Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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ELECTRICAL PIPE FITTING WITH INTEGRAL GROUNDING FIXTURE
The present invention relates to an electrical
pipe fitting and, more particularly, to an electrical
pipe fitting with an integral fixture for securing a
grounding wire such as a bonding jumper.
Electrical pipe is often used for routing ~ :
electrical wires in commercial and residential
installations. In order to meet present day municipal
code requirements, the electrical pipe must be grounded, .
and fixtures must be provided to electrically connect
grounding wires to the ground~ed electrical pipe. ~-
As shown in Fig. 1, the typical solution is
to provide a clamp-on fixture consisting of a base 2 and
~ a U-shaped pipe clamp bracket 4 which are secured around :~ ;
: a pipe using screws 6~and 8.: A portion 10 of the base 2 :~
: receives a grounding wire 11 which is held in grounded :~
: : 20 ~ ~onnection with the~base by screw 12. A section 14 of
the~base~may be used to secure a wire clamping bracket 16
ovçr the;grounding wire;:~11 using screws 18 and 20.
: The~clamp-on fixture illustrated in Fig. 1
`su~fers from se~eral setbacks, including: (l) the ground -~.
25~ connection is subject~to failure,~or example, if the
clamp-on fixture~should:become loose; (2) the fixture
adds e~pense and~physical~bulk to any given installation,
: reguiring separate pieces of hardware which must ~e
purchased, kept~in stock and secured around the pipe or
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connector; (3) the clamp-on fixture adds to the time
involved and increases the chance of error during the
installation, involving several steps in order to secure
and apply the grounding connection; and (4) the clamp may
cause the electrical pipe, or conduit, to crimp.
Although U.S. Patent No. 4,106, B32 to Burns - :-
discloses an electrical qround fixture including a pipe
section with ~n integral clamp, it is designed to
electrically couple a grounding wire to a grounded water
pipe sy-item of a building. Significantly, the fixture of
the Burns patent is not designed to provide a grounding -
connection for an elertrical pipe system to meet today's
building and electrical codes.
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The present invention improves upon the prior ~ ~
art by providing an electrical pipe fitting having an ~ -
integral grounding fixture which is specifically designed
to be used in an electrical conduit system to bring such
a system into compliance with municipal code
requirements.
The electrical pipe! fitting of the present ;
invention includes a hollow metal tubular member for
receiving electrical wire, the hollow tubular member
- being specifically~designed to be coupled as an
intermediate section of a qrounded electrical pipe. In
; this connection, one end of the hollow tubular member has
ridges for securing a section of electrical pipe and a
second end with external threadsO The tubular member is
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adapted to be removably connected to an electrical
receptacle box at the second end.
A raised portion extends from the hollow
tubular member and has an aperture for receiving and
securing a grounding wire.
Preferably, a screw is used to secure the
grounding wire within the aperture. The screw extends
into the iaperture of the raised portion of the fitting
and presses an uninsulated portion of the grsund wire
against a wall of the aperture to establish a ground path
between the grounding wire and the electrical pipe.
Additionally, a clamp is preferably disposed adjacent the
aperture for securing an insulated portion of the ground
wire against the hollow tubular member.
The raised portion can be formed integral with
the tubular member or integral with a sleeve which
extends over the tubular member.
The electrical pipe ~itting can either be a
straight section or, alternatively, can include an angled
corner, such that the ends of the fitting are
perpendicular to each other. A removable cover is
preferably provided in the embodiment of the invention
with the angled corner to facilitate access to the
electrical wire. A frictional lock is provided to
prevent unintentional dislodging of the removable cover.
Advantageously, the fixture of the present
invention is simple, economical, easily installed and
provides secure grounding at the point of connection.
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Other features and advantages of the present
invention will become apparent from the following
description of the invention which refers to the
accompanying drawings.
Fig. 1 illustrates a known clamp-on type
grounding fixture.
Fig. 2 is a first embodiment of the electrical
pipe fitting of the present invention having an integral
grounding fixture.
Fig. 3 is a second embodiment of the electrical
pipe fitti~g having a sleeve with an integral grounding ~ ;~
fixture.
Fig. 4 is another embodiment of the electrical
pipe fitting of the present invention having an integral
grounding fixture. ~ ;
Fig. 5 is a fourth embodiment of the pipe
fitting having an angled corner.
Fig. 6 is a back view of the pipe fitting of
Fig. 5.
Fig. 7 illustrates a slidable cover used over
the angled corn~r of the fitting of Fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view o~ an electrical
; ~ ~ receptacle box with the removable elsctrical pipe fitting
2~ of Fig. 2~
Fig. 9 illustrates a receptacle box with the
electrical pipe fitting of Fig. 3.
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Fig. 10 illustrates the receptacle box with the
electrical pipe fitting of Fig. 4.
Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a receptacle
box with the pipe fitting of Fig. 5.
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Referring to Fig. 2, the present invention
relates to an electrical pipe fitting in the form o~ a
hollow tubular member 34 for receiving electrical wire.
