US3912106A

US3912106A - Outlet for sub-floor and concealed installations

Info

Publication number: US3912106A
Application number: US377740A
Authority: US
Inventors: Hans-Martin Traupe
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1972-07-07
Filing date: 1973-07-09
Publication date: 1975-10-14
Anticipated expiration: 1992-10-14
Also published as: ES416617A1; DE2233450B1; SE382088B; DE2233450C2; ATA572573A; AT335547B; DE2233450A1; FR2192589A5; CH565923A5

Abstract

An outlet box, or member, for use in making connections to wires, or the like, contained in a conduit or tubular element which is encased in building material such as concrete or plaster. The outlet box has an end wall which is placed in juxtaposition to the wall of the conduit prior to the application of the building material. The outlet box has a cylindrical wall extending from the end wall of the outlet box toward the plane of the surface of the building material. An insert smaller in diameter than the cylindrical wall of the outlet box has a peripheral head engaging the inside of the cylindrical wall so the insert can be tilted and positioned in conformity with the plane of the surface of the building material. Adhesive material between the insert and outlet box fixes the insert in adjusted position in the outlet box. The insert includes elements for connection to devices to be connected thereto. The end wall of the outlet box can be pierced for access to the wires, or the like, in said tubular element.

Description

United States Patent 1191 Traupe Oct. 14, 1975 OUTLET FOR SUB-FLOOR AND 3,620,404 11/ 1971 Grasso 220/18 CONCEALED INSTALLATIONS [76] Inventor. HanS Martin Traupe, Primary ExaminerBilly S. Taylor .Frenssenstrasse 51, 2 Hamburg 55 Attorney, Agent, or FirmWalter Becker Germany 221 Filed: July 9, 1973 [571 ABSTRACT [211 App. No; 377 740 An outlet box, or member, for use in making connections to wires, or the like, contained in a conduit or tubular element which is encased in building material Forelgn Appllcatlon y Dam such as concrete or plaster. The outlet box has an end July 7, 1972 Germany 2233450 wall which is placed in juxtaposition to the wall of the conduit prior to the application of the building mate- [52] US. Cl. 220/3.4; 174/48; 220/3.7; rial. The outlet box has a cylindrical wall extending 220/3.94 from the end wall of the outlet box toward the plane [51] Int. Cl. H02G 3/08 of the surface of the building material. An insert [58] Field of Search 220/3.7, 3.4, 3.3, 18, smaller in diameter than the cylindrical wall of the 220/3.94; 52/576, 577,220, 21; 174/57, 48, outlet box has a peripheral head engaging the inside of 49; 242/37, 3.4, 3.3 the cylindrical wall so the insert can be tilted and positioned in conformity'with the plane of the surface of [56] References Cited the building material; Adhesive material between the UNITED STATES PATENTS insert and outlet box-fixes the insert in adjusted posi- 1,254,641 1/1918 Adam 220/3.7 X in i outlet 9 The insert includes elements for 2,811,574 10/1957 Guerrero.... 174/57 connecton devces to be Connected thereto- The 3,318,476 5/1967 Clark 220/34 end wall of the outlet box can be pierced for access to 3,343,704 9/1967 Terry 220 3 7 X g the wires, or the like, in said tubular element. 3,525,450 8/1970 Payson 220 3.7 3,598,900 8/1971 Drake 174/48 X 9 Chums 1 Drawmg Flgure OUTLET FOR SUB-FLOOR AND CONCEALED INSTALLATIONS The present invention relates to an outlet for subfloor and concealed installations, which outlet comprises a tubular hollow body that is closed during the pouring of the concrete or flooring plaster by a stopper which can be removed when the concrete or flooring plaster has hardened. With such an outlet for the subfloor installation, a pipe section forms one piece with the upper wall or cover of the sub-floor passage. Screwed onto said last mentioned pipe section is a further pipe section of which that end which is remote from the passage is closed by a screw-in stopper. Such an arrangement has the drawback that prior to the pouring of the concrete or flooring plaster the upper edge of said further pipe section must be adjusted precisely to the height of the finished concrete or flooring plaster surface, which operation is rather time consuming. I

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an outlet of the above mentioned general type, with which the aligning with regard to the finished concrete or flooring plaster prior to the pouring of the concrete or flooring plaster will not be necessary.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawing, illustrating a section of the outlet according to the invention.

This object has been realized according to the present invention by having a tubular insert insertable into the hollow body, which insert engages the inner side of the hollow body by a bead only.

With the outlet according to the invention, it is no longer necessary to align the upper edge of the hollow body prior to the pouring of the concrete or flooring plaster with the finished surface of the poured concrete or flooring plaster. It is merely necessary with the arrangement according to the invention that the upper edge does not protrude beyond the concrete or flooring plaster surface. The aligning is, in conformity with the invention, effected after the concrete or flooring plaster has hardened, by means of the tubular insert. This tubular insert is inserted into the hollow body and its upper edge can easily be aligned in the plane of the concrete or flooring plaster surface because the bead by which the insert engages the hollow body will, within wide limits, make possible any desired position of the two subjects relative to each other. After aligning the insert, it is for arresting the same merely necessary to fill the gap between the hollow body and the insert with an adhesive.

According to a preferred embodiment, an annular element is mountable on the hollow body by means of a recess provided on its upper end face. In this way, the outlet can be adapted without difficulties to any desired length. In this connection, it has proved advantageous to provide the annular elements with a corresponding recess in order to be able to connect a plurality of these elements to each other.

Expediently, the insert has a groove in which a mounting may be placed whereby the upper end of the insert can easily be adapted to different requirements. The mounting may be connected in the groove by protrusions.

