US1113762A - Mount for electric fittings. - Google Patents

Description

G. A. EUKMAN.

VMOUNT FOR ELECTRIC FITTINGS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

1,1 1 3,7 62. Patented 001;. 13, 1914.

GUSTAVUS A. EGKMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOUNT FOR ELECTRIC FITTINGS;

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAVUS A. EoK- aux, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 1n Mounts for I Electric Fittings, of which the following is a specification.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a mount for electric fittings, such as switches, or the like, which will permit the location of the switch to be adjusted in relation to a fixed support, so as conveniently to bring the front surface or face of the switch within the plane or proximate plane-of the finished structure, such as the plastering or the trim of a building.

- ing.

It is now the practice, in placing circuit controlling switches in a 1 building under construction, to first locate the boxes, within which such switches are to be contained and securethem to suitable supports within the building wall at selected locations before the plastering has been done and before the trim is applied. It is very difficult, if not an impossible matter, to invariably locate the switch, boxes so that when the plastering has been applied that the face of the switch housing when placed will come just flush with the face or ground of the plastering. If theface of the switch projects beyond the plastering, the box, within which it is to be contained, must then be moved back from the front face" of the plaster, which is atask involving considerable work and usually attended'with very unsatisfactory results. If the switch box be placed back of the plane in which the front face of the plastering is to appear, the switch has heretofore been mounted in the box by building a mount of a plurality of separate. spacing washers, or small tubes, through which the switch-securing screws are assed to bring the face of the switch out yond the face of the box'and in the same plane with the surface of the plaster- Either of these expedients that may be adopted is expensive in time and labor; un-uniform and unworkmanlike in results and generally unsatisfactory. In overcoming these diflic'ulties I provide a fitting mount whereby to' position the switch in the switch box or other suitable support, at a suitable distance therefrom, to correspond with the front face of the plastering, after the application of the plaster tothe wall,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,350.

Patented Oct. 1 3, 1914.

and so arranged as conveniently to vary the location of the switch in small gradations with reference to its presentation to the plaster face.

. In carrying my invention into effect, F igure 1 is an exemplification of a plan View of an electric switch mounted within an outlet box of the usual construction. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectional view. Fig. 3 is an isometric view of the mount.

#In all the views the same reference char-' acters are employed to indicate similar parts.

5 is the outlet box havin the usual knockouts 66 to provide ori ces for the interior conduits carrying the wires that are to be connected to the switch.

7 is a top or cover for the'box, secured thereto by means of ears 8 that project from its front surface and which are adapted to be bent over into contact with the top, or

.in such location, with reference to the permanent structure 13, that the front surface of the top 7 will come just about flush with the front surface of the structure 13, so that the switch may be applied to'the switch box and leave sufficient room at the back portion of the box for admission of the wires that are to come through the conduits that are connected therewith. The mount 15, of which there are two to be used with eachswitch, consists of a U- shaped portion 16 and terminal base portions 17 and 18 that'are flattened so as to occupy substantially the same plane. U shaped central portion 16, is slotted at intervals, as at 19, to provide between the slots abutment portions 20. Preferably the slots do not extend to the base portions 17 and 18 but leave an'unbroken longitudinal portion 21 for the purpose of strengthening the base portions 17 and 18. The slots 19 are, preferably, in width, equal to the thickness of the flange portion 9 of the top 7 so- The that said flange can be convenientl introduced in either of the 1-slot s,;;l;,;w en the mount is being placed in positionfoi support of the switch. 423:6 -1 In applying the device the attaching screws 10 are first passed through the. ears, 12-42 of the switch 11, after which the mount 15 is placed in the'boxi 'so' that the fiange9 will passinto a selected slot 19, ofthe mount, to permit the. front race of the' switch 11 to come substantially flush'with the ground or front face of the plasteringld. The attaching screw 10 is then passed into the threaded orifice in the flange 9 and screwed on until the switch 11 is' firmly held in contactfwith' the mount, aportion of which intervenes betweenthe switch and the flange 9 ofthe switch box cover; The extended portion of the screw 10, passes into the box and the unnecessary portion of the mount 15 is also contained within the box, but these portions are out of the way and do not interfere with the usual contents of the box. It will thus benoted that the location of the switch, with reference to its projection from the box relative to the face of the plastering may be adjusted by placing the flange 9, of the cover 7 in any one of they slots 19 and tightening the screw- 10.

In ractice each switch or boxmay be furnis ed with a pair of mounts, bymeans of which the front :Eace of the switch may be adjusted in any selected position with reference to its distance from the r ace' of the box or cover, and should it become necessary, subsequently, to niove the switch and to place it in a new position, it can conveniently be done by placing the flange 9, of the cover, in a diflerent slot, of the mount and should the box 5 ;be initially placed in an angular position, with referenceto the ,front face of the plastei't'the front of the switch may be brought into the, proper plane by selecting the proper slots 19l9 within which to place the respective flanges 9-9 of the box cover.

.Having described my invention, what I claim with a view and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. The combination with an outlet box, having an opening in its front face, of inwardly projecting flanges thereon, having screw receiving openings, a switch, ea rs projectingtherefrom having attachment screw openings therein, the screw openings in the flanges being in alinement with the attachment screw openings in the switch ears,

.spacer members adapted to abut against the switch ears and transversely slotted for engagement with the flanges and attachment screws "passing through the switch ears and into the flanges for clamping said parts together.

'2. The combination with an outlet box having an opening in its front face, of inwardly projecting flanges thereon having tapped screw receivin openings, a switch, ears projecting there rom having attachment screw openings therein, the screw openings in the flanges being in alinement with the. attachment screw openings in the switch ears, attachment screws taking through said switch ears and into the tapped opemngs in the flanges, spacer members adapted to abut at their outer ends againstsaid ears and U- shaped ofl-set portions on'said spacer member passing around said screws, said off-set portions having a plurality of transverse slots therein for adjustable engagement with said flanges.-

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

. GUSTAVUS A. ECKMAN. In the presence of- STANLEY W. Coon,

MARY F. Arman.

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