Butler Manufacturing Company

Walker Systems, Inc.

Charles N Domigan

Timothy S Bowman

John E Stauffer

Joe A Young

J David Harmon

James E Sheridan

Robert W Hadfield

Richard D Benscoter

Charles T Flachbarth

One embodiment of a non-metallic floor box for use in electrical in-floor power and communication distribution systems for office buildings and the like includes a closed housing having a base, a top and vertically extending side walls defining an interior volume. The floor box prevents concrete from entering the housing during pouring and setting of the concrete floor, and is adapted to be cut off substantially flush with and parallel to the concrete floor in which it is set. The floor box housing includes gradient markings disposed on at least one of its side walls to indicate the interior volume of the housing and/or the depth of the concrete floor.

Non-metallic floor box

A non-metallic floor box for use in electrical in-floor power and communication distribution systems includes a plurality of sets of vertically aligned indexing teeth formed in the interior of the housing side wall. An adapter ring is sized for insertion into the housing interior for supporting an activation kit above the housing interior compartment. The adapter ring has flanges extending from its periphery which are positioned to reciprocally mate with the vertical rows of teeth when the adapter ring is inserted into the housing interior compartment. The flanges and teeth are constructed to permit the ring to be inserted into the housing but to restrict its removal from the housing after its insertion therein. An activation cover is securable to the top of the adapter ring and extends beyond the perimeter of the side wall to limit the distance the adapter ring can be inserted into the housing. The floor box accommodates dual services through the use of two sets of parallel aligned conduit hubs and a divider which is insertable into the housing interior between the two sets of conduit hubs. The closed top of the housing acts as a concrete cover during the pouring of the floor, and as a temporary debris cover after it is cut off but prior to activation of the floor box. Gradient markings on the interior of the floor box provide a quick and accurate measurement of interior floor box volume for inspection and building code compliance.

A non-metallic floor box for use in electrical in-floor power and communication distribution systems for office buildings and the like is disclosed. One embodiment of the floor box includes a closed housing having a base, a top and vertically extending side walls defining an interior volume. The disclosed floor box prevents concrete from entering the housing during pouring and setting of the concrete floor, and is adapted to be cut off substantially flush with and parallel to the concrete floor in which it is set. The floor box housing includes gradient markings disposed on at least one of its side walls to indicate the interior volume of the housing and/or the depth of the concrete floor.

A modular power distribution system is ideally suited for use in modular buildings of the type in which prefabricated building modules are constructed at a manufacturing factory and shipped to a remote building site where the modules are interconnected to form the complete structure. The modular power distribution system includes a primary power distribution panel positioned in one of the building modules and is adapted to distribute power from the utility service to the building modules. Modular power distribution units positioned in each of the building modules are adapted to distribute power within a respective building module. The primary power distribution panel has a plurality of main circuit breakers, each of which is electrically connected between the utility service and one of the modular power distribution units for limiting the maximum current through a respective modular power distribution unit. Each modular power distribution unit also includes a secondary power distribution panel which is physically and electrically interconnected with an associated service distribution unit. The secondary power distribution panel includes a plurality of secondary circuit breakers, and the service distribution unit includes a plurality of modular electrical connector first portions. Each of the modular connector first portions is connected to receive power through a different one of the secondary circuit breakers. Each building unit also includes a plurality prewired electrical fixture units. Each of the prewired electrical fixture units includes an electrical fixture, a modular electrical connector second portion, and a plurality of electrical conductors extending between the electrical fixture and the electrical connector to transmit electrical power therebetween. The connector second portions are electrically and physically mateable with the connector first portions to electrically interconnect the prewired electrical fixture unit with one of the secondary power distribution panel.

Modular power distribution system

This patent discloses a method and apparatus for activation of services in a concrete floor of an office building from below floor slab distribution systems. Void-forming boxes that are secured to a conventional metal deck sheet and surrounded by the concrete floor slab provide chambers in which in-floor activations are mounted. An insulating block in the void-forming box restores fire resistance, prior to installation of an activation kit, that is lost by displacement of concrete by the void-forming box. An in-floor activation kit may be installed within the void-forming box and connected to a below floor slab distribution system through an activation opening cut in the metal deck sheet. Connection hardware is secured to the metal deck sheet for connection to a conventional below-floor slab service distribution system providing communication from the interior of the void-forming box to the below-floor slab service distribution system. Void-forming boxes mounted to the metal deck sheet may be connected by conduit in a conventional manner allowing conductors to be routed from a void-forming box connected to a below floor slab service distribution system to another void-forming box through connecting conduit.

