Slater Electric Inc.

Other

Pass + Seymour, Inc.

Wade R Bowden, Jr

Thomas S Slater

David Herzfeld

Yuliy Rushansky

Emma Levin

Walter C Lewis

George C Hoehne

Winston Campbell

An electrical receptacle having openings to receive a plug having either parallel or tandem (perpendicular) blades, and a safety shutter assembly having elements positioned behind the openings to prevent insertion into the electrical contacts of the receptacle of items other than the intended plugs. The shutter assembly includes three individual shutter elements, each positioned upon a spacer element in the back of the receptacle cover for sliding movement thereon. Two of the shutter elements each include a camming portion and a blocking portion, and are positioned for movement by insertion of the blades of a parallel blade plug to permit the blades to be received in the receptacle contacts. The third shutter element is positioned for movement, together with the other two shutter elements, by insertion of a tandem blade plug to permit the blades thereof to be received in the proper contacts. The first two shutter elements are returned to their original positions by springs upon removal of the plug, and the third element is configured and arranged for return movement by one of the spring-biased elements.

Electrical receptacle with shuttered prong-receiving openings

An electrical switch device adapted to be secured to an electrical outlet box mounted behind a wall member, having elongated, non-metallic mounting straps formed integrally with the device cover, and an improved grounding system adapted to automatically ground a metallic wall plate intended for use with the device without using the usual metal mounting strap. The mounting straps are proportioned to the maximum possible dimensions to fit under the wall plate to abut the wall member so as to substantially reduce the chance of a floating installation. Grounding means affixed to the cover adjacent one of the mounting screw apertures is adapted to engage a mounting screw inserted through the aperture so as to provide good electrical communication therebetween. The grounding means is formed with a contact aperture alignable with a wall plate mounting hole formed in the device and proportioned such that the portions of the grounding means defining the aperture engage a wall plate mounting screw inserted through the mounting hole so as to provide a continuous electrically conductive ground path from the outlet box to the wall plate. The grounding means is further adapted to permit direct termination of a ground conductor in an electrical power cable to the switch as an alternate means for grounding the wall plate when grounding is not carried out through the device mounting screw.

Electrical switch device with non-metallic mounting straps and automatic

An electrical outlet receptacle device adapted to be mounted adjacent a wall member having a hole therein which permits the device to be secured to an electrical outlet box mounted behind the wall member. The receptacle includes a cover formed integrally with a pair of mounting strap elements projecting from opposite ends thereof. Each mounting strap terminates in free end edges which are beveled along their front facing surfaces and elongated to the maximum possible length to fit under a wallplate intended for use with the device, and is generally squared along its side edges for maximizing the available surface area for abutting the wall member and substantially reducing the chance of having a 'floating' installation. The receptacle further includes a unitary grounding element within the receptacle housing and formed with two pairs of electrical grounding contacts adjacent each group prong opening in the receptacle cover for receiving a ground prong of a plug, and a pair of spring-like finger members positioned and proportioned to extend through the mounting screw aperture on one of the mounting straps to receive and grasp a mounting screw to form a continuous electrically conductive ground path from a grounded outlet box, through the mounting screw, then through the grounding element to each pair of electrical grounding contacts. Advantageously, an additional ground member is provided which includes a ground terminal screw accessible from the exterior of the receptacle housing for permitting direct termination of a ground conductor of an electrical power cable.

Electrical outlet receptacle with non-metallic mounting strap and

Unitary switch and circuit breaker

A tool for preparing multi-conductor electrical cable in a configuration for termination to and installation in a self-contained wiring device which locates the electrical cable in an anvil and a cutter assembly pierces the outer sheath of the cable and subsequently spreads the conductors of the cable as the cutter is advanced into the cable. The tool also provides flanges adapted for urging the sliced and spread apart conductors in the body of a self-contained wiring device to terminate the conductors to the device and permit closure of the device by a back cover.

Method and tool for preparing multi-conductor cable

In a high grade electrical receptacle, the terminals are fabricated from a low strength alloy such as cartridge brass. The terminals include a pair of grasping members which extend from a common member and which are inclined toward one another to grasp the blade of an electrical plug. The grasping members are tapered by having decreasing cross sectional dimensions as they extend from the common member. In one embodiment of the invention the inclined grasping members are generally rectangular with a generally triangular cut out. In an alternate embodiment of the invention, the grasping members are of a generally triangular shape.

