Abstract: A valve lock assembly includes a cover for selective placement over a valve. The cover has opposing sidewalls, each sidewall including at least one cover aperture. The assembly further includes a strap to secure the cover to the valve, the strap having opposing end portions each of which include at least one strap aperture. A locking pin is to be placed through both the strap apertures and the cover apertures when they are aligned. The assembly also includes a lock body, which features a first bore to receive the locking pin, and a second bore which receives a locking mechanism that prevents removal of the locking pin from the lock body. The lock body is freely rotatable about the locking pin so that the valve lock assembly may be installed or removed from a wide range of angles.

Abstract: A meter box cover including a first portion that engages an inner surface of an opening in a lid of a meter box to prevent the passage of the cover through the opening and a second portion that extends through the opening and beyond an outermost surface of the opening in the lid of the meter box. The meter cover blocks substantially an entirety of the opening and the second portion prevents the cover from being displaced within the opening.

Abstract: A meter box cover including a first portion that engages an inner surface of an opening in a lid of a meter box to prevent the passage of the cover through the opening and a second portion that extends through the opening and beyond an outermost surface of the opening in the lid of the meter box. The meter cover blocks substantially an entirety of the opening and the second portion prevents the cover from being displaced within the opening.

Abstract: A valve lock assembly includes a cover for selective placement over a valve. The cover has opposing sidewalls, each sidewall including at least one cover aperture. The assembly further includes a strap to secure the cover to the valve, the strap having opposing end portions each of which include at least one strap aperture. A locking pin is to be placed through both the strap apertures and the cover apertures when they are aligned. The assembly also includes a lock body, which features a first bore to receive the locking pin, and a second bore which receives a locking mechanism that prevents removal of the locking pin from the lock body. The lock body is freely rotatable about the locking pin so that the valve lock assembly may be installed or removed from a wide range of angles.

Abstract: A universal box lock for securing a meter box including a first clamping means, a second clamping means operatively connected to the first clamping means. The second clamping means being movable relative to the first clamping means. The box lock also includes a biasing means for urging the second clamping means toward the first clamping means to secure the box lock to a wall of a meter box placed between the first and second clamping means. Moreover, the box lock includes a body portion, which selectively engages and secures the first and second clamping means to a meter box wall. The first clamping means includes an aperture configured to allow a portion of the second clamping means to extend through the aperture facilitating the attachment of the inventive box lock to a side wall or a bottom wall of a meter box.

Abstract: A lock assembly has a clip, a base, a body, and an interlocking mechanism. The lock assembly is for an enclosure, such as an electrical meter socket with a box, having a side wall and a cover. The clip has a “U” shaped portion for encircling the side wall of the enclosure. The “U” shaped portion has an inner leg, a spanning portion, and an outer leg. The clip has a support portion projecting from an inner leg for supporting the cover of the enclosure. An interface portion of the clip projects from the outer leg. The base is interposed between the side wall of the box and the outer leg of the clip. The base has a flange portion projecting outward and underlying the interface portion of the clip. The flange portion has a hole. The body has an “L” shape including a cover retaining portion and an extending portion. The extending portion has a bore extending from the cover retaining portion. The body has a cavity opening onto an inner surface.

Abstract: A security device comprises a first component having a through first passageway surrounded by an internal first recess, and a second component having a second passageway surrounded by an internal second recess. The first and second components are configured for assembly in a mating relationship with the first and second passageways in communication with each other and in coaxial alignment. A lock has a barrel containing a spring and plunger and carrying radially shiftable locking elements, with the plunger being normally biased by the spring in one direction urging the locking elements into expanded positions protruding radially from the barrel. The barrel is insertable into and releasably retained in an unlocked position in the first passageway with the locking elements expanded radially outwardly into the first recess, and is shiftable by a forwardly applied axial force into a locked position in the second passageway with the locking elements expanded into the second recess.

Abstract: A curb box locking device has a core unit with a head at its upper end and a foot at its lower end. A sleeve surrounds and is shiftable axially in relation to the core unit. Claw members are carried on the core unit for pivotal movement through side openings in the sleeve. The locking device is externally configured and dimensioned to be lowered into the curb box to a position at which the foot of the core unit is at rest on a valve or the like at the bottom of the curb box. The sleeve is engageable with the claw members during upward displacement of the sleeve relative to the core unit to pivotally urge the claw members radially outwardly into extended positions engaging the interior of the curb box to thereby resist upward removal of the locking device. The locking device is upwardly removable from the curb box by employing a tool specially designed to pull upwardly on the core unit.

Abstract: The lifting and rotating zeroes and the combination discs of a disc cylinder lock are provided with curved internal camming surfaces designed to mate with external curved camming surfaces on the key shank. The curved camming surfaces consist of segments of mathematically defined spirals, with non-uniform radii as measured from the lock axis.

