Power distribution system

• US 4,165,443 A
• Filed: 07/24/1975
• Issued: 08/21/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Earl C. Figart, Kelly J. Kevin, Richard A. Di Marcello
• Original Assignee: Earl C. Figart, Kelly J. Kevin, Richard A. Di Marcello
• Inventors: Di Marcello, Richard A., Figart, Earl C., Kelly, J. Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Reynolds, Bruce A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tone, David A.
• Application Number:
  US05/598,644
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 174/53, 174/57, 174/59, 220/3, 220/7, 339/122 R, 339/150 T, 339/198 R, 339/159 R, 339/95 D, 339/164 R, 307/147
• US Class Current: 174/53
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/086 Assembled boxes
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/16 structurally associated with support for line-connecting terminals within the box

Abstract

Electrical distribution means is disclosed including mounting boxes for modular switch and receptacle units with a bus plate array in the boxes for receiving the stripped ends of cable conductors and spring contacts for engaging modular switch and receptacle units so that the conductors and units are automatically connected in the proper manner; another aspect of the invention involves the use of modular receptacle and switch unit mounting boxes having upper and lower slots of different widths for snugly receiving the upper and lower ends of the modular units of mating widths to permit insertion of the modular units only in a proper manner; other mounting boxes accept three-way or four-way switches and include appropriate bus plate arrays for providing three and four-way fixture controlled distribution systems which are automatically effected by plugging in cables keyed to the mounting boxes by color coded designators.

Claims

1. A multi-function box capable of being mounted in a wall for receiving electrical power from a power cable and distributing the power to a power distribution cable;

a modular electric switch unit having first and second external terminals removably mounted in said multifunction box, said multi-function box including a distribution bus plate compartment and a function unit compartment in which said modular switch unit is mounted, a plurality of bus plates mounted in said bus plate compartment, automatic conductor retaining and clamping means on said bus plates, a plurality of power-input openings in said box dimensioned and positioned for receiving the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a power cable and guiding said conductors into contact with said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means on respective ones of said bus plates as the conductor ends of a power cable are inserted through said power-input openings, each of said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means including automatically operable means permitting ready insertion of a conductor end but resisting any withdrawal of said conductor end, power distribution output openings in said box dimensioned and positioned for receiving the stripped ends of the conductors of a power distribution cable and guiding said stripped conductor ends of said power distribution cable in contact with other automatic conductor receiving and clamping means on selected ones of said bus plates, and means for providing a selectively operable electrical flow path through said modular switch unit to said power distribution cable, said last-mentioned means comprising a first bus plate having a contact element engaging said first terminal of said modular electric switch unit, a second bus plate having a contact element engaging said second external terminal, said first bus plate having automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with one conductor of a power cable, said second bus plate having an automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with one conductor of a distribution cable and a third bus plate having automatic conductor retaining and clamping means engageable with a second conductor of a power cable and a second conductor of a distribution cable.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said multi-function box includes first and second spaced parallel side panels, parallel top and bottom panels and a divider wall extending between said first and second side panels and said top and bottom panels between said bus plate compartment and said function unit compartment, said divider wall including a plurality of openings positioned in alignment with the external terminals of said modular electric switch unit to permit said external terminals to pass through said divider wall and engage contacts of selected bus plates in said bus plate compartment.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said multi-function box is formed of plastic material, said bus plates comprise generally planar metal plates and additionally including insulation members sandwiched between adjacent ones of said metal plates and means bonding said metal plates and insulation members into a unitary ensemble.

4. The invention of claim 3 wherein the contact elements of said bus plates comprise spring contact members extending outwardly from said bus plate members.

5. The invention of claim 3 wherein said multi-function box includes guide means in which said modular electric switch unit is positioned for sliding movement and retaining means for locking said modular electric switch unit in any desired adjusted position in said guide means to permit flush wall mounting of said modular electric switch unit.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said guide means comprises an upper downwardly facing guide slot in said top panel and a lower upwardly facing guide slot in said bottom panel of a width different from the width of said downwardly facing slot, and wherein the upper and lower ends of said modular electric switch unit are dimensioned to respectively snugly be received in said upper and lower slots so that said electric switch unit can only be received in said box in one manner of orientation.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein said retaining means includes expandable means in each of said slots operable to be forcefully expanded against said slots and external actuator means on the front of the modular electric switch unit is in a desired position of adjustment.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein said expandable means includes upper and lower bifurcated lock plates on said modular electric switch unit respectively received in said upper and lower guide slots, each of said bifurcated lock plates including a pair of fingers, wherein said actuator means includes first and second rotary members each respectively associated with one of said bifurcated lock plates, a lug means on one end of each of said rotary members positioned between the fingers of its associated lock plate to expand said fingers outwardly in opposite directions into forceful engagement with the guide slot in which the fingers are positioned upon rotation of said rotary members.

