Meter ring locking device

Abstract

A utility meter clamping ring is locked to the meter by a locking device that locks the free ends of the ring together automatically without the use of a separate plunger device. A latch is spring loaded in the locking device housing in a normally biased lock position. The lock device is secured to one free end of the clamping ring. An apertured blade is attached to the other free end of the clamping ring. The ring is placed about the flanges of the meter cover and base flanges and the blade is then inserted into the locking device housing where its aperture is engaged automatically by the spring loaded latch and locked to the housing upon insertion. A conventional plunger key may optionally be used to unlock the latch and release the blade from the locked position to free the ends for removal of the meter cover via an optional bore in the latch engaged by the key. The latch may be optionally permanently locked to the blade so that either the locking device or the ring has to be destroyed. Weakening grooves are in the ring of the latter embodiment to facilitate breaking the ring open. Embodiments are disclosed for use with F and G type plunger unlock keys and include an anti-tampering sleeve for use in the lock to preclude tampering disengagement of the lock of the type used with an F type key.

1 . A clamping ring assembly comprising: 
 a split ring for clamping a cover to a base, the ring having opposing adjacent free ends; and    a locking device having mating male and female elements attached to the respective opposing free ends for locking the ring free ends together in an engaged clamping mode as the mating male and female elements are placed into the engaged clamping mode.    
   
   
       2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the female element includes a reciprocating plunger latch for engaging the male element in a engaged clamping mode lock position of the latch, the latch reciprocating on an axis, the latch having a bore for receiving a key for frictionally engaging the latch and for axially displacing the latch to an unlock position disengaged from the male element along the axis.  
   
   
       3 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the female element includes a housing with a reciprocating resiliently secured latch attached to a first ring end and interior of the housing, the male element comprising a blade attached to a second ring end and having an aperture for automatically receiving the resiliently secured latch in a locking mode as the male element is engaged with the female element, the housing for receiving the blade in the housing interior, the latch for locking the blade to the housing upon insertion of the blade into the housing interior.  
   
   
       4 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein the housing has a slot for receiving the blade.  
   
   
       5 . The assembly of  claim 3  wherein the latch is permanently attached to the housing in the unlock state of the blade.  
   
   
       6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein the locking device is arranged to be permanently locked and requires destruction of one of the lock and ring in order for the ring to be opened.  
   
   
       7 . A utility meter clamping ring assembly comprising: 
 a resilient split ring having locked and unlocked states for clamping a utility meter cover to a meter base, the ring having first and second facing opposing ends, the first end including a blade having an aperture;    a housing secured to the second end, the housing having a bore, the housing having a slot in communication with the bore for receiving the blade; and    a resiliently movable latch in the bore, the latch for resiliently engaging the aperture of the received blade to lock the blade to the housing in a ring locked state in response to the insertion of the blade into the slot when the blade aperture is aligned with the latch for receiving the latch.    
   
   
       8 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the housing bore is in communication with a region external the housing through a housing opening, the latch having a bore for receiving a key through the housing opening and which key selectively disengages the latch from the blade aperture to place the ring in the unlocked state by frictionally engaging the latch and withdrawing the latch from the blade aperture.  
   
   
       9 . The device of  claim 7  wherein the blade defines a plane, the housing bore is circular cylindrical and the latch is circular cylindrical and reciprocates in the housing bore in a direction that is normal to the plane of the blade.  
   
   
       10 . The assembly of  claim 9  wherein the latch has a locked and unlocked position, the device including a spring in the housing bore for normally biasing the latch in a blade lock position with a locking portion in said slot.  
   
   
       11 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the housing bore defines a longitudinal axis, the slot defining a plane that is normal to the longitudinal axis.  
   
   
       12 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the blade defines a plane, the latch reciprocating in the bore in a direction normal to the plane of the blade.  
   
   
       13 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the latch and blade are arranged such that the blade is automatically locked to the housing when the blade is inserted in the slot.  
   
   
       14 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the latch is permanently locked in the locked state and the ring can only be opened by destruction of the ring or the housing-latch assembly.  
   
   
       15 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the latch is permanently secured in the housing bore.  
   
   
       16 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the latch includes a key receiving bore for releasably receiving a latch key for disengaging the latch from the blade aperture.  
   
   
       17 . The assembly of  claim 7  including a guide in the housing bore.  
   
   
       18 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the guide has an opening for receiving a latch key for unlocking the latch from the blade.  
   
   
       19 . The assembly of  claim 17  wherein the guide has a bore for receiving the latch and encloses the housing bore permanently securing the latch to the housing.  
   
   
       20 . The assembly of  claim 17  including at least one weakening groove in the ring for destructively opening the locked ring.  
   
   
       21 . The assembly of  claim 7  wherein the latch has a key receiving bore, the key for selectively frictionally engaging the latch through the housing opening and for selectively disengaging the latch from said blade aperture to permit unlocking of the blade from the housing, and a cylindrical sleeve captured in the latch key receiving bore, the sleeve having a longitudinal slot for enabling the sleeve to resiliently grip the latch in response to operation of the key for said selective resilient engaging.  
   
   
       22 . A utility meter locking ring assembly comprising: 
 a resilient ring that has a split region forming first and second facing adjacent ends, the ring having locked and unlocked states for locking a utility meter cover to a meter base, the first end including a flat blade having a through aperture;    a housing having a bore in communication with an exterior region external the housing through an opening in the housing, the bore defining a longitudinal axis, the housing being secured to the meter ring second end, the housing having a slot for receiving the blade in a direction normal to the longitudinal axis in a ring locked state, the aperture of the received blade being aligned with the bore in the locked state of the blade to the housing; and    a latch resiliently secured to the housing for reciprocating in the housing bore along the longitudinal axis and forming a latch for normally automatically resiliently engaging the aperture to lock the blade to the housing upon insertion of the blade into the housing slot.    
   
   
       23 . The assembly of  claim 22  wherein the latch has a key receiving bore, the key for selectively frictionally engaging the latch through the housing opening and for selectively disengaging the latch from said blade aperture to permit unlocking of the blade from the housing.  
   
   
       24 . The assembly of  claim 22  wherein the latch is permanently placed in the locked state and the device can not be opened without destruction of either the device or the ring.  
   
   
       25 . The assembly of  claim 23  further including a cylindrical sleeve captured in the latch key receiving bore, the sleeve having a longitudinal slot for enabling the sleeve to resiliently grip the latch in response to operation of the key for said selective resilient engaging.