US1066805A - Adjustable iron cabinet-box for electric-light-wiring cut-outs. - Google Patents

Description

J. GQFISHER. ADJUSTABLE IRON CABINET BOX FOB ELECTRIC LIGHT WIRING GUT-OUTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 10, 1911.

Patented July 8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFIOE.

JAMES C. FISHER, OF DENVER, COLGRADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE NEVJ ENGLAND ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, A COBEORATION OF COLORADO.

ADJUSTABLE IRON CABINET-BOX FOR ELECTRIC-LIGHT-'WIRING CUT-OUTS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JABIES C. Frsnnn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Adjustable Iron Cabinet Box for Electric-Light-"Wiring Cut-Outs, of which the following is a specification.

lvly invention relates to improvements in adjustable iron cabinet box for electric light wiring cut-outs, and the objects of my in vention are: First, to provide a telescopic or adjustable iron box for holding electric wiring cut-outs, that is adapted for use on walls particularly plastered walls, and that is pro vided with a. cover portion arranged to extend beyond the box onto the finish of a wall, and cover up the aperture in the wall in which the box is placed, and in which the cover is so arranged that it can be opened without contacting with the finish of the wall. Second, to provide a simple adjustable iron cut-out holding box provided with an adjustable entrance rim portion that is provided with a cover, and that is so arranged that it permits the cover to be ad justably set evenly and flush against the finish or outside surface of walls. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1, is a perspective view of the parts constituting the improved box detached. Fig. 2, is a horizontal sectional view through a portion of a partition wall, showing the box in position. Fig. 3, is a perspective view of a portion of the door of the box, showing more clearly the recess in which the hinge fits when the door is closed. And Fig. 4, is a sectional view through a portion of the door.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of my improved cut-out holding box for plastered walls. This body portion of my improved box is preferably made of sheet iron, but may be made of cast iron or of other suitable metal or material. This body portion of my improved cut-out holding box is adapted to be secured either in brick or wooden partitions of residences and other buildings in the course of their construction, without its Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 10, 1911.

Patented J uly 8, 1913. Serial No. 659,590.

cover and adjustable outer rim portion, before these walls are plastered.

In Fig. 2 the box is shown in a lath and plaster partition, and in either case a board 2, is placed and secured in the partition, and the body of the box is secured to the board by screws 3, that are inserted through its bottom into the board, and the body of the box is set in a position as near as can be determinedthat will bring its front open edges in a position to permit its telescopic rim portion 4: to be adjusted, so that the flange portion 5 of its telescopic rim portion 4 will be flush with the plaster, and so that its cover will close and lock against the fiange portion 5, and at the same time either bear against the finished plastered wall, or very close to it.

The ends and the sides of the body of the box are formed with semi-detached disks 6, which 1 term knock-outs. These knockouts are formed by first stamping nearly through the metal, with a circular stamp or punch, thus producing the flat circular projections, which are again pressed back flush with the face of the metal, and remain in this semi-detached condition until such time as the box is to be inserted in a wall, when the disks are knocked out, and the pipes that carry the circuit wires, which I do not illustrate, are extended into them into the inside of the box.

The body of the box is preferably made three inches deep, but can be made of any depth desired, and it is adapted to hold circuit wire cut-out switches, which I do not illustrate, but which are secured within it against its bottom plate. The opposite sides of the body of the box are provided with guide clips 7, which are secured at their lower ends to the sides, preferably by rivets. The upper ends of these clips are bent outwardly and substantially parallel with the sides of the box, far enough to form a guide space between each clip and the side of the box, of ample width to permit the adjustable rim portion of the box to fit loosely behind them, when it is inserted in the open end of the body of the box.

