Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support for mounting
an electrical outlet box in an aperture in a building panel.
M~re specifically, the present invention relates to a
support for mounting an electrical outlet box in an aperture in a
building panel, said support comprising: a U-shaped yoke having
a base portion, a pair of legs substantially normal to the base
portion and a support foot extending outwardly from each leg sub-
stantially parallel to the base portion and adapted to overlie an
area of the front of the building panel adjacent the aperture when
the yoke is lnserted in the aperture, each leg having at least one
aperture intermediate the base portion and the foot; and a clamping
member for association with each leg of the yoke, each clamping
member having a support surface adapted to overlie an area of the
back of the building panel opposite the area of the front of the
building panel to be overlaid by the foot of the associated leg, a
tnb member extending from said support surface and adapted to inter-
connect the clamping member with said at least one aperture of the
associated leg, and a clamping arm extending from the support sur-
face on each side of the tab member, each arm being bendable to a
first position extending out of the aperture in the building panel
in a direction substantially norma~ to the front of the bullding
panel and bendable to a second position when an electrical outlet
box i8 positioned in the aperture in the building panel, over the.
edge of the electrical outlet box to secure the electrical outlet
box in position.
The support avoids the necessity of attaching the
electrical outlet box to building studs or ioists, and provides for
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positive retention of the elec~rical outlet box in the aperture in
the building panel over a range of buil~ing panel thicknesses.
The invention pertains to subject matter generally
classifiable in ~nited States Class 220 (Metallic Recepticles),
Subclass 3.6 (~utlet or Junction Box Type; ~all, Floor, or Panel
Mounted; in Opening; Opposed Engaging Means).
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Prior art structures for mounting electrical boxes,
specifically switch boxes, in an aperture in a building panel by
means of support members engaging the back surface of the building
panel and having arms which can be bent over the edges of the
switch box are exemplified by Hussar U.S. Patent No. 1,816,584
issued July 28, 1931 and Judd et al U.S. Patent No. 1,820,309
issued August 25, 1931.
In both the Hussar and Judd et al patents the support
members prevent outward displacement of the switch box; inward
displacement of the switch box i5 prevented by means of a pair of
ear members, integral to the switch box, which overlie the front
of the building panel ad;acent the aperture. The combination of
the support members and switch box ear members provides positive
retention of the switch box in the aperture.
The present invention is concerned with a support for
electrical outlet boxes, rather than switch boxes~ i.e. structures
which generally have an octagonal face and lack integral ear -
me=bers which prevent inward displacement of the electrical outlet
box into the aperture in which it is being installed. The electrical
outlet box support of the present invention provides for positive
retention of the box in an aperture in a building panel, the
support itself preventing either inward or outward displacement of
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1079839
the box. -
SU~IARY_OF THE_INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an
electrical outlet box support for positively securing an electrical
outlet box in an aperture in a building panel..
In one particular aspect the present invention provides
a support for mounting an electrical outlet box in an aperture in
a building panel, said support comprising: a U-shaped yoke having
a base portion, a pair of legs substantially normal to the base
portion and a support foot extending outwardly from each leg sub-
stantially parallel to the base portion and adapted to overlie an
area of the front of the building panel adjacent the aperture when
yoke is inserted in the aperture, each leg having at least one
aperture intermediate the base portion and the foot; and a clamping
member for association with each leg of the yoke, each clamping
member having a support surface adapted to overlie an area of the
back of the building panel opposite the area of the front of the
building panel to be overlaid by the foot of the associated leg,
a tab member extending from said support surface and adapted to
interconnect the clamping member with said at least one aperture
of the associated leg, and a clamping arm extending from the support
surface on each side of the tab member, each arm being bendable to
a first position extending out of the aperture in the building
panel in a direction substantially normal to the front of the
buildlng panel and bendable to a second position when an electrical
outlet box is positioned in the aperture in the building panel,
over the edge of the electrical outlet box to secure the electrical
outlet box in position.
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~RIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DR~WINGS
In drawings which illustrate aspects of the present
invention:
Figure 1 is a plan view of the components, in planar
form, of one embodiment of the electrical outlet box support of
the present invention;
Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially exploded,
of the em~odiment of the electrical outlet box support employing
the components of Figure l;
Pigure 3 is a perspective view, partially in section
and partially broken, illustrating an electrical outlet box in an
intermediate stage of installation utilizing the electrical outlet :
box support of Figure 2;
Figure 4 is a perspective view, partially in section
and partially broken, illustrating an electrical outlet box
installed utilizing the electrical outlet box support of Figure 2;
Figure 5 is a plan view of the major components, in
planar form, of a further embodiment of the electrical outlet
box support of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a side elevation, partially broken,
illustrating the support members of the embodiment of Figure 5
interconnected, following bending; and
Figure 7 is a perspective view, partially in section
and partially broken, illustrating the assembly of Figure 6
installed on a section of building panel.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRRED EMB~DIMENTS
. _ .