Electrical receptacle

An improved electrical connector device for coupling to the end of an electrical power cable. The cable is received in a connector housing, passing through a connector body and an apertured collar which is threadably engaged on the connector housing. A particulate shield is located within the connector housing to protect the housing and inner portions of the connector body from the intrusion of particulate matter, such as dust. The shield comprises a series of panel-like leaf segments which circumscribe the cable. The shield cooperates with the collar such that when threaded onto the connector housing, the opening formed by the leaf segments closes around the cable to form a protective covering for the connector housing and connector body.

Electrical connector device

In a weatherproof cover for an electrical receptacle, a plurality of lids are rotatably mounted in a generally rectangular base plate having three surrounding walls. A butterfly shaped biasing member is disposed between the lids and the base plate and applies a force to the lids to hold them in close proximity to the base plate in order to form a weatherproof seal. The lids cover receptacle access apertures which extend through the base plate and a stiffening plate disposed behind the base plate.

Weatherproof electrical receptacle cover

An electrical outlet box has electrical power cable entry ports in which one or more closure panels are each mounted adjacent the rim of the aperture along one edge portion only of the panel, the remaining portion of each panel being free and extending substantially across the aperture in a direction angularly inwardly from the plane of the aperture. The closure panels are each either hingedly mounted or sufficiently flexible and resilient so as to be self-opening, such that each free end portion is deflected away from the opening upon passage of the cable into the aperture by manual force, and thereafter resistingly bears against the installed cable. Each panel may be tapered so as to have increased thickness at the base, in which case the panels are self-clamping against removal of the cable from the aperture, and may include supplementary cable gripping projections on their outwardly facing surfaces. The closure panel or panels may also be self-locating and self-adjusting for different cable sizes up to a maximum size equal to the size of the aperture. Access to the box through the cable entry port may be substantially prevented by a frangible closure member, either as a thin web joining the free end of a single closure panel to the wall structure of the box or joining the free ends of two or more panels together, or as a separate conventional knockout panel frangibly interconnected to the rim of the cable entry aperture. The closure panel or panels and outlet box also may be formed as an integral structure.

Cable entry port means for electrical outlet box

Portable ground fault circuit interrupter

An electrical receptacle has shuttered slots for preventing the entry of foreign objects into the slots other than the prongs of an electrical plug. A housing within the cover of the receptacle is located behind the receptacle slots. A shutter is located within the housing and is formed of two identical sliding members guided by a stationary member. Each of the sliding members is formed of a blade and a cam which are spaced apart by a distance corresponding to the spacing of a pair of slots, and are mounted transversely to a connecting spine. The blade and the cam of each of the sliding members are offset in both transverse and longitudinal directions from each other about the spine in order to permit an interleaving of the blade of one sliding member with the cam of the other sliding member. The sliding members are positioned with their spines in opposed positions and in contact with opposite sides of the stationary member.

Shuttered receptacle

The structure according to the invention includes a pair of flange members depending angularly towards each other from opposite sides of each electrical power cable entry port formed in a sidewall portion of an electrical outlet box, with each pair of cooperating flange members adapted to enable essentially complete closure of the cable entry port. According to one aspect, each cooperating pair of flange members comprises a pair of cable grasping detent flanges, each spaced from its corresponding wall portion by a base-like projection to accommodate an entry port closure panel. According to another aspect, the inward edges of each cooperating pair of flange members are coupled together to close the cable entry port which may be formed with a portion extending into the backwall, with a rigid flange depending from the sidewall portion and extending parallel to the front edges of the flange members. Each pair of flange members may be a pair of cable grasping detent flanges coupled together by a frangible web-like member extending between their grasping edges, or the flange members may be relatively thin panel members forming a shallow angle with their corresponding sidewall portions, with their adjacent edges joined directly to each other.

Cable clamp means and cable entry port closure means for electrical

An electrical outlet box includes a set of cable entry ports arranged along a wall of the box. One of the ports is recessed inwardly of the box wall by a recessed wall portion, or shelf, formed adjacent a port structure associated with mounting wiring devices to the box. The recessed wall portion provides sufficient space to permit cable-clamping closure structures adjacent each port.

Growing community of inventors

Northport, NY, United States of America

Wade R Bowden, Jr