It has also proved highly satisfactory toprovide the hollow body and/or the annular elements on the outside with protrusions by means of which these elements will additionally be anchored in concrete or flooring plaster.

Furthermore, the hollow body may, by means of a an installation having features in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, a cylindrical hollow element or tubular body 1 is, at its bottom, closed by a wall 2 which can be broken out and thereby rest against the cover 3 of a sub-floor passage. At the lower end, the hollow element or tubular body 1 has its outside provided with noses 4 which cooperate with brackets 5 on the cover 3 for connecting the hollow element or tubular body 1 to the sub-floor passage. Inserted into a recess 6 at the upper edge of the hollow body 1 is an annular element 7 which has its upper end likewise provided with arecess 8 in which, if desired, an additional annular element 7 may be mounted. The ring or annular element 7 may be of different height whereby in conformity with the invention the length of the outlet connection can be slightly varied. For a firmer connectionofthe hollowelement or tubular body 1 and the ring element 7 in concrete or flooring plaster,

protrusions

9, 10 are respectively provided on the outside thereof.

Inserted into the hollow body 1 or ring element 7 which both have the same inner diameter there is an insert 11 which, by means of a bead 12, preferably of a circular profile engages in a clamping manner, the inner side of said bead 12. The insert 11 has a groove 14 in which a mount 13 with engaging protrusions 17 is mounted. This mounting 13 serves as support for a closure, for instance, a cover 15 or a nonillustrated tap. The insert 11 rests by means of a bead 12, in other words, along a line only against the inner side of the hollow body 1 or ring element 7. Therefore, its upper edge can easily be aligned flush with the finished concrete or flooring plaster surface, inasmuch as it, itself, is at will adjustable in a vertical and in a horizontal plane, as indicated in the drawing by dash lines. After aligning the insert 11, the latter is non-adjustably fixed by filling with adhesive A the gap 16 which is located between the insert 11 and the inner side of the hollow body 1 or ring element 7.

For purposes of connecting nonillustrated installations, the insert 11 is provided with extensions or rib means 18 which have bores 19 and which point into the interior of the outlet. It is a matter of course that the insert 11 and mounting 13 may be made of a single integrated piece.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment shown in the drawing, but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, for instance, instead of being mounted on the cover 3 of a sub-floor passage, the mount which can by means of the bottom wall 2 be mounted on a ceiling form in order to limit a passage for cables, pipes, or other elements of installation by a ceiling of a building.

What is claimed is:

l. A box member for connection to a tubular body which is to be encased in floor or wall material such as concrete or plaster; said box member forming an outlet from said body for wires or the like, said box member having an end wall for engagement with the tubular body and cylindrical side wall means connected to the end wall and extending therefrom toward the plane of the surface of the material in which the tubular body will be encased, said side wall means at the end opposite said end wall forming an open end on the box member, and a tubular insert of work material receivable in the open end of said box member and having a radially outwardly projecting peripheral bead of work material on said insert below the top of said insert, means forming an annular space between said side wall means of the box member and said tubular insert above said bead, said tubular insert being smaller in diameter than said cylindrical side wall means and said bead forming the sole region of engagement of said tubular insert with said side wall means and said bead permitting tilting'of the tubular insert in any direction in the box member.

2. A box member according to claim 1 in which said side wall means has a cylindrical recess formed on the inside thereof at the open end of said box member, and annular ring means having one end seated in said recess, said ring means conforming to said side wall means in thickness and diameter and forming side wall means of the box member when mounted thereon.

3. A box member according to claim 2 in which said ring means comprises at least two rings in telescopically engaged end to end relation.

4. A box member according to claim 1 in which said insert comprises means for detachably receiving a further member which extends away from said insert on the side remote from said end wall of the box member.

5. A box member according to claim 1 in which said insert comprises axial apertures therein, a further memher having protrusions receivable in said apertures, said protrusions having offset ends for engaging said insert at one axial end of the apertures to hold the further member on the insert.

6. A box member according to claim 1 in which the side wall means of said box member includes radially outwardly extending protrusion means for fixing the box member in the material which encases said tubular body.

7. A box member according to claim 1 in which said end wall of said box member is adapted for being pierced to provide access from the box member into said tubular body.

8. A box member according to claim 1 in which said insert comprises radially inwardly extending rib means to serve for connection of the insert to a device to be supported thereon.

9. A-box member according to claim 1 which includes adhesive material in between means forming said annular space between said side wall means of the box member and said tubular insert, said adhesive material being disposed between said bead and the open end of the box member, said adhesive material fixing said tubular insert to said box member.

Claims

1. A box member for connection to a tubular body which is to be encased in floor or wall material such as concrete or plaster; said box member forming an outlet from said body for wires or the like, said box member having an end wall for engagement with the tubular body and cylindrical side wall means connected to the end wall and extending therefrom toward the plane of the surface of the material in which the tubular body will be encased, said side wall means at the end opposite said end wall forming an open end on the box member, and a tubular insert of work material receivable in the open end of said box member and having a radially outwardly projecting peripheral bead of work material on said insert below the top of said insert, means forming an annular space between said side wall means of the box member and said tubular insert above said bead, said tubular insert being smaller in diameter than said cylindrical side wall means and said bead forming the sole region of engagement of said tubular insert with said side wall means and said bead permitting tilting of the tubular insert in any direction in the box member.

5. A box member according to claim 1 in which said insert comprises axial apertures therein, a further member having protrusions receivable in said apertures, said protrusions having offset ends for engaging said insert at one axial end of the apertures to hold the further member on the insert.

9. A box member according to claim 1 which includes adhesive material in between means forming said annular space between said side wall means of the box member and said tubular insert, said adhesive material being disposed between said bead and the open end of the box member, said adhesive material fixing said tubular insert to said box member.