This invention relates generally to devices for implementing a ground connection between an electrical meter box and a common ground point. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to clamp devices which mount to an electrical meter box and connect via a flexible conductor with a common ground point.
A number of various types of devices have been employed for connecting a ground wire with an electrical meter box. Most conventional devices employ clamp assemblies of various forms. In applications to which the present invention relates, the connecting devices are ordinarily clamped onto the exterior of the electrical meter box which is mounted on the wall of a building.
A number of conventional designs are configured to mount rigidly or semi-rigidly onto the electrical meter box. For such designs, damage to the electrical meter box can occur when the clamping force is applied to the electrical meter box. For example, it is not uncommon for the electrical meter box to be bent or twisted when the clamping force is applied.
In another known design, the device clamps onto a corner of the electrical meter box. A lower flange of the device engages a bottom skirt of the electrical meter box top cover. A bolt threadably disposed through a top plate of the device engages the electrical meter box top cover. Applying a torque to the bolt causes the device to be clamped to the electrical meter box. Such devices may not provide an adequate electrical connection with the electrical meter box.
A ground clamp disclosed in U.S. 6,329,592 includes a U-shaped clamp member having first and second legs which form a slot. A pair of openings in the first leg form a center segment disposed between two fingers. The edge portion of the meter box enclosure is resiliently clamped within the slot between the fingers and the second leg. The center segment includes a threaded socket. A bolt member has a stud portion and a bolt head portion, the stud portion including a threaded segment disposed proximate the distal end and an unthreaded shaft segment disposed intermediate the threaded segment and the bolt head portion. At least one protrusion extends axially from the distal end of the bolt member to a sharp edge. The stud portion is mounted in the socket of the clamp member such that the shaft segment is positioned in the threaded portion of the socket and the threaded segment is positioned within the slot when the sharp edge of the protrusion contacts the exterior surface of the edge portion received within the slot. The sharp edge of the protrusion removes the corrosion inhibiting coating from the exterior surface of the edge portion to electrically connect the meter box to the clamp without deforming the meter box enclosure upon rotation of the bolt member. However, a hammer or similar tool is usually required to insert the second leg of the clamp member between the bottom skirt of the meter box top cover and the side or front panel of the meter box.
Briefly stated, the invention in a preferred form is a meter box ground clamp for clamping a ground wire to a metallic meter box. The meter box ground clamp comprises a U-shaped clamp body including first and second leg segments and a base segment forming a vertically extending, open channel. Each of the leg segments has a laterally extending upper extension segment. The base segment has a middle portion defining a longitudinally extending slot, a lower portion extending obliquely from the middle portion into the channel, the lower portion defining a substantially circular opening, and an upper portion extending longitudinally from the middle portion. A pressure bar extends from a front end to a rear end through the slot of the clamp body middle portion. The pressure bar includes a front segment extending from the clamp body slot to the pressure bar front end and a rear segment extending from the clamp body slot to the pressure bar rear end. The front segment is at least partially disposed within the clamp body channel and has an upper surface defining a laterally extending groove forming a lip at the pressure bar front end. The rear segment defining a vertically extending bore and a threaded opening, extending from a side of the rear segment and intersecting the bore. A floating nut extending from a front end to a rear end through the slot of the clamp body middle portion. The floating nut is disposed below the pressure bar and includes a front portion extending from the clamp body slot to the floating nut front end and a rear portion extending from the clamp body slot to the floating nut rear end. The front portion is at least partially disposed within the clamp body channel and defines a vertically extending bore having a threaded surface. A bolt member includes a bolt head disposed below the lower portion of the clamp body base segment, and a shaft extending upwardly from the bolt head through the opening of the lower portion of the clamp body base segment to a distal end contacting the pressure bar front segment. At least a portion of the shaft has a threaded surface threadably engaged with the bore of the floating nut front segment A ground engagement bolt includes a bolt head, and a threaded shaft extending from the bolt head. The threaded shaft is received within the threaded opening of the pressure bar rear segment and is threadably displaceable therein to clamp a ground wire positioned within the bore of the pressure bar segment. The extension segments of the clamp body legs are adapted for engaging the exterior surface of the drip cap and the bolt member is adapted for threadably driving the lip of the pressure bar front segment into the meter box overlap joint whereby the lip of the pressure bar front segment mechanically engages the abutting surfaces of the edge portion of the meter box drip cap and the upper end portion of the meter box panel to electrically connect the ground clamp to the meter box.
The leg segments of the clamp body have a lower portion extending obliquely into the clamp body channel below the lower portion of the base segment.
The slot of the clamp body middle portion includes a main portion and a lower end portion. The pressure bar and floating nut each also include oppositely disposed first and second sides defining oppositely disposed notches separated by a web of material. The pressure bar notches divide the pressure bar into the front and rear segments and the floating nut notches divide the floating nut into the front and rear portions. The pressure bar web of material and the floating nut web of material are disposed within the slot of the clamp body middle portion. The main portion of the slot of the clamp body middle portion has a width (Wm), the lower end portion of the slot of the clamp body middle portion has a width (WL), the pressure bar has a width (WPB), the pressure bar web of material has a width (WPBW), the floating nut has a width (WFN), and the floating nut web of material has a width (WFNW), wherein Wm>WL, WPB>Wm>WPBW>WL, and WFN>Wm>WL>WFNW.
The distal end of the bolt member has the shape of a cone having a rounded tip. The lower surface of the pressure bar front segment has a hemispherically-shaped socket for receiving the distal end of the bolt member shaft.
The extension segment of each clamp body leg segment includes a front portion having a downwardly extending tooth, the tooth is adapted for penetrating the corrosion inhibiting coating on the meter box drip cap.
