US1183625A - Pipe-clamp and ground connection for outlet-boxes. - Google Patents

Description

w. A. BONNELL PIPE CLAMP AND GROUND CONNECTION FOR OUTLET BOXES.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1912.

1 ,1 83,625. Patented May 16, 1916.

wi tmzooeo Um; Q @223 WILLIAMA. BONNELL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

7 .IE'IPE-GLAMP AND GROO'ND CONNECTION FOB OUTLET-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1916.

Application filed November 30, 1912. Serial No. 784,353.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. BoNNELL,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pipe-Clamps and Ground Connections for Outlet-Boxes;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to a box holder and grounding pipe clamp for electrical outlet boxes.

The object of the invention is to provide a clamp by which the outlet box may be adjustably held on agas or other pipe to which the outlet box is to be attached.

The invention has further for its object to provide a construction of clamp and holder which will close the opening around the pipe and between the pipe and the sides of the aperture in the outlet box through which it passes.

A further object is to utilize the clamp as a connection for grounding the box on the pipe.

With these objects in View, the invention 7 is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of an outlet box showing the pipe and clamp in elevation and before the clamp is expanded to hold the parts together. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the pipe in operative or expanded position. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but showing clamping members in section; Figs. 4: and 5 are perspective views of the complemental parts of the clamp.

In a device of this character, it is desirable that the box may be secured at any desired position relative to the pipe and my invention provides a very simple means by which this may be accomplished and at the same time by which other advantages hereinafter explained may be obtained.

To this end the invention comprises an' ordinary form of outlet box 1 having the conduit receiving apertures 2 and a pipe receiving aperture 3. The latter in this form of box is of considerable diameter in order to accommodate pipes of different sizes. The outlet box is placed over the end of the pipe 4 and is slipped along the same to the desired position My improved clamp as illustrated in Figs. 4: and 5, comprises two substantially half cylindrical members 5 and 6, each of which 1 1s provided with a reduced portion 7 below which is a head or shoulder 8. The reduced portion and bead thus forming a channel adapted to engage the edge of the aperture 3 when the clamp is in position. Themember 5 is provided with hinge notches 9 and with the substantially tangential flattened inner surfaces 10; The member 6 is pro vided with the hinged lugs 11 and with the flattened surfaces 12 so that when the lugs 11 engage the hinge slots 9 the parts will be hinged together with the flattened surfaces 12 of the part 6 embraced within the fiattened surfaces 10 of the member 5. The inner sides of the flattened surfaces 10 are provided with shoulders 13 against which the edges 14: of the member 6 abut, so that the parts will be held in alinement or in tubular. form when in inoperative position.

Extending from the side wall. of the member 6 is a threaded screw lug 14 for the reception of the screw 15 which passes through said lug in the side wall of member 6 and is adapted to engage the pipe to clamp the pipe in position when the beaded ends of the members are engaged within the pipe receiving aperture of the outlet box. As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 1, this pipe receiving aperture is of suificient diameter to permit the beaded edges 8 of the clamping members to slip through it when the clamp members are in inoperative tubular position. The inner end of the clamping screw 15 passes through the inner wall of the clamping member 6 substantially midway of the length of the clamp or possibly slightly nearer the beaded end than the hinged end thereof, so that when the screw is turned up against the pipe 4 the beaded ends of the clamp will be expanded causing the inner edges of the hinged ends thereof to snugly engage the pipe and close all openings between it and the clamping members and the reduced or channel portions of the clamping members will engage the edge of the pipe receiving aperture 3 of the outlet members opposite them form stop shoulders for engaging the inner edge of the apertures at the inner and outer sides of the box to hold the box rigidly against slipping along the pipe in either direction.

