Installation of junction boxes along a raceway

Claim 2

An installation kit for mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system to a modular panel, comprising: a mounting bracket having an axis, said mounting bracket comprising a mounting opening having a length aligned with the axis and a width less than the length; a mounting bolt securable to a raceway of the panel and adapted to be disposed in the mounting opening of said mounting bracket to mount the mounting bracket to the raceway at a pre-selected point; a support bracket comprising support means for supporting the junction box; attaching means for attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket; the raceway includes an internally threaded bolt receiving opening for receiving the mounting bolt and a second like bolt receiving opening for receiving the second mounting bolt, the mounting openings of the mounting bracket being spaced to correspond to the bolt receiving openings of the raceway.

Claim 3

A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the support means comprises a tab on the support bracket cooperable with a recess on the junction box.

Claim 4

A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting opening comprises a reduced portion and an enlarged portion with a width greater than the width of the reduced portion.

Claim 5

A kit as recited in claim 3, wherein the mounting bolt comprises a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the reduced portion of the mounting opening and a head with a diameter greater than the width of the reduced portion of the mounting opening to secure the mounting bracket to the raceway and less than the width of the enlarged portion of the mounting opening to pass the mounting bracket over the mounting bolt.

Claim 6

A kit as recited in claim 4, further comprising a second like mounting bolt adapted to be disposed in a second like mounting opening of the mounting bracket, said mounting openings being aligned with the axis of the mounting bracket.

Claim 7

A kit as recited in claim 4, wherein the length of the reduced portions of the mounting openings is aligned with the axis and is greater than the width, thereby permitting the mounting bracket to be mounted to any of panels having various spacings of bolt receiving openings.

Claim 8

A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the support bracket comprises a tab and a body, said body including an attaching opening having a width perpendicular to an axis through the tab and the body, and wherein the attaching means comprises an attaching bolt and an attaching nut securable thereto, said attaching bolt being adapted to be secured to the mounting bracket and to be inserted through the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching bolt comprising a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching nut being securable to the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket.

Claim 9

A kit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a second like support bracket, second support means for supporting the junction box, and second like attaching means for attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket; wherein the attaching opening of each support bracket has a length perpendicular to the width and greater than the width, and each support bracket is slidable along the length of the attaching opening about the respective bolt, thereby permitting any of various sized of junction boxes to be mounted to the panel.

Claim 12

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of mounting the mounting bracket to the raceway further comprises the steps of: threading a like second mounting bolt into a like second bolt receiving opening of the raceway; placing the enlarged portion of a like second mounting opening of the mounting bracket spaced to correspond to the bolt receiving openings over the head of the second bolt; sliding the mounting bracket such that the second mounting bolt is within the reduced portion of the second mounting opening of the mounting bracket; and tightening the second mounting bolt to the raceway.

Claim 13

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of supporting the junction box by the support bracket comprises the step of: inserting a tab of the support bracket into a slot of the junction box.

Claim 14

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket comprises the steps of: placing a support opening of the support bracket over an attaching bolt secured in the mounting bracket; threading an attaching nut cooperable with the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening over the attaching bolt; and tightening the attaching nut to the attaching bolt.

Claim 15

A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of mounting the mounting bracket to the raceway comprises the steps of: placing the mounting bracket against the raceway with a mounting opening of the mounting bracket aligned with an internally threaded bolt receiving opening of the raceway; inserting a mounting bolt having a threaded portion cooperable with the bolt receiving opening and with a diameter less than the width of the mounting opening, and a head with a diameter greater than the width of the mounting opening, through the mounting opening; threading the mounting bolt into the bolt receiving opening; and tightening the mounting bolt to the raceway.

Claim 16

A method as recited in claim 9 prior to the step of mounting a mounting bracket to the raceway further comprising the step of: pre-selecting a point on the panel at which to mount the mounting bracket and the junction box.

Claim 17

A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising the steps of: supporting the junction box by a second support bracket; and attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket.

Claim 18

A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the second support bracket to the junction box comprises the step of: inserting a tab of the second support bracket into a slot of the junction box.

Claim 19

A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket further comprises the steps of: placing a support opening of the second support bracket over a second attaching bolt secured to the mounting bracket; threading a second attaching nut having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening of the second support bracket over the second attaching bolt; and tightening the second attaching nut to the second attaching bolt.

Claim 20

A kit adapting a junction box for installation along a raceway comprises, a mounting bracket having a fist adjustable mounting mechanism for locating the mounting bracket adjustable along the raceway between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing an initial adjustment, and a second adjustable mounting mechanism for securing a junction box to the mounting bracket, and for adjustably locating the junction box along the mounting bracket between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing a second and final adjustment for location between the two premeasured lengths, the second mounting mechanism has threaded bolts extending from the mounting bracket, support brackets on opposite sides of the junction box, narrow openings of the support brackets elongated along an axis extending between the bolts, and the bolts being received in the narrow openings of the support bracket.

Claim 21

A kit adapting a junction box for installation along a raceway comprises, a mounting bracket having a fist adjustable mounting mechanism for locating the mounting bracket adjustable along the raceway between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing an initial adjustment, and a second adjustable mounting mechanism for securing a junction box to the mounting bracket, and for adjustably locating the junction box along the mounting bracket between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing a second and final adjustment for location between the two premeasured lengths, the second mounting mechanism has threaded bolts extending from the mounting bracket, support brackets on opposite sides of the junction box, narrow openings of the support brackets elongated along an axis extending between the bolts, and the bolts being received in the narrow openings of the support bracket.

Claim 22

A kit as recited in claim 18 wherein the first mounting mechanism includes: mounting screws in a side of the raceway, openings of the mounting bracket having enlarged portions for passing over enlarged heads of the mounting screws, the enlarged portions being elongated along an axis extending between the mounting screws, and narrow portions of the openings of the mounting bracket elongated along the axis and receiving shanks of the mounting screws.

Claim 23

An installation kit for mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system to a modular panel, comprising: a mounting bracket having an axis, said mounting bracket comprising amounting opening having a length aligned with the axis and a width less than the length; a mounting bolt securable to a raceway of the panel and adapted to be disposed in the mounting opening of said mounting bracket to mount the mounting bracket to the raceway at a pre-selected point; a support bracket comprising support means for supporting the junction box; attaching means for attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket; the support bracket has a tab and a body, said body including an attaching opening having a width perpendicular to an axis through the tab and the body, and wherein the attaching means comprises an attaching bolt and an attaching nut securable thereto, said attaching bolt being adapted to be secured to the mounting bracket and to be inserted through the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching bolt comprising a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching nut being securable to the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket.

Claim 24

An installation kit for mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system to a modular panel, comprising: a mounting bracket having an axis, said mounting bracket comprising amounting opening having a length aligned with the axis and a width less than the length; a mounting bolt securable to a raceway of the panel and adapted to be disposed in the mounting opening of said mounting bracket to mount the mounting bracket to the raceway at a pre-selected point; a support bracket comprising support means for supporting the junction box; attaching means for attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket; the support bracket has a tab and a body, said body including an attaching opening having a width perpendicular to an axis through the tab and the body, and wherein the attaching means comprises an attaching bolt and an attaching nut securable thereto, said attaching bolt being adapted to be secured to the mounting bracket and to be inserted through the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching bolt comprising a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching nut being securable to the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket.