ELECTRICAL RECEPTACLE

• US 3,609,647 A
• Filed: 12/19/1968
• Issued: 09/28/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1968
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Angelo Castellano
• Original Assignee: Angelo Castellano
• Inventors: Castellano, Angelo
• Primary Examiner(s): Purser, Ernest R.
• Application Number:
  US04/785,264
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 339/122,123,164,165,159,95D,191-194,272,272A
• US Class Current: 439/535
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 24/76 with sockets, clips or analogous contacts and secured to apparatus or structure, e.g. to a wall
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 27/00 Coupling parts adapted for co-operation with two or more dissimilar counterparts for dissimilar contact members H01R13/35; supported only by co-operation with a counterpart H01R31/00; with a holder adapted for supporting apparatus to which its counterpart is attached H01R33/90
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/16 structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box

Abstract

An electrical receptacle adapted to be secured in a power outlet box for interconnecting the prongs of a plug receptacle or wall switch to the powerlines leading into the outlet box. The receptacle has a plastic casing including a pair of metallic tubular conductors extending along opposite sidewalls of the casing against the backwall of the casing. Powerlines extend through the tubular conductors and are secured thereto by screws mounted transversely in the sidewalls of the tubular conductors. A plastic cover plate closes the receptacle and has three apertures respectively aligned with two conductor prongs secured to the tubular conductors and a third ground prong secured in the casing between the tubular conductors. Two additional tubular conductor elements are also secured in the casing, each having a screw for securing wires therein to enable the receptacle to accommodate various wiring or switch connections. Apertures are provided in the casing in axial alignment with the tubular conductors to facilitate insertion of wires therein. Similarly, apertures are provided in the casing to expose the screws for adjustment externally of the casing.

Claims

1. An electrical receptacle comprising a casing made of nonconductive material and defining a compartment, a hollow, metallic tubular conductor secured to the casing in said compartment for receiving wires, an adjustable conductor element, means mounting said adjustable conductor element in one wall of said tubular conductor for movement transversely of the axial directIon of said tubular conductor for engaging a wire placed axially in the tubular conductor to hold the wire against a portion of said tubular conductor, said receptacle including at at least three of said tubular conductors secured to the casing in said compartment for receiving said wires, each of said tubular conductors having mounted therein an adjustable conductor element for securing wires against the conductor, a pair of conductor prongs secured to two of said tubular conductors respectively for engagement with prongs on a wall switch or a plug receptacle. A third prong secured to said casing in said compartment for connection to a ground prong of a wall switch or plug receptacle, said casing including a cover plate closing said compartment, said cover plate having apertures aligned with said prongs for receiving corresponding prongs of a wall switch or plug receptacle to interengage the latter prongs with the prongs in the casing.

2. The receptacle defined in claim 1 wherein said casing includes opposite walls situated adjacent said tubular conductors, said walls having apertures in alignment with said adjustable conductor elements for providing access to the latter externally of the casing.

3. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 2 wherein said walls of said casing constitute sidewalls extending generally parallel to each other, said two tubular conductors extend along the inner surfaces of said sidewalls in parallel relationship.

4. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 3 wherein said two tubular conductors each contain an additional adjustable conductor element and means for mounting the additional adjustable conductor element in the wall thereof for movement transverse to the axis of the tubular conductors for securing additional wires to said tubular conductors.

5. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 4 wherein said adjustable conductor elements are screws and wherein said means mounting said adjustable conductor elements are threads in the walls of said tubular conductors.

6. An electrical receptacle comprising a casing made of nonconductive material and defining a compartment, a hollow, metallic tubular conductor secured to the casing in said compartment for receiving wires, an adjustable conductor element, means mounting said adjustable conductor element in one wall of said tubular conductor for movement transversely of the axial direction of said tubular conductor to hold the wire against a portion of said tubular conductor, said casing including opposite sidewalls and a pair of said tubular conductors extending along the sidewalls in the compartment and a third tubular conductor adjacent one of the sidewalls but with its axis at an angle to the axes of said pair of said tubular conductors, each conductor having a metallic screw transversely mounted in its sidewall for securing a wire therein.

7. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 6 further including a fourth tubular conductor mounted to the casing in the compartment thereof in opposed position to said third tubular conductor and adjacent the other sidewall of said casing.

8. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 7 wherein the axes of said third and fourth tubular conductors are parallel and extend an angle to the axes of said first and second tubular conductors.

