GROUNDING COUPLING FOR ELECTRICAL WIRE RACEWAYS

• US 3,832,672 A
• Filed: 04/02/1973
• Issued: 08/27/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: John R. Loos
• Original Assignee: John R. Loos
• Inventors: Loos, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Askin, Laramie E.
• Application Number:
  US05/347,390
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 174/51,64,65R,71R,72R,78,84S 339/13,14L
• US Class Current: 439/208
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 4/64 Connections between or with conductive parts having primarily a non-electric function, e.g. frame, casing, rail

Abstract

A coupling for raceways, such as thin wall conduit (EMT) or rigid conduit for electrical wires for joining such conduit to another type of raceway, and incorporating a grounding terminal integrally with the coupling to permit connection of an internal grounding wire.

Claims

1. A coupling for use in combination with a ground wire and first and second electrical raceways including a first raceway which can serve as an electrical ground conduit, and a second nonground raceway which cannot serve as an electrical ground conduit that has the ground wire extending therethrough, said coupling comprising a tubular member having a first end portion that includes first means adapted for attaching and forming an electrical ground connection to a first ground conduit raceway;

and a second end portion that includes second means, different from the first means, adapted for being attached to the second nonground conduit raceway, said tubular member having a continuous interior passage between said first and second end portions of size to carry a plurality of first electrical wires therethrough, and a grounding surface opening to said passage for being contacted by a ground wire in the passage, and wall means electrically connecting said grounding surface to said first means; and

a screw member threadably mounted by said wall means and positioned so as to be accessible from the exterior of said tubular member, said screw member being threadable toward and away from said grounding surface a sufficient distance to securely clamp and electrically ground to the wall means a ground wire positioned in the interior passage and extending from the nonground conduit raceway when it is attached to the second means.

2. The combination specified in claim 1 wherein the wall means of the tubular member includes a boss member, an opening being defined in said boss member, and said screw member being mounted at substantially right angles to the axis of said opening whereby the end of said screw can engage said ground wire and can force the ground wire against the surface.

3. The combination specified in claim 2 wherein said opening is defined through said boss member at an acute angle to the axis of the tubular member and extends through said boss member from the interior to the exterior of said coupling.

4. The combination specified in claim 2 wherein said boss member comprises a raised portion on one portion of the wall means of said coupling, and extends outwardly beyond the general outer periphery of the coupling.

5. A coupling for first and second electrical raceways, a first of said raceways being one which can serve as a ground conduit, and a second of said raceways being one that which cannot serve as a ground cOnduit, said coupling comprising a tubular member, first and second means to attach the respective raceways at opposite ends of said tubular member, said tubular member including wall means, said wall means defining a boss member, said boss member having an opening therein with a longitudinal axis extending at an acute angle with respect to the coupling, a screw threadably mounted in said boss member and being threadable toward and away from said opening, said opening being open to the interior of said coupling so that a separate ground wire on the interior of said coupling can pass into said opening, said screw member being movable to engage a wire to be positioned in said opening, whereby said screw member can force a grounding wire in said opening against surfaces defining said opening when the screw member is tightened, said screw member being positioned on the interior of the coupling in position so that the head thereof can be reached from the exterior of said coupling through one end of said coupling, at least one of said first and second means being arranged to permit attaching one of the respective raceways to said coupling after said screw has been tightened onto a grounding wire.