PORTABLE ELECTRIC SCATTERBOX FOR POWER DISTRIBUTION ON A CONSTRUCTION SITE

• US 3,786,312 A
• Filed: 10/17/1972
• Issued: 01/15/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/1972
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard D. Roussard
• Original Assignee: Richard D. Roussard
• Inventors: Roussard, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hohauser, Herman J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolin, Gerald P.
• Application Number:
  US05/298,401
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 307/112,147,149 317/99,106,112,118,120
• US Class Current: 361/643
• CPC Class Codes: H02B 1/52 Mobile units, e.g. for work sites

Abstract

This specification discloses a portable electric scatterbox intended for use on construction sites where the contractor has installed an electrical supply line for delivering electrical current at a voltage of 240 volts. This receptacle is provided with six receptacle outlets from which electrical current at 120 volts is taken. The scatterbox includes wiring which connects three of the receptacles to a 120-volt bus line and a neutral bus line, with a circuit breaker included in the connections. The other three of the receptacles are connected to a second 120-volt bus line and the neutral bus line, with a second circuit breaker included in these connections.

Claims

1. In a portable electric scatterbox for use on a site where electrically powered tools are operated and where there is a 240volt main supply cable including a ground line, a neutral line and two 120-volt lines, one above and one below neutral, with said cable having a terminal with four sockets each connected to one of said lines, a. a box;

b. a supply cable extending from said box and including a ground line, a neutral line and two 120-volt lines, said supply cable having a terminal with four prongs, each of which is connected to one of the lines in the cable, with all of said prongs being insertable in the sockets of the terminal of the main supply cable;

c. said box including a panel on which is mounted six 120-volt outlet receptacles arranged in two groups with three receptacles in each group, each of said outlet receptacles having three sockets;

d. a pair of ground fault circuit breakers in said box, and e. wiring connecting said outlet receptacles to said supply cable, said wiring comprising;

1. a ground bus connected to the ground line of said supply cable;

2. a neutral bus connected to the neutral line of said supply cable;

3. a pair of 120-volt buses connected to the 120-volt lines of said supply cable;

4. a ground line connecting said ground bus to one socket of each of said outlet receptacles of one of said groups of three receptacles;

5. another ground line connecting said ground bus to one socket of each of said outlet receptacles of the other group of three receptacles;

6. a neutral line connecting said neutral bus to a socket of each of said outlet receptacles of one of said groups of three receptacles;

7. another neutral line connecting said neutral bus to one socket of each of the outlet receptacles of the other group of three receptacles;

8. a 120-volt connecting one of said 120-volt buses to a socket of each outlet receptacle of one of said groups of three receptacles, and 9. another 120-volt line connecting the other of said 120-volt buses to a socket of each of the outlet receptacles of the other group of three receptacles;

one of said circuit breakers being included in the neutral and 120-volt lines for one of said group of three receptacles, while the other circuit breaker is included in the neutral and 120-volt line of the other group of three receptacles.

2. a neutral bus connected to the neutral line of said supply cable;

3. The scatterbox of claim 1 in which each of said outlet receptacles is a twist-lock receptacle.

4. a ground line connecting said ground bus to one socket of each of said outlet receptacles of one of said groups of three receptacles;

5. The scatterbox of claim 1 in which said box includes a top, bottom, side and front walls and in which said outlet receptacles are mounted on said front wall, together with a pair of legs mounted externally of said side walls and extending above said top wall and below said bottom wall, a foot on each of said legs, a handle extending between said legs in spaced relation above said top wall, and a rear wall hingedly mounted on said top.

6. a neutral line connecting said neutral bus to a socket of each of said outlet receptacles of one of said groups of three receptacles;

7. The scatterbox of claim 1 in which said box is metallic and said ground lines are grounded to said box.

8. a 120-volt connecting one of said 120-volt buses to a socket of each outlet receptacle of one of said groups of three receptacles, and

9. another 120-volt line connecting the other of said 120-volt buses to a socket of each of the outlet receptacles of the other group of three receptacles;

one of said circuit breakers being included in the neutral and 120-volt lines for one of said group of three receptacles, while the other circuit breaker is included in the neutral and 120-volt line of the other group of three receptacles.