US2284163A - Electricity conductor unit and method of using same - Google Patents

Description

May 26,' 1942. J. F. oBRn-:N 2,284,153

ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UNIT AND 4METHOD vOF USING SAME l Filed March 1s, 1941 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR oseph F O Brien ATTORNEY May 26, 1942. J, F, OBRlEN 2,284,163

ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UNIT AND METHODOF USING SAME F'i1ed March 15, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR oseph F O'rien 1. w-fg ATTORNEY Patented May 26, i942l ELECTRICITY CONDUCTOR UNIT AND METHQD F USING SAME joseph F. 0Brien, Jersey City, N. 1.,' assignor to John B. Pierce Foundation, New York, N. Y.. a corporation ci New York v Application mmh 1s, 1941, sel-n1 massless 16 Claims.

This invention relates to improved conductor units for electric wiring systems, and to a method of using the same.

In particular. the invention relates to'wiring systems in which individual conductor-c arlying units ofl predetermined and preferably standard lenghs are interconnected, in seriatim, to form a continuous electrical circuit.

It is an object oi' the present invention to provide means .whereby one of said serlatim-connected units-may be shortened to meet a specific condition of installation, without mutilating or otherwise altering the configuration of the end portions of such shortened unit, or disturbing.

the continuity of the electrical conductors Within said unit.

A further object of the invention is an nectri- 4cal conductor-carrying unit of which the end portions are arranged for` male `and female connection with contiguous conductor-carrying units, said electrical conductor-carrying unit having means whereby it may be shortened without alteration of the male or female end portions thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrical conductor unit having a base porj tion without which, or associated with which. are electricity conductors in mutually insulated spaced relationship. and a cap portion,` removable from said base portion, having an outer configuration preferably matching that ofthe electricity conductor units with which the inntant conductor unit is adapted to be interconnected. One end of the base portion may be coniigurated to provide the male connection portion of the unit, and the opposite end of the cap portion may have a configuration suitable for the female connection portion of the-unit. In preferred forms of the invention means are provided to secure the cap and base portions firmly together, and also to establish an exact relationship of the cap and base portions upon the interassembly thereof.

Reference is herein made to my co-pending application Serial No. 279,086, filed June 14, 1939, entitled Conductor unit for electrical wiring sys- Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawingsz- Fig. 1 is a 'representation of a series of electrical conductor-carrying units, arranged in seriatim to provide a continuous electrical circuit;

trating a method of serially interconnecting contiguous conductor-carrying units:

Fig. 3 is a vertical lsection of the assembled units oi' Fig.2;

Fig. 4 isla verticalv section taken lon the lines I-I of Fig.r8, enlarged to show detail;

Fig. 5 is a perspective of a conductor-carrying unit embodying the subject matter of the present invention. said unit being inverted to show the separability of the' component parts of the said unit: l

Fig. 6 illustrates-the manner in which the unit of Fig. 5 may be cut, after separation of the component parts thereof, to shorten the unit;

lFig. 7 illustrates'the relative position of the component partsv of said unit, preparatory to reassembly:

Fig. 8 is a perspective of the cap and base portions of a second form of unit, separated to show features thereof;

- Fig. 9 is a section taken through an assembled conductor unit of the Fig. 8 type. particularly showing the keyed securement of the cap and base portions by the tongue and groove configuration of the side walls thereof Fig.- 10 is a perspective view, partly broken away to show structural details, of a switch unit. embodying'the instant invention;

Fig. l1 is a section similar to the section of Figure 9, showing a second form of keyed securement of the cap and base portion; and

Fig. l2 is a similar section showing another method of securing the cap and base portions against separation.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a fraction of a continuous wiring system comprised of serially interconnected units I0 and Il Desirably, the units lli have an overall length of sixteen inches or any convenient multiple thereof, to allow for securement Ato wall studs spaced sixteen inches on centers pursuant to standard building practice.

Obviously, the desired length of the wiring system may not permit the interconnection of an equal number of the said sixteen inch units I0, and it is desirable, therefore, to provide units Ii, the length of which is any suitable fraction, preferably one-third, oi' the length of a sixteen inch unit i0, to facilitate the installation of the wiring system with a minimum of cutf` ting.