Thus, it will be seen, these complemental clamping members serve not only as adjustable means to clamp the box upon the pipe at any point, but the inner and hinged ends of said members snugly close around the pipe as shown in Fig. 3, and the opposite or beaded ends of the clamping members snugly engage the edge of the pipe receiving aperture of aperture. At the same time the clamping member form a grounding connection be tween the pipe. and the box. Furthermore, the sectional form of the clamp and the construction and arrangement of the hinged lugs and walls make it possible to clasp these clamping members readily around the pipe at any point, engage them together by slipping the lugs into the slots and to slide the engaged members along the pipe and through the pipe receiving opening in the outlet box or to slip the outlet box over the beaded ends of the clamping member. Also by simply loosening the screw 15, the clamping member and the box may be removed to any desired position along the pipe and if it is necessary to pass a joint in the pipe the clamping members may be removed and the box slipped over such junction since the diameter of the opening in the box will usually be sulficient to pass such junction. The clamping members may be then clasped about the pipe and the box secured in the desired position.

While I have herein described the particular embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that it may be varied in details of construction and relative arrangement of parts within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of complemental hinged clamping members adapted to embrace the pipe within the edge of said aperture, and means to cause adjacent ends of said members to snugly engage the pipe and the opposite adjacent ends to engage Within the edge of said aperture.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of complemental clamping members hinged together at one end and adapted to embrace the pipe and to have their adjacent ends inserted between the pipe and the edge of said aperture, and means to cause said adjacent ends of said clamping members to snugly engage the edgeof said aperture and to cause said members to clamp the pipe.

the box and eifectually close this 7 opposite ends to engage the edge of said 1113- erture to hold the box adjustable on said pipe to form a ground connection between the box and said pipe.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of a pair of semicylindrical clamping members having respectively hinge lugs and hinge sockets at adjacent ends and having stop shoulders at their opposite end respectively, of means for expanding said opposite ends of said members Within said aperture to cause said stop shoulders to engage said aperture at the inner and outer sides of the box and to cause the hinged ends of the clamping members to snugly engage the pipe to adjustably clamp said box on said pipe and to close all openings between the pipe and the edge of said aperture.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of substantially semicylindrical clamping members, each having flat surfaces adjacent their meeting edges whereby the edges of one may be clasped within the edges of the other to permit the members to assume a tubular form, said members respectively having hinged lugs and hinged slots at corresponding ends whereby they may be hinged together around said pipe, the opposite ends of said members each having a reduced portion and a bead adapted to be received between the pipe and the edge of said box aperture and a clamping screw passing through the wall of one of said members and adapted to engage the pipe to force the hinged ends of said members snugly against the pipe and to force the beaded ends of said members snugly against the edge 0t said box apertures to adjustably clamp the box on said pipe to close the openings between said pipe and the edge of said aperture and to close the opening between said clamping members and said pipe and to form a ground connection between said pipe and said box.

6. In a device-of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of a pair of clamping members adapted to be separably hinged together around the pipe and adapted at adjacent ends tobe received between said pipe and the edge of said aperture, said ends having flanges or beads adapted to engage the edge of said apertures, means for clamping said adjacent ends of said members firmly within the edge of said aperture, and the opposite ends against said pipe.

In a device of the character described, the combination with an outlet box having a pipe receiving aperture, of semicylindrical clamping members one having substantially tangential flat surfaces on its inner side adjacent its longitudinal edges and the other having substantially tangential flat surfaces at its outer side adjacent its longi tudinal edges whereby the parts may be placed together to assume a tubular form with said fiat surfaces in contact, one of said members having hinging lugs and the other having hinging notches at adjacent ends, said members having respectively stop shoulders at their opposite ends and a clamping screw passing through one of said members and adapted to engage the pipe to cause said hinged ends to snugly embrace the pipe and to cause the opposite ends to snugly engage the edges of said aperture with said stop shoulders lying at opposite sides of the adjacent wall of the box to clamp the box to the pipe to close all openings between the box and said pipe and between the pipe and said clamping members and to form a ground connection between said box and said pipe.

In testimony whereof, I the said WILLIAM A. BONNELL have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM A. BONNELL.

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