Breakway meter pointers and shafts

A register pointer for an electric utility meter is described as having a weakened section at which fracture can occur to break away the pointer when an attempt is made to tamper with the pointer, such as by manually resetting the pointer's position on the register to show a lower reading of energy consumption. Various forms of breakaway means are described which will permit separation of the pointer portion of the device from its shaft portion when a torque is applied to the pointer end.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates to utility meters, such as electric and gas meters, 
and, more particularly, it relates to an improved device which will 
prevent meter pointers from being repositioned by customers. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND THE PRIOR ART 
Despite vigilance on the part of utility companies to prevent unauthorized 
access to the interior portion of electric meters, such as by use of a 
seal or lock device, as, for example, the locking apparatus of U.S. Pat. 
No. 4,313,319 issued to Haus, Jr. et al, it has been learned through sad 
experience that some utility customers have been persistent enough to gain 
access to the meter's internal mechanism, and they have surreptitiously 
repositioned the register pointers. Their actions cause the electric meter 
to falsely indicate a lower energy consumption and demand, and the utility 
company would accordingly bill the customer for the lower amount 
indicated. 
In the past, register pointers of electric meters have been friction fitted 
to their respective shafts, because this practice permitted utility meter 
shops to quickly reset a register pointer reading to the zero-position by 
physically moving the pointer against its frictional grip with respect to 
the shaft, rather than use the time-consuming technique of mechanically 
resetting the pointers through operation of the register gear train 
mechanism. Of course, utility customers involved in meter tampering have 
learned how to reposition the pointers, and they have been resorting to 
that method so as to indicate a false reading of energy usage. 
It has been determined that the simplest way to cheat the utility company 
is to turn back the register pointers. This method is also least likely to 
be detected. Whenever, for example, an electric meter has not been sealed, 
or the seal has been broken, a utility customer can then reset the 
register pointer by turning the pointer on its shaft against the 
friction-tight fit. The utility company either remains ignorant of this 
fact or the company is unable to prove that any cheating has occurred. 
Breakaway meter pointers and shafts of the present invention can 
substantially stop this type of theft. 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention contemplates that electric utility meter pointers, or 
a substantial portion thereof, will break away from the register if the 
pointer is turned manually. In addition, or as an alternative feature, 
when a conventional meter pointer is utilized but which is permanently 
fixed to the pointer shaft, the shaft can be provided with a necked-down 
area, or it can contain a region of frangible material, for breaking away 
in response to any attempt to manually turn the pointer. 
Briefly and generally describing a breakaway meter pointer and shaft in 
accordance with a preferred form of the invention, a frangible shaft with 
integral pointer is provided having a weakened portion, such as an area of 
reduced diameter, which will fracture when torque is applied to the 
pointer end. Thus the pointer portion of the device will break off from 
the shaft portion and fall away from its corresponding dial on the 
register when an attempt is made to tamper with the meter reading. 
In a modified form of the invention, a separate pointer is permanently 
affixed to its shaft, such as by use of a high technology glue, and the 
shaft can be turned down to produce a frangible point at which breakaway 
can occur. The invention contemplates the use of any of several 
modifications of the frangible point, including its location at various 
positions along the shaft length. 
In another modified form of the invention, the pointer is formed of a 
material necked down to a frangible point susceptible to breaking off 
thereat when an attempt is made to reposition the pointer. 
Accordingly, the long felt need for an effective antitamper device for 
electric utility meters as hereinbefore discussed is satisfied by the 
present invention.

The invention will be described in conjunction with its use to prevent 
tampering of electric utility watthour meters, but it will be understood 
by those skilled in the art that the invention can also be likewise used 
in electric utility demand registers, and the invention may have other 
uses, such as to prevent tampering of gas and steam meters as well. 
FIG. 1 illustrates a watthour meter 20 mounted in a conventional manner to 
a connection box 21 having a cover 22 which is slidably received at its 
upper end by a portion 21a of the connection box 21, and behind which the 
incoming electric power supply line (not shown) is connected across the 
watthour meter 20 to the consumer's equipment (not shown). A registering 
mechanism or register, generally indicated by reference numeral 25, of the 
watthour meter 20 is provided to indicate thereon the amount of energy 
consumed. 