Further to increase the adaptability of said units Il, the present invention comprehends a novel construction'whereby said units may be Fig. 2 is a plan view, partly in section. illus- 55 61.112 t0 desired length at the site of installation.

in a manner which does not disturb or disar-1 range the male and female end portions thereof, or interrupt the continuity of the conductors therein.

The units i@ and ll incorporate preferably tubular conductors l2, l2 uniformly positioned, during manufacture, in predetermined spaced relationship.

The units il, in the various forms disclosed hereicomprise a cap member, generally des= igriated i3, and a base member, i4, arranged for positioning within said cap portion in such manration by a tongue and groove organization. lin

ner as to make the said base portion removable therefromo The cap and base members of the respective embodiments have distinguishing characteristics specifically referred to herein 1 To facilitate the manufacture of the base portion, it is desirable to form it in two sections, l5, lo, each section being preferably channel shaped, and so related that the web portions vofeach channel are in surface contact. The conductors i2, i2 may advantageously be positioned within the base ill by providing the webs of the channel members i5, i6, with hemi-cylindrical grooves which combine to form continuous, loninsulation of the conductors I2 is unnecessary.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 4, the respective elements I and I 6 of the base I 4 may be secured by a suitable adhesive, or assuming rubber or suitable plastic material to be used for said members, the members I5 and I6 may be partially cured, the tubular conductors positioned therein and the curing completed to adhesively bond the respective elements together to form the completed base I4. To facilitate the positioning of the respective elements of the base portion, it may be desirable to provide the member l5 with a pin formation I1 adapted to be inserted into a suitable socket in the web surface of the lower member I6, see Fig. 4.

In the embodiments of the invention disclosed in Figures 9 through 12, the component portions I5 and i6 of the base member I4 are shown as secured by any suitable plurality of rivets I8.

Referring again to Fig. 4, it is seen that side walls ofthe base member I4 of this embodiment converge upwardly and that the inner wall surfaces of the cap i3 have a complementary slope to engage the walls of base portion I4 throughout. Such slope of the walls of the cap i3 and the base lll facilitates the separation and the re-assembly of such cap and base portions.

the embodiment shown, the base portion is pro-1 vided with. longitudinal grooves 2d, said grooves being readily formed by suitably chamfering the side edges of the channel members it and i6 so that when said members are secured as shown, a completed groove is formed. The side walls oi the cap member i3 are provided with suitable tongues 2i, 2l, positioned for operative association with the grooves 28 of the base member. It is'apparent that the tongue and groove organization permits the base lto be slid outwardly of the cap i3, but that a vertical separation of the cap and base member, permitted by the conguration of the Fig. 4 embodiment and illustrated in Fig. 5, is effectively restrained.

lf-nlEig. 1l, the keyed association of the cap .and base portions is accomplished by an interlocking wedge conguration of such portions, it beingv observed that the side Walls of the base ld and of the cap i 3 are upwardly divergent, to interlock the respective parts against Withdrawal except by sliding the base i4 longitudinally outwardly.

.in the Figure l2 embodiment, the cap member i3 is provided with inturned flanges 63a, l3a which form trackways to slidably receive the base member M and permitseparation of the base member i6 and the cap member i3 only by sliding the said base member outwardly.

In the embodiments of Fig. 9 and Fig. l2, it is desirable tov have the inner side walls of the cap member I3 formed with a slight slope, rendering it necessary to spread the walls slightly apart during the insertion of the base I 4. `Such arrangement takes advantage. of the resilience inherent in the configuration of the cap I3, causing the side walls of such cap to embrace the sides of the base I4 tightly, and making necessary a positive muscular eiort to separate the respective cap and base portions.

In the embodiment of Figure 10, the cap element of the unit, designated H3, embodies a .switch mechanism, as is fully shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 283,160, iiled July 7, 1939, now Patent No. 2,239,- 654, dated Apr.- 22, 1941, and entitled Electrical switch unit. An end I I3a of such cap portion remote from the switch is arranged to receive one or the other of the specific forms of base member i4, previously described; in the illustration, such base portion has the grooved organization shown in Figure 8, and the cap portion will, therefore, be provided with tongues 2| (not shown) to cooperate with such grooves.

