Patents Assigned to Ekstrom Industries, Inc.
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Patent number: 8149119Abstract: A method includes activating a tamper monitoring circuit of a security seal configured to securely lock a utility meter. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting an identification data and/or an integrity information associated with the security seal and/or the utility meter to the external transceiver upon activating the tamper monitoring circuit or being queried by the external transceiver through a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit. The transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver are configured to securely communicate with each other through a secure protocol. Further, the method includes detecting a tamper condition associated with tampering of the security seal through the tamper monitoring circuit, and wirelessly transmitting data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2010Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey John Hanft
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Patent number: 8149114Abstract: A method includes activating a tamper monitoring circuit of a security seal configured to securely lock a utility meter. The method also includes wirelessly transmitting an identification data and/or an integrity information associated with the security seal and/or the utility meter to the external transceiver upon activating the tamper monitoring circuit or being queried by the external transceiver through a transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit. The transceiver of the tamper monitoring circuit and the external transceiver are configured to securely communicate with each other through a secure protocol. Further, the method includes detecting a tamper condition associated with tampering of the security seal through the tamper monitoring circuit, and wirelessly transmitting data associated with the tamper condition to the external transceiver.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: April 3, 2012Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Jeffrey John Hanft
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Patent number: 8002578Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter has housing formed of snap together rear and front housings. The front housing surrounds but allows access to jaw contacts and terminals mounted in the rear housing by a watthour meter and electric power conductors. An aperture in the front housing engages a socket adapter mounting fastener extendible through the aperture to attach the socket adapter to a mounting surface. The fastener and aperture resist separation of the front housing from the rear housing when a watthour meter is removed from the socket adapter. A clip extends from the front housing through an aperture in a terminal cover attachable to the front housing and receives a seal lock member. Another clip on the front housing extends through the terminal cover and is engaged by an expandable ring lock clip. A meter surge guard is removably mountable to the rear housing and exteriorly of the front housing.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Allen Pruehs
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Publication number: 20110179833Abstract: A lock apparatus includes a lock body which is slidably mountable over the legs of the shackle. At least one push nut is mounted within a recess carried in the lock body to allow easy insertion of the legs of the shackle through the bores in the lock sections and the at least one push nut, but exerts a substantial force resisting separation of the lock body from the shackle in an opposite direction. The lock body is formed of a unitary one-piece body, or a pair of identical lock sections which are reoriented with respect to each other and inter-engaged to form bores at one edge which receive the legs of the shackle. A method of installing the lock apparatus includes mounting at least one push nut in a lock body and then inserting the legs of the shackle through bores in the lock body and the at least one push nut.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 12, 2010Publication date: July 28, 2011Applicant: EKSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Allen Pruehs
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Publication number: 20100267277Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter has housing formed of snap together rear and front housings. The front housing surrounds but allows access to jaw contacts and terminals mounted in the rear housing by a watthour meter and electric power conductors. An aperture in the front housing engages a socket adapter mounting fastener extendible through the aperture to attach the socket adapter to a mounting surface. The fastener and aperture resist separation of the front housing from the rear housing when a watthour meter is removed from the socket adapter. A clip extends from the front housing through an aperture in a terminal cover attachable to the front housing and receives a seal lock member. Another clip on the front housing extends through the terminal cover and is engaged by an expandable ring lock clip. A meter surge guard is removably mountable to the rear housing and exteriorly of the front housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 21, 2009Publication date: October 21, 2010Applicant: EKSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Allen Pruehs