9. The invention of claim 8 wherein the external terminals of said modular switch unit comprise elongated contacts and the contact elements of said bus plates engaged by the elongated contacts of the modular switch unit comprise spring contact members extending outwardly from said bus plate members.

10. The invention of claim 9 wherein each of said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means includes a cantilever spring blade having a sharp outer end edge and a fixed surface between which fixed surface and said sharp outer end edge a conductor insertion space is defined for receiving the stripped end of a conductor of a power cable so that when a conductor is so inserted said sharp outer end edge is biased into the side surface of the conductor and wherein said sharp outer end edge is oriented so that said sharp edge is urged into the conductor by any outward movement of the conductor to resist such outward movement.

11. The invention of claim 2 wherein each of said automatic conductor retaining and clamping means includes a cantilever spring blade having a sharp outer end edge and a fixed surface between which fixed surface and said sharp edge a conductor insertion space is defined for receiving the stripped end of a conductor of a cable so that when a conductor is so inserted said sharp outer end edge is biased into the side surface of the conductor and wherein said sharp edge is oriented so that said sharp edge is urged into the conductor by any outward movement of the conductor to resist such outward movement.

12. The invention of claim 11 wherein said multi-function box includes first and second spaced parallel side panels, parallel top and bottom panels and a divider wall extending between said first and second side panels and said top and bottom panels between said bus plate compartment and said function unit compartment, said divider wall including a plurality of openings positioned so that said external terminals extend through said openings to engage contact elements of said first and second bus plates in said bus plate compartment.

13. The invention of claim 12 wherein said multi-function box is formed of plastic material, said bus plates comprise generally planar metal plates and additionally including insulation members sandwiched between adjacent ones of said metal plates and means bonding said metal plates and insulation members into a unitary ensemble.

14. The invention of claim 13 wherein there are three bus plate members respectively oriented in spaced parallel planes.

15. The invention of claim 1 additionally including designator means adjacent said power input and power output openings for indicating the proper position of insertion of said power cable and said power distribution cable to provide positioning correlation of individual cable conductors of said power cable and said power distribution cable with other system components.

16. The invention of claim 15 wherein said multi-function box includes guide means in which said modular electric switch unit is inserted for sliding movement and retaining means for locking said modular electric switch unit in a desired adjusted position in said guide means to permit flush wall mounting of said modular electric switch unit.

17. The invention of claim 16 wherein said guide means comprises an upper downwardly facing guide slot in said top panel and a lower upwardly facing guide slot in said bottom panel of a width different from the width of said downwardly facing slot, and wherein the upper and lower ends of said modular electric switch unit are dimensioned to respectively snugly be received in said upper and lower slots so that said modular electric switch unit can only be received in said box in one manner of orientation.

18. The invention of claim 17 wherein said retaining means includes expandable means in each of said slots operable to be forcefully expanded against said slots and external actuator means on the front of the modular electric switch unit for actuating said expandable means when the modular electric switch unit is in a desired position of adjustment.

19. A power distribution box for an electric power distribution system, said box comprising modular unit mounting means in said power distribution box for removably receiving a modular electric unit in only one position of orientation relative to the box, a modular electric unit mounted in said modular unit mounting means, a power cable receiving opening in one wall of said power distribution box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multiconductor power cable upon insertion of said bare conductor ends through said guide openings into the interior of said power distribution box, a distribution cable receiving opening in one wall of said box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multi-conductor distribution cable upon insertion of said latter bare conductor ends through the last-mentioned openings into the interior of said box, designator means adjacent each of said cable receiving openings for indicating the proper position of insertion of each of said cables to provide positioning correlation of individual conductors of said multi-conductor cables with other system components, and circuit establishing means on the interior of said power distribution box for automatically establishing a conductive circuit from a power cable to a distribution cable and to said modular electric unit mounted in said box in response to the proper insertion of said cables thru said cable receiving openings.

20. The invention of claim 19 wherein said modular electric unit includes external contact means and said circuit establishing means includes a bus plate ensemble including automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means positioned to be engaged by the bare conductor ends of said cable conductors when said conductor ends are inserted in said box and also includes spring contact members engageable with said external contact means of said modular electric unit when such a unit is positioned in said modular unit mounting means.