As clearly appears in Fig. 2, a feature of the seriatim connected electrical units forming the subject matter of this invention is the male and female interconnection of contiguous units, and to eect such interconnection, each unit is provided with a standardized female socket portion 3B at one end, and astandardized male exten@ sion portion 33 at the other end. Standardization Aof the socket and Aextension portions provides complete interchangeability of. units in interconnecting units to form a wiring system.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4, the female socket portion 30 results from a suitable configuration of the inner walls of the cap member i3 at the end thereof, in combination with im end wall v:il of the base member I the latter abutting against a squared shoulder 32, as shown clearly in Fig. 2'.

The shoulder 32 of the cap member definitely limits uis-insertion er the me member u vice which is proof against obliteration.

in such cap, and by standardizing-the configuration of the male` extension Il of -such base il, it

essaies withwill be clearly apparent that when the base mem- `V ber i4 is inserted into the cap il to the pointof'.

abutmentof its end wall 3l against the wall, themale extension portion 33 of the base il will extend beyond theend ofthe canA member I3 in definite and predetermineddegree.`

In the embodiment'of the invention characterized by Figure 8, the cap member Il may or may not have'a shoulder formation 32 at'its female end. It will be seen from Figure 8 that the grooves 2l in the side walls of the base member I4 terminate ata definite location with respect to the male end 88 of such base: the termination of the grooves provides abutments against which the ends` vof the tongues Il will strike when'the base Il is slid into thecap Il, thereby/,limiting the position of the respective cap and base 'mem- A further index lto establish the proper position of the base Il with respect to the cap I3.

shown in Figure 8, may comprise a mark :in--

scribed on the male member I3: preferably such index is in the form of a groove 8l or like de- 'I'he embodiments of Figures 11 and 12, not having the tongue andg'roove organization of Figure 8. may. employ either the shoulder 32 shown in Figures 6 and I or'the index 84 shown in Figure 8. or a combinati n of both. to establish the proper extent of rtion of the cap and body members. I'he Figu 10 embodiment is provided Awith the tongue and groove assembly shown'in Figure 8, and, therefore, is-self-posi-- tioning by reason of the abutment of the tongues against the termini. of the grooves, as previously described.

As clearly appears in'Fi'gure 2. the uniformity line of severance.

Whereas I have described my invention by simultaneously. as` suggested inllgure 6 and re-assembling the cap and-base portions in the manner suggestedv in Figure ,'I, the-basefmember I I will -interfit lwith the cap -member Itrinfa manner which provides pre-- cisely the sa'niev depth of female socket, and

precisely the same4 extent` of projection bf the lmale extension 3 3, as was present inthe originalV unit. The operation of cutting -the unit may l0:

advantageously be carried out in a mitre-box or the like to provide square lines of severance. It

is, of course', possible to cut the desired amount from the cap and base portions individually. Droviding care is taken in measuring the amount to be 'eut therefrom, and to establish a square reference to speciiic'forms thereof, `it will ,be

Yunderstood thatv many ',changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. I claim: 1. A `conductor unit for an electric'wiring system, comprising `a base portion extending substantially the full length of the unit, 'electrical conductors lnsulatediy mounted therein, each of said electrical conductors having a length coextensive with the unit, a removable cap portion for bodily telescoping relative with said base portion, said` cap portion and said base portioncooperating when in telescoped relation to pro'- -vide a male end and a female end for serlatim male and female connection andregistry of said electrical conductors respectively with the electrical conductors of like kpolarity of like contiguous conductor units, and means for establishing a desired `relative position of can Portion of positioning of the conductorg Il, i2 within the means such as the-electrically conductive, ta-

pered, pins may be employed to electrically interconnect the conductors l2, I! of the contiguous units. Such pins li likewise serve in part to mechanically interconnect the units, but to afford a positive mechanical interconnection, it is desirable to provide a passage 81 through the male end 3l of a unit and a passage ll through the top wall of the cap il at the4 female socket end thereof. As appears in Figure 3, the respective passages l1, 3l are so arranged that the passage 38 of a cap unit registers with a passage 31 4of the base portion of the preceding unit, and accommodates a wood-screw 39 or thelike which may incidentally be used to secure the assembled units to the studding or wall partition of the building in which the installation is made.