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Publication number: 20100043507Abstract: A lock apparatus for a utility service enclosure with a cover mountable over a sidewall includes an attachment member having a pair of spaced legs and aligned apertures formed in the legs. A fastener is extensible through the aperture in the one leg disposed interiorly of the enclosure when the attachment member is mounted over the sidewall of the enclosure and deforms the sidewall into engagement with the aperture in the other leg. A flange extending from the attachment member interengages a body having a lip overlaying the cover to inhibit removal of the cover from the enclosure. A lock is engageble with the body and the flange to lock the body to the attachment member.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 19, 2008Publication date: February 25, 2010Applicant: EKSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Richard C. Dreisbach, Robert F. Debrody, Carlos M. Pinho
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Patent number: 7650767Abstract: A lock ring for use in mounting a watthour meter, meter socket enclosure cover or a watthour meter socket adapter to each other. The lock ring includes a ring member and a housing carried on the first and second ends of the ring member. The housing may be separate housings carried on the first and second ends of the ring member. A lock is insertable into mated first and second housing members in one of a plurality of variably selectable positions that vary the circumference of the ring member to accommodate varied circumferences of watthour meters, meter socket adapters and meter socket enclosure cover mounting rings. Finger grips are formed on the housing members to facilitate closure of the housing. A plurality of axially spaced grooves are formed in one of the members for receiving lock members carried by the lock.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2007Date of Patent: January 26, 2010Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Patent number: 7458846Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter includes a housing having internal jaw contacts and external blade terminals. A power switch is electrically connected between the jaw contacts and the blade terminals. A rocker member on the power switch faces a side of the housing. An actuator is mounted in the housing and has a first end coupled to the rocker member for simultaneous movement of the rocker member and the actuator. A second end of the actuator extends through an aperture in the side of the housing allowing external manipulation of the actuator and the rocker member to indicate and/or manipulate the on and off state of the power switch. An electrically insulating safety shield may be mounted over the exposed portions of the jaw contacts and the conducting elements in the housing. Optional lock features may be provided to lock the actuator in the “on” or “off” positions.Type: GrantFiled: January 30, 2007Date of Patent: December 2, 2008Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Karl Loehr, Darrell Robinson, Allen Pruehs
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Publication number: 20080266761Abstract: A lock ring for use in mounting a watthour meter, meter socket enclosure cover or a watthour meter socket adapter to each other. The lock ring includes a ring member and a housing carried on the first and second ends of the ring member. The housing may be separate housings carried on the first and second ends of the ring member. A lock is insertable into mated first and second housing members in one of a plurality of variably selectable positions that vary the circumference of the ring member to accommodate varied circumferences of watthour meters, meter socket adapters and meter socket enclosure cover mounting rings. Finger grips are formed on the housing members to facilitate closure of the housing. A plurality of axially spaced grooves are formed in one of the members for receiving lock members carried by the lock.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 24, 2007Publication date: October 30, 2008Applicant: EKSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Publication number: 20080180885Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter includes a housing having internal jaw contacts and external blade terminals. A power switch is electrically connected between the jaw contacts and the blade terminals. A rocker member on the power switch faces a side of the housing. An actuator is mounted in the housing and has a first end coupled to the rocker member for simultaneous movement of the rocker member and the actuator. A second end of the actuator extends through an aperture in the side of the housing allowing external manipulation of the actuator and the rocker member to indicate and/or manipulate the on and off state of the power switch. An electrically insulating safety shield may be mounted over the exposed portions of the jaw contacts and the conducting elements in the housing.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 30, 2007Publication date: July 31, 2008Applicant: EKSTROM INDUSTRIES, INC.Inventors: Karl Loehr, Darrell Robinson, Allen Pruehs
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Patent number: 7315442Abstract: An external wire coupler is attachable to a housing of an electrical service apparatus mountable in a watthour meter socket by a slide-in or snap-in connection. An access control member is carried within the coupler for controlling access through the coupler to the interior of the socket adapter. A cover may be releasibly attached to an open end of the coupler to close access to the interior of the coupler.Type: GrantFiled: October 15, 2004Date of Patent: January 1, 2008Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Patent number: 7232335Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter carries rigid conductors extending from a connection to jaw contacts in a housing, the conductors mounting the socket adapter between the lower load mounting connections and the upper line mounting connections in a meter fitting to define an in-service metering position where the socket adapter and the watthour meter are disposed in the normal out-of-service, non-metering position in the meter fitting. The socket adapter housing is spaced from a ground terminal insulating block mounted over a ground terminal in the meter fitting. In another aspect, a plurality of current transformers are carried on a plate which mounts in an existing K-series meter fitting line and load terminal connections footprint.Type: GrantFiled: May 13, 2005Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Allen V. Preuhs, Darrell Robinson, Christophor D. Napier, Gregory L. Zook