21. The invention of claim 20 wherein said automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means comprises a plurality of cantilever spring blades each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange and between each flange and sharp outer end edge a cable conductor receiving space is defined, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted so that when a conductor having bare conductor ends is inserted in a conductor receiving space said cantilever spring blade engages the sides of said bare conductor end so that outward movement of such conductor tends to urge the sharp outer edge of said blade into the bare conductor end to resist extraction of said conductor end from the box.

22. The invention of claim 20 wherein said external contact means comprises a plurality of elongated contacts, said power distribution box includes first and second spaced parallel side panels, parallel top and bottom panels and a divider wall extending between said first and second side panels and said top and bottom panels to separate each box into a bus plate ensemble compartment and a function unit compartment, said divider wall including a plurality of openings through which said elongated contacts of said modular electric unit extend so that said elongated contacts engage the spring contact members of the bus plate ensemble.

23. The invention of claim 22 wherein said box is formed of plastic material, said bus plate ensemble comprises metal plates and insulation members sandwiched between adjacent ones of said metal plates and means bonding said metal plates and insulation members into a unitary assembly.

24. The invention of claim 23 wherein the modular unit mounting means includes guide means for sliding insertion of a modular electric unit, and retaining means for locking said modular electric unit in any desired position in said guide means to permit flush wall mounting of said modular electric unit.

25. The invention of claim 24 wherein said guide means comprises an upper downwardly facing guide slot in said top panel and a lower upwardly facing guide slot in said bottom panel, said lower slot being a width different from the width of said downwardly facing slot, and wherein the upper and lower ends of said modular unit means are dimensioned to be respectively snugly received in said upper and lower slots so that a modular electric unit can only be received in said box in one manner of relative orientation to said box.

26. The invention of claim 25 wherein said retaining means includes expandable means in each of said slots operable to be forcefully expanded against said slots and external actuator means on the front of the modular electric unit for actuating said expandable means when the modular electric unit is in a desired position of adjustment.

27. The invention of claim 19 wherein said circuit establishing means includes automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means associated with the conductor receiving spaces having a plurality of cantilever spring blades each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange and between each flange and sharp outer end edge a cable conductor receiving space is defined, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted so that when a bare conductor end is inserted in the associated conductor receiving space said cantilever spring blade engages the side of said bare conductor end so that outward movement of said conductor tends to urge the sharp outer end edge of said blade into the bare conductor end to resist extraction of said conductor from the box.

28. The invention of claim 27 wherein said circuit establishing means includes a bus plate ensemble consisting of a sandwich array of bus plates and interleaved insulation material, said bus plates including said automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means positioned to receive and hold the bare conductor ends of power cable and distribution cable conductors when said conductors are inserted in said box and also including spring contact members positioned to be engaged by contact means on said modular electric unit for establishing an operative circuit to said modular electric unit .

29. The invention of claim 19 in which said power distribution box has a third cable receiving opening in a wall of the box for a second distribution cable and including individual guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multi-conductor power distribution cable upon insertion of said bare conductor ends through the guide openings of said third cable receiving opening into the interior of the power distribution box, designator means adjacent said third cable receiving opening for indicating the proper manner of insertion of a distribution cable in said third cable receiving opening, one of said second and third cable receiving openings being for use when a modular electric switch unit is mounted on the modular unit mounting means of the box and the other of said second and third openings being for providing a circuit continuation of a power cable to a distribution cable when such power cable is inserted in the first mentioned cable receiving opening and said distribution cable is inserted in said other cable receiving opening.

30. The invention of claim 19 wherein said modular electric unit comprises a modular switch unit means for providing a switched circuit connection from a power cable mounted in said power cable receiving opening through said circuit establishing means to a distribution cable mounted in said distribution cable receiving opening.

31. The invention of claim 30 wherein said modular switch unit includes external contact means and said circuit establishing means includes a bus plate ensemble including automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means positioned to be engaged by the bare conductor ends of said cable conductors when said bare conductor ends are inserted in said box and also includes spring contact members engageable with said external contact means of said modular electric unit when said modular switch unit is positioned in said modular unit mounting means.

32. The invention of claim 31 wherein said automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means each comprises a cantilever spring blade each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange with a conductor receiving space being defined between each flange and sharp outer end edge, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted so that when a conductor having bare conductor ends is inserted in a conductor receiving space said cantilever spring blade engages the sides of said bare conductor end so that any subsequent outward movement of such conductor tends to urge the sharp outer edge of said blade into the bare conductor to resist extraction of said conductor end from the box.