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 4 of the drawing, the register 25, incorporating 
the device of the present invention, has a semi-circular shaped front 
panel member 26 to which a similarly shaped rear panel member 27 is 
attached in spaced relation, as shown. The rear panel member 27 is 
positioned in such spaced axial relation, as illustrated in FIG. 4, by a 
plurality of spacing sleeves 28 through which suitable fasteners, such as 
rivets 29, are passed to permanently join together the front and rear 
panel members 26, 27. 
Referring now to FIG. 2, there are a plurality of graduated dial faces 
30-34 which are painted or etched onto the outer surface 26a of the front 
panel member 26, and on which the electric energy consumed in kilowatt 
hours is shown by pointers (to be described) and numerals (not shown). The 
dial face 30 at the furthermost left-hand position is generally considered 
to be the "most significant" dial face, because it shows the largest 
denominational reading on the ten thousandth order, whereas the dail face 
34 at the extreme right-hand position is commonly referred to as the 
"least significant" dial face as it shows the smallest reading or a 
denominational reading in units. 
With reference to FIG. 4, there is a pointer shaft member 35 at the "most 
significant" dial position 30, a pointer shaft member 36 at each of the 
dial positions 31-33, and a pointer shaft member 37 at the "least 
significant" dial position 34. 
The pointer shaft member 35 is preferably of aluminum material and it is 
shown to have a pointer portion 35a, a shaft portion 35b, and a frangible 
portion 35c of reduced diameter which is positioned between the pointer 
and shaft portions respectively. Frangible portion 35c can be formed 
either by turning down the pointer shaft member 35 at that location shown 
in the drawing to be substantially adjacent the outer surface 26a of the 
front panel member 26, or it can be manufactured of another material, such 
as plastic, having a lower yield strength than aluminum, for example, and 
then glued or otherwise attached to respective ends, as shown, of the 
pointer portion 35a and the shaft portion 35b. 
Referring now to FIG. 5, the register pointer is formed by bending over, at 
the frangible portion 35c, the pointer portion 35a from an initial 
position (not shown) axially aligned with the shaft portion 35b to its 
shown position (as installed) lying within a plane substantially 
perpendicular to a center line axis of the shaft portion 35b, and 
positioned within close proximity to the front panel member at a distance 
spaced therefrom on the order of 0.015" (15 thousandths inch) minimum. 
Referring again to FIG. 4 and also FIG. 5, the pointer shaft 35 has a 
section of larger diameter, as compared to either of the aforementioned 
pointer shaft portions 35a-35c, which is indicated by reference numeral 
35d, and which is positioned between the front panel member 26 and the 
rear panel member 27 of the register 25. The pointer shaft member 35 is 
rotatably mounted to the front panel member 26 by a closely slidable fit 
between the shaft portion 35b and a suitable front panel opening 26b which 
is centrally located with respect to the dial face 30, and the pointer 
shaft member 35 is rotatably mounted in likewise fashion to the rear panel 
member 27 at a shaft portion 35e, also of reduced diameter. 
The pointer shaft members 36, 37 are substantially identical to the pointer 
shaft member 35, and it will be understood that the aformentioned detailed 
description in connection with the pointer shaft member 35 will likewise 
apply to each of the other pointer shaft members. However, it is noted 
that a shaft portion 37e (somewhat equivalent to shaft portion 35e) 
extends further beyond the rear panel member 27 (see FIG. 4) than as 
perviously described with respect to portion 35e (far end) of the pointer 
shaft member 35. This shaft portion 37e serves as a drive shaft for a gear 
train mechanism of the register 25 as will be described. 