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Patent number: 7189109Abstract: A watthour meter has, in one aspect, a flexible seal with a locking head carried on the meter base and a strap extending from the head and disposable in a loop around and through apertures in juxtaposed mounting flanges of the meter base and the meter dome to lockably join the dome and base. A tamper detector is carried on a blade moveably extending through the base. Movement of the blade during separation of the meter from the meter socket jaw contacts triggers the tamper detector. A connecting pin extends through aligned openings in the base and the dome to non-separably join the base and the dome. The pin engages a tamper signaling switch to provide an indication of a change of in pin state during a tamper event.Type: GrantFiled: October 1, 2004Date of Patent: March 13, 2007Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Patent number: 7153157Abstract: An electrically insulated body carries one of more jaw members which are mountable over threaded terminals in a meter socket to provide a bypass connection between line and load socket terminals to enable a watthour meter to be removed and reinstalled relative to the socket. In another aspect, the jaw members are coupled to an electrically conductive member. A handle extends from the conductive member.Type: GrantFiled: January 19, 2005Date of Patent: December 26, 2006Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Karl R. Loehr
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Publication number: 20060258204Abstract: A watthour meter socket adapter carries rigid conductors extending from a connection to jaw contacts in a housing, the conductors mounting the socket adapter between the lower load mounting connections and the upper line mounting connections in a meter fitting to define an in-service metering position where the socket adapter and the watthour meter are disposed in the normal out-of-service, non-metering position in the meter fitting. The socket adapter housing is spaced from a ground terminal insulating block mounted over a ground terminal in the meter fitting. In another aspect, a plurality of current transformers are carried on a plate which mounts in an existing K-series meter fitting line and load terminal connections footprint.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 13, 2005Publication date: November 16, 2006Applicant: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Allen Preuhs, Darrell Robinson, Christophor Napier, Gregory Zook
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Publication number: 20060160413Abstract: An electrically insulated body carries one of more jaw members which are mountable over threaded terminals in a meter socket to provide a bypass connection between line and load socket terminals to enable a watthour meter to be removed and reinstalled relative to the socket. In another aspect, the jaw members are coupled to an electrically conductive member. A handle extends from the conductive member.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 19, 2005Publication date: July 20, 2006Applicant: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Karl Loehr
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Publication number: 20060082955Abstract: An external wire coupler is attachable to a housing of an electrical service apparatus mountable in a watthour meter socket by a slide-in or snap-in connection. An access control member is carried within the coupler for controlling access through the coupler to the interior of the socket adapter. A cover may be releasibly attached to an open end of the coupler to close access to the interior of the coupler.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 15, 2004Publication date: April 20, 2006Applicant: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Patent number: 6975504Abstract: A safety replacement window for an overall watthour meter enclosure includes a window covering a window aperture of a cover of the enclosure. Mounting clips integrally carried on the cover snap into and fix the window in the cover aperture. In another aspect, the cover is formed of a one-piece molded member having at least a transparent portion overlaying a watthour meter mounted on a plate to which the cover is mounted.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2002Date of Patent: December 13, 2005Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventors: Darrell Robinson, Allen V. Pruehs
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Publication number: 20050122094Abstract: A watthour meter has, in one aspect, a flexible seal with a locking head carried on the meter base and a strap extending from the head and disposable in a loop around and through apertures in juxtaposed mounting flanges of the meter base and the meter dome to lockably join the dome and base. A tamper detector is carried on a blade moveably extending through the base. Movement of the blade during separation of the meter from the meter socket jaw contacts triggers the tamper detector. A connecting pin extends through aligned openings in the base and the dome to non-separably join the base and the dome. The pin engages a tamper signaling switch to provide an indication of a change of in pin state during a tamper event.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 1, 2004Publication date: June 9, 2005Applicant: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson
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Patent number: D642536Type: GrantFiled: July 13, 2009Date of Patent: August 2, 2011Assignee: Ekstrom Industries, Inc.Inventor: Darrell Robinson