Abstract: A barrel lock and a key for locking and unlocking the barrel lock. The lock has a hollow barrel with a spring loaded plunger that reciprocates within the bore of the barrel. A recess is provided in an axial blind bore formed in the rear end of the plunger, the recess defining a gripping surface for unlocking the barrel lock. A spring loaded baffle washer having a key central aperture is positioned within the barrel bore rearwardly of the plunger. The baffle washer limits access to the plunger and prevents unauthorized unlocking of the barrel lock.The key has elongated outer expanding fingers and an inner coaxially arranged expander rod. The expanding fingers are sized and shaped so that they can pass entirely through the key central aperture of the baffle washer. When the key is fully inserted into the lock and the key handle is operated, the expanding fingers radially expand and press against the gripping surface in the blind bore.

Abstract: A split retaining ring is disclosed for detachably interconnecting a pair of axially aligned circular rims. The ring has ends and a circular side wall with front and rear flanges protruding radially inwardly therefrom. The ring ends are resiliently separable to accommodate installation and removal of the ring onto and off of the rims, and are resiliently closeable to confine the rims radially within the ring side wall and axially between its flanges. The rear flange has a radially tapered configuraiton with oppositely disposed minimum radial dimensions arranged to minimize the extent of separation required between the ring ends during installation and removal.

Abstract: A barrel lock and a key for locking and unlocking the barrel lock. The lock has a hollow barrel with a plunger that reciprocates within the bore of the barrel. The plunger is urged forwardly by a bottom spring, and a deterrent ring is urged forwardly against the plunger by a top spring. The plunger has a shallow axial blind bore at its rear end and the deterrent ring has a central aperture, the diameter of the plunger bore being larger than the diameter of the ring aperture.The key has four elongated outer expanding fingers and an inner expander rod. The expanding fingers are sized and shaped so that they can pass entirely through the central aperture of the deterrent ring. When the the key is inserted into the barrel lock and the key handle is operated, the fingers radially expand and grip the inner surface of the lock plunger blind bore. As the handle is operated further, the expanding fingers longitudinally retract and draw the plunger rearwardly permitting the lock to unlock.

Abstract: A double-acting barrel lock and key in which the lock has a hollow plunger which reciprocates between a security forward locking position and a normal rearward unlocking position. The lock also has a lock pin coaxially mounted within the hollow plunger for reciprocating between a forward unlocking position and a normal rearward locking position. When a nail-type pick is inserted into the rear of the lock and drives the lock pin forwardly to its unlocking position, a spring urges the hollow plunger forwardly to its security locking position in which the locking balls are maintained in their outward locking position.A key has double-acting means for simultaneously maintaining the hollow lock plunger in its normal rearward unlocking position while moving the lock pin to its forward unlocking position, thereby permitting the locking balls to move inwardly to their unlocking position.

Abstract: For use with an electric meter having a flanged receptacle for holding the meter works and a flanged glass bowl for covering the meter works, a locking ring assembly consisting of a two-piece circular locking ring having two substantially semicircular sections for locking the glass bowl to the receptacle. One of the semicircular sections has a hinge fitting at one end and a radially extending leg at the other end. The other semicircular section has a mating hinge fitting at one end and a radially extending mating leg at the other end. The fittings are hingedly attached so that the two sections can be pivotally spread apart about the hinge axis of the fitting. This hinged connection permits the sections to be manually spread apart and easily applied over and around the flanges of the meter receptacle and the glass bowl. The radially extending mating legs have circular openings which are in axial alignment when the legs are drawn towards each other for clamping the glass bowl to the receptacle.

Abstract: A barrel lock has a cylindrical barrel with an axial bore. A compression spring and a center pin are coaxially mounted in the bore. A pair of locking balls mounted for limited movement in radially extending passageways are held radially outward in a locking position by the compression spring. When a key for locking and unlocking the lock is fully inserted into the lock and the key handle is operated, the compression spring is drawn rearwardly and the locking balls are permitted to move radially inward to an unlocking position.

Abstract: A high security spring lock and an associated key for locking and unlocking the lock. The lock has a cylindrical barrel with an axial bore. A main compression spring and a secondary compression spring are coaxially mounted in the bore and bear against each other and against opposite ends of the bore. A pair of locking balls constrained for limited movement in radially extending passageways are held radially outward in a locking position by the main compression spring.The key has elongated outer expanding fingers and an inner coaxially arranged center pin. When the key is fully inserted into the lock and the key handle is operated, the expanding fingers are initially radially expanded to grip the inner surface of the main compression spring and are then longitudinally retracted to draw the main compression spring rearwardly.