A raised portion 36 extending from tubular
member 34 has an aperture 38 for receiving a grounding
wire. A screw 39 extends into the aperture and presses
an uninsulated portion of a grounding wire against a wall
of aperture 38.
The hollow tubular member 34 is adapted to be
coupled as an intermediate section of a grounded
electrical pipe. Tubular member 34 has a first end 40
which fits snugly inside the end of a pisce of electrical
pipe or conduit. A number of small ridges 41 extend at
least partially circum~erentially around the end 40 to
assist in securing the end inside the conduit. When the
end 40 is inserted fully, the conduit end comes to rest
against a collar 42 on the tubular member 34. The collar
42 has raised bumps 43 which~afford a better grip on
tubular member 34.
A plat~orm 44 disposed adjacent raised portion ~ -
36 extends laterally with respect to the tubular member
and includes a U-shaped~recess 46 for receiving the
grounding wire. A wire clamp bracket 48 with an opposing
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U-shaped recess 44 is secured onto platform 44 with
screws 47, the wire being held in place between recesses
46 and 49. ~ -~
The tubular member 34 is also adapted to be ;
removably connected to an electrical receptacle bsx. As ~ -
shown in Fig. 8, a second end 50 of tubular member 34 can :~
be inserted through an opening 29 in the receptacle box : :
25. The receptacle box 25 has a plurality of removable
disc-shaped covers 26, each of which can be easily
punched out to provide an aperture for receiving the
second end 50 of tubular member 34. The second end 50 of :. :
tubular member 34 includes threads 51 which mate with ~ - -
threads 53 of a collar 52 to secure the fitting within
the receptacle box. The electrical receptacle box also
includes threaded tabs 27 for securing a face plate, and
apertures 28 for receiving screws to secure the :
receptacle box within a wall or other desired structure.
A second embodiment of the invention is shown
in Figs. 3 and 9, wherein like reference numerals are
used to d~signate like elements in Figs. 2 and 8. In the - :
second embodiment, the raised portion 36 and platform 44
are disposed on a separate metal sleeve 60, a portion of : :~
which, identified by reference number 64, extends over --
tubular member 34. Sleeve 60 has a hollow collar
:portion, perpendicular to portion 64, through which the
second end 50 of tubular member 34 is inserted, prior to
being inserted within the receptacle box. Thus, when
~: tubular member 34 is secured to the receptacle box by - ~.
tightening ~hreaded collar 53 onto the threads 51 of the .~.~
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second end 50 of tubular member 34, sleeve 60 is secured
against the receptacle box by a raised circumferential
ridge 58 on tubular member 34.
The second embodiment of the invention shown in
Figs. 3 and 9 also differs from the first embodiment in
that electrical pipe fitting 32 comprises a straight
tubular member 34 for accommodating electrical wire, but
does not include a male end 40 extending therefrom which
fits into another section of electrical pipe. Rather,
tubular member 34 is a female piece and receives a
section of electrical pipe. A screw 55 extends through
an aperture 56 in tubular member 34 for securing the
fitting to the section of electrical pipe inserted
therein. Tubular member 34 includes ridges 57 spaced ~
axially around its periphery to facilitate gripping of ~ -
the fixture.
A third embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 10 is
similar to the embodiment of Figs. 3 and 9, except that
raised portion 36 and platform 44 are formed integral `
with tubular member 34, rather than on a separate sIeeve.
A fourth embodiment of the invention, shown in
Figs. 5-7 and llo is similar to the embo~iment of Fig. 2,
with the exception that tubular memher 34 is formed with
an angled corner 66 which accommodates various installa-
tion configurations.
A removable cover 68 is provided to facilitate ~ -
installation and threading of electriaal wires through
the angled corner of the fitting. Removable cover 68
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fits over an opening 67 in the angled corner 66, as shown
in Fig. 6. ~ :
Referring to Figs. ~ and 7, a locking mechanism
is provided to removably secure the cover 68 onto angled
S corner 66. As shown in Fig. 6, tracks 70 are provided on . :~.
opposite sides of opening 67. The tracks are equipped
with stops 72. As shown in Fig. 7, hooked projections 74 : :
are provided on opposite edges extsnding from the inner
surface 69 of cover 68. Removable co~er 68 also includes .
a small ramp 76 at one end disposed midway between hooked
projections 74. To install cover 68, hooked projections .
74 are slidably engaged over tracks 70, and the cover 68
is slid forward until projections 74 come to rest against
stops 72, at which point the removable cover fully
occludes the opening. Inadvertent opening of cover 68 is
impeded by ramp 76 which frictionally engages an edge of
the opening.
Although ths present invention has been `~
described in relation to par1:icular embodiments thereof,
many other variations and modifications and other uses
will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It i5 ~ ::
preferred, therefore, that the present invention be .
limited not by the specific disclosure herein, but only
: by the appended claims. .
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