The present invention may be better understood and its numerous objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
With reference to the drawings wherein like numerals represent like parts throughout the several figures, a meter box ground clamp in accordance with the present invention is generally designated by the numeral 10. As shown in
With reference to
The base segment 36 has a longitudinal axis 46 and upper, middle and lower portions 48, 50, 52. The lower portion 52 of the base segment 36 extends obliquely from middle portion 50 into channel 42, between the first and second leg segments 38, 40. Preferably, lower portion 52 and middle portion 50 form an angle 54 substantially equal to 120°. The lower portion 52 has a generally circular opening 56, preferably disposed axially therein. The middle portion 50 has a longitudinally extending slot 58, preferably disposed axially therein. Slot 58 may include a main portion 60 and a lower end portion 62 extending longitudinally to the lower portion 52 of the base segment 36, where the width WM of the main portion 60 is greater than the width WL of the lower end portion 62.
Each leg segment 38, 40 has upper, middle and lower portions 64, 66, 68. The upper portion 64 includes an extension segment 70 that extends laterally from the front edge 72 of the middle portion 66. The front portion 74 of the extension segment 70 has a tooth or prong 76 that extends downwardly from the lower edge 78, the rear edge 80 of the prong 76 and the front edge 72 of middle portion 66 define a gap 86. Preferably, the rear edge 80 of the prong 76 is substantially perpendicular to lower edge 78 and the front edge 82 extends at an acute angle from the rear edge 80, forming a sharp point 84. The lower portion 68 extends obliquely from middle portion 66 into channel 42, below the lower portion 52 of the base segment 36. Preferably, lower portion 68 and middle portion 66 form an angle 88 substantially equal to 152°.
With reference to
Preferably, the height of the rear segment 106 is greater than the height of the front segment 104. The rear segment 106 has a generally circular bore 110, preferably disposed axially therein, extending from the upper surface 94 to the lower surface 96. An opening 112 in the rear segment 106, which is internally threaded 114, intersects bore 110. Opening 112 may extend from either of the sides 98 or the rear end 92. A socket or hollow 116, preferably having a semispherical shape, extends upward from the lower surface 96 of the front segment 104. A groove 118 extends from side 98 to side 98 across the upper surface 94 of the front segment 104, forming a lip 120 at the front end 90. Preferably, the rear edge of the groove 118 and the front end 90 form an angle 122 substantially equal to 15°, providing a wedge shape, and the tip of the lip 120 has a thickness of 0.010 inches, providing a relatively sharp tip. The lower portion of 124 the front end 90 may extend rearwardly from the upper portion 126 of the front end 90, forming an angle 128 substantially equal to 15°.
With reference to
Each of notches 140 extends from a position proximate to the rear end 132 at the upper surface 134 to a position disposed intermediate the front and rear ends 130, 132 at the lower surface 136, the notches 140 preferably forming an angle 146 substantially equal to 27° with the rear end 132. The front portion 142 has a generally circular bore 148, which is internally threaded 150 and preferably disposed axially therein, extending from the upper surface 134 to the lower surface 136. The pressure bar 14 and floating nut 16 are preferably composed of zinc.
With reference to
The shaft 154 extends through the base segment lower portion opening 56 and threadably engages the floating nut bore 148, the shaft thread 160 being consistent with the floating nut bore thread 150. The major diameter of the thread 160 is sufficiently smaller than the inside diameter of the base segment lower portion opening 56 to allow bolt member 18 to be cocked relative to the base segment lower portion 52. The tip 158 of the distal end 156 is received within the pressure bar socket 116, bearing on the socket surface. For a -28 bolt member 18, the overall length of the shaft 154 and distal end 156 is 1.00 inches, the sides of the distal end 156 form an angle 162 substantially equal to 45°, and the tip 158 of the distal end 156 is rounded to have a diameter of 0.060 inches.
With reference to
With reference to
The next step for installing the ground clamp 10 is dependent on the height HLIP of the lip portion. 32 that is the distance between the lower edge 176 (
If HLIP is at the lower tolerance and/or DMAX is at the upper tolerance, the ground clamp 10 is positioned between two of the spot welds 34 mounting the drip cap lip portion 32 to one of the side panels 30 with the clamp body prongs 76 engaging the drip cap upper surface 178 and the pressure bar lip 120 contacting the side panel outer surface. Bolt member 18 is then rotated in a clockwise direction, the distal end tip 158 engaging the pressure bar socket surface 116 and pushing the pressure bar 14 upwards until the pressure bar lip 120 is inserted into the seam between the drip cap lip portion 32 and the side panel 30 and the lower edge 176 of the drip cap lip portion 32 is inserted into the pressure bar groove 118. Additional torque is applied to bolt member 18, causing the points 84 of the clamp body prongs 76 to penetrate the paint coating the drip cap upper surface 178 to provide a metal-to-metal contact between the meter box enclosure 24 and the ground clamp 10.
After the ground clamp 10 is mounted to the meter box enclosure 24, a ground wire 22 is inserted into the pressure bar bore 110 and the ground engagement bolt 20 is torqued to clamp the ground wire 22 therein. A gel-filled boot 180 may be inserted over the upper portion 182 (
With reference to
While preferred embodiments have been shown and described, various modifications and substitutions may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the present invention has been described by way of illustration and not limitation.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
4784621 | Auclair | Nov 1988 | A |
4828504 | Franks, Jr. | May 1989 | A |
4904193 | Graves | Feb 1990 | A |
5746609 | Franks, Jr. | May 1998 | A |
5928006 | Franks, Jr. | Jul 1999 | A |
6329592 | Auclair | Dec 2001 | B1 |