Patent ID: 7549553
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: G01F

Abstract:
1. A nesting meter box comprising: a conical sleeve having a narrow top, wide bottom and a tapered side wall extending between the top and bottom, said sleeve being oriented vertically upright, said sleeve having a bottom open edge; an exterior base flange extending outwardly from side wall of said sleeve and said exterior base flange substantially circumferentially surrounding said bottom open edge; an arched shaped opening extending through the exterior base flange and upwardly into the side wall of said sleeve, the opening being arcuate or curved along all points of the opening which are adjacent to the side wall, the arched shaped opening having a maximum width and a central longitudinal axis; a friction lug in contact with an upper edge of said arched shaped opening and extending vertically above the arched shaped opening, said friction lug extends outwardly from the side wall of said sleeve, the friction lug has a rectangular profile having a maximum width less than the maximum width of the arched shaped opening, the friction lug is aligned with the central longitudinal axis of the arched shaped opening; wherein the meter box is capable of receiving a second identical meter box nested thereabove such that a friction point is provided on an exterior surface of the friction lug of the meter box, the exterior surface of the friction lug is tapered at the same angle of inclination as the taper of the side wall of the conical sleeve along an entire vertical length of the friction lug, where the friction lug is capable of slidingly contacting the inner side wall surface of the second identical meter box.