Water Meter Idler Bar

A water meter idler bar for use during manufacture, shipping and installation of a water meter setter to ensure and maintain proper alignment and spacing between water meter fittings of the water meter setter. Following installation, the idler bar also allows water to flow through the water meter setter prior to installation of a water meter. The idler bar is a rigid PVC pipe having threaded connectors with rubber O-rings at its ends. 1. A method of manufacturing and shipping water meter setters, said method comprising: during manufacturing, installing a water meter idler bar between water meter fittings of the water meter setter to ensure proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings, said idler bar comprising a substantially rigid bar having two ends and a length approximating a distance between inlet and outlet connections of a water meter to be installed in the meter setter, each of said two ends of said bar having connectors to substantially rigidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter; and during shipping of the water meter setter, maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings to maintain proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bar is a fluid-conducting pipe, and the connectors fluidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter, said method further comprising: maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings of the water meter setter following installation of the water meter setter to allow water to flow through the meter setter prior to installation of the water meter therein.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein each of said connectors has a seal to seal the fluid connections between the bar and the water meter fittings.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein each of the connectors comprises exterior threading on the bar.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the bar is PVC.

6. A method of shipping water meter setters, said method comprising: during shipping, installing a water meter idler bar between water meter fittings of the water meter setter to maintain proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings during shipping, said idler bar comprising a substantially rigid bar having two ends and a length approximating a distance between inlet and outlet connections of a water meter to be installed in the meter setter, each of said two ends of said bar having connectors to substantially rigidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the bar is a fluid-conducting pipe, and the connectors fluidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter, said method further comprising: maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings of the water meter setter following installation of the water meter setter to allow water to flow through the meter setter prior to installation of the water meter therein.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each of said connectors has a seal to seal the fluid connections between the bar and the water meter fittings.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each of the connectors comprises exterior threading on the bar.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the bar is PVC.

The present invention provides a water meter idler bar which seeks to address one or more of the problems noted above.

In accordance with a broad aspect, the present invention provides a water meter idler bar for aligning and fluidly connecting water meter fittings of a water meter setter, said idler bar comprising: a substantially rigid fluid-conducting pipe having two ends and a length approximating a distance between inlet and outlet connections of a water meter to be installed in the meter setter; and each of said two ends of said pipe having connectors to fluidly and substantially rigidly connect the pipe to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter.

In other optional aspects, each of the connectors has a seal to seal the fluid connections between the pipe and the water meter fittings, each of the connectors comprises exterior threading on the pipe, the pipe flares outwardly towards each of the two connectors, and the pipe is PVC.

In accordance with another broad aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacturing and shipping water meter setters, said method comprising: during manufacturing, installing a water meter idler bar between water meter fittings of the water meter setter to ensure proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings, said idler bar comprising a substantially rigid bar having two ends and a length approximating a distance between inlet and outlet connections of a water meter to be installed in the meter setter, each of said two ends of said bar having connectors to substantially rigidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter; and during shipping of the water meter setter, maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings to maintain proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings.

In a further optional aspect of the above method, the bar is a fluid-conducting pipe, the connectors fluidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter, and the method further comprises: maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings of the water meter setter following installation of the water meter setter to allow water to flow through the meter setter prior to installation of the water meter therein.

In accordance with a third broad aspect, the invention provides a method of shipping water meter setters, said method comprising: during shipping, installing a water meter idler bar between water meter fittings of the water meter setter to maintain proper alignment and spacing of the water meter fittings during shipping, said idler bar comprising a substantially rigid bar having two ends and a length approximating a distance between inlet and outlet connections of a water meter to be installed in the meter setter, each of said two ends of said bar having connectors to substantially rigidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meter setter.

In a further optional aspect of the above method, the bar is a fluid-conducting pipe, and the connectors fluidly connect the bar to the water meter fittings of the water meters setter, said method further comprising: maintaining the idler bar between the water meter fittings of the water meter setter following installation of the water meter setter to allow water to flow through the meter setter prior to installation of the water meter therein.

Other features of the invention will be understood from the detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention below and from the drawings attached hereto.