Referring now to Figure 1, there is illustrated a yoke 1 -:
and pair of clamping members 3, the components all being shown in
a planar ~orm as would be obtained by stamping the components from
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1079839
Yoke 1 has a base portion 5, a pair of legs 7 which
are provided with an array of slots 11, and a pair of feet 13.
The clamping members 3 each have a support surface 17,
a pair of arms 19 and a tab member 21.
The yoke 1 is bent along lines 9 and 15 to assume the
shape illustrated in Figure 2.
As may be seen from Figure 2, feet 12 of yok~ 1 overlie
building panel 25 when yoke 1 is inserted in an appropriately
shaped aperture 27 cut in building panel 25. As may also be seen
from Figure 2, the clamping members 3 are adapted to overlie the
back of building panel 25, in opposition to feet 13, and tab members
21 protrude through appropriate~slots of the array of slots 11,
the slots chosen being dependent upon the thickness of building
panel 25.
The tab members 21 following insertion through the
appropriate slots 11, are then bent over, as shown in Figures 3
and 4, and the arms 19 bent into the position illustrated in
Figure 3, whereupon an electrical outlet box 29 is inserted in
the aperture in building panel 25. Following the insertion of the
electrical outlet box 29, arms 19 are bent over the edges of the
electrical outlet box 29 as illustrated in Figure 4 to securely
position the box.
During the installation of an electrical outlet box
utilizing the support of the present invention, the clamping
members 3 are accordingly bent to first interconnect with yoke 1,
by means of the tab members 21, then to prepare the support for
the reception of an electrical outlet box, by bending arms 19
outwardly to extend out of the aperture, and then to secure the
elect~rical outlet box 29, by means of arms 19. The arms 19 of
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the clamping members 3 thus prevent outward displacement of the
electrical outlet box 29 while the base portion 5 of yoke 1 pre-
vents inward displacement of the electrical outlet box 29.
As a result of the initial bending of the arms 19 of the
clamping members 3 during the installation of an electrical outlet
box 29, the portions A of arms 19, as illustrated in Figure 1, will
essentially abut edges of the building panel 25 about the aperture
27. Following the insertion of an electrical outlet box 29 the
arms 19 are bent essentially along the lines 23, also illustrated
in Figure 1, and the A lines adjacent the lines 23 to secure the
electrical outlet box 29. It will of course be understood that
the length of portions A and hence the positioning of lines 23 are
both dependent upon the thickness of the building panel 25 in which
an electrical oùtlet box 29 is being installed.
Figures S to 7 illustrate an alternate embodiment of
the electrical outlet box support of the present invention.
As may be readily seen from Figure 5, the yoke 1 of the
alternate embodiment differs from the yoke 1 of the embodiment of
Figure 1 only by the provision of a longitudinally extending slot
31 in each leg 7 in place of the counterpart array of slots 11.
The clamping mèmbers 3 of the alternate embodiment differ
from the clamping members 3 of the embodiment of Figure 1 only in
terms of a tab member 33 which is provided with a bore 35.
The major components of the embodiment of Figure 5, as
in the case of Figure l, are shown in a planar form as would be
obtained by stamping the components from metal.
The yoke 1 of the alternate embodiment is bent to the
same configuration as the yoke illustrated in Figure 2.
The tab members 33 of the clamping members 3 of the
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alternate embodiment are bent to be essentially normal to support
surface 17, and the arms ]9 of the clamping members 3 bent so as
to be substantially 180 to the tab ~embers 33.
Eacll clamping member 3 is interconnected to a leg 7 of
the yoke, as shown in Figure 6, by means of a screw 37 passing
through the longitudinally extending slot 31 of leg 7 and into
bore 35. Sheet metal screws can be utili~ed, if desired.
The alternate embodiment is i.nstalled in a building panel
and accomodates an electrical outlet box in the same manner as the
embodiment of Figures 1 to 4, with the exception that the clamping
members 3 are interconnected to the yoke legs 7 by means of screws
37, rather than by the bending over of tab members 21 following
insertion through slots of the arrays of slots 11.
As will be readily apparent, the dimensions of yoke 1,
in particular the respective lengths of base portion 5 and legs 7,
are essentially dictated by the width and depth of the particular
size of electrical outlet box to be installed. Thus, a range of
supports of different sizes can be manufacted to accomodate
different sizes of electrical outlet boxes.
The supports of the present invention can readily be
stamped from metal and can either be bent as a part of the
manufacturing operation or can be bent on the job site by the
electrician. ln either case the metal employed, and its thickness,
should be such as to facilitate bending and yet provide sufficient
mechanical strength.
Various modifications and variations, falling within the
true broad spirit and scope of the invention, will be obvious to
those skilled in the art.
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