US3770872A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Electrical outlet box construction
Assignee: ELECTRICAL FITTINGS CORP
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Filing: 1971-11-17
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Granted: 1973-11-06
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Expires: 1991-11-17
Abstract
Abstract An electrical outlet box is cast of aluminum or other soft metal and has grooved tracks formed on the top and bottom inside faces of its side walls and the medial inside faces of the top and bottom end walls. One form of mounting bracket includes a front mounting plate and three rearwardly projecting tongues which slideably engage the track grooves and are locked in position by shearing portions of the groove side walls and bending them into engagement with shoulders on the tongues. The mounting plate has an opening for guiding a tool to the groove wall front face. In another form the bracket includes a medial stepped tongue providing a vertical shoulder and the groove side walls are deformed to engage the shoulder edges and a top face of the tongue outer stepped portion.
Inventors
- 👤 L Brown
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 14:06
CPC Classifications
H; H02; H02G; H02G3/00; H02G3/02; H02G3/08; H02G3/18; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T29/00; Y10T29/49; Y10T29/49826; Y10T29/49908; Y10T29/49915
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
134 words
An electrical outlet box structure comprising a box member having an open front and peripheral horizontal top and bottom end walls and vertical side walls and a base and provided with a conductor access opening, a first track integrally formed on the inner face of one of said walls and extending rearwardly toward said base from the forward part of said box and including a pair of transversely spaced walls delineating a track groove open at its forward end, a mounting bracket including a front vertically extending mounting section registering with said box front opening and a rearwardly projecting first coupling tongue engaging said track groove and provided with a forwardly directed shoulder disposed rearwardly of the front end of a first of said track walls, and means locking said tongue in said groove.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
134 words
An electrical outlet box structure comprising a box member having an open front and peripheral horizontal top and bottom end walls and vertical side walls and a base and provided with a conductor access opening, a first track integrally formed on the inner face of one of said walls and extending rearwardly toward said base from the forward part of said box and including a pair of transversely spaced walls delineating a track groove open at its forward end, a mounting bracket including a front vertically extending mounting section registering with said box front opening and a rearwardly projecting first coupling tongue engaging said track groove and provided with a forwardly directed shoulder disposed rearwardly of the front end of a first of said track walls, and means locking said tongue in said groove.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said bracket is provided proximate said tongue with a guide opening providing access to the front face of said wall containing said first track.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
43 words
The structure of claim 2 wherein said guide opening is bordered by a guide edge in alignment with a transverse line between the front face of said walls defining said track groove to provide a guide surface for a track wall deforming tool.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said locking means comprises a longitudinally shear from the forward inside portion of said first track wall transversely deforming it into engagement with said coupling tongue shoulder.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The structure of claim 1 including a pair of said first tracks, each track being positioned on one of said side walls proximate a comMon end wall and being laterally aligned, said bracket including a pair of said first coupling tongues projecting rearwardly from opposite ends of said mounting section and engaging respectively track grooves.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
56 words
The structure of claim 5 comprising a second track medially positioned on the underface of an end wall between said pair of first tracks and including a pair of side walls delineating a longitudinal groove open at its front end, said bracket including a medially located second coupling tongue engaging said groove in said second track.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
The structure of claim 6 including a pair of said first tracks formed on said side wall inside faces proximate said top and bottom walls and one of said second tracks being positioned on each of said top and bottom walls.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The structure of claim 5 wherein said bracket is provided adjacent each of said coupling tongues with a guide opening providing access to the front face of respective track walls.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said track is positioned on one of said box end walls and said track walls include inwardly directed longitudinal lips along their opposite outer edges, said bracket coupling tongue underlying said lips and being provided with laterally opposite outwardly facing shoulders located within said groove.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
40 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said track is positioned on one of said box end walls and said coupling tongue includes vertically offset longitudinally spaced sections separated by said rearwardly facing shoulder, said shoulder being positioned in said groove.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
42 words
The structure of claim 10 wherein the inner forward section of at least one of said track walls is longitudinally sheared and inwardly deformed into engagement with a side edge of said shoulder and the top face of said tongue forward section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
The structure of claim 1 wherein said shoulder extends obliquely rearwardly.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3304363A
Cited
US3340349A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-11-05 | 1977-05-07 | 1977-11-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-11-05 | 1981-05-07 | 1981-11-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-11-05 | 1985-05-07 | 1985-11-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |