US1755545A - Outlet for baseboard raceways - Google Patents

Description

April 22, 19,30. P. H. LAcEY 1,755,545

OUTLET FR BASEBOARD RACEWAYS Filed July 28, 1928 Patented Apr. 22, 1930 UNITED STATES :PAUL H. LACEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS OUTLET non BAsnBoARD micnwiivs` Application filed July 28,

This invention relates to outlets for base board raceways, and its principal objectis to provide simple means whereby electric conductor cord extensions may be run from the raceway of base board constructions to any desirable place within the room. In modern buildings a raceway is provided behind the base board for the reception of electric con ductor cords, but so far as I am aware, no

outlet devices have been provided for the passage of conductor cords from the raceway to the interior of the room. Usually the plaster is chipped away, or the base boardis cut away, or some other make-shift outlet has been provided at theplace or places where it was necessary to run a conductor cord eX- tension from the raceway to the interior of the room.

In accordance with the present invention,

the base board is provided at a plurality of Figure 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a fragment of a. wall and base board construction, and showing one of the outlet devices applied thereto; f

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a fragment of the'parts seen in Fig. 1 with the base board removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical crossA section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; f

Fig. 4 isa fragmental vertical longitudinal section taken on the line lr- 4 of Fig.` 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the outlet devices; and 'i Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another form of the outlet device. Referring to said drawing, the reference character designates a fragment of a wall o r partition of a room', 6 designatesthe floor, y

7 and 8 de signatethe upper and lower ground strips which are secured to the wall in anyl 1928. Serial No. 295,873.

suitable manner, and 9 designates the base board which is usually secured to the upper ground strip by screws or thev like 10, with its lower edge removably held in a shoe 11. The plaster 12 extends up from the upper ground strip 7 and its surface is made flushfwithfthe fiont face thereof.

Between the wall 5, base board 9 and upper and lower ground strips 7 and 8 is a raceway 13 for the reception of electric conductor cords 14, which conductor cords may be lead through said raceway around the room, or from room to room thrugh the partition. A base board construction of the character described and containing a novel. incorner construction is more fullyshown and described in my Patent No. 1,652,282, dated December 13, 1927, for improvements inincorner retainer strips, and the outlet forming the subject matter of this specification is designed for use in connection with'the type of base board construction disclosed in said invention, but obviously it may be employed in connection with other forms embodying a raceway for conductor cords.

-The outlet device 15-is preferably formed of a piece of sheet metal struck up with suitable dies to give tthe'form illustrated particularly in Fig. 5. As shown, the outlet device 15 comprisesspaced tongues 16 and 17 connected by a hood-like portion 18, the tongue 16 being formed with one or more knockout pieces 19 located in that portion of the tongue 16 which forms the front of the hood 18. The hood portion has a top wall 20 and end walls 21 which extend between the sideedges of thetongues. This construction provides an open space between the tongues 16 and 17 and a passage through the hood and out through the knockout opening designated 9 by 19?. The outlet device is substantially of the saine width as the upper ground strip 7 and the tongues 16 and 17 vmay:converge slightlytowards eachother from top to bottom, so that'they willgrip the ground strip between them when placed thereon, as seen inFig.3. A v vj At the places where the outlets are provided forthe raceway, (and there may be three or -four such places along4 the base board of a ion room, or as many as desired, the upper ground strip 7 is Jformed with vertical grooves or channels 22 in its front face, and the outlet devices l5 are placed upon the upper ground yiti-ip at places over the grooves utter the ground strip has been secured in place on the wall ot' the building, but before the room plastered. The tongues 16 and 17 frictionally hold the outlet device upon the ground strip, but if it is desired to more permanently secure it thereto, the tongue 16: may be provided with perforations 23 through which small tacks or brads 2st may be driven into-the ground strip.

