Automatic grounding clip

Details Automatic grounding clip Automatic grounding clip

1988-03-04

1988-12-27

Tolin, Gerald P.

Metal working

Method of mechanical manufacture

Electrical device making

174 51, 439 97, 29857, 361356, H01R 306

Patent

active

047930594

ABSTRACT:
An automatic grounding means for a wiring device is provided by a spring clip formed from a single piece of wire in a generally U-shaped configuration, bent upwardly at both ends. The bent end portions are inserted through a pair of openings on opposite sides of the conventional mounting screw slot in the ears on the yoke of the wiring device, and are further bent either toward or away from one another to maintain the clip in firm engagement with the yoke without welding or other such permanent connection. When mounted on the yoke, parallel legs of the clip extend across the screw slot and are spaced by a distance less than the diameter of the mounting screw which thereby contacts the legs, flexing them outwardly, as the mounting screw is passed through the slot and between the clip legs to engage the flush box in which the wiring device is mounted. The engagement of the clip with the yoke assures a low resistance grounding path from the yoke to the clip to the screw to the flush box. The clip is disclosed in two embodiments respectively suited for automatic and manual assembly of the clip with the yoke.

REFERENCES:
patent: 3432793 (1969-03-01), Muska
patent: 3639884 (1972-02-01), Drapkin
patent: 3723941 (1973-03-01), Schumacher
patent: 3728468 (1973-04-01), Grauer
patent: 3757268 (1973-09-01), Genovese
patent: 3885847 (1975-05-01), Thibeault
patent: 3890026 (1975-06-01), Gattland, Jr.
patent: 3963292 (1976-06-01), Smith
patent: 4717349 (1988-01-01), Johnson
patent: 4745523 (1988-05-01), Moreau

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