US2075547A - Wiring device - Google Patents

Description

March 30, 1937. c, RUTHERFORD 2,075,547

I WIRING DEVICE Filed May 25, 1935 EEEHHEW INVENTOR arvl'ifi/zienfard /M M W 4 M ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 30, 1937 PATENT OFFICE WIRING DEVICE Charles E. Rutherford, West Hartford, Conn., as-

signor to The Wiremold Company, Hartford,

Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application May 23, 1935, Serial No. 22,960

2 Claims.

My invention relates to wiring devices; particularly to means by which wiring devices may be conveniently and quickly installed, as well as rigidly held in place after installation. It is particularly useful where it is necessary to install a wiring device against the side of a wall, molding or other obstruction, but its utility is not limited to such cases. The particular character of the wiring device, whether switch, junction box, outlet or other, is immaterial.

In the drawing attached hereto Fig. 1 is an exploded view showing the three main elements of my wiring device;

Fig. 2 is a view showing the under side of the central member;

Fig. 3 shows the underside of the base plate;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the device assembled in place;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing a modified form;

Fig. 6 is a view of the base plate of the modified form shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 shows the device of Fig. 5, in plan, at the time of installation.

Fig. 9 is a view of a modified form of base plate.

In Fig. 1, which illustrates my invention as applied to a snap switch such as is used in household wiring, III is the porcelain body of the switch, provided with screws II, II, for attaching wires, with a top plate l2, provided with a rectangular slot l2a, through which the operating handle I3 protrudes. The porcelain body III is provided on its lower side with a recess |4 (Figs. 2 and 4) in which is mounted the metal strap I5. Screws l6, I6, pass through this strap and engage with threaded holes 16a, l6a, in the top plate l2.

The ends of the strap piece l5 are bent down and shaped to provide projecting lugs l6, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4.

The base plate I1, shown in Fig. l, is provided with holes Ila, Ila, |'|a, by which it may be screwed in place, as for example on a wall, and with lugs l8, one of which is shown at H! as having been broken or cut ofi. It also is provided with slots 20, which are shown as being cut in a portion of the base plate I! which is bent up above its general level.

The device shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8 is one which is so shaped as to allow a central screw 2| to be used to hold the parts together; the particular device shown is a double receptacle, each side capable of holding and connecting to the electrical current one attaching plug, as is well known in the art. The central screw 2| engages with a threaded opening in a boss 22, which is located in the base plate.

In this form, in place of the bent lugs l6 of the first form I use headed studs, 23, 23, which are molded into the main body ll) of the receptacle. Between these studs and the main body of the receptacle I provide an insulating plate 24, which is kept in place by the studs, being provided with holes through which the studs pass. The length of the studs is such as not only to allow room for 10 the plate 24, but also to allow room for the studs to pass into the slots 20, 20, of the base plate, as

shown in Fig. 5.

The construction of the molded body and its relation to the plate 24 and the studs 23 appear in Fig. 7.

In Fig. 9 I show an alternative form of base plate, in which the holes a, 20a, are modified with special reference to securely holding the bent up lugs N5 of Fig. 2.

In each form the cover member 21 is provided with knock-out openings 25; in the upper part of Fig. 1 one of these openings, 25a, is shown at each end as knocked out.

To install the device it is necessary first to at- 25 tach the base plate II in its permanent location, as by screws passing through the holes Ho. The wires 26, 26, Figs. 4 and 8, are then connected to the screws H, and the member ID is temporarily installed in place by slipping the two lugs or studs, I6 or 23 as the case may be, into the two holes 20, 20, of the base plate, and rotating the member In through a small arc until the lugs or studs assume the position in the holes which is shown in Fig. 3, with the projecting ends of the lugs or studs extending behind the adjacent portions of the base plate. It will appear from Fig. 8 that this operation can be performed when the base plate I l is installed so as to touch a side wall, molding or base board 28.

There is enough frictional engagement between the lugs or studs and the holes 20 to retain the member H1 in place until the time comes to apply the cover member 21. The arrangement is such that the cover member, when applied, holds all of the parts rigidly in place.

In the first form shown the cover member is held in place by two screws, 29, 29, which engage with the threaded holes 30, 30, in the top plate l2, Figs. 1 and 4. In the second form the screw 2| passes through a hole in the cover member, and engages the stud 22 described above, as shown in Fig. 5.

In both cases the result is to lock the cover plate in a position in which the lower walls of 1 in such a way as to hold the cover member from rotating, and lock everything securely together in place, this action being aided by the projections 25 from the base plate, where such projections are present. Rotation of the main member Ill is prevented by the engagement of the switch handle I2 with the slot 12a in which it works, or by some similar engagement of the parts; for example in the modified form shown in Figs. 5, 6, 7 and 8, the upper projecting flanges 32, 32, of the molded body portion iii of the receptacle engage with openings in the cover member 2?, as shown in Fig. 5, so that so long as the cover member is held in place the molded member cannot rotate.

To adapt my invention to. use with any type of conduit, wiring raceway or similar device it is only necessary to give the proper shape to the knock-out openings 25. The particular shape of these knock-out openings shown in the drawing is suitable for use with the type of conduit known to the trade as Wiremold, one form of which is shown in Murphy Patent No. 1,981,742, This form of conduit is particularly adapted to be fastened in placeby slipping it on to one of the projecting tongues I8 as shown at 3! at the left of the lower part of Fig. 1. Such of the tongues as are not used are removed by breaking or cutting off, in the usual way, as shown. at I9. When the cover is applied in place, the knocked out opening 25a of the cover plate embraces the conduit, affording-an additional means of lockingthe whole structure permanently in place, the cover member being'secured against rotation by its attachment to the conduit members as well as by its engagement with the base plate or portions struck up therefrom.

I claim:

1. In a wiring device, two members, one of which is a base plate and one a body portion, means for fastening the base plate in its desired location, rigid projecting means on one of the said members adapted to project behind portions of the other member by a slight movement of the body portion in part in a direction parallel to said base plate, a cover member and means for fastening the cover member rigidly in place with relation to the base plate, the cover member being shaped to engage with the body portion in such a manner as to prevent the body portion from being so moved ina direction parallel to said base plate as to be disengaged from the base member when the cover member is in position.

2. In a wiring device, two members, one of which is a base plate and one a body portion, means for1fastening the base plate in its desired location, rigid projecting means on one of the said members adapted to project behind portions of the other member by a slight rotational movement in a direction parallel to said base plate; a cover member and means for fasteningthecover member rigidly in place with relation to the base plate, the cover member being shaped to engage with the body portion in such a manner as to prevent the body portion from being so rotated as to be disengaged fromthe base member when the cover member is in position.

CHARLES E. RUTHERFORD.

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