33. The invention of claim 19 wherein said modular electric unit comprises a modular receptacle unit having external contacts and said circuit establishing means includes a bus plate ensemble including a first group of automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means positioned to be engaged by the bare conductor ends of a power cable positioned in said power cable receiving opening, a second group of automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means positioned to be engaged by the bare conductor ends of a distribution cable positioned in the distribution cable receiving opening and spring contacts engaged by the external contacts of said modular receptacle unit for providing a circuit from said first group of contacts to said second group of contacts and said modular receptacle unit.

34. The invention of claim 33 wherein said automatic cable conductor contact and retaining means each comprises a cantilever spring blade each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange with a conductor receiving space being defined between each flange and sharp outer end edge, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted so that when a conductor having bare conductor ends is inserted in a conductor receiving space said cantilever spring blade engages the sides of said bare conductor end so that any subsequent outward movement of such conductor tends to urge the sharp outer edge of said blade into the bare conductor to resist extraction of said conductor end from the box.

35. An octal box means, a first cable receiving opening in a wall of said octal box including individual conductor guide openings for guiding the bare conductor ends of a multi-conductor distribution cable upon insertion of such bare conductor ends through said conductor guide openings into the interior of the octal box means, designator means adjacent said cable receiving opening in said octal box for indicating the proper position of insertion of such a distribution cable to provide positioning correlation of individual cable conductors of said distribution cable with other system components, a sandwich array of octal box bus plates on the interior of said octal box, said octal box bus plates including distribution cable conductor contact and retaining means consisting of a plurality of cantilever spring blades each having a sharp outer end edge and an adjacent fixed flange and between which flange and sharp outer end edge a cable conductor receiving space is defined, each of said cantilever spring blades being canted at an angle so that when a conductor is inserted into the adjacent conductor receiving space, said cantilever spring blade engages the side of said conductor so that outward movement of a conductor tends to urge said edge into the conductor to resist extraction of said conductor from the octal box, said octal box bus plates additionally including spring contact members for electric contact with a plug-type connector having a plurality of external contacts inserted into said octal box for engagement with the spring contacts of said octal box bus plates and a second power distribution cable receiving opening provided in said octal box for enabling the insertion of bare conductor ends of a further power distribution cable into the interior of said octal box, said octal box bus plates including further cantilever spring blades and associated fixed flange portions adjacent said second power distribution cable receiving opening for receiving and holding the bare conductor ends of a further power distribution cable upon the insertion thereof in said second power distribution cable receiving opening to provide en electrical circuit between power distribution cables inserted in said first and second cable receiving openings.

36. An electrical circuit component comprising a multi-function box, modular function unit means, guide means in said box in which modular function unit means is positioned for sliding movement to a desired position in said box and retaining means for locking said modular function unit means in any desired position in said guide means to permit flush mounting of said modular function unit means with a wall in which the box is mounted, said guide means comprising first and second inwardly facing guide slots provided in opposite sides of said multi-function box, each of said inwardly facing guide slots having first and second opposed side walls, wherein said retaining means includes first and second expandable members respectively positioned in said first and second inwardly facing guide slots and being operable to be forcefully expanded against the side walls of their associated slot and external actuator means on the front of the modular function unit means for actuating said expandable members when the modular function unit means is in a desired position of adjustment.

37. The invention of claim 36 wherein said expandable means comprises first and second bifurcated lock plates on said modular function unit means respectively received in said first and second inwardly facing guide slots, each of said bifurcated lock plates including a pair of fingers and wherein said actuator means includes first and second rotary members respectively associated with each of said bifurcated lock plates, lug means on one end of each of said rotary members positioned between the fingers on its associated lock plate to expand said fingers outwardly into forceful engagement with the side walls of its associated guide slot upon rotation of said rotary member.

38. The invention of claim 37 wherein said modular function unit means comprises modular switch means, external contacts on said modular switch means and further including spring contact means in said multi-function box engaging said external contacts for all positions of adjustment of said modular switch means.

39. The invention of claim 37 wherein said modular function unit comprises electrical receptacle means, external contacts on said electrical receptacle means and spring contact means in said multi-function box engaging said external contacts for all positions of adjustment of said receptacle means.

40. A multi-function electric box for use with an electric receptacle and octal box unit or with an electric switch unit having external contacts, said box including:

(a) A plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,

(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements disposed for electric contact with the external contacts of a compatible electric switch unit when such a switch unit is mounted on the box,

(c) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of a first electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped conductor ends make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,

(d) second opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a second electric power cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon insertion of said stripped conductor ends of said second electric power cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the stripped conductor ends of the first power cable,

(e) third opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped conductor ends of the conductors of a third electric power cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion the stripped ends of the conductors of said third power cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the contacts of said second power cable, and

(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stripped ends of the conductors of a power distribution cable of a distribution circuit with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped ends of the conductors of said power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the power cables so that upon mounting a compatible switch unit on the box said switch unit would provide control of the distribution circuit of said power distribution cable.

