Brackets for mounting pairs of electrical outlet boxes

• US 4,572,391 A
• Filed: 07/01/1985
• Issued: 02/25/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lewis B. Medlin
• Original Assignee: Lewis B. Medlin
• Inventors: Medlin, Lewis B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pollard, Steven M.
• Application Number:
  US06/750,264
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• Field of Search: 220/3.9, 220/3.3, 220/3.5, 220/3.6
• US Class Current: 220/3.9
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/125 with supporting bar extending between two separate studs of a wall frame

Abstract

An outlet box (the term "outlet box" is also intended to encompass a junction box) mounting bracket useful in pairs for mounting a pair of outlet boxes has slots to accept the shanks of outlet box mounting screws to eliminate the necessity of removing the screws when assembling the outlet box to one side of the bracket and a dry wall ring to the opposite side of the bracket. The bracket has an L-shape with right angled plate portions at one end, one of which plate portion is adapted to serve as a stiffening arm between the walls. At the opposite end, another flat plate portion is adapted to be secured to the front surface of a construction stud to another bracket in a piggyback array or to an extension plate in turn secured to a stud. A recessed plate portion between the ends of the bracket contains the mentioned slots around an opening which registers with the interior chamber of the box and brings the outer surface of a dry wall ring in the same plane as the front outermost plane of the bracket.

Claims

1. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly, comprising:

(a) a pair of square outlet boxes each having integrally joined base and sidewalls formed with a selected number and size of knock-out discs and on the outer edge of each sidewall of one opposed pair of said sidewalls having a pair of inwardly-directed, laterally-spaced screw receiving tabs with threaded holes and overlying an interior chamber formed by said box with the pair of tabs on one said sidewall opposing and being laterally spaced apart the same distance as the pair of tabs on the opposite said sidewall;

(b) a pair of dry wall rings each having a central opening and a peripheral plate flange with screw clearance openings arranged for being mated to said tab threaded holes;

(c) a pair of mounting brackets, each said bracket comprising an L-shaped unitary mounting bracket formed of a single piece of stiff sheet material, including for each said bracket;

(i) first and second contiguous rectangular plate portions in right angular relation at a first end of said bracket, said first plate portion being sufficiently wide to substantially equal the width of the interior space of the wall on which said bracket is installed to thereby serve as a stiffening member for said bracket; and

(ii) a plate body portion extending outwardly from said second plate portion having;

(aa) at an outer end a third rectangular flat plate end portion in the same plane as the plane of said second plate portion, said third plate end portion being adapted for securement to a selected support such as the front surface of a construction stud, the second plate portion of another bracket in piggyback relation, or one end surface of an extension plate and having a pair of holes formed therein for receiving a mating pair of fasteners to effect said securement;

(bb) between said third plate portion and second plate portion having a fourth rectangular plate portion in a plane offset from and substantially parallel to the plane of said second and third plate portions by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of a said dry wall ring flange, said fourth plate portion plane being established by parallel offsets formed on both sides of said fourth plate portion;

(cc) a substantially square opening in said fourth plate portion defined by opposed straight parallel upper and lower and opposed straight parallel right and left side edges formed in said fourth plate portion around said opening, said right and left edges being parallel to said offsets and said opening being sized to register with the interior chamber of said box with the width of said opening being substantially equal to the spacing between a tab on one of said sidewalls and the opposite tab on another of said sidewalls;

(dd) a first pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the said upper edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said slot lateral spacing being equal to the lateral spacing between the threaded holes in each of said pair of tabs;

(ee) a second pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the said lower edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said second pair of slots having a depth compared to the depth of said first pair of slots sufficient for at least limited vertical box mounting adjustment on said bracket and being positioned opposite to said first pair of slots, said lateral spacing between said second pair of slots also being equal to the lateral spacing between the threaded holes in each of said pair of tabs;

(ff) a third pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the left edge of said fourth plate portion opening and having a lateral spacing substantially equal to the lateral spacing of said first and second pair of slots;

(gg) a fourth pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the right edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said fourth pair of slots being positioned opposite to the position of said third pair of slots and having a lateral spacing equal thereto and a depth compared to the depth of said first, second and third pair of slots enabling horizontal box mounting adjustment on said bracket;