A feature of the instant invention is the ease with which a unit Ii may be shortened to meet the conditions of an installation. withoutmutilating the end construction of the unit or interrupting the continuity of the conductors therein. As is shown in Figure 6, such shortenwithrespecttosaidbaseportion. Y

' 2. A'conductor unit for an electric wiring 'sys-- tem, .comprising a base extending substantially the full length of the unit, electrical conductors lnsulatediy mounted therein, each of said conductors having la. length coextensive with the unit, a removable cap for bodily telescoping relative with said base, said cap and said base cooperatlng when in telescoped relation to provide a male end and a female end for serlatim male and female connection and, registry of saidelectrical conductors respectively with the electrical conductors of. like polarity of like contiguous'.

conductor units, and means ,associated with said ycap to gage the relative positions of assembly of said base and cap to aord uniformity of the male and female. elements of said. assembled conductor unit.

3. A conductor unit for an electric wiring system comprising a cap, having atop and side walls depending therefrom. a base having 'a i length substantially the full length of the conductor unit and arranged to be removably housed within said cap, electrical conductor means insulatedly mounted within said base portion and coextensive therewith, the top and side walls of y said capca'nd the endiwall of said base cooperating to denne a socket, and meansl for gaging the position of said base with respectto said l esp to insure uniformity of said socket.

4. A conductor unit for an electric wiring system, comprising the combination with a base having upstanding side walls having convergent outerk surfaces and a web, electrical conductors electrically lnsulatediy disposedwithin saidweb and each having a length coextensive withethe length ofthe conductor unit. saidbase portion having substantially the length of the vconductor by the broken une unit, of a cap arranged for separable association with said .base and having side walls with divergent inner faces ior mating contact with the side wall surfaces of the base, said capand said base cooperating, upon assembly, to provide a male end and a female end for male and female association with contiguousunits in seriatim asn sembly, said cap portion having means effective to gage the position of its associated base por tion with respect thereto, to insure uniformity of the said male and female ends.

5. A conductor unitfor an electric wiring system comprising `a cap havinga top and side walls depending therefrom, a base having a length substantially the full length of the conductor unit and arranged to be removably housed Within'said cap, electrical conductor means insulatedly mounted within said cap,. electrical conductor means insulatedly mounted within said base portion, the top and side Walls of said cap and the end wall of said base cooperating to dene a socket, and shoulder means provided in said cap to establish the position of the end wall of said base with respect to said cap.

6. A conductor unit for a wiring system, comprisingv a cap member, a base arranged to be removably secured to said cap member, said base having an end portion arranged for projection beyond an end of said cap member when said cap' member and base are in operative associa'- tion, electricity conductor means arranged within said unit in mutually insulated spaced relationship and extending longitudinally of said unit, and means on said `cap member for gaging the relative position of said cap member and base to aiord a uniform extent of projection of said base end portion with respect to said cap member.v

7. A conductor unit for a wiring system, comprising a cap member having a top and side walls, a base arranged to be positioned Within said cap member, said base having an end portion for projection beyond an end of said cap member when said cap member and base are in Operative association, electricity conductor means insulatedly mounted within said base and extending longitudinally thereof, and means for establishing the relative position of said cap and base members to gage the extent of projection of said base from said cap member.

8. A conductor unit for an electric Wiring system, comprising a cap member having an open side, a. b'aseg-.member arrangedto be removably secured to `said cap member and serving to close the open side thereof, said base member-having an end projecting beyond' an end of said cap member when in operative position with respect to said cap member, a plurality of electricity conductor means arranged within said unit and extending longitudinally thereof in mutually insulated status, and means for ga'ging the relative position of said cap and b ase member to establish the extent of projection of said base inei'nber beyond said cap member.