41. A multi-function electric box for use with an electric receptacle unit having three external terminals, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,

(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements being disposed for electric contact with the terminals of a compatible electric receptacle unit when such a unit is mounted on the box,

(c) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,

(d) second opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped ends of said first power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the power cable,

(e) third opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first power distribution cable, and

(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped ends of the conductors of said third power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable or the first and second power distribution cables such than upon mounting a compatible receptacle unit on the box said receptacle unit would be controlled by the circuit of said first, second or third power distribution cables.

42. A multi-function electric octal box for use with an electric ficture having external terminals or as a 4-way junction box unit, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said octal box so as to be electrically insulated from each other and each including means for automatic locking connection to an electrical conductor of a power cable to preclude withdrawal of the cable

(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements disposed for electric contact with external terminals of a compatible electric fixture unit when such unit is mounted on the box,

(c) first opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends automatically make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,

(d) second opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first mentioned electric power cable,

(e) third opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power and first power distribution cables, and

(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said third power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power cable and the first, second and third power distribution cables.

43. A multi-function electric octal box for use with an electric fixture unit having external terminals, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other,

(b) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including one group of said contact elements being disposed for electric contact with the terminals of a compatible electric fixture unit when such a unit is mounted on the box,

(c) first opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first electric power cable with said opening means being so positioned at upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first electric power cable make electric contact with a group of said electric conductor elements,

(d) second opening means in a wall of the octal box for insertion of the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a first power distribution cable with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said first power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the first electric power cable,

(e) third opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a second power distribution cable with said third opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said second power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the first electric power cable such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the box said fixture unit would be controlled by the circuit on the fourth and fifth power distribution cables described subsequently in (g) and (h),

(f) fourth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a third power distribution cable with said fourth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said third power distribution cable make electric contact with the same group of electric conductor elements as are contacted by the second power distribution cable,

(g) fifth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a fourth power distribution cable with said fifth opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said fourth power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable and the first, second and third power distribution cables such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the octal box said octal box unit would be controlled by the said fourth power distribution cable from a 3-way switch, and

(h) sixth opening means in a wall of the octal box for receiving the stuffed stripped conductor ends of a fifth power distribution cable with said sixth opening means being so positioned that upon insertion said stuffed stripped conductor ends of said fifth power distribution cable make electric contact with a different group of said electric conductor elements than are contacted by the electric power cable and the first, second, third, and fourth power distribution cables such that upon mounting a compatible fixture unit on the octal box said octal box unit would be controlled by the said power distribution cable from a second 3-way switch.

44. A multi-function box for use with an electric 3-way switch unit, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other and each including means for automatic locking connection to an electrical conductor of a power cable to preclude withdrawal of the cable,

(b) a 3-way switch unit having three external terminals removably mounted in said box,

(c) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements including a first group of said contact elements disposed for electric contact with the three external terminals of said electric 3-way switch unit in response to the mounting of such a switch unit on the box,

(d) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped ends of the conductors of a first power distribution cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon insertion said stripped ends of said conductors of said first power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with a second group of said electric contact elements in response to said insertion, and

(e) second opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stripped ends of a second power distribution cable of a distribution circuit with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped ends of the conductors of said second power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with a third group of electric contact elements in response to said insertion of the stripped ends of the second power distribution cable to provide a circuit effecting switch control for the circuit of said second power distribution cable by said 3-way switch unit.

45. A multi-function electric box for use with an electric 4-way switch unit having four external terminals, said box including:

(a) a plurality of electric conductor elements supported in said box so as to be electrically insulated from each other and each including means for automatic locking connection to an electrical conductor of a power cable to preclude withdrawal of the power cable,

(b) a 4-way switch unit having four external terminals mounted in said box,

(c) a plurality of resilient electric contact elements on said conductor elements with one group of said contact elements being disposed in electric contact with external terminals of said 4-way switch unit mounted in said box,

(d) first opening means in a wall of the box for insertion of the stripped ends of the conductors of a first power distribution cable with said opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped ends of the conductors of said first power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with a second group of said contact elements, and

(e) second opening means in a wall of the box for receiving the stripped ends of a second power distribution cable of a distribution circuit with said second opening means being so positioned that upon such insertion said stripped ends of the conductors of said second power distribution cable automatically make electric contact with a third group of said electric contacts for effecting a circuit providing switch control of the distribution circuit of said second power distri0 bution cable by means of said 4-way switch unit.