US2555923A

US2555923A - Outlet box support

Info

Publication number: US2555923A
Application number: US117863A
Authority: US
Inventors: Lester L Elstad
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-26
Filing date: 1949-09-26
Publication date: 1951-06-05
Anticipated expiration: 1968-06-05

Description

June 5, 1951 ELSTAD l 2,555,923

OUTLET Box- SUPPORT Filed sept. 26, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 1 Z7 l 1 Z5 fn/wia? June 5, 1951 L, 1 ELSTAD 2,555,923

' ou'rLE'i"Box..;sUPPoRT Filed sept. 2e. 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 y fda v 50 bj@ wm" jvemaz' Patented June 5, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a support for electrical outlet boxes Iand the like.

While it is contemplated that the device will be used in other than .ceiling installations, itzis 4described herein vas used in conjunction with ra box either permanently'or until it can be screwed or otherwise attached in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide means f or tightly and securely mounting an outlet box support between two panels the said "means including mechanism whereby the device V'can be readily adjusted or slightly re-arr-angedto .accommodate itself to building constructions Iwherein the space between the two panels varies considerably.

Still another object of the invention is to pro- 'vide ya device v`of the general character described above which can be readily adapted for use in supporting a conventional outlet box or ashallower pan which may be used.

The above Vand other objects and' advantages of the invention will more full-y Vappearrom the following .description made in `connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein .like .refetence characters referto the same parts -`throughout theviews, and, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional'view through Apart of a ceiling and'superimposed Vfloor.illustrating the adaptation of an embodiment `ofm-yninverrtion' thereto.

Fig'. rZisa similar view showing. the fdevicefar- `ranged for 'supporting ya ceilingfpan.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View showing the device lengthened vertically so that'it 'will function in astructure .where thespace between the ceiling and the iloor thereabove is considerably greater than in Figs..l.and 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken approximately `on the line 4 1 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the member for bridging the ceiling opening,

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary Vsectional view taken approximately on `the line V6--6 of Fig. 3,

Fig. is a fragmentaryfsectional view through part of a ceiling illustrating the adaptation .of another embodiment of my .invention thereto,

Fig. 8 is a perspective view ofithe .member for bridging vthe ceilingopening used in the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. '7,...and

Fig.;9 is a. vertical sectional' view ofV the bridging memberrshown. in Fig. 8, taken transversely through the middle aperture` therein.

1n Fig. l there.y is shownsa portion of aceili'n'g vpanel indicatedgenerally at 6 andmadetiip of axpluralityI of :conventional laths 'l anda plaster coating `8. `spaced above the'ceilingtpanel is :La floor `ASi which, of course, `isgtl'ie floor of. theiruom "above :the ceiling f6. The ceiling panel. has an Yopening Il) formedctherethrough Extending across` .the opening 'I0 .is a. bridging member fIiI havingflatends IZwhich preferably .should span approximately two "of the laths` L `upon that .portieri of .the bridging member II which. denes the 4aperture I4. This spud Iis lshown indetail in Fig. 4. It has an internally `threaded lbore I8, and .a threaded rod` or compression member I9 is mounted therein. VThis .rod .preferably has a pointed upper end` [9a. .A

conventional electrical outlet box :2.0. with` .an upper central aperture vis slipped on .the lower fend of the Spud I6, as showninFig. 1, and a .retaining nut 2.I .isf-screwed on the Spud to secure the outlet boxbetween `said spud and theunderside of the raised central portionIS of the bridge I|,. `It will be seen that thelower endiof l.the threaded .rod I:9.loas. akerf i911 .formed therein.

The .parts can be placed in approximate .posiy tion .as indicatedin Fig. l Yprior to .placingof the outlet boxl thereon. When thebridging ,meub ber and rod .I9` are originally inserted, therod .I9 .is not extended upwardly as far as shown in Fig. 1,.but.is turned up into .engagement with the underside-.of the iioor 9 .afterthe parts have been positioned so. that vthe 'bridgingmember II will be =pressed rmly down on the tops of laths which lie on either side-of .the ceiling panel opening IU.

Figs. Zand Li.` show a modiiication of vthe. struc- `ture shown in Fig. l. An adapter 2.2 is `provided. with an internally threaded portion 23 and an .externally threaded `portion 24, the two sets o'f threads being of the same pitch and diameter. .The adapter .2,2 .also hasa bore A24a which` extends through the externally threaded end portion 2.4,

`is accordingly Vconsiderably longer.

threaded portion of the rod'33 has vbreak-'jointv same 'as the nut 2| in Fig. l, is used to hold the pan 25 in positionk between said nut and the shoulder located at the upper portion of the threads 24 on the adapter. Since the ceiling pan 25 is usually shallower than an outlet box such-Y as the box 20 of Fig. 1, the adapter 22 is used to lower the point of mounting of said pan 25.

In Figs. 3 and 6 the adapterrZZ is shown`v threaded on the spud I3 with the shoulder of the adapter resting upon the upper side of the bridging member I I. An outlet box 28 is slipped on the lower end of theV adapter 22 and retained by a nut 29,V similar to nuts 2T and 2l in Figs. 4 and l, respectively. By placing the adapter 22 above 'the central bridge portion I3, the same rod I9 cari beextended upwardly further where the ceiling and the overlying Yfloor are spaced further apart.'

An'outlet box or ceiling pan mounting such as described is of particular advantage when wiring homes thathave already been constructed.

The provision of a bridging memberand an `extensible strut or compression member such as the'rod I9 results'in an extremely firm anchoring support for the `outlet box. It does not require anchoring screws in the ceiling laths, a practice which is not advisable becausethe laths often split or they may be rotted. The fiat ends or legs I2 ofthe bridging member II should be made long enough to contact at least two of the 4ceiling laths, as shown in the drawing so that ya strong support-will be provided. Y i

Figs. 7,78 and 9 show an additional embodiment Vof my'invention which is simple, yet novel and very eifective. It comprises a bridging member 33 somewhat similar to the member I I in that it has va raised central portion 33a which `is pro-v vided with a central aperture'3I and reinforcement lflanges 33h. It differs, however,Y in that the aperture V3| isthreaded, having a bore of equal pitch and diameter as the thread of the threaded portion 32 of the rod 33 which is mountedV therein. The raised central portion 30a also has additional apertures Y35 disposed between its ends and the central aperture 3| adapted for fastening the various sized conven- `tional outlet boxes which are equipped with corresponding apertures for fastening said outlet box securely., The rod 33 has a longer unthreaded portion than the rod I9 and its overall length The unnotches 34 out therein at spaced intervals. When in approximateY position the rod 33 is screwed by. Vmeans of a screw driver inserted in the kerf 33h upwardly until the top end of the rod 33a engages the underside of the door 3 above the ceiling and presses the bridge member 30 firmly down on the tops of the laths which lie on' either side ofthe ceiling panel opening I0. Then the outlet box 20 is slid over the lower end of the rod 33 and the retaining nut 36 is screwed onto the rod 33 below the outlet box 2IJ so as to `hold it firmly and securely in place. Additional support and rigidity can be provided for the outlet box by inserting ordinary bolts through the additional apertures 35 and the corresponding apertures in theV outlet box and fastening them tightly with nuts.

' The big advantage of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. '7, 8, and 9 is its ready adjustability to spaces of different distances. The rod 33 is made of sucient length so as to extend from the ceiling to the floor above it even in cases when these two members are separated by an unusually large distance. If the rod 33 proves toloe too'long for the space between the floor and ceiling below it, the user can easily break the rod 33v at one of the points where the break-point notches are located so as to make the rod 33 of vthe'desired length. This structure obviates the need of the spud I6 and the adapter 22 shown in Fig. 2 and utilized in the other embodiment of my invention when the rod I9 was not long enough for rthe purposes at hand, and has the advantage of being considerably simpler and cheaper to manufacture while still eiciently accomplishing its purpose.

It will, of course, be understood that'various 'changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

. What I claim is:

1. In an outlet box support, a bridging member having lan opening therethrough, a spud extending-.through said opening and having a portion vsupporti-:d on said bridging member, the lower portion of said Spud being externally threaded and providing means for supporting an outlet box `and athreaded rod threaded into said spud and Aextending upwardly thereabove and above said bridging member. 2f The structure in claim 1 and an extension adapter for said spud having one end internally threaded and the other end externally threaded, the diameters of said threaded ends being the same. 3. An outlet box support comprising arbridging member adapted to span a building panel opening,v a threaded compression rod member extending through said bridging member and upwardly above to'vengage the surface of a rpanel' spaced from said iirst mentioned panel, said threaded rod being shiftable longitudinally to extend the same relative to said bridging member and said 'rod including means for varying its length to eas- Vily adapt its length to said space, and at least one ofrsaid members being arranged to support an -outlet box thereon;

4. An outlet box support adapted to be used be- Ytween a pair 'of spaced panels, one of which has -an outlet box opening therein within which an outlet box is adapted to be placed, said supportV REEERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,453,017 Lindelof Apr. 24, 1923 1,856,356 Owen May 3, 1932 Carlson June 14, 1949