Method and apparatus for improved activation of services in an office

An access hatch for flush floor fitting assembly which is mounted by pivots comprising open ended slots and pins slidingly disposed in the slots. The pivots providing for the hatch to move between a closed position and any of a plurality of open positions and for the hatch, in any open position, to be lifted away from the assembly.

Low tension access hatch

A cellular raceway constructed of roll formed pieces all welded together including a base member, an upper member, and a barrier. The base member has a center section and outboard sections with ribs respectively connecting the center section to the outboard sections. The upper member has a center section disposed over the base center section, outboard sections respectively disposed over the base outboard sections together with outboard walls extending toward and welded to the base outboard sections. The barrier may comprise angle pieces or a hat-shaped piece. The barrier provides electrical separation for the forming of power and communication cells.

Cellular raceway

A combined deck and cellular raceway unit. The deck has at least a pair of parallel extending crests, each with a top member and a pair of webs together with a valley between the crests. The cellular raceway is formed by an assembly including a hat-shaped member mounted on a base, the assembly being placed inside one of the crests with its top wall engaging the underside of the crests and its base extending across the open end of the crest and welded to the deck unit.

Combined deck unit and cellular raceway

A fitting mounted on the bottom of a cell in a cellular raceway. A hollow cylindrical member engages and is secured to the bottom of the cell in alignment with a bore in the bottom. A junction box is mounted on the lower end of the cylindrical member and has an opening aligned with the member. Intumescent wafers are inside of the cylindrical member and are formed to permit passage of conductors. Discs restrain the intumescent wafers from expanding into the cell and junction box. Electrical conductors can extend from the junction box to the cell.

Fitting for the underside of a cellular floor

A duct support, for infloor electrical distribution systems, which has two separate adjustments within the same structure. One being a large adjustment which can be made quickly without the use of screw threads. The other being a small, precise, screw-thread adjustment which may be made when the support is in any one of the large adjusted positions.

Double adjustable duct support

Each component includes one or more sets of pin and/or socket contacts each set being mounted on a contact block. The contact block has shield means surrounding the contacts and around each shield means in an outer housing. The shields and housing electrically and mechanically isolate the contacts.

Components for flexible wiring systems

A trench duct power compartment for use over a cellular raceway is fabricated by forming a rectangular-shaped blank and then stamping out a center section to leave portions which are contoured to the shape of the crests of the cellular raceway and thereafter bending the cut-out blank to simultaneously form upright side walls, downwardly extending concrete blockers together with connecting bottom end sections while leaving the bottom midsection open. The contoured portions of the concrete blockers having the same profile as the crests of the cellular raceway and snugly engage therewith.

Power compartment and method of fabricating

An adaptor to interface a poke-thru with power cable sets of a flexible wiring system. The adaptor has: an elongated, hollow housing with an axially extending opening; a support inside of the housing having a center section and a head, the center section extending across the opening and the head which has an opening for power conductors extends across the interior of the housing; a wire connector mounted on the center section of the support member and accesible through the housing opening; and a hollow, axially extending barrier inside of the housing and resting the head, the interior of the barrier being in communication with power conductor passageway in the head. The portion of the housing not closed off by the center section serves as an entrance to the adaptor for communication cables. The barrier and the head isolate the communication cables from the power conductors.

Adaptor for poke-thrus

Box has a hollow main housing and means which separates the housing into two power sections and an electrically isolated communication section between the power sections. Each power section has a receptacle. An opening above the communication section provides access to the communication section and to the receptacle plug-in heads. The housing mounts wire connectors for each power section for receiving the head of a cable set. A passageway under the communication section allows power conductors to connect the receptables in the power sections.

Growing community of inventors

Coolville, OH, United States of America

Charles N Domigan