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US 4,226,393 AGranted
Snap-in locking device for electrical wiring device boxes
OwnerJack A. Rardin, Byron C. Rardininventors
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OwnerJack A. Rardin, Byron C. Rardininventors
Estimating the term…
An anchoring or locking device to enable snap-in installation of boxes for electrical wiring devices in which the snap-in locking device is separate from the box and may be used universally with all types of boxes. The locking device includes a mounting base plate and means to attach the base plate to the side walls or to the top and bottom walls of an electrical wiring device box, the base plate having resilient fingers or extensions projecting therefrom at an incline starting from a point rearward of the box on which the device is mounted and extending at an acute angle from such point in a direction toward the front portion of the box. The projecting fingers or extensions are compressed inwardly toward the base plate when the box on which the locking device is mounted is pushed into the hole provided for the box in the wall on which it is to be mounted. When the box is inserted the proper distance the projecting resilient fingers clear the inner edge of the wall opening and snap back to their original position thereby locking the wiring device box in place. A wall plate is provided for coupling to the locking device from the front thereby sandwiching the edge of the wall adjacent the opening between the wall plate and the locking device.
A locking device for an electrical wiring device box, comprising a base lying in a first base plane for positioning against a wall of said wiring device box, said wall of said wiring device box having a front edge bordering an open front wall of said wiring device box and a rear edge bordering a rear wall of said wiring device box, first frictional grip means extending from said base to frictionally grip a front edge portion of said wall of said wiring device box when said locking device is mounted thereon, second frictional grip means extending from said base to frictionally grip a rear edge portion of said wall of said wiring device box when said locking device is mounted thereon, and resilient arm means extending from said base, said resilient arm means including a first end portion secured to said base and a second free end portion normally spaced apart outwardly from said first base plane and capable of being flexed inwardly toward said base plane, said second free end portion of said resilient arm means being closer to said front edge of said wiring device box than said first end portion when said locking device is mounted on said wiring device box.
A locking device for an electrical wiring device box, comprising a base lying in a first base plane for positioning against a wall of said wiring device box, said wall of said wiring device box having a front edge bordering an open front wall of said wiring device box and a rear edge bordering a rear wall of said wiring device box, support means extending from said base to bear against a front edge portion of said wall of said wiring device box when said locking device is mounted thereon, securing means to secure said base to said wall, and resilient arm means including a first end portion secured to said base and a second free end portion normally spaced apart outwardly from said first base plane and capable of being flexed inwardly toward said base plane, said second free end portion of said resilient arm means being closer to said front edge of said wiring device box than said first end portion when said locking device is mounted on said wiring device box.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.