(hh) a flange ring turning surface established by the spacing of said right and left edges of said opening from the said respective offsets on either side thereof and formed such that when a selected screw clearance opening on said dry wall ring rotates around a screw installed in a selected one of said tab threaded holes as another diagonally opposite selected said screw clearance opening is positioned to engage another diagonally opposite screw in another diagonally opposite said tab threaded hole, the bottom surface of said dry wall ring is able to slide on said fourth plate portion; and

(ii) between each pair of slots at the corners of said opening an outwardly curved edge serving as a continuation of the slot edge on either side thereof; and

(d) a plurality of screws adapted for being loosely fitted in said slots and for being secured in said tab threaded holes,

whereby when a pair of said brackets extending in opposite directions have the third plate portions thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud or when a first one of said brackets has the third plate portion thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud and the second one of said brackets has its third plate portion secured in a piggyback orientation to the second plate portion of the first one of said brackets or when selected said brackets have the third plate portion thereof secured to one end of an extension plate in turn secured to the front surface of a construction stud and fasteners are installed to perfect the securement and an electric outlet box is positioned adjacent the inner side of each said fourth plate portion of each said bracket in position with respect thereto so that the interior of each said respective electric outlet box is accessible through the respective said fourth plate portion opening adjacent thereto and a dry wall ring is fixed to the other side of said fourth plate portion, said first plate portions tend to stiffen said brackets and said slots enable each said outlet box, bracket and dry wall ring to be held in operative position with screws passed through said slots and secured in said tab-threaded holes with said tabs being oriented to mate with selected edges surrounding the respective said opening adjacent the respective said box and whereby the outer surface of the flange of each said ring is maintained when said screws are tightened in substantially the same plane as the outer surface of the respective said second and third plate portions of the respective said brackets on which each respective said ring is mounted.

2. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling the use of common fasteners therethrough with said third plate portions in overlapping relation and said pair of brackets extending in opposite direction.

3. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to one-half the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling said third plate portions to be secured in abutting relation with said pair of brackets extending in opposite directions.

4. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one said bracket has the second plate portion thereof formed with a pair of holes for receiving fasteners securing the third plate portion of another said bracket thereto in piggyback relation.

5. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 including at least one rectangular extension plate formed of a single piece of flat stiff sheet material with a stiffening arm at one end in right angular relation and having a plurality of sets of pairs of holes spaced lengthwise thereof located and adapted for receiving fasteners to secure said plate to either the front surface of a said stud or to a respective said bracket third plate portion.

6. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein each said bracket is formed of sheet metal and includes inwardly turned stiffening edges surrounding the fourth plate portion thereof.

7. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly, comprising:

(a) a pair of square outlet boxes each having integrally joined base and sidewalls formed with a selected number and size of knock-out discs and on the outer edge of each sidewall of one opposed pair of said sidewalls having a pair of inwardly-directed, laterally-spaced screw receiving tabs with threaded holes and overlying an interior chamber formed by said box with the pair of tabs on one said sidewall opposing and being laterally spaced apart the same distance as the pair of tabs on the opposite said sidewall;

(b) a pair of dry wall rings each having a central opening and a peripheral plate flange with screw clearance openings arranged for being mated to said tab threaded holes;

(c) a pair of mounting brackets, each said bracket comprising an L-shaped unitary mounting bracket formed of a single piece of stiff sheet material, including for each said bracket;

(i) first and second contiguous rectangular plate portions in right angular relation at a first end of said bracket, said first plate portion being sufficiently wide to substantially equal the width of the interior space of the wall on which said bracket is installed to thereby serve as a stiffening member for said bracket; and

(ii) a plate body portion extending outwardly from said second plate portion having;

(aa) at an outer end a third rectangular flat plate end portion in the same plane as the plane of said second plate portion, said third plate end portion being adapted for securement to a selected support such as the front surface of a construction stud, the second plate portion of another bracket in piggyback relation, or one end surface of an extension plate and having a pair of holes formed therein for receiving a mating pair of fasteners to effect said securement;

(bb) between said third plate portion and second plate portion having a fourth rectangular plate portion in a plane offset from and substantially parallel to the plane of said second and third plate portions by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of a said dry wall ring flange, said fourth plate portion plane being established by parallel offsets formed on both sides of said fourth plate portion;

(cc) a substantially square opening in said fourth plate portion defined by opposed straight parallel upper and lower and opposed straight parallel right and left side edges formed in said fourth plate portion around said opening, said right and left edges being parallel to said offsets and said opening being sized to register with the interior chamber of said box with the width of said opening being substantially equal to the spacing between a tab on one of said sidewalls and the opposite tab on another of said sidewalls;