After the outlet devices havebeensecured in place, the Walls are plastered as usual, the plastering extending over the hood 18 and enclosing thesame. When the room is trimmed, they base board is: secured in place as usual, and the conductor cords for telephones, signaling; apparatus and other electrical devices may be placed in the raceway behindthe base board. l/Yishing to extend one of the conductorcords from any of the outlet devices, the base board is temporarily removed and the knockout piece 19 broken away to leave the outlet opening 19a after which a conductor cord may be passed from the raceway and up through the groove or channel 22 into the interior of the hood 18' and ou-t through the outlet opening- 19a from which it may be extended to am7 desired place inthe room. The base board is then replaced'.

It will be observed that the tonguel 1G substantially covers the groove or channel 2Q in the upper ground strip, thereby providing a' conduit or closed channel through which the conductor cord may pass froml the raceway out through the outlet device. The cord is 1 thereby protected against injury when the base board isv replaced. y

In the form of the inventionillustrated in Fig, 64 the front flange below the hood' portion V18,a is omitted and? the lower end Walls 21 of the hood port-ion are bent laterally to form flanges 16 adapted to rest on the top of the ground strip. Nail holes 23n may be pro. vided in the flanges 16?l through which. tacks or brads may be driven into the ground strip tosecure the outlet device thereto.` Otherwise the device isidentical withvv the other form above described. The advantage of the form illustrated-in Fig, 6 isl that no part of the device intervenes between the base board" and ground strip.l In each case the flange. 17 or 17- which is forced between the ground strip.- andv wall. acts to secure the out-let device in It will be observed that with the use of thel -present outlet device, the plastering of thev the length of the base board, which devices are concealed by the surface finish of the wall, and any of which may be brought into use whenever desired, without marring the finish of the wall in'any manner.

While I have shown and described the outlet in connection with a base board construction, it is obvious that it can be used in connection with other trim of a room, as, for instance, the chair rail or picture molding. I do not, therefore, desire to limit the use of the invent-ion t-o abase board except as particularly specified in the appended claims.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible without departing from the spirit of this invention. I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, Letters Patent:

1. An. outlet for base board raceways comprising in combination a ground strip having a transversely extending groove, andI an outlet member formed with a hood-like portion overlying an end of the groove in the ground strip, said hood-like portion having sideand end walls and portions extending from certain of its walls and extending parallel with faces of said ground strip and securedv thereto, there being an outlet opening in one side wall of said hood-like portion.

2. An outlet for base board raceways comprising in combination a ground strip having a transversely extending groove, and an outlet member formed with a hood-like portion overlying an end ofthe groove in t-he ground strip, said hood-like portion being formed with spaced side walls in the form of two tongues adapted to Yfrictionally secure the outlet member upon the ground strip, and there being an outlet opening in one of said side walls.

3. An outlet for raceways comprising a hood-like member open at the bottom and having a top wall, end Walls and at least one side wall, the latter terminating in the form of a tongue which extends below the end walls, and there being an outlet opening in a side wall leading from the cavity in the hood portion.

4. An outlet for base board raceways comprising a hood-like member open at, the bot tom and having a top wal1,end Walls and two side walls, said side walls terminating inthe form of tongues that project below the end walls and converge towardy each other, one of said, side walls being formed with an outlet opening (zo-incident with the cavity in the hood.

5. An outlet for base board raceways cornand desire to secure by prising a hood-like portion having a top Wall,

end walls and two side walls, the latter bef ing in the form of tongues whichl project down from said top Wall to a point below the end Walls, and one of said tongues being formed with nail holes therein, there being an outlet opening in one of said side Walls leading from the cavity inv the hood.

6. An outlet for ra-Ceways comprising a hood-like portion formed with a top Wall, end Walls and side Walls, at least one of said Walls being formed with extensions having nail holesv therein, and one of said side Walls being formed with a knockout place co-incident with the cavity in the hood.)

7. An outlet for raceways Comprising a hood-like portion open at the bottom and having a top Wall, end Walls and side Walls, one of said side Walls being formed With a knockout place (so-incident with the cavity in the hood, and at least one of said Walls being formed with an extension in the form of a tongue provided With nail holes.

Y PAUL H. LACEY.

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