Tamper-resistant electric meter sealing ring

Claim 1

A tamper-resistant sealing ring assembly for an electric meter, comprising: (a) a sealing ring member of a very hard material having a rim adapted to couple the cover of an electric meter to the socket for the meter, (b) said sealing ring member having an opening in its rim defined by a pair of opposed, spaced, elongated ears projecting substantially radially outward from said rim, (c) each ear having a uniform rivet hole extending therethrough adjacent said opening, said rivet holes being axially aligned, (d) an elongated rivet of very hard material having a head, a shank longer than the normal spacing between said rivet holes, and a free (e) said shank extending through said holes so that said head is held against one ear while said free end projects substantially beyond the hole in said opposite ear, (f) a sleeve having a radial set screw hole and fitting over said free end and upon the portion of said shank projecting beyond said opposite hole, (g) a shear-head set screw received in said set screw hole sufficiently to bear against said shank, the head of said set screw having been sheared off so that the radial outer portion of said set screw is substantially flush with said sleeve to hold said rivet in the holes of said ears, and (h) said sleeve being fixed upon said shank close enough to the adjacent ear, and said rivet in said rivet holes being close enough to said opening, that said sealing ring member cannot be deformed sufficiently to be removed from said electric meter.