US911256A - Meter-box. - Google Patents

Description

FUNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIcE.

HENR-Y E. MCWANEQOF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO LYNCHBURG FOUNDY UO.,

- OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIRGINIA.

METER-BOX.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led February 21, 1908. Serial No. 417,092.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

'citizen'l of the United States, residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Meter-Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in closures for street or outside meter boxes, though useful for other analogous devices, andthe principal object is to provide a simple and inexpensive closure that can be cheaply produced, will effectively prevent the ingress of dirt to the box, can'be properly locked, and easily unlocked for the purpose of inspecting the meter', and

' is so constructed that there is little liability of derangement.

The preferred form of construction is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein l Figure 1 is a perspective view of the upper portion of a box, showing the closure in open vposition. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional View through the hinge. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view showing the closure locked. Fig. 4 is a sectional view therethrough, on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional View on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Similar reference numerals designate eorresponding parts in all the iigures of the drawings.I

In the embodiment illustrated, the upper portion only of the box body is shown, and is esignated 6, this body being cylindrical in form and having an open upper end provided with integral inset lugs 7, at its upper margin.

' These lugs, in the presentembodiment, are

diametrically opposite to veach other and have oppositely inclined lower' edges 8, together with depending stops 9, formed at the lower ends of the edges. 'lhe body l'nrthermore .has an outstanding integral lug 8" arranged haii' way between the lugs 7 and` provided with a socket 9, the upper and lower ends ot' which are open.

The closure is in the form of a disk or plate l0 that rests u on the top edge oi' the box and is provide( inside its margin wilh an integral depending flange comprising sections 11, the sections being formed by cutting away opposite portions ol' the ilange, as shown at 12 to receive the lugs 7 when the closure is in place, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The closure disk or plate l'uri hermore is provided with an integral projecting hinge lug comprising a downwardly and outwardly inclined neck 13 terminating in an enlargedy head 14, the op osite edges 15 of which are rounded, said e ges converging toward their lower ends to form a point 16. The opposite portions of the edges, which converge to forni said point, are substantially flat, forming stop shoulders. The head 14, as A.shown more particularly in Figs. 2 and 4, is engaged in the socket 9a of the outstanding lug 8, vand the two parts cooperate to form a hinge on which the closure 10 swings, the upward or rearward swinging movement of the closure peing limited by the' head, as shown in rFor the purpose of locking the closure in its operative or closed position, a locking bar 17 lis employed and is'riveted or otherwise iixedly secured, as shown at 18 to the lower end of a rotary bolt 19 'ournaled inthe cen-A tral ortion of the dis 10 and having an angu ar head 20 at its up er endthat is arranged in a socket 21 in t e cap. The locking bar 17 has its ends operating upon the lower edges of the flange sections 11 on opposite sides of the cut-away portion '12, and said ends are arranged to move from the flange sections to positions beneath the lugs ,7, riding against the inclined edges 8 and being stopped by the shoulders orzlug's 9. The movement of the bar in'an opposite direction is also limited by a depending stop 22 formed upon the lower edge of one ofthe fiange sections 11.

With this structure, it will be evident that the closure plate can he swung freely from open to closed position, and can be readily detached, inasmuch as the head 14 is removable from the socket 9 when the closure late is in a undetermined position. When, owever, t e closure is in its operative position over the open en'd of the body 6, the flange sections ll and lugs 7 constitute an effective seal against the ingress of dirt and trash, and said lugs constitute eontinuations of the Ilange sections. Il now the locking bar 17 is turned to a position beneath the lugs 7, by means of a proper key, applied to the head 2l), it will he evident that said closure plate will not only be elleetively locked, but will be drawn downwardly hy the ends ol' the bars 17 riding against the inclined edges S oi the lug.

hro'n the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, ,operation and many advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion and minor details of construction, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus iully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isz-- l. A box of the character described, coniprising a tubular body having an open upper end provided with inset lugs at its upper margin, said lugs having theirunder edges nolining downwardly and terminating in depending stops, a closure for the upper end of the body comprising a plate having its margins resting on the top edges of thel body and having a depending ilange inside the margin that iits within the body, said ila11gel ei1g out away to receive thc inset lugs and said lugs constituting substantial continuations of the iiange sections when located in the eutaway portions, a bolt journaled in the elosure, a locking .bar secured between its ends to the lower end of the bolt and located-beneath the under side of the closure, said bar and belt being fixed against relative rotation and the bar rotating beneath and with respect te the closure upon the rotation of the bolt and having its ends operating below the under side ol the `flange and against the lower inclined edges of the lugs, and other lugs depending from the iiangc oi the closure for limiting the movement of the locking bar.

2. A box of the character described, comprising a tubular body having an open upper end and an outstanding lug on its upper margin that has a socket with an open upper end, a closure for the open end of the body comprising a plate having an outstanding d \\nturncd hinge lug projecting from one edge el the same, said lug consisting of a neck carried by thc closure plate, and an enlarged head that is pivotally engaged in the socket of the lug, the opposite sides of the head being rounded, and said head terminating in a tapered point, forming stops to limit the swinging movement of the c osure plate.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY E. MOWANE. W'itnesses L. W. WALSH, W. W. COFFEY.

Images