Patent ID: 6935869

Claim:
A meter box ground clamp for clamping a ground wire to a metallic meter box, the meter box including a drip cap, a front panel, a rear panel, and left and right side panels, the drip cap having an edge portion forming an overlap joint with an upper end portion of at least one of the panels, the drip cap edge portion and the panel upper end portion having substantially abutting bare-metal surfaces, the meter box having an exterior surface covered by a corrosion inhibiting coating, the meter box ground clamp comprising: a U-shaped clamp body defining a vertical axis and including first and second leg segments, each of the leg segments having a laterally extending upper extension segment a base segment forming a vertically extending, open channel with the leg segments, the base segment having a lower portion having a vertically extending slot, a middle portion, and an upper portion defining an opening and extending at an angle from the middle portion into the channel; a wedge body including an upper segment disposed proximate to the clamp body legs and having a substantially triangular shape, a lower segment disposed proximate to the clamp body base segment and having an upper portion and a substantially cylindrical lower portion, the lower portion having a sidewall defining an axially extending bore and a laterally extending threaded opening, a middle segment extending substantially horizontally from the lower segment, through the slot of the clamp body base segment, to the upper segment and defining a vertically extending, axial threaded opening; a bolt member including a bolt head disposed above the upper portion of the clamp body base segment, and a shaft extending downwardly from the bolt head through the opening of the upper portion of the clamp body base segment to a distal end, at least a portion of the shaft having a threaded surface threadably engaged with the opening of the wedge body middle segment; and a ground engagement bolt including a bolt head, and a threaded shaft extending from the bolt head, the threaded shaft being received within the threaded opening of the wedge body lower segment and being threadably displaceable therein to clamp a ground wire positioned within the bore of the wedge body lower segment; wherein 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 wedge body upper portion into the meter box overlap joint whereby the wedge body upper portion 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.