Template for electrical service box

An electrical utility box locator comprising:

• a body having a first bearing surface for bearing against the floor of a building in which a utility box is to be located, a second bearing surface for bearing against the sole plate of a framed in wall in which the utility box is to be located, and a third bearing surface for bearing against a vertical stud against which the utility box is to be fixed, said first, second, and third bearing surfaces providing three-point support for said locator to hold the locator firmly in place against the framed-in wall;
• means on said locator for releasably holding an electrical utility box in place against a stud of the framed-in wall at a predetermined distance from the floor and with the front rim of the utility box protruding a predetermined distance from the face of the stud to accommodate the thickness of wall board to be applied to the framed-in wall, said means for releasably holding an electrical utility box in place comprising a recess formed in said locator with said recess being sized and shaped to receive the front rim of a utility box;
• and
• a fourth bearing surface vertically aligned with a side of a utility box seated in said recess for bearing against the stud to which the utility box is positioned for precise vertical alignment of the utility box against the stud.

A jig for use by a carpenter or electrician during construction of a building to position electrical utility boxes against appropriate studs of a framed-in wall of the type that is formed with a sole plate resting on a floor of a building and vertical studs extending upwardly from the sole plate, said jig positioning each of the electrical boxes against its respective stud at a first predetermined distance from the floor of the building and with a forward rim of the utility boxes protruding a second predetermined distance from the side of the stud to accommodate a thickness of a wall covering to be applied to the studs, said jig comprising:

• a body having a bottom end portion, a top end portion, and a middle section intermediate said top end and said bottom end portions, said body having a predetermined thickness, a front face, and a rear face;
• a recess formed in said front face of said body in the middle section thereof with said recess extending into said body a distance substantially equal to said second predetermined distance, said recess being sized and shaped to receive the forward rim of an electrical utility box with the forward rim extending into the recess;
• means on said body for releasably holding an electrical utility box firmly in place with its forward rim extending into said recess;
• said bottom end portion of said body being formed to define a first bearing surface for resting on the floor of a building adjacent to a framed-in wall section in which an electrical utility box is to be installed, and a second bearing surface for bearing against the sole plate of the framed-in wall substantially at the location of a wall stud to which the electrical utility box is to be affixed, and a third bearing surface formed in the top end portion of said body for bearing against the wall stud to which an electrical utility box is to be installed at a position above the location of the electrical utility box;
• means for aligning the bottom end portion of said body vertically with a stud comprising a positioning block located on said front face of said body at the bottom end portion thereof, said positioning block having a bearing surface that is substantially vertically aligned with the side of an electrical utility box seated in said recess, said positioning block and the side of a seated utility box both resting against a stud during installation of the utility box to align and steady the utility box for attachment with nails to the stud;
• whereby the jig can be loaded with an electrical utility box and placed on the floor adjacent a framed-in wall with the utility box positioned against a wall stud and with the first, second, and third bearing surfaces of the body resting firmly against the floor, sole plate, and stud respectively to securely and accurately position the electrical utility box against the stud whereupon the box can be fastened to the stud with nails.