The telescopic rim portion of the body of the box comprises a square shaped band portion 8, which is preferably made of strips of wrought sheet iron secured together in any suitable manner, but may however be made of any other suitable metal or material. This band shaped rim is made of just enough smaller diameter than the side ends of the body portion of the box, to slip slidably inside of them and down their inside surfaces, and this band shaped rim portion is deep enough to extend to the bottom portion of the guide clips, when its outer edge portion is about even with the outside edge of the body of the box, which gives an outward extension movement to this telescopic rim portion of about a half of an inch, which is sufficient to compensate for the unevenness in the position of the body part of the box and its telescopic rim and cover portion, when adjustably set flush against the surface of the plaster. The outer edge portion of this band shaped rim is provided with a flat flange portion 5, which forms a seat for a door 10, while the band shaped rim and the flange form the two members of an angle iron and this angle iron shaped extension part of the box provides a stiff firm unyielding extension member of great strength, which is an essential requirementto secure durability and permanency of adjustment, while the flat level surface of the flange prevents dust from readily working into the box. This flange portion is provided 011 one side with a pair of hinge strips 11, which are riveted or otherwise secured to the top edge of the flange of the rim. These hinge strips extend outwardly at right angles from the flange and rim a short distance, which distance may vary from about a half of an inch to about an inch, and they extend substantially parallel to the flat top portion of the flange, and at their outer ends a hinge eye 12 is provided, which is turned upwardly or outwardly from the top surface of the hinge strip, so that the center of its eye is above the top or outer surface of the hinge strip. This flanged rim portion is provided with a pivotally hinged swinging cover or door 10, which consists of a flat smooth piece of sheet iron of enough larger area than the adjustable telescopic rim to extend about three-quarters of an inch to an inch over and beyond the body of the rim, and the body of the box all around its sides and ends. One side of this cover or door is provided with hinge eyes 14L, which are pivotally hinged by pins 15 to the hinge eyes of the flange of the rim. It is essential that this door lie down flat all around against the top surface of the flange of the rim, in order that it may fit down tightly against the top surface of the flange of the box, and make a tight and substantially dust-proof covered box, and in order to accomplish this, it is necessary that the door at and adj acent to its hinge eyes be provided with depressed recesses 16, which are arranged to register with and fit over the hinge strips, and are made deep and long enough to completely close the entire length and width of the hinge strips and permit the door when swung down against the flange of the rim to lie flat and evenly against the whole of the top surface of the flange, and in order to secure the door tightly against the flange of the rim, I provide it with a lock, which comprises the pivotal stem 17, that is rotatably mounted to extend through the cover close enough to the rim to permit a button 18, which is secured to the inner end of the stem, to be turned under the adjacent edge of the flange, and a butterfly thumb nut 19, that is secured to the end of the stem that extends beyond the outside of the cover, and is arranged to permit an operator to turn the button to lock and unlock the button to the flange, and thus to the rim. The band shaped rim is thus arranged to be inserted inside of the body of the box and to extend into the space between the clips and the inside surfaces of the sides and ends of the box, and to be moved slidably and telescopica'lly in and out of the body of the box between the guide clips and the inside of the body of the box, and in order to secure the rim in adjusted positions, the upper end portions of each of these clips are provided with set screws 20, which are threaded through them at right angles to the adjacent sides of the body of the box, and its extensible portion, which are arranged to extend into and through the clip from the inside central portion of the box so that when the rim is properly adjusted in the body of the box, a short screw driver can be inserted through the door way of the rim, and the screws turned and tightened against the rim, and thus secure it rigidly in its adjusted position, after which the door is closed and locked.

The installation and the operation of my improved iron cut-out holding box is as follows: The body of the box is roughed in, without the door, and is left that way. The electrician then puts in the cut-outs and wires the building, and the body is left in the wall with the cut-off installed, and the wiring done, until the lathing 21 and rough coat of plaster 22, and the finishing coat of plaster have been completed. The plastering is generally of uneven thickness, at two or three and sometimes all of the corners of the body of the box, owing to the surface of the board against which the body of the box rests; and also the thickness of the lath and plastering work is often uneven. Consequently the plastering projects from about an eighth of an inch to about a quarter of an inch beyond the edges of the body of the box, and the electrician then takes the rim portion and inserts the rim in the body of the box telescopically behind the clips,

and adjustably secures it to the body of the box by the set screws with a screw driver inserted into the body of the box through the door-way in the rim, the adjustment requiring changes until the door when closed and locked bears evenly all around against the plastering and at the same time bears tightly against its flange.

My invention presents a simple and practical iron cut-out holding box especially adapted for the walls of buildings and particularly plastered walls.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a cut-out or switch box, the combination of a body portion having an open front end, a rim portion having an introverted flange adapted to fit within the open end of said body portion, locking plates within said body portion, and means for clamping said flange between the sides of the body portion and said locking plates.

2. In a cut-out or switch box, the combination of a body portion having an open front end, a rim portion having an introverted flange adapted to fit within the open end of said body portion, locking plates fastened at one end to said body portion and having forwardly extending offset portions, and screws in said offset portions adapted to clamp the introverted flange between the sides of said body portion and said locking plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. FISHER. lVitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ADELLA M. TOWLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

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