Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force – Method or apparatus for placement of conductive wire – Conduit snakes
Reexamination Certificate
2002-06-20
2004-01-27
Watson, Robert C. (Department: 3723)
Implements or apparatus for applying pushing or pulling force
Method or apparatus for placement of conductive wire
Conduit snakes
C254S134000, C254S00300C
Reexamination Certificate
active
06682051
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Not applicable to this application.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
Not applicable to this application.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to wire guides and more specifically it relates to a wire guide system for facilitating efficient installation of wire within conduit connected to an electrical box.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wire installation devices have been in use for years. The most commonly utilized wire installation device utilized is commonly referred to as “fish tape” which is a resilient elongate metal cable that is inserted through conduit and then attached to a wire to be pulled through the conduit.
The main problem with utilizing fish tape is that when pulling wire through a electrical box the wire often times binds or is damaged upon the electrical. Electrical boxes typically have sharp metal edges which do not facilitate easy movement of the wire. Another problem with utilizing fish tape is that two workers are often times required wherein one worker assists in guiding the wire through the electrical box into a conduit while the second worker pulls the fish tape through the conduit.
Examples of patented devices which may be related to the present invention include U.S. Pat. No. 458,855 to Meinzer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,177 to Tamm; U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,923 to Couture; U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,665 to Nelson; U.S. Pat. No. 3,005,620 to Trunnell; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,515,724 to McCroskey.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for facilitating efficient installation of wire within conduit connected to an electrical box. Conventional fish tape utilized alone dose not provide for efficient installation of wire when pulled through an electrical box.
In these respects, the wire guide system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of facilitating efficient installation of wire within conduit connected to an electrical box.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of wire guide devices now present in the prior art, the present invention provides a new wire guide system construction wherein the same can be utilized for facilitating efficient installation of wire within conduit connected to an electrical box.
The general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new wire guide system that has many of the advantages of the wire guide systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new wire guide system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art wire guide devices, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a main body having main cutout, the main cutout having an upper curved portion and a lower curved portion for receiving a length of wire, a plurality of extended portions, and a plurality of leg members attached to the extended portions for engaging an inner corner lip of an electrical box. The main body has a generally spherical structure for facilitating receiving and redirecting of the wire as the wire is pulled through the electrical box into a connected conduit. The upper curved portion and the lower curved portion preferably have a relatively consistent radius of curvature for smoothly guiding the wire.
There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and that will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of the description and should not be regarded as limiting.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide system that will overcome the shortcomings of the prior art devices.
A second object is to provide a wire guide system for facilitating efficient installation of wire within conduit connected to an electrical box.
Another object is to provide a wire guide system that reduces the amount of labor and time required to pull wire through an electrical box.
An additional object is to provide a wire guide system that allows one person to pull wire through an electrical box.
A further object is to provide a wire guide system that may be utilized upon various types of electrical boxes.
Another object is to provide a wire guide system that reduces damage to wire being pulled through an electrical box.
A further object is to provide a wire guide system that reduces wire kinking at the conduit entrance.
Another object is to provide a wire guide system that may be utilized upon various elongate objects such as but not limited to electrical wire, fiber-optic cable and other elongate objects.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become obvious to the reader and it is intended that these objects and advantages are within the scope of the present invention.
To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, this invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that changes may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described within the scope of the appended claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 458855 (1891-09-01), Meinzer
patent: 2515724 (1950-07-01), McGroskey
patent: 3005620 (1961-10-01), Trunnell
patent: 4132665 (1979-01-01), Nelson
patent: 4358089 (1982-11-01), Metcalf
patent: 4896784 (1990-01-01), Heath
patent: 4951923 (1990-08-01), Couture
patent: 5236177 (1993-08-01), Tamm
patent: 5271605 (1993-12-01), Damron
patent: 6476327 (2002-11-01), Bernard et al.
Sigrist Peter C.
Watson Robert C.
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