(dd) a first pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the said upper edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said slot lateral spacing being equal to the lateral spacing between the threaded holes in each of said pair of tabs;

(ee) a second pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the said lower edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said second pair of slots having a depth compared to the depth of said first pair of slots sufficient for at least limited vertical box mounting adjustment on said bracket and being positioned opposite to said first pair of slots and having a lateral spacing equal thereto;

(ff) a flange ring turning surface established by the spacing of said right and left edges of said opening from the said respective offsets on either side thereof and formed such that when a selected screw clearance opening on said dry wall ring rotates around a screw installed in a selected one of said tab threaded holes as another diagonally opposite selected said screw clearance opening is positioned to engage another diagonally opposite screw in another diagonally opposite said tab threaded hole, the bottom surface of said dry wall ring is able to slide on said fourth plate portion; and

(d) a plurality of screws adapted for being loosely fitted in said slots and for being secured in said tab threaded holes,

whereby when a pair of said brackets extending in opposite directions have the third plate portions thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud or when a first one of said brackets has the third plate portion thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud and the second one of said brackets has its third plate portion secured in a piggyback orientation to the second plate portion of the first one of said brackets or when selected said brackets have the third plate portion thereof secured to one end of an extension plate in turn secured to the front surface of a construction stud and fasteners are installed to perfect the securement and an electric outlet box is positioned adjacent the inner side of each said fourth plate portion of each said bracket in position with respect thereto so that the interior of each said respective electric outlet box is accessible through the respective said fourth plate portion opening adjacent thereto and a dry wall ring is fixed to the other side of said fourth plate portion, said first plate portions tend to stiffen said brackets and said slots enable each said outlet box, bracket and dry wall ring to be held in operative position with screws passed through said slots and secured in said tab-threaded holes with said tabs being oriented to mate with selected edges surrounding the respective said opening adjacent the respective said box and whereby the outer surface of the flange of each said ring is maintained when said screws are tightened in substantially the same plane as the outer surface of the respective said second and third plate portions of the respective said brackets on which each respective said ring is mounted.

8. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling the use of common fasteners therethrough with said third plate portions in overlapping relation and said pair of brackets extending in opposite direction.

9. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to one-half the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling said third plate portions to be secured in abutting relation with said pair of brackets extending in opposite directions.

10. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 7 wherein at least one said bracket has the second plate portion thereof formed with a pair of holes for receiving fasteners securing the third plate portion of another said bracket thereto in piggyback relation.

11. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 7 including at least one rectangular extension plate formed of a single piece of flat stiff sheet material with a stiffening arm at one end in right angular relation and having a plurality of sets of pairs of holes spaced lengthwise thereof located and adapted for receiving fasteners to secure said plate to either the front surface of a said stud or to a respective said bracket third plate portion.

12. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly, comprising:

(a) a pair of square outlet boxes each having integrally joined base and sidewalls formed with a selected number and size of knock-out discs and on the outer edge of each sidewall of one opposed pair of said sidewalls having a pair of inwardly-directed, laterally-spaced screw receiving tabs with threaded holes and overlying an interior chamber formed by said box with the pair of tabs on one said sidewall opposing and being laterally spaced apart the same distance as the pair of tabs on the opposite said sidewall;

(b) a pair of dry wall rings each having a central opening and a peripheral plate flange with screw clearance openings arranged for being mated to said tab threaded holes;

(c) a pair of mounting brackets, each said bracket comprising an L-shaped unitary mounting bracket formed of a single piece of stiff sheet material, including for each said bracket;

(i) first and second contiguous rectangular plate portions in right angular relation at a first end of said bracket, said first plate portion being sufficiently wide to substantially equal the width of the interior space of the wall on which said bracket is installed to thereby serve as a stiffening member for said bracket; and

(ii) a plate body portion extending outwardly from said second plate portion having;

(aa) at an outer end a third rectangular flat plate end portion in the same plane as the plane of said second plate portion, said third plate end portion being adapted for securement to a selected support such as the front surface of a construction stud, the second plate portion of another bracket in piggyback relation, or one end surface of an extension plate and having a pair of holes formed therein for receiving a mating pair of fasteners to effect said securement;