9. An electrical receptacle for connecting a plug receptacle or a switch to a source of power, the receptacle comprising in combination;

a plastic casing including a backwall and opposite sidewalls projecting forwardly from the backwall to define a compartment, a pair of metallic tubular conductors extending longitudinally in the compartment adjacent the back- and sidewalls for receiving wires in the hollows thereof, said tubular conductors having outer walls including screw threads and screws received in said threads for movement transversely across the spaces in said tubular conductors for securing a wire against a portion of said tubular conductors, two conductor prongs respectively secuRed to said tubular conductors and projecting at an angle thereto, and a front wall closing the compartment in the casing, said front wall having a pair of apertures aligned with said prongs for receiving the prongs of a wall switch or a plug receptacle for interengaging the latter with the prongs in the compartment.

10. The receptacle defined in claim 9 further including a third, ground prong, and means securing said ground prong in the compartment between said tubular conductors, said front wall having a third aperture aligned with said ground prong for receiving a ground prong of a wall switch or plug receptacle to interengage the latter with the ground prong in the casing.

11. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 10 wherein said casing has a top wall with an aperture, and said means securing said ground prong includes a conductor extending through said aperture in said top wall.

12. The electrical receptacle defined in claim 10 further including third and fourth tubular conductors secured in the casing adjacent the sidewalls thereof and each having a threaded passage with a screw threaded therein for securing a wire against a portion thereof.

13. The receptacle defined in claim 12 wherein said casing includes a stepped bottom wall including an upper level and a lower level, said first and second tubular conductors extending above the top level adjacent said backwall, said third and fourth tubular conductors being located on said bottom level.

14. The receptacle defined in claim 13 wherein said third and fourth tubular conductors have axes extending at an angle to the axes of said first and second tubular conductors.

15. The receptacle defined in claim 9 wherein said sidewalls have apertures overlying the screws in said tubular conductors to provide access to the screws from points externally of the casing.

16. The receptacle defined in claim 15 wherein said casing has apertures axially aligned with said tubular conductors to permit wires to be inserted through said casing and into said tubular conductors from points located externally of the casing.

17. An electrical receptacle for connecting a plug receptacle or a switch to a source of power, the receptacle comprising in combination;

a plastic casing including a backwall and opposite sidewalls projecting forwardly from the backwall to define a compartment, a pair of tubular conductors extending longitudinally in the compartment adjacent the back- and sidewalls for receiving wires to establish a electrical connection therewith, said conductors each having adjustable means for releasably securing wires to the conductors respectively, two conductor prongs respectively secured to said conductors and projecting at an angle thereto, a third ground prong, means securing said ground prong in the compartment between said first two conductors, and a front wall closing the compartment in the casing, said front wall having a pair of apertures aligned with said conductor prongs for receiving the prongs of a wall switch or a plug receptacle for interengaging the latter with the conductor prongs in the compartment, said front wall having a third aperture aligned with said ground prong for receiving a ground prong of a wall switch or plug receptacle to interengage the latter with the ground prong in the casing.

18. An electrical receptacle comprising a casing made of nonconductive material and defining a compartment, a hollow, metallic tubular conductor secured to the casing in said compartment for receiving wires, an adjustable conductor element, means mounting said adjustable conductor element in one wall of said tubular conductor for movement transversely of the axial direction of said tubular conductor for engaging a wire placed axially in the tubular conductor to hold the wire against a portion of said tubular conductor, said casing having an aperture in axial alignment with said tubular conductor to permit a wire to be inserted through the casing and into the tubular conductor from a point Externally of the casing.

19. An electrical receptacle for connecting a plug receptacle or a switch to a source of power, the receptacle comprising in combination;

a casing made from nonconductive material and having means defining a compartment, a pair of conductors in the compartment for connection to wires to establish electrical connection therebetween, said conductors each having means for releasably securing wires to the conductors respectively, two conductor prongs respectively secured to said conductors and projecting at an angle thereto, a third ground prong, means securing said ground prong in the compartment between said first two conductors, and a front wall closing the compartment, said front wall having a pair of apertures aligned with said conductor prongs for receiving the prongs of a wall switch or a plug receptacle for interengaging the latter with the conductor prongs in the compartment, said front wall having a third aperture aligned with said ground prong for receiving a ground prong of a wall switch or plug receptacle to interengage the latter with the ground prong and the casing.