THE HOPPES METER BOX.

A pamphlet issued by the Trump Manufacturing Company, of Springfield. Ohio gives some details as to the use of a new meter box which has been designed to render the reading of meters less difficult than at present. The pamphlet says that the proper place in which to instal water meters has been a subject of great interest to water works people ever since their introduction. Apparently the basement or cellar is desirable for this purpose,but upon trial has been found to have many objections. Inaccessibility, owing to the absence of the tenants when the meter should be read, or the coalpile and other obstructions in thecellar.making it difficult to approach and read the meter; the danger that it will be tampered with; the large area making it easy in the event of an open or broken window for the meter to freeze,are a few of the many objections to this method.

A brick or iron pit in the lawn or sidewalks avoids all of the difficulties of the cellar or basement; but, owing to the fact that it has been necessary to construct them of sufficient size to admit a man for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting the meter, they are quite expensive,and especially if built in a permanent manner.

To overcome the objections to all these methods, and o make possible one general system of setting meters, the Hoppes meter box has been designed. It will be seen that it makes inspection convenient at all times, and avoids the expense of a large pit or other costly arrangements.

The accompanying cuts illustrate these boxes. Type A. shows the connections used. This box and connections are designed for use with any of the standard makes of meters as regularly manufactured. It consists of a plain, cylindrical shell with bottom and top. The bottom is water-tight, being leaded on, and the top is provided with packing and lock fastening, operated by a five-corner cap screw having a head the same as those used for stop boxes. The water service is at tached to the ells in the bottom of the box, after which the lead joint is made, first adjusting the box to proper height.

The height of the Pox can be adjusted to suit the depth of service by the telescopic arrangement at the bottom before the joint is poured. The body of the box can be made any length desired, but is furnished to suit four foot depth of service, if not otherwise specified. If too long, the body of the box may be readily cut off at one of the annular grooves.

On the ends of the ells, which are screwed into the bottom of the box, are taper nipples which project up into the box. On the inlet and outlet spuds of the water meter are screwed ell-shaped fittings with grooved sockets in the bottom ends. These sockets are provided with rubber packing rings, placed in the grooves, and when slipped down over the nipples in the bottom of the box, form the inlet and outlet connections for the meter. Owing to the peculiar form of the grooves, the joint holds firmly, and while there is a crossbar provided, it is only to hold the dial extension in the centre of the box and not to prevent the meter from rising up.

The small area of the box prevents the meter from freezing without additional covering or packing.

Meter box, Type A, is ten inches in diameter and is adapted for any of the standard makes, one-half or five-eighth inch meters.

Several of the leading manufacturers having consented to tap their meters in the bottom, the manufacturers of this box have also put on the market an eight-inch box. Type 15. The connections to this style of box are screwed into the bottom of the meters, and are standard and self-adjusting to tram of nipples This box. being smaller in diameter and having shorter connections, is less expensive than Type A, and it is thought that in time all meter manufacturers will build meters to suit this style of box.

To connect a meter in either style of box, all that is necessary is to provide it with a dial extension and sockets and slip it on the nipples in the bottom of the box.

All meter boxes being made standard, the meters may be set, changed,or replaced as desired without the use of tools of any kind, except the key and service wrench.

In both styles of boxes the packing and joint used are the same,and as the packing is in the part connected to the meter, it may be renewed at any time without disturbing the box.