Electricity: conductors and insulators – Boxes and housings – With electrical device
Reexamination Certificate
2003-01-30
2004-10-12
Reichard, Dean A. (Department: 2831)
Electricity: conductors and insulators
Boxes and housings
With electrical device
C174S050000, C174S057000, C174S063000, C220S003200, C220S003700, C248S906000, C439S535000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06803521
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to a floor stand for an electrical box having a plaster ring. This invention contemplates that the floor stand has two parallel uprights of adjustable lengths.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Commonly, an electrical box having a plaster ring defines a generally rectangular cavity, which is bounded by an upper wall, a lower wall, and two lateral walls, each said wall having a distal edge, and by a back wall. The plaster ring, which may be also called a mud ring or a faceplate, defines a generally rectangular frame, which is bounded by an upper member, a lower member, and two lateral members. The plaster ring is fastenable to the electrical box, via fasteners passing through slots in the plaster ring into ears on the electrical box, so that the upper member of the plaster ring is aligned with the distal edge of the upper wall of the electrical box, so that the lower member of the plaster ring is aligned with the distal edge of the lower wall of the electrical box, and so that each of the lateral members of the plaster ring is aligned with the distal edge of one of the lateral walls of the electrical box.
For mounting an electrical box having a plaster ring, as described above, it has been known to use a floor stand (such as the EZ Floor Stand Box Support, which is available commercially from S-P Products, Inc. of Elk Grove Village, Ill.) to which the electrical box is fastened by fasteners passing through holes in the back wall of the electrical box, into holes selected from series of holes spaced vertically and incrementally along the floor stand, or to which the plaster ring is fastened by fasteners passing through slots or holes in the plaster ring, into holes selected therefrom. The floor stand permits the electrical box having the plaster ring not only to be horizontally positionable, because the floor stand does not fasten to a stud, but also to be vertically positionable at incrementally spaced positions above a floor.
As disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/841,867, supra, a floor stand for mounting an electrical box having a plaster ring has two parallel uprights, each having an upper end and a lower end, and has an upper structure bridging the lower ends of the parallel uprights and a lower structure bridging the lower ends of the parallel uprights. As disclosed therein, moreover, the parallel uprights are positionable between the lateral members of the plaster ring and the distal edges of the lateral walls of the electrical box when the plaster ring is fastened to the electrical box, via fasteners passing between the parallel uprights.
For mounting an electrical box having a plaster ring, as described above, between two studs, it is known to use a mounting bracket defining elongate frame having an upper member and member and mounting the electrical box having the plaster ring, via fasteners passing between the upper and lower members. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,330,137 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,425, both to John H. Oliva.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
As compared to the floor stand disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/841,867, supra, this invention provides a floor stand having an upper structure, a lower structure, and two parallel uprights of adjustable lengths. Each of the parallel uprights has an upper part and a lower part.
The upper structure bridges the upper ends of the upper parts. The lower structure bridges the lower ends of the lower parts. The upper and lower parts are separate parts, which are fastened together at any one of a plurality of possible elevations of the upper structure above the lower structure.
Preferably, the upper structure and the upper parts are unitary and the lower structure and the lower parts are unitary. Preferably, the upper and lower parts are fastened together by fasteners, such as screws, which pass through vertical slots in the upper parts, into holes in the lower parts. Preferably, one of the upper and lower parts fits slidably within the other of the upper and lower parts.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1774934 (1930-09-01), Mangin
patent: 1982957 (1934-12-01), Knell
patent: 4494296 (1985-01-01), Grimes
patent: 4790505 (1988-12-01), Rose et al.
patent: 4967990 (1990-11-01), Rinderer
patent: 5044582 (1991-09-01), Walters
patent: 5098046 (1992-03-01), Webb
patent: 5224673 (1993-07-01), Webb
patent: 5386959 (1995-02-01), Laughlin et al.
patent: 5423499 (1995-06-01), Webb
patent: 5931425 (1999-08-01), Oliva
patent: 5938157 (1999-08-01), Reiker
patent: 6098939 (2000-08-01), He
patent: 6590155 (2003-07-01), Vrame et al.
Estrada Angel R.
Illini Electrical Sales, Inc.
Reichard Dean A.
Wood Phillips Katz Clark & Mortimer
LandOfFree
Floor stand having parallel uprights of adjustable lengths,... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Floor stand having parallel uprights of adjustable lengths,..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Floor stand having parallel uprights of adjustable lengths,... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3267257