Support for an electrical box

Claim 2

A support for an electrical box, comprising a bar adapted to be mounted between two spaced-apart wall studs or the like, said bar comprising an elongate web of sheet material forming a front face of the bar and having side edges extending lengthwise of the bar, a pair of flanges extending generally rearwardly from the side edges of the web, a forwardly-opening, generally U-shaped channel formed in the web running substantially the full length of the web between the side edges of the web, said generally U-shaped channel having spaced apart side walls extending generally rearwardly from the front face of the web, a bottom wall connecting the side walls and forming the bottom of the channel, and a plurality of preformed pilot holes spaced along the bottom wall of the channel at relatively closely spaced and regular intervals whereby an electrical box may be attached to the bar in a selected position lengthwise of the bar by placing the back wall of the box flush against the front face of the web over the channel and then fastening the box to the bar by using fasteners threaded through selected pilot holes in the bottom wall of the channel.

Claim 3

A support as set forth in claim 1 wherein said flanges have rearward end portions bent to form a pair of lips extending generally parallel to said web.

Claim 4

A support as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lips are bent inwardly toward the side walls of the channel.

Claim 5

A support as set forth in claim 3 comprising a pair of said bars adapted for a telescopic fit with one another to provide lengthwise adjustment of the support, one of said bars being slightly smaller in cross section than the other so as to telescopically fit inside the other bar with the web, flanges and liPs of one bar being generally in engagement with the web, flanges and lips, respectively, of the other bar.

Claim 6

A support as set forth in claim 1 further comprising graduations on the front face of the web for locating an electrical box at a desired location lengthwise of the bar.

Claim 7

A support as set forth in claim 5 wherein the back wall of said electrical box has a plurality of fastener openings therein for receiving fasteners to be threaded through said pilot holes, said graduations on the front face of the bar being so positioned relative to said pilot holes that when a side wall of the electrical box is aligned with a graduation, at least two pilot holes in the channel bottom are in register with two of said plurality of fastener openings in the back wall of the box.

Claim 8

A support as set forth in claim 5 wherein said graduations are at spacings corresponding to fractions of an inch.

Claim 9

A support as set forth in claim 5 wherein two sets of graduations are provided, a first set between the channel and one side edge of the bar and another set between the channel and the other side edge of the bar, so that one set of graduations may be conveniently used regardless of which side edge is facing up.

Claim 10

A support as set forth in claim 1 further comprising elongate extensions of the bar projecting generally forwardly from said web at opposite ends of the bar and having free outer end portions bent to form 5 fastening flaps extending laterally outwardly away from one another and generally parallel to the web of the bar, said flaps being adapted for engagement with said studs and securement thereto by fastener,.s, each extension having means spaced inwardly from said free outer end portion defining a first fold line extending generally transversely of the extension and means spaced inwardly from said first fold line defining a second fold line extending generally transversely of the extension whereby, if a relatively deep electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adapted to be bent at said first fold lines to form said fastening flaps, and if a shallower electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adapted to be bent at said second fold lines to form said fastening flaps.

Claim 11

A support as set forth in claim 9 wherein said means defining said first fold line comprises slot means in said extension along said first fold line, and said means defining said second fold line comprises slot means along said second fold line.

Claim 12

A support as set forth in claim 10 wherein said bar and said extensions are integrally formed.

Claim 13

A support bar as set forth in claim 1 wherein the back wall of the electrical box has a plurality of knockouts therein, said web having a width of no greater than about 3/4 inches so that the web does not block said knockouts.

Claim 14

A support bar as set forth in claim 1 wherein the side walls of the channel are generally parallel, and wherein the pilot holes are located along a common axis extending lengthwise of the support bar.

Claim 15

A support as set forth in claim 1 wherein the width of the bottom wall is greater than the diameter of the pilot holes.

