Access means for flush floor fitting

• US 5,160,808 A
• Filed: 09/13/1991
• Issued: 11/03/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wiremold Co (Legrand SA)
• Original Assignee: Butler Manufacturing Company (Bluescope Steel Limited)
• Inventors: Hadfield, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TONE, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/759,885
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 174/48, 174/66, 174/67, 220/241, 220/242
• US Class Current: 174/480
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/185 Floor outlets and access cups

Abstract

Simplified access device for flush floor fittings in the form of a track mounted slider. The slider can be manipulated between a closed position wherein the interior of the fitting is shut off to any desired minimum opening position to accommodate exiting of one or more cables. The slider is never divorced from the fitting and so is available in the event the station is abandoned.

Claims

1. In combination:

flat, round plate means;

a pair of radially extending slots formed in said plate means;

each said slot being formed with facing keys;

each slot having a slider with keyways receiving said keys; and

each slider being moveable in its slot, the inner end of each slot and the opposite ends of each slider having substantially identical semi-circular surfaces.

2. In combination:

plate means having a top flat surface;

a slot extending inwardly from the periphery of said plate means;

the opposite sides of said slot respectively having a key, the keys facing one another;

a slider having a thin section and a thick section, each section being formed with a top flat surface with the surfaces being coplanar with one another and the thick section having a pair of keyways disposed on opposite sides thereof;

the slider being disposed in said slot with said keys being respectively received in said keyways and providing for the slider to be moveable back and forth in the slot and with the top flat surface on said plate means and the top flat surfaces on said slider being coplanar; and

said slider being disposed in said slot with said thin section extending outwardly of said periphery and the slot being partially open.

3. In combination:

plate means having a top flat surface;

a slot extending inwardly from the periphery of said plate means;

the opposite sides of said slot respectively having a key, the keys facing one another;

a slider having a thin section and a thick section, each section being formed with a top flat surface with the surfaces being coplanar with one another and the thick section having a pair of keyways disposed on opposite sides thereof;

the slider being disposed in said slot with said keys being respectively received in said keyways and providing for the slider to be moveable back and forth in the slot; and

said plate means having an undercut on the under side thereof and open to said slot and said slider being disposed in the slot with said thin section received in the undercut and the slider being located so that the slot is partially open.

4. In combination:

plate means having a top flat surface;

a slot extending inwardly from the periphery of said plate means;

the opposite sides of said slot respectively having a key, the keys facing one another;

a slider having discrete thin and thick sections disposed one after the other along the axis of the slider, each section extending fully across the width of the slider and each section being formed with a flat top surface, the flat top surfaces being coplanar with one another;

a pair of keyways respectively disposed on opposite sides of said thick section below said thin section, the thin section without keyways, and

said slider being disposed in said slot with said keys being respectively received in said keyways and providing for the slider to be moveable back and forth in the slot and with the top flat surface on said plate means and the top flat surfaces on said slider being coplanar.

5. In combination:

plate means having a top flat surface;

a slot extending inwardly from the periphery of said plate means;

the opposite sides of said slot respectively having a key, the keys facing one another;

a slider having a thin section and a thick section, each section being formed with a top flat surface with the surfaces being coplanar with one another;

a pair of keyways respectively disposed on opposite sides of said thick section below said thin section, the thin section being without keyways;

said slider being disposed in said slot with said keys being respectively received in said keyways and providing for the slider to be moveable back and forth in the slot;

said plate means having an undercut on the under side thereof and open to said slot; and

said undercut and said thin section being dimensioned whereby the thin section is moveable back and forth in the undercut.