Installation of junction boxes along a raceway

• US 5,178,555 A
• Filed: 10/02/1991
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AMP Incorporated (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Original Assignee: AMP Incorporated (Johnson Controls International plc)
• Inventors: Slack, Victor E., Kilpatrick, Jerry B.
• Primary Examiner(s): PIRLOT, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/771,076
• Time in Patent Office: 468 Days
• Field of Search: 29/832, 29/834, 439/535, 439/110, 439/114-119, 439/121, 439/207-213, 439/215, 248/96, 248/222.4, 248/223.1, 220/3.1-3.9
• US Class Current: 439/215
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 25/164 Connecting locations formed by flush mounted apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H02G 3/00 Installations of electric cables or lines or protective tubing therefor in or on buildings, equivalent structures or vehicles installations of bus-bars H02G5/00; overhead installations H02G7/00; installations in or on the ground H02G9/00

Abstract

A kit (2) adapting a junction box (4) for installation along a raceway comprises, a mounting bracket (10) having a first adjustable mounting mechanism for locating the mounting bracket (10) along the raceway, providing an initial adjustment, and a second adjustable mounting mechanism for securing a junction box (4) to the mounting bracket (10), and for adjustably locating the junction box (4) along the mounting bracket (10), providing a second and final adjustment to accurately locate the junction box (4) between two premeasured lengths of cable (3).

Claims

1. An installation kit for mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system to a modular panel, comprising:

a mounting bracket having an axis, said mounting bracket comprising a mounting opening having a length aligned with the axis and a width less than the length;

a mounting bolt securable to a raceway of the panel and adapted to be disposed in the mounting opening of said mounting bracket to mount the mounting bracket to the raceway at a pre-selected point;

a support bracket comprising support means for supporting the junction box;

attaching means for attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket;

the raceway includes an internally threaded bolt receiving opening for receiving the mounting bolt and a second like bolt receiving opening for receiving the second mounting bolt, the mounting openings of the mounting bracket being spaced to correspond to the bolt receiving openings of the raceway.

2. A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the support means comprises a tab on the support bracket cooperable with a recess on the junction box.

3. A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the mounting opening comprises a reduced portion and an enlarged portion with a width greater than the width of the reduced portion.

4. A kit as recited in claim 3, wherein the mounting bolt comprises a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the reduced portion of the mounting opening and a head with a diameter greater than the width of the reduced portion of the mounting opening to secure the mounting bracket to the raceway and less than the width of the enlarged portion of the mounting opening to pass the mounting bracket over the mounting bolt.

5. A kit as recited in claim 4, further comprising a second like mounting bolt adapted to be disposed in a second like mounting opening of the mounting bracket, said mounting openings being aligned with the axis of the mounting bracket.

6. A kit as recited in claim 4, wherein the length of the reduced portions of the mounting openings is aligned with the axis and is greater than the width, thereby permitting the mounting bracket to be mounted to any of panels having various spacings of bolt receiving openings.

7. A kit as recited in claim 1, wherein the support bracket comprises a tab and a body, said body including an attaching opening having a width perpendicular to an axis through the tab and the body, and wherein the attaching means comprises an attaching bolt and an attaching nut securable thereto, said attaching bolt being adapted to be secured to the mounting bracket and to be inserted through the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching bolt comprising a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching nut being securable to the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket.

8. A kit as recited in claim 7, further comprising a second like support bracket, second support means for supporting the junction box, and second like attaching means for attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket;

wherein the attaching opening of each support bracket has a length perpendicular to the width and greater than the width, and each support bracket is slidable along the length of the attaching opening about the respective bolt, thereby permitting any of various sized of junction boxes to be mounted to the panel.

9. A method of mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system in a modular panel, said method comprising the steps of:

mounting a mounting bracket to a raceway of the panel;

supporting the junction box by a support bracket;

attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket;

threading a mounting bolt with a threaded portion cooperable with internal threading of a bolt receiving opening in the raceway and having a diameter greater than the width of a reduced portion of a mounting opening of the mounting bracket and less than the width of an enlarged portion of the mounting opening, and a head having a diameter greater than the width of the enlarged portion of the mounting opening, into the bolt receiving opening of the raceway;

placing the enlarged portion of the mounting opening of the mounting bracket over the head of the mounting bolt and the mounting bracket against the raceway;

sliding the mounting bracket such that the mounting bolt is within the reduced portion of the mounting opening of the mounting bracket; and

tightening the mounting bolt to the raceway.

10. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of mounting the mounting bracket to the raceway further comprises the steps of:

threading a like second mounting bolt into a like second bolt receiving opening of the raceway;

placing the enlarged portion of a like second mounting opening of the mounting bracket spaced to correspond to the bolt receiving openings over the head of the second bolt;

sliding the mounting bracket such that the second mounting bolt is within the reduced portion of the second mounting opening of the mounting bracket; and

tightening the second mounting bolt to the raceway.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of supporting the junction box by the support bracket comprises the step of:

inserting a tab of the support bracket into a slot of the junction box.

12. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket comprises the steps of:

placing a support opening of the support bracket over an attaching bolt secured in the mounting bracket;

threading an attaching nut cooperable with the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening over the attaching bolt; and

tightening the attaching nut to the attaching bolt.

13. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the step of mounting the mounting bracket to the raceway comprises the steps of:

placing the mounting bracket against the raceway with a mounting opening of the mounting bracket aligned with an internally threaded bolt receiving opening of the raceway;

inserting a mounting bolt having a threaded portion cooperable with the bolt receiving opening and with a diameter less than the width of the mounting opening, and a head with a diameter greater than the width of the mounting opening, through the mounting opening;

threading the mounting bolt into the bolt receiving opening; and

tightening the mounting bolt to the raceway.

14. A method as recited in claim 9 prior to the step of mounting a mounting bracket to the raceway further comprising the step of:

pre-selecting a point on the panel at which to mount the mounting bracket and the junction box.

15. A method as recited in claim 9 further comprising the steps of:

supporting the junction box by a second support bracket; and

attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket.

16. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the second support bracket to the junction box comprises the step of:

inserting a tab of the second support bracket into a slot of the junction box.

17. A method as recited in claim 15 wherein the step of attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket further comprises the steps of:

placing a support opening of the second support bracket over a second attaching bolt secured to the mounting bracket;

threading a second attaching nut having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening of the second support bracket over the second attaching bolt; and

tightening the second attaching nut to the second attaching bolt.

18. A kit adapting a junction box for installation along a raceway comprises, a mounting bracket having a fist adjustable mounting mechanism for locating the mounting bracket adjustable along the raceway between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing an initial adjustment, and a second adjustable mounting mechanism for securing a junction box to the mounting bracket, and for adjustably locating the junction box along the mounting bracket between two premeasured lengths of cable, providing a second and final adjustment for location between the two premeasured lengths,

the second mounting mechanism has threaded bolts extending from the mounting bracket, support brackets on opposite sides of the junction box, narrow openings of the support brackets elongated along an axis extending between the bolts, and the bolts being received in the narrow openings of the support bracket.

19. A kit as recited in claim 18 wherein the first mounting mechanism includes:

mounting screws in a side of the raceway, openings of the mounting bracket having enlarged portions for passing over enlarged heads of the mounting screws, the enlarged portions being elongated along an axis extending between the mounting screws, and narrow portions of the openings of the mounting bracket elongated along the axis and receiving shanks of the mounting screws.

20. An installation kit for mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system to a modular panel, comprising:

a mounting bracket having an axis, said mounting bracket comprising amounting opening having a length aligned with the axis and a width less than the length;

a mounting bolt securable to a raceway of the panel and adapted to be disposed in the mounting opening of said mounting bracket to mount the mounting bracket to the raceway at a pre-selected point;

a support bracket comprising support means for supporting the junction box;

attaching means for attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket;

the support bracket has a tab and a body, said body including an attaching opening having a width perpendicular to an axis through the tab and the body, and wherein the attaching means comprises an attaching bolt and an attaching nut securable thereto, said attaching bolt being adapted to be secured to the mounting bracket and to be inserted through the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching bolt comprising a threaded portion with a diameter less than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket, said attaching nut being securable to the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the attaching opening of the support bracket.

21. A method of mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system in a modular panel, said method comprising the steps of:

mounting a mounting bracket to a raceway of the panel;

supporting the junction box by a support bracket;

attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket;

placing a support opening of the support bracket over an attaching bolt secured in the mounting bracket;

threading an attaching nut cooperable with the attaching bolt and having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening over the attaching bolt; and

tightening the attaching nut to the attaching bolt.

22. A method of mounting a junction box of an electrical power wiring system in a modular panel, said method comprising the steps of:

mounting a mounting bracket to a raceway of the panel;

supporting the junction box by a support bracket;

attaching the support bracket to the mounting bracket;

supporting the junction box by a second support bracket;

attaching the second support bracket to the mounting bracket;

placing a support opening of the second support bracket over a second attaching bolt secured to the mounting bracket;

threading a second attaching nut having a diameter greater than the width of the support opening of the second support bracket over the second attaching bolt; and

tightening the second attaching nut to the second attaching bolt.