Plastic Meter Box Bottom

The construction of a metered water service has always had problems of not having a meter box that is relatively easy to use hand tools inside of and keep the inside of the box clean. Open bottomed boxes are not centered over and around the water meter. This causes inefficient meter reading and maintenance.

Various prior art devices which attempt to hold the meter up right, centered inside the meter box and reduce intrusion of foreign matter include the following prior art devices:

1. A cast iron yoke box built by Ford Meter Box Company.

2. A meter cradle pit kit U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,794 built by A.Y. McDonald Company.

Curiously these mechanisms can be characterized by their complexity and associated cost in manufacturing and maintenance. The failure of rendering the desired results are due to plurality of components and type of materials. For example A.Y. McDonald Company built meter yoke bars prior to building a meter cradle. The meter cradle pit kit is an idea that enclosed the meter in a fixed position. However, the meter cradle is complex and costly.

Similarly, the Ford Meter Box Company builds a cast iron yoke box. These boxes are limited to inside space by fitting the box to the meter.

None of the references provide an invention that incorporates a plastic meter box bottom for fastening a copper meter setter up right and centered inside a meter box which is relatively inexpensive to manufature and reliable in use. Further distinctions can be appreciated by considering the ensuing discussion of the instant invention.

Accordingly, an objective of this invention is to provide a relatively inexpensive and reliable plastic meter box bottom with a support bracket to fasten a copper meter setter in a fixed and centered position.

A further objective of this invention is to provide a plastic meter box bottom with the characteristics described above as a support mechanism, therefore which requires no moving parts and could not be detrimentally affected by soil conditions.

These and other objectives will be made manifest when considering the following detailed description of the invention when taken in conjunction with the appended drawing figures.

FIG. 1 is a top view of the meter box bottom according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the meter box bottom.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the meter box bottom.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the inlet and outlet pipe seal.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the meter box bottom, shown supporting a meter setter.

Refering to the drawings now, wherein like referance numerals refers to parts, reference numeral (5) is directed to the meter box bottom piece with support bracket. This support bracket may generally be regarded as having two vertical legs (1) having plural holes (2) therethrough for bolts to fasten the copper meter setter in a fixed position as it rests on the raised base (3). With the copper meter setter in a fixed position the inlet and outlet water pipes are supported by the two vertical legs (4).

The plastic meter box bottom 5 allows the fastening of a copper meter setter centered and upright inside a meter box. The vertical legs 1 are affixed on each side of the raised base 3 and are provided with a plurality of holes 2 for receiving bolts 8. Also affixed to the plastic meter box bottom are two vertical support legs 4 with half round cut outs at a top portion. The pipes going to and from the copper meter setter rest on the support legs 4. As shown in FIG. 4, seals 7 may be provided, comprised of thin flat pieces of rectangular shaped plastic with a half round cut out opening. The half round opening fits over the top half of either the inlet or outlet pipes fastened to the copper meter setter. The seal piece 7 has a greater dimension than the opening access for the pipes and is positioned to cover the opening, causing a soil seal.

The mechanism provides for attaching a copper meter setter to the inside of a potable water meter box bottom. The copper meter setter is fastened upright and centered in place with one or more bolts 8 with washers and wing nuts 9. The tightening of the bolt nut will pull the vertical legs 1 together, compressing the copper meter setter in a vise like grip. The copper meter setter is supported in a raised position off the meter box bottom by the raised, contoured base 3, between the vertical legs 1. The two vertical legs 1 and the raised, contoured base 3 form the support bracket. The copper meter setter can be released by loosening the bolt nuts 9 and removing the bolts 8.

Inlet and outlet pipes that carry water to and from the copper meter setter are supported by a raised leg 4 at the outer perimeters of the meter box bottom, where the meter box wall intersects with the meter box bottom 5. The meter box bottom 5 may be attached to the meter box walls 10 by various conventional fasteners or may be used without being attached. The meter box may also have a roof 11.