Claim 16

A support for an electrical box, comprising a bar adapted to be mounted between two spaced-apart wall studs or the like, said bar comprising an elongate web of sheet metal forming a front face of the bar and having side edges extending lengthwise of the bar, a pair of flanges extending generally rearwardly from the side edges of the web, a forwardly-opening channel formed in the web running substantially the full length of the web between the side edges of the web, said channel having spaced apart side walls extending generally rearwardly from the front face of the web, a bottom wall connecting the side walls and forming the bottom of the channel, the side walls of the channel being generally parallel and the bottom wall of the channel being generally planar, and pilot holes spaced along the bottom wall of the channel at relatively closely spaced and regular intervals whereby an electrical box may be attached to the bar in a selected position lengthwise of the bar by placing the back wall of the box flush against the front face of the web over the channel and then fastening the box to the bar by using fasteners threaded through selected pilot holes in the bottom wall of the channel.

Claim 17

A support for an electrical box, comprising a bar adapted to be mounted between two spaced-apart wall studs or the like, said bar comprising an elongate web of sheet metal forming a front face of the bar and having side edges extending lengthwise of the bar, a pair of flanges extending generally rearwardly from the side edges of the web, a forwardly-opening channel formed in the web running substantially the full length of the web between the side edges of the web, said channel having spaced apart side walls extending generally rearwardly from the front face of the web, a bottom wall connecting the side walls and forming the bottom of the channel, the side walls of the channel being generally parallel and the bottom wall of the channel being generally planar, and pilot holes spaced along the bottom wall of the channel at relatively closely spaced and regular intervals whereby an electrical box may be attached to the bar in a selected position lengthwise of the bar by placing the back wall of the box flush against the front face of the web over the channel and then fastening the box to the bar by using fasteners threaded through selected pilot holes in the bottom wall of the channel.

Claim 18

A support for an electrical box, comprising a bar adapted to be mounted between two spaced-apart wall studs or the like, said bar comprising an elongate web of sheet metal forming a front face of the bar and having side edges extending lengthwise of the bar, a forwardly-opening generally U-shaped channel formed in the web running substantially the full length of the web between the side edges of the web, and elongate extensions of the bar projecting generally forwardly from said web at opposite ends of the bar and having free outer end Portions bent to form fastening flaps extending laterallY outwardly away from one another and generally parallel to the web of the bar, said flaps being adapted for engagement with said studs and securement thereto by fasteners, each extension having means spaced inwardly from said free outer end portion defining a first fold line extending generally transversely of the extension and means spaced inwardly from said first fold line defining a second fold line extending generallY transversely of the extension whereby, if a relatively deep electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adapted to be bent at said first fold lines to form said fastening flaps, and if a shallower electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adaPted to be bent at said second fold lines to form said fastening flaps, said electrical box being adapted to be attached to the bar in a selected position lengthwise of the bar bY placing the back wall of the box flush against the front face of the web over the channel and then fastening the box to the bar by using fasteners threaded into said channel.

Claim 19

A support for an electrical box, comprising a bar adapted to be mounted between two spaced-apart wall studs or the like, said bar comprising an elongate web of sheet metal forming a front face of the bar and having side edges extending lengthwise of the bar, a forwardly-opening generally U-shaped channel formed in the web running substantially the full length of the web between the side edges of the web, and elongate extensions of the bar projecting generally forwardly from said web at opposite ends of the bar and having free outer end Portions bent to form fastening flaps extending laterallY outwardly away from one another and generally parallel to the web of the bar, said flaps being adapted for engagement with said studs and securement thereto by fasteners, each extension having means spaced inwardly from said free outer end portion defining a first fold line extending generally transversely of the extension and means spaced inwardly from said first fold line defining a second fold line extending generallY transversely of the extension whereby, if a relatively deep electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adapted to be bent at said first fold lines to form said fastening flaps, and if a shallower electrical box is to be attached to the bar, the extensions are adaPted to be bent at said second fold lines to form said fastening flaps, said electrical box being adapted to be attached to the bar in a selected position lengthwise of the bar bY placing the back wall of the box flush against the front face of the web over the channel and then fastening the box to the bar by using fasteners threaded into said channel.

Claim 20

A support as set forth in claim 16 wherein said means defining said first fold line comprises slot means in said extension along said first fold line, and said means defining said second fold line comprises slot means along said second fold line.