Locking member for outlet box cable

Claim 2

In an electrical outlet box having a bottom wall and sidewalls defining a receptacle space with a sidewall having a knock-out hole for receiving an electrical cable and securing means for retaining said cable, said securing means including a first member having a recess generally aligned with said hole and having a serrated surface at the base of said recess, said first member having a locking element extending from a surface therof and one wall of said box having an aperture receiving said locking element to secure said first member to said box, said one wall having a plurality of additional openings surrounding said aperture, a second member having a base portion and a plurality of legs extending from said base portion and equal in number to said additional openings, said second member cooperating with said first member to define a cable receiving opening aligned with said knock-out hole, each of said legs having a first camming ledge defining a space between said members for freely receiving said cable and a second camming ledge for locking said cable between said serrated surface and said base portion.

Claim 3

An outlet box as defined in claim 1, in which said legs are spaced from each other and cooperate to define an elongated slot having a width equal to the width of said first member so that said second member encompasses said first member.

Claim 4

An outlet box as defined in claim 2, in which said first member has a pair of legs extending from opposite edges of said serrated surface with each leg being positioned between a pair of legs of said second member.

Claim 5

An outlet box as defined in claim 1, in which each leg has a third camming ledge spaced from said second camming ledge to accommodate clamping cables of different diameter between said members.

Claim 6

An outlet box as defined in claim 1, in which said locking element includes a trapezoidal member connected to the center of said base by an integral reduced portion received into said opening in said one wall with said trapezoidal member having aligned parallel surfaces on opposite sides of said reduced portion engaging an outer surface of said one wall.

Claim 7

In combination with an electrical box having a bottom wall and sidewalls with one of said sidewalls having a knock-out hole for receiving an electrical cable, and non-metallic securing means for securing said cable in said box, said securing means including a first U-shaped member having an elongated base and integral legs extending from one surface on opposite ends of said base with said one surface being serrated between said legs, a locking element extending from an opposed surface of said elongated base with said bottom wall having an aperture receiving said locking element, a second elongated member including a rectangular base portion having a leg extending from each corner of a serrated surface, each leg having at least two spaced camming elements, said bottom wall having four openings equally spaced around said aperture into which said legs are receiving, said members cooperating to define a cable receiving opening when a first set of camming elements is in engagement with a lower surface of said bottom wall and said serrated surfaces cooperating with each other to clamp said cable when a second set of camming elements engages said lower surface.

Claim 8

In combination with an electrical box having a bottom wall and sidewalls with one of said sidewalls having a knock-out hole for receiving an electrical cable, and non-metallic securing means for securing said cable in said box, said securing means including a first U-shaped member having an elongated base and integral legs extending from one surface on opposite ends of said base with said one surface being serrated between said legs, a locking element extending from an opposed surface of said elongated base with said bottom wall having an aperture receiving said locking element, a second elongated member including a rectangular base portion having a leg extending from each corner of a serrated surface, each leg having at least two spaced camming elements, said bottom wall having four openings equally spaced around said aperture into which said legs are receiving, said members cooperating to define a cable receiving opening when a first set of camming elements is in engagement with a lower surface of said bottom wall and said serrated surfaces cooperating with each other to clamp said cable when a second set of camming elements engages said lower surface.

Claim 9

The combination as defined in claim 6, in which each pair of legs on each end of said rectangular base portion is spaced by a dimension substantially equal to the width of said first member and said elongated base of said first member is equal in length with the length of said rectangular base portion so that said legs of said first member are supported between the legs of said second member.

Claim 10

The combination as defined in claim 7, in which each leg of said second member has a third camming element to accommodate clamping cables of different diameters.

Claim 11

In an electrical outlet box having a bottom wall and sidewalls defining a receptacle space with one sidewall having a knock-out hole for receiving a cable and securing means for retaining said cable in said space, said securing means including an elongated rectangular base having a leg extending from each corner thereof, said bottom wall having an opening for each leg into which said legs are received, each leg having first and second spaced camming elements having flat surfaces extending parallel to said bottom wall and adapted to engage a bottom surface, said camming elements having adjacent edges spaced by a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of said bottom wall, said parallel surfaces of said first camming elements defining a first plane and said second parallel surfaces defining a second plane extending parallel to said first plane, each pair of legs on opposite ends of said base being spaced from each other to define an elongated slot, and an elongated cooperating member retained in said slot, said members cooperating to define a cable receiving opening when said flat surfaces of said first camming elements engage a bottom surface of said bottom wall and clamp, a cable therebetween when said flat surfaces of said second camming elements engage said bottom surface.

Claim 12

In an electrical outlet box having a bottom wall and sidewalls defining a receptacle space with one sidewall having a knock-out hole for receiving a cable and securing means for retaining said cable in said space, said securing means including an elongated rectangular base having a leg extending from each corner thereof, said bottom wall having an opening for each leg into which said legs are received, each leg having first and second spaced camming elements having flat surfaces extending parallel to said bottom wall and adapted to engage a bottom surface, said camming elements having adjacent edges spaced by a dimension substantially equal to the thickness of said bottom wall, said parallel surfaces of said first camming elements defining a first plane and said second parallel surfaces defining a second plane extending parallel to said first plane, each pair of legs on opposite ends of said base being spaced from each other to define an elongated slot, and an elongated cooperating member retained in said slot, said members cooperating to define a cable receiving opening when said flat surfaces of said first camming elements engage a bottom surface of said bottom wall and clamp, a cable therebetween when said flat surfaces of said second camming elements engage said bottom surface.

Claim 13

An electrical outlet box as defined in claim 9, further including means on said cooperating member for preventing longitudinal movement with respect to said rectangular base.

Claim 14

An electrical outlet box as defined in claim 10, in which said means includes a locking element extending therefrom with said bottom wall receiving said locking element.