(bb) between said third plate portion and second plate portion having a fourth rectangular plate portion in a plane offset from and substantially parallel to the plane of said second and third plate portions by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of a said dry wall ring flange, said fourth plate portion plane being established by parallel offsets formed on both sides of said fourth plate portion;

(cc) a substantially square opening in said fourth plate portion defined by opposed straight parallel upper and lower and opposed straight parallel right and left side edges formed in said fourth plate portion around said opening, said right and left edges being parallel to said offsets and said opening being sized to register with the interior chamber of said box with the width of said opening being substantially equal to the spacing between a tab on one of said sidewalls and the opposite tab on another of said sidewalls;

(dd) a first pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the left edge of said fourth plate portion opening and having a lateral spacing substantially equal to the lateral spacing between the threaded holes in each of said pair of tabs;

(ee) a second pair of laterally spaced screw slots extending from the right edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said second pair of slots being positioned opposite to the position of said first pair of slots and having a lateral spacing equal thereto and a depth compared to the depth of said first pair of slots enabling horizontal box mounting adjustment on said bracket;

(ff) a flange ring turning surface established by the spacing of said right and left edges of said opening from the said respective offsets on either side thereof and formed such that when a selected screw clearance opening on said dry wall ring rotates around a screw installed in a selected one of said tab threaded holes as another diagonally opposite selected said screw clearance opening is positioned to engage another diagonally opposite screw in another diagonally opposite said tab threaded hole, the bottom surface of said dry wall ring is able to slide on said fourth plate portion; and

(d) a plurality of screws adapted for being loosely fitted in said slots and for being secured in said tab threaded holes,

whereby when a pair of said brackets extending in opposite directions have the third plate portions thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud or when a first one of said brackets has the third plate portion thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud and the second one of said brackets has its third plate portion secured in a piggyback orientation to the second plate portion of the first one of said brackets or when selected said brackets have the third plate portion thereof secured to one end of an extension plate in turn secured to the front surface of a construction stud and fasteners are installed to perfect the securement and an electric outlet box is positioned adjacent the inner side of each said fourth plate portion of each said bracket in position with respect thereto so that the interior of each said respective electric outlet box is accessible through the respective said fourth plate portion opening adjacent thereto and a dry wall ring is fixed to the other side of said fourth plate portion, said first plate portions tend to stiffen said brackets and said slots enable each said outlet box, bracket and dry wall ring to be held in operative position with screws passed through said slots and secured in said tab-threaded holes with said tabs being oriented to mate with selected edges surrounding the respective said opening adjacent the respective said box and whereby the outer surface of the flange of each said ring is maintained when said screws are tightened in substantially the same plane as the outer surface of the respective said second and third plate portions of the respective said brackets on which each respective said ring is mounted.

13. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling the use of common fasteners therethrough with said third plate portions in overlapping relation and said pair of brackets extending in opposite direction.

14. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to one-half the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling said third plate portions to be secured in abutting relation with said pair of brackets extending in opposite directions.

15. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein at least one said bracket has the second plate portion thereof formed with a pair of holes for receiving fasteners securing the third plate portion of another said bracket thereto in piggyback relation.

16. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 12 including at least one rectangular extension plate formed of a single piece of flat stiff sheet material with a stiffening arm at one end in right angular relation and having a plurality of sets of pairs of holes spaced lengthwise thereof located and adapted for receiving fasteners to secure said plate to either the front surface of a said stud or to a respective said bracket third plate portion.

17. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 12 wherein each said bracket is formed of sheet metal and includes inwardly turned stiffening edges surrounding the fourth plate portion thereof.

18. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly, comprising:

(a) a pair of square outlet boxes each having integrally joined base and sidewalls formed with a selected number and size of knock-out discs and on the outer edge of each sidewall of one opposed pair of said sidewalls having at least one inwardly-directed, laterally-spaced screw receiving tab with a threaded hole and positioned to provide at least one pair of diagonally opposite said tabs overlying an interior chamber formed by said box;

(b) a pair of dry wall rings each having a central opening and a peripheral plate flange with screw clearance openings arranged for being mated to said tab threaded holes;

(c) a pair of mounting brackets, each said bracket comprising an L-shaped unitary mounting bracket formed of a single piece of stiff sheet material, including for each said bracket;

(i) first and second contiguous rectangular plate portions in right angular relation at a first end of said bracket, said first plate portion being sufficiently wide to substantially equal the width of the interior space of the wall on which said bracket is installed to thereby serve as a stiffening member for said bracket; and

(ii) a plate body portion extending outwardly from said second plate portion having;

(aa) at an outer end a third rectangular flat plate end portion in the same plane as the plane of said second plate portion, said third plate end portion being adapted for securement to a selected support such as the front surface of a construction stud, the second plate portion of another bracket in piggyback relation, or one end surface of an extension plate and having a pair of holes formed therein for receiving a mating pair of fasteners to effect said securement;

(bb) between said third plate portion and second plate portion having a fourth rectangular plate portion in a plane offset from and substantially parallel to the plane of said second and third plate portions by an amount substantially equal to the thickness of a said dry wall ring flange, said fourth plate portion plane being established by parallel offsets formed on both sides of said fourth plate portion;

(cc) an opening in said fourth plate portion defined by opposed straight parallel upper and lower and opposed straight parallel right and left side edges and corner edges formed in said fourth plate portion around said opening, said right and left edges being parallel to said offsets and said opening being sized to register with the interior chamber of said box with the width of said opening being substantially equal to the spacing between a tab on one of said sidewalls and the opposite tab on another of said sidewalls;

(dd) a first pair of laterally spaced screw slots matable with said tabs located adjacent a selected straight edge of said fourth plate portion opening;

(ee) a second pair of laterally spaced screw slots matable with said tabs extending from a second selected straight edge of said fourth plate portion opening opposite said first selected edge of said fourth plate portion opening, said second pair of slots having a depth at least equal to the depth of said first pair of slots for at least limited box mounting adjustment on said bracket in the direction in which said slots are oriented and being positioned opposite to said first pair of slots;

(ff) a flange ring turning surface established by the spacing of said right and left edges of said opening from the said respective offsets on either side thereof and formed such that when a selected screw clearance opening on said dry wall ring rotates around a screw installed in a selected one of said tab threaded holes as another diagonally opposite selected said screw clearance opening is positioned to engage another diagonally opposite screw in another diagonally opposite said tab threaded hole, the bottom surface of said dry wall ring is able to slide on said fourth plate portion; and

(d) a plurality of screws adapted for being loosely fitted in said slots and for being secured in said tab threaded holes,

whereby when a pair of said brackets extending in opposite directions have the third plate portions thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud or when a first one of said brackets has the third plate portion thereof secured to the front surface of a construction stud and the second one of said brackets has its third plate portion secured in a piggyback orientation to the second plate portion of the first one of said brackets or when selected said brackets have the third plate portion thereof secured to one end of an extension plate in turn secured to the front surface of a construction stud and fasteners are installed to perfect the securement and an electric outlet box is positioned adjacent the inner side of each said fourth plate portion of each said bracket in position with respect thereto so that the interior of each said respective electric outlet box is accessible through the respective said fourth plate portion opening adjacent thereto and a dry wall ring is fixed to the other side of said fourth plate portion, said first plate portions tend to stiffen said brackets and said slots enable each said outlet box, bracket and dry wall ring to be held in operative position with screws passed through said slots and secured in said tab-threaded holes with said tabs being oriented to mate with selected edges surrounding the respective said opening adjacent the respective said box and whereby the outer surface of the flange of each said ring is maintained when said screws are tightened in substantially the same plane as the outer surface of the respective said second and third plate portions of the respective said brackets on which each respective said ring is mounted.

19. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling the use of common fasteners therethrough with said third plate portions in overlapping relation and said pair of brackets extending in opposite direction.

20. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein the width of each said respective third plate portion is substantially equal to one-half the width of the stud surface to which said third plate portions are secured thereby enabling said third plate portions to be secured in abutting relation with said pair of brackets extending in opposite directions.

21. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein at least one said bracket has the second plate portion thereof formed with a pair of holes for receiving fasteners securing the third plate portion of another said bracket thereto in piggyback relation.

22. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 18 including at least one rectangular extension plate formed of a single piece of flat stiff sheet material with a stiffening arm at one end in right angular relation and having a plurality of sets of pairs of holes spaced lengthwise thereof located and adapted for receiving fasteners to secure said plate to either the front surface of a said stud or to a respective said bracket third plate portion.

23. A plural electrical outlet box mounting assembly as claimed in claim 18 wherein each said bracket is formed of sheet metal and includes inwardly turned stiffening edges surrounding the fourth plate portion thereof.