9. A conductor unit for a wiring system, com prising a cap member having a top and side walls depending therefrom, a base member arranged to be removably secured within said cap member, said base member having walls in engagement with the side walls of said cap member and in slidable tongue and groove relationship therewith, said base member having an end portion projecting beyond an end of said cap member when in operative association therewith, electricity conductor means arranged within said aeaaiea unit in mutually insulated spaced relationship and extending longitudinally of said unit, and an abutment on one of said members for engagement by the other of said members to establish the relative position of said cap and base members and the extent of projection of said base member from said cap member.

' l0. A conductor unit for a wiring system, comprising a cap member having a top and side walls depending therefrom, a base member arranged to be removably secured within said cap member, said base member having walls in engagement with the side walls of said cap member and in slidable keyed relationship therewith, said base member having an end portion projecting 'beyond an end of said cap member when in operative association therewith, electricity conductor means arranged within said unit in mutually insulated spaced relationship and extending longitudinally of said unit, and an abutment on one of said members for engagement by the other of said members to establish the relative position of said cap and Vbase members and the extent of projection of said base member from said cap member.

l1. A conductor unit for a wiring system, comprising a cap member having a top and side walls depending therefrom, a base member arranged to be removably secured to said cap member, said base member having walls in engagement with-the side walls of said cap `member and said side walls of said cap and base members being in tongue and groove association one with the othersaid base member having an end portion projecting beyond an end of said cap, and electricity conductor means arranged within said unit in mutuallyinsulated spaced relationship and extending longitudinally of said unit, such tongue and groove relationship terminating at a predetermined position with respect to said base member to afford means for limiting the extent of projection of said base member from said cap member.

l2. A conductor unit for a wiring system, comprising a cap member having a top and side walls depending therefrom, a base member arranged to be removably secured within said cap member, the side Walls of said cap member having a reentrant formation for engagement with the side Walls of said base member to secure said base member to said cap member in a manner permitting only longitudinal displacement of said base member relative to said cap member, said base member having an end portion projecting beyond anv end of said cap, electricity'conductor means arranged within said unit inmutually insulated spaced relationship and extending longitudinally of said unit, and means for gaging the relative position of said cap and base members to iix the extent of projection of said base member from said cap member.

13. A conductor unit for a Wiring system of seriatim interconnected units, comprising a cap member and a base member removably associated with said cap member, said cap member having means defining a socket portion at one end, said base member projecting from said cap member at the end opposite said socket portion, the projecting portion of said base member being arranged for insertion into the socket portion of a contiguous, similar unit, electricity conductors arranged within said unit and having terminal portions exposed at the ends thereof for inter connection with the conductors of contiguous, similar units, and means on one of said members to establish the operative position of the other member relative thereto, whereby uniformity of the extent of projection of said base member may be obtained.

14. A conductor unit for a wiring system of seriatim interconnected units, comprising a cap member and a base member removably secured thereto, said cap and base members cooperating when in assembled status, to provide a socket at one end of the unit and a male projecting portion at the opposite end, electricity conductors arranged within said unit and having terminals at the ends thereof for interconnection with conductors of contiguous, similar units, the points of such connection being wholly within said units and shielded from external contact by the walls thereof', and abutment means on one of said unit members to establish the position of the other member relative thereto and the extent of projection of the male portion thereof.

15. The method of shortening an electrical conductor unit having a body portion and a cap therefor, comprising the steps of removing said body portion from said cap portion, reversing the normal directional 'relationship of one of said portions with respect to the other, aligning ends of said base and cap portions respectively, cutting through said cap and base portions to sever the unwanted surplus therefrom, and re-assembling said cap portion and said base portion in proper operative relationship. f

16. The method of shortening an electrical conductor unit having1r a composite structure embodying sepmabie elements, comprising the steps of separating saidelements, reversing the normal position of one of said elements with respect to the other, severing the unwanted surplus from v said elements by a cutting operation, and reassembling said elements to restore the same to proper operative relationship.

JOSEPH F. OBRIEN.

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