US1734893A - Means for adjustably supporting outlet boxes - Google Patents

Description

NOV. 5, G CARLSQN 1,734,893

MEANS FOR ADJUSTABLY SUPPORTING OUTLET BOXES Filed 001;. 25, 1927 I y I F' gl. I k \5 u Inventor: George Carlson, by HLS Attorney.

. 50 in place.

Patented Nov. 5, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE CARLSON, OF ANSONIA,'CONNECTICUT, ASSIGN OR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK MEANS FOR ADJ'IISTABLY SUPPORTING OUTLET BOXES Application filed October 25, 1927.

The present invention relates to means for adjustably supporting outlet boxes either on the ceiling or side wall of a building and has for. its object the provision or" an improved,

simple construction for the purpose.

For a consideration of what I believe to be novel and my invention, attention is directed to the accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

Inthe drawing, which is illustrative of my invention, Fig. 1 is a view of an outlet box in section together with its supporting means; Fig. 2 is a view of a fixture stud 1n position above the top plate of an outlet box;

1 Fig. 3 indicates the manner in which the stud is slipped into the wall of the box; Fig. 4 shows the stud in place in the box, the .view being taken at right angles to that of Fig.1, and Fig. 5 is a perspective VleW' 0t the stud. I

6 indicates the beams of a building, either for the ceiling or side wall. Bridging the beams is a rectangular strap or metal bar 7 of suitable size to support the weight of the parts to be supported thereby. The bar is fastened to the beams in any suitable mannor, as for example by providing a number of holes therein through which extend nails or screws 8 Before the bar is secured in place the fixture stud 9 is slipped over it from one end, the size of the opening in the head of the stud being slightly greater than the bar itself to permit of this action. 10 indicates a metal outlet box which may be I made in any suitable manner, and has the usual knockouts 11 in the top and which are removable to 1361111113 conductors to be led into the lamp fixture. carried by the stud. l 1 e e I The central openmg 12 in the top or the box .40 is of such dia neter and the fixture stud 9 of such size that when assembled the box rotary movement of the stud and box relatively to each other as indicated in Fig. 3. If desired to assemble the stud and box before mounting the former on the bar the simplest thing is to tilt the stud and insert it When the stud is first mounted Serial No. 228,651.

on the bar it is necessary to tilt the box to assemble the parts.

The stud has a head 13 in which is an opening 13 for the reception of the supporting bar. Below the opening is a pair of outwardly extending members or cars 14 which rest on the top of the box. The ears are so positioned on the stud that when assembled the bar is separated from the tops of the knockouts by an appreciable space. This per- 00 mits of freely adjusting the box angularly on the stud to bring the knockout openings into proper register with the conductors or wires leading to the fixture. The stud is also provided with a second pair of outwardly-extending members 15 and 16 which to distinguish them from the others may be termed lugs. The ears and lugs occupy different transverse planes which are slightly spaced apart. When assembled the lugs are inside the box and the ears outside, one pair of said members extending from the stud at right angles to the other pair. The vertical space between one ofthe ears 14 and the lug 15 as shown in Fig. 2, is approximately equal to the thickness of the top wall of the box. The second and longer lug 16 carries a screw 17 by means of which the box and stud are clamped together. The end of the screw is pointed so that it will pierce any insulation on the box such as japan to ensure grounding of the parts. The clamping action of the screw and associated parts is best shown in Fig. i.

In order to permit of assembly of the stud and box, the former has a recess 18 in the side thereof directly above the lug 16. The recess is deepest at the point directly over the lug 16 and gradually decreases toward its ends as indicated by the line 19. In all the recess extends approximately half way around the stud. The point is that enough metal and no more should be cut away to permit the parts to be assembled. The lower end of the shank portion of the stud is beveled at 20 and thedistance between the wall of the recess at the point of maximum diameterand the beveled end of the stud'is slightly less than the diameter of the round opening 12 in the upper wall of the box. It is only when l the parts are in the relative positions shown in Fig. 3 that they can be assembled. That is to say, the lug 16 is first inserted in the box opening, then the parts are moved to the position shown where the wall of the recess rests on the edge of the box opening, after which the stud is rotated about the wall of the recess as a pivot until the stud assumes a vertical position.

In order to clamp the stud to the bar, a second operation is necessary and one independent of that required to clamp the stud to the box. To this end the stud is bored and threaded centrally receive the screw 21,.the head of the latter being accessible through the tubular lower portions of the stud, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4. This double clamping action particularly advantagcous because it permits of either fastening the stud to the bar, and then mounting the box on the stud or assembling the stud and box and threading them on the bar as a unit and later clamping the stud to the bar in any adjusted position. The center screw also permits of easily readjusting the box on the bar vithout disturbing the clamping arrangement of the stud and box. The wires leading to the fixture to be supported by the lower and screw-threaded end of the stud enter through the top wall of the box and pass into the cutaway portion 22 of the stud and above the tubular member 23 which may be taken as illustrative of any suitable form of fixture support.

The fact that once the stud is assembled in the box the parts cannot be separated by a straight downward pull even though not clamping together by the screws is important in installing the same in buildings since it avoids all danger of the box dropping 03 on the stud during the subsequent wiring operations.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a box having a central opening, and knock-outs adjacent thereto, a fixture stud for supporting the box which has outwardly-extending members both above and below the top wall of the box, a bar receiving opening located above the level of the tops of the knock-outs, and a cut-away screw threaded shank to receive the circuit wires, the stud and members being so dimensioned with respect to the opening that the parts can only be assembled by a relative diagonal and rotary motion of the stud and box, a centrally arranged screw at the upper end of the cut-away portion of the shank for clamping it to its support, and a second screw carried by one or the members which is below the top wall of the box for clamping the box and stud.

2. In, a device of the character described, the combination of a box having a central opening in its top wall with a fixture stud having a threaded lower end which has a cutaway portion for supporting it which stud extends through said opening and has projecting members both above and below the wall the diameter of which is greater than said opening, the space between the members which are above and below the wall being substantially equal to the thickness of the wall, said stud having a recess on one side, the distance between said recess and the lower end of the stud being less than the diameter of the opening whereby the stud may be inserted through the opening in the box by a relatively diagonal and rotary movement of the stud and box, a screw carried by one of the members located below the wall which engages the under side of the wall for clamping the stud and box, and a means independent of the screw to clamp the stud to its support.

3. A metal fixture stud for supporting an outlet box having an enlarged head with a transverse opening to receive a supporting bar, a hollow screw threaded shank which is cut away on one side to receive circuit wires, a pair of cars extending outwardly from the stud and adapted to rest on the top wall of the box, a pair of lugs located below the ears, one of which is spaced therefrom by an amount approximately equal to the-thickness of the box wall, a clamping screw carried by the other of said lugs to clamp the stud and box, and a clamping screw located at the top of the cut-away portion which extends axially of the stud to clamp the stud to its supporting bar.

4. A fixture stud for supporting an outlet box having a cut-away screw threaded portion to receive the circuit wires, an enlarged head with a transverse opening to receive a supporting bar, pairs of radially-extending members located in different transverse planes, the members of one pair extending at right angles to those of the other pair, the members of one pair being adapted to enthe upper side of the wall of a conduit box and one of the members of the second pair with the underside of said wall, a clamping screw carried by the other member of the second pair to clamp the stud to a box, and a central screw adapted to clamp the stud to its supporting bar.

In witness whereof, I have heretoset my hand this twenty-second day of October,

GEORGE CARLSON.

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