Tool for electric meters

Claim 1

A TOOL FOR INSTALLING AND REMOVING ELECTRIC METERS AND THE LIKE WITH RESPECT TO AN ASSOCIATED SOCKET COMPRISING A HOLLOW OPEN-ENDED HOLDER DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE THE METER FROM ONE END FOR REMOVING THE METER AND TO RECEIVE THE METER FROM THE OTHER END FOR INSTALLING THE METER, SAID HOLDER HAVING MEANS FOR RELEASABLY SECURING THE METER THEREIN; AND AT LEAST ONE JACK CONNECTED TO THE HOLDER EXTERNALLY THEREOF COMPRISING AN ELONGATED JACK ROD DISPOSED PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE HOLDER AND MOUNTED FOR LONGITUDINAL AND ROTATIONAL MOVEMENT, SAID JACK ROD HAVING A RATCHET EDGE FORMED THEREON, A JACK OPERATING MECHANISM INCLUDING A HANDLE MOUNTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT ABOUT THE JACK ROD AXIS, RATCHET PAWL ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET EDGE AND AN ACTUATING GRIP PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE HANDLE AND OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO THE RATCHET PAWL FOR FORWARDLY ADVANCING THE JACK ROD LONGITUDINALLY OF THE HOLDER, A LOCKING PAWL MOUNTED ON THE HANDLE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET EDGE, THE FORWARD END OF SAID JACK ROD BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE ADJACENT THE SOCKET WHEN THE TOOL IS EMPLOYED FOR REMOVING THE METER AND THE REAR END OF THE JACK ROD HAVING FIXED THERETO A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING SHOW ENGAGING WITH A FLANGE ON THE SOCKET WHEN THE TOOL IS EMPLOYED FOR INSTALLING THE METER, AND STOP MEANS ON THE HADLE ENGAGEABLE WITH THE RATCHET PAWL FOR RETAINING THE RATCHET PAWL IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE RATCHET EDGE WHEREBY THE JACK ROD CAN BE ROTATED BY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE HANDLE TO OPERATIVELY POSITION THE SHOE.