Patent Application
20070157769
This invention pertains to tools for use with gas meters, and more particularly, tools for turning the gas supply to a gas meter on or off.
Natural gas is a common energy source, supplied through a gas line to a gas meter. A typical gas meter has an inlet line positioned to the left as one faces the meter, and an outlet line positioned to the right of the gas meter. Gas enters the meter from the main at the street through the inlet pipe and leaves the meter and enters the building piping through the outlet pipe. The valve used to turn the gas supply on and off is located on the inlet pipe.
With reference to
As shown in
The arm 16 of the gas meter valve 10 is provided with a post 18 that extends upwardly from an outer end of arm 16. It is known in the art to use an adjustable tool for gripping the post 18 to close or open the gas meter valve 10. Such adjustable tools include adjustable wrenches (commonly referred to as a crescent wrench), pliers, channel-lock pliers (also known as water-pump pliers), pipe wrenches, monkey wrenches, vice grips, and other wrenches as long as they are the proper size and provide the leverage needed to turn the valve 10.
However, none of these adjustable tools are specifically designed for the task at hand. Specifically, all of the adjustable tools known in the art require multiple piece construction, with moving parts adjustable to accommodate the post 18. Accordingly, the adjustable tools known in the art are all more costly and complex than necessary for the particular task of closing gas meter valves 10.
Additionally, all of the adjustable tools known in the art have an opening at one end when associated with the post 18 of the gas meter valve 10. Accordingly, the adjustable tools known in the art do not form a complete enclosure around post 18, potentially forming a faulty grip on the post 18 and requiring additional manual force to both grip post 18 and turn arm 16.
Therefore an object of the present invention is to provide a gas meter valve tool of one piece construction devoid of any moving part.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a gas meter valve tool formed to completely enclose the post of the gas meter valve.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.
A one piece tool for use with a gas meter valve having a movable core with a post for actuation of the core, the tool including a main body having a handle portion located at a distal end of the main body and a post aperture located at a proximal end of the main body. The post aperture is formed to completely receive and enclose the post of the gas meter valve to actuate the core. A proximal depression located at the proximal end of the main body provides a grip for a user adjacent the post aperture for fitting the post aperture over the post. A distal depression located at the distal end of the main body provides a grip for a user when actuating the gas meter valve. A loop aperture located at the distal end of the main body attaches the tool to a user or near the gas meter valve.
With reference to the Figures, a one piece tool 20 is shown for use with a gas meter valve 10 having a movable core with an arm 16 extending outwardly therefrom. The arm 16 has a post 18 that extends upwardly from an outer end of arm 16. The tool 20 includes a main body 22 with a handle portion 23 located at a distal end of the main body 22. A post aperture 24 is located at a proximal end of the main body 22. The post aperture 24 is formed to receive post 18 and encircles the post 18 of the gas meter valve 10 to actuate the core 14 of the gas meter valve 10.
With reference to
At the distal end of the main body 22 is a distal depression 32 on the top of the tool 20 and a distal depression 34 on the bottom of the tool 20 that create a second grip area 33 which further assists the user in holding the tool 20 during operation.
With reference back to
Additionally, the tool 20 may be colored to blend in with the gas meter, or alternatively given a bright color to indicate its emergency use (such as bright yellow, for example).
In operation, a user grips the one piece tool 20 by the first grip area 29 and the second grip area 33 of the handle portion 23 and fits the post aperture 24 around the post 18 of the gas meter valve 10.
Once the post aperture 24 is positioned around the post 18, the user exerts force on the handle portion 23 in a lateral direction. The one piece tool 20 transfers the rotational force from the user to the post 18 of the gas meter valve 10, moving the core 14 from the on position to the off position in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction moving the gas meter to either an “on” or “off” position.
Whereas the invention has been shown and described in connection with the embodiments thereof, it will be understood that many modifications, substitutions, and additions may be made which are within the intended broad scope of the following claims. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention accomplishes at least all of the stated objectives.
