the water meter pit frame when in the locked position.

Claims

1. A water meter pit assembly comprising:

a water meter pit frame defining an opening, and wherein the water meter pit frame includes an inner peripheral wall surface extending from an upper end to a lower end configured to be supported by a water pit column;

a cover supported within the opening;

a latch moveable between a locked position where the cover is held fixed relative to the water meter pit frame to close the opening and an unlocked position where the cover is moveable relative to the water meter pit frame to allow access to the opening, and wherein the latch comprises a latch body received within a latch opening in the cover, the latch body including a pivot actuator configured to rotate the latch body and a rotatable cam that engages the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame when in the locked position;

wherein the cam includes an outer peripheral surface that is in direct abutting engagement with the inner peripheral surface of the water meter pit frame when in the locked position;

wherein the pivot actuator is received within a pivot portion of the latch body that is positioned offset from a center of the cam; and

wherein the pivot actuator includes an enlarged head portion and a body portion that extends downwardly from the head portion, and wherein the body portion has a first portion of a larger cross-section and a second portion with a smaller cross-section to define an abutment surface that provides a stop for the pivot actuator when inserted into the pivot portion.

2. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the water meter pit frame includes a base portion to be supported by a water pit column and a top portion that provides the opening.

3. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the water meter pit frame comprises a cast iron frame.

4. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the water meter pit frame comprises an aluminum frame.

5. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the water meter pit frame comprises a plastic frame.

6. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes an outer peripheral edge portion that rests on an upwardly facing end face of the water meter pit frame.

7. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover has an upper surface that is flush with an upwardly facing end face of the water meter pit frame.

8. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes an upper surface and a lower surface that includes a plurality of ribs.

9. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 8, wherein the upper surface comprises a textured surface with at least one non-textured surface for identifying information.

10. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cover includes an upper surface and a lower surface, and wherein the cover includes a latch opening extending through a thickness of the cover from the upper surface to the lower surface to receive the latch.

11. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 10, wherein the cover defines an outer periphery and wherein the latch opening is positioned adjacent the outer periphery.

12. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 11, wherein the latch is selectively rotated to move a peripheral side surface of the cam into engagement with the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame to achieve the locked position, the peripheral side surface of the cam contacting the inner peripheral wall surface at a location spaced from the upper end of the water meter pit frame.

13. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 1, wherein the latch body includes the cam and a pivot portion that defines a pivot opening that receives the pivot actuator.

14. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cam and the pivot portion are integrally formed together as a single-piece component.

15. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 13, wherein the cam includes a sloped surface that slopes from one edge of the latch body having a thickest cross-section to an opposite edge of the latch body that has a thinnest cross-section.

16. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 15, wherein a peripheral side surface of the cam at the thickest cross-section is rotated by the pivot actuator into engagement with the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame when the latch is moved to the locked position.

17. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 15, wherein the pivot portion is positioned on the cam at a location away from the edge having the thickest cross-section.

18. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 13, wherein the pivot portion comprises a boss of reduced size compared to the cam, the boss extending upwardly from a portion of the cam toward a bottom surface of the cover.

19. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 18, wherein the cam is comprised of an ovoid shape with the pivot portion being positioned offset from a center of the cam.

20. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 18, wherein the pivot opening is eccentrically positioned near an outer edge of the cam.

21. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 13, wherein the pivot actuator comprises a fastener having an enlarged head portion that is accessible from a top surface of the cover and a body portion that is received within the pivot opening.

22. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 21, wherein the body portion has a first portion of a first cross-section and a second portion of a second cross-section that is smaller than the first cross-section to form an abutment surface that cooperates with the pivot portion to position the fastener at a desired location within the pivot opening.

23. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 22, wherein the first and second cross-sections comprise D-shapes and wherein the pivot opening comprises a corresponding D-shaped opening.

24. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 21, wherein a distal end of the body portion includes a groove, and including a retaining ring received within the groove to secure the fastener to the latch body.

25. A water meter pit assembly comprising:

a water meter pit frame including a base portion to be supported by a water pit column and a top portion that defines an opening, and including a frame wall extending between the base portion and top portion, the frame wall including an inner peripheral wall surface and an outer peripheral wall surface;

a cover supported within the opening;

a latch moveable between a locked position where the cover is held fixed relative to the water meter pit frame to close the opening and an unlocked position where the cover is moveable relative to the water meter pit frame to allow access to the opening, and wherein the latch comprises one common latch that can be used with a cast iron, aluminum, or plastic material cover and can be used with either a cap-style or flush-style cover, and wherein the latch comprises a latch body including a pivot actuator configured to rotate the latch body and a rotatable cam portion that engages the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame when in the locked position;

wherein the pivot actuator is received within a pivot portion of the latch body that is positioned offset from a center of the cam;

wherein the cam portion includes an outer peripheral surface that is in direct abutting engagement with the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame when in the locked position;

wherein the outer peripheral surface of the cam portion is spaced downwardly from the top portion of the water meter pit frame to directly engage the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame at a location spaced apart from the top portion of the water meter pit frame; and

wherein the pivot actuator includes an enlarged head portion and a body portion that extends downwardly from the head portion, and wherein the body portion has a first portion of a larger cross-section and a second portion with a smaller cross-section to define an abutment surface that provides a stop for the pivot actuator when inserted into the pivot portion.

26. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 25, wherein the pivot actuator is received within a pivot portion of the latch body that includes a pivot opening eccentrically positioned near an outer edge of the cam portion, and wherein the pivot actuator selectively rotates the cam into engagement with the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame to achieve the locked position.

27. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 26, wherein the cam portion includes a sloped surface that slopes from one edge of the latch body having a thickest cross-section to an opposite edge of the latch body that has a thinnest cross-section, and wherein the pivot portion is positioned on the cam portion at a location away from the edge having the thickest cross-section, and wherein a peripheral side surface of the cam portion at the thickest cross-section is rotated by the pivot actuator into engagement with the inner peripheral wall surface of the water meter pit frame when the latch is moved to the locked position.

28. The water meter pit assembly according to claim 27, wherein the pivot actuator comprises a fastener having an enlarged head portion that is accessible from a top surface of the cover and a body portion that is received within the pivot opening, and wherein the body portion has a first portion of a first cross-section and a second portion of a second cross-section that is smaller than the first cross-section to form an abutment surface that cooperates with the pivot portion to position the fastener at a desired location within the pivot opening.