In FIG. 4, a register gear train drive, generally referred to by reference 
numeral 40, comprises a series of pinions 41 and gears 42 which are 
pressed-on the pointer shaft members 35-37 in the manner shown. A pawl 43 
cemented to the drive shaft 37e using, for example, a high technology glue 
or epoxy resin 44, is rotated by a fingered driving wheel (not shown) and 
imparts rotary motion (corresponding to use of electric energy) to the 
pointer shaft member 37 via the shaft portion 37e which in turn transfers 
this rotational motion through the pinion 41 mounted thereon to the meshed 
gear 42 on the pointer shaft member 36 for the dial face 33. Rotation of 
this pointer shaft member 36 causes its mounted pinion 41 to rotate in 
meshed relationship with the gear 42 on the next succeeding pointer shaft 
member 36 (for dial face 32), and this stepwise transfer of rotational 
motion continues accordingly to each of the next succeeding pointer shaft 
members until lastly reaching the pointer shaft member 35. Rotation of 
each pointer shaft member causes its respective pointer portion, such as 
at 35a, to rotate about the corresponding dial face from which a reading 
can be obtained to indicate an amount of electric energy then consumed in 
kilowatt hours. 
As is generally known, the register 25 is in an inaccessible position 
within electric meter 20 as long as a meter cover 20a (see FIG. 1) has not 
been removed therefrom. However, if access to the register 25 (as 
installed) is gained, for example, in an attempt to tamper with the 
readings on the dials 30-34 (to show lower readings falsely corresponding 
to a lower amount of energy consumed), any attempt to turn back any one of 
the pointer members 35-37, as by gripping a shaft pointer and manually 
turning it back to another reading position, will result in breakaway of 
the pointer at its frangible portion, such as the portion 35c in FIG. 5. 
Security fasteners (not shown) fit within the slots 45 of the front panel 
member 26 to permanently mount the register 25 on the watthour meter 20, 
so that the gear train driving pawl 43 cannot be reached and turned back 
to defeat the purpose of this invention. After installation, the head of 
each security fastener is sheared away with the application of additional 
torque, thus leaving behind a cone-shaped plug enclosed within a 
retainable collar. The collar prevents removal of the fastener and it also 
provides a visible means to indicate whether the fastener has been 
tampered with. The security fastener must be cut or drilled away to permit 
removal of the register from the meter. 
Referring now to the embodiment of FIGS. 6-13, a register, generally 
indicated by reference numeral 50, is shown with previously referred to 
reference numerals, as used with respect to register 25, indicating like 
parts throughout. 
The register 50 has a gear train drive 40 comprising a series of pinions 41 
and gears 42 mounted, as shown in FIG. 8, on shafts 51-55 for the 
respective dial faces 30-34. The shafts 51-55 are preferably of aluminum 
material, and they are mounted to the front and rear panel members 26, 27 
respectively, as previously described in connection with the pointer 
shafts 35-37. 
Each shaft 51-55 is substantially identical to any one of the other shafts 
in that group, and in connection with the specification of this 
disclosure, further detailed description in respect thereto will be 
generally directed to the shaft 55. It will be understood that the 
following description in respect thereto will likewise apply where 
applicable, to each of shafts 51-54. With reference to FIG. 9, the shaft 
55 has a frangible portion at 55a which is disposed in front of the front 
panel member 26 substantially adjacent to the dial face 34 to effect 
fracture development. The shaft 55 is shown to be necked-down to a 
frangible or fracture development point at 55a, which will permit 
breakaway of a near end portion 55b when an attempt is made to tamper with 
the reading on the dial face 34, as referred to above. 
Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 9, a pointer 56 is mounted on the shaft 55 
where it is cemented in place using, for example, high technology glue or 
epoxy resin 44. A slot 56a of the pointer 56 permits the pointer to be 
easily forced on the shaft end 55b to be seated in a groove 55c as shown 
prior to cementing (FIG. 7). The pointer 56 is provided with a necked-down 
region at 56b at which fracture development can occur again as previously 
described above. 
FIG. 10 shows a modified version 55e of the shaft 55 with its frangible 
portion 55a now located substantially within the plane of the front panel 
member 26. 
FIG. 11 shows yet another modified version 55d of the shaft 55 with its 
frangible portion 55a disposed between the front panel member 26 and the 
rear panel member 27, but substantially adjacent the front panel member 
26. 
FIGS. 12 and 13 show modified shapes of the necked-down or frangible 
portion 55a of shaft 55. The form shown in FIG. 12 is squared off with 
right angled corners whereas the form of FIG. 13 shows an arcuately 
necked-down shape. 
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described 
and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that 
various modifications may be made without departing from the principles of 
the invention.