Patents by Inventor Bruce G. Phillips

Bruce G. Phillips has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20230155362
    Abstract: An adjustable depth electrical wall mount ring can include a base ring and a finishing ring. The base ring can be configured to be attached to a junction box. The finishing ring can be configured to be adjusted relative to a ring portion of the base ring to extend away from the junction box through a wall layer. Adjusting the finishing ring can cause one or more outward extensions on the finishing ring to bear on an exterior surface of a wall layer and thereby urge the junction box towards the wall layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Patent number: 11557888
    Abstract: An adjustable depth electrical wall mount ring can include a base ring and a finishing ring. The base ring can be configured to be attached to a junction box. The finishing ring can be configured to be adjusted relative to a ring portion of the base ring to extend away from the junction box through a wall layer. Adjusting the finishing ring can cause one or more outward extensions on the finishing ring to bear on an exterior surface of a wall layer and thereby urge the junction box towards the wall layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: ERICO International Corporation
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Patent number: 11469577
    Abstract: A metal clad electrical cable saw cuts cable laying in a concave track. A cross-cut saw cuts entirely though the cable making the cable into two cables. Two slitting saws cut outer armor of the cable at two places approximately nine inches from the cross-cut to allow removing the severed outer armor. The two slitting saws cut through one or more overlapping rings of metal that form the outer armor which is of an extruded interlocking design, thereby allowing the outer armor to be removed exposing the electrical wires. Slitting blade guards protect an operator's hands while cutting the cable. The exposed electrical wires may be inserted into an electrical box for connection and the remaining outer armor typically “stops” inside an electrical connector. The connector secures the cable in accordance with applicable practice and code requirements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20200266616
    Abstract: An adjustable depth electrical wall mount ring can include a base ring and a finishing ring. The base ring can be configured to be attached to a junction box. The finishing ring can be configured to be adjusted relative to a ring portion of the base ring to extend away from the junction box through a wall layer. Adjusting the finishing ring can cause one or more outward extensions on the finishing ring to bear on an exterior surface of a wall layer and thereby urge the junction box towards the wall layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Publication date: August 20, 2020
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Patent number: 9040848
    Abstract: A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Patent number: 8710368
    Abstract: An adjustable box extender allows an electrical device to be aligned with a dry wall face. The adjustable box extender includes a fixed ring attached to an electrical box and an adjustable ring adjustably attached to the fixed ring. The adjustable ring includes rectangular top and bottom open back pockets. Rectangular blocks reside inside each pocket. Adjusting screws are held by the adjustable ring with screw heads exposed on the face of the adjustable ring, neither advancing nor retreating with respect to the adjustable ring, and free to rotate with respect to the adjustable ring. The screws engage threads in the blocks and advance and retreat the block out of and into the pockets when the screws are turned, thereby extending the adjustable ring away from the fixed ring to adjust for dry wall thickness. Electrical device screws sandwich the adjustable ring between the electrical device and the fixed ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2014
    Inventors: Bruce G. Phillips, Guy Hansen
  • Publication number: 20130255988
    Abstract: A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20130256026
    Abstract: An adjustable box extender allows an electrical device to be aligned with a dry wall face. The adjustable box extender includes a fixed ring attached to an electrical box and an adjustable ring adjustably attached to the fixed ring. The adjustable ring includes rectangular top and bottom open back pockets. Rectangular blocks reside inside each pocket. Adjusting screws are held by the adjustable ring with screw heads exposed on the face of the adjustable ring, neither advancing nor retreating with respect to the adjustable ring, and free to rotate with respect to the adjustable ring. The screws engage threads in the blocks and advance and retreat the block out of and into the pockets when the screws are turned, thereby extending the adjustable ring away from the fixed ring to adjust for dry wall thickness. Electrical device screws sandwich the adjustable ring between the electrical device and the fixed ring.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2013
    Publication date: October 3, 2013
    Inventors: Bruce G. Phillips, Guy Hansen
  • Patent number: 8455772
    Abstract: A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2013
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Patent number: 8168887
    Abstract: A bracket and junction box assembly and method allows simplified wiring at a prefab production facility and at a construction site. A junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads attached to the switch or outlet, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the interior of the junction box.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2012
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20100330826
    Abstract: A speed wire device connects to standard screw terminals on traditional receptacle and switch devices. The speed wire device includes forked lugs positioned to engage screw terminal present on known traditional electrical receptacle and switch devices. The forked lugs engage the standard screw terminals and prevent miss-wiring during finally assembly after dry wall installation. The speed wire device may be a single piece device, or a two piece plug together device allowing simple “hot-swapping” of traditional receptacle and switch devices in applications were power must remain on, for example, in hospitals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 23, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20100282933
    Abstract: A junction box mounting bracket attaches to a vertical stud. A box mounting section is sandwiched between a junction box and a plaster ring. A stud attachment section includes screw holes for attaching to the face of the stud and an extending section reaches past the stud to allow attachment of a second junction box mounting bracket on an opposite side of the stud. The extending section further leverages the mounting bracket against a rear drywall surface to eliminate the need for the bracket to wrap around the vertical stud or to brace the junction box against a side surface of the stud. A ganging section reaches past the box mounting section for attachment to the extending section of an adjacent bracket. A narrow brace is attachable above or below the junction box to allow access to knock-outs on the side of the junction box opposite the stud.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2010
    Publication date: November 11, 2010
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20100270446
    Abstract: A box bracket includes mounting brackets with upper and lower lateral telescoping arms and a sliding mount. The mounting bracket includes an end piece for attaching to a vertical stud, and inner and outer lateral arms overlapping with arms of an opposing mounting bracket to form the telescoping arms. The mounting bracket may be used as a left or right mounting bracket. The sliding mount includes a forward facing face for mounting an electrical box and vertically spaced apart mouths on left and right sides of the sliding mount, the upper and lower telescoping arms passing through the mouths. The mouths are formed in mouth frames, and after positioning the sliding mounts, the mouth frames may be bent inward against the telescoping arms to hold the position of the sliding mount on the arms. One or more sliding mounts may reside on a single box bracket subject to stud spacing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2010
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20100084184
    Abstract: A bracket and open back junction box assembly allows simplified wiring at a construction site. An open back junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the open back junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the open back junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab open back junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and open back junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the open back junction box interior.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 11, 2009
    Publication date: April 8, 2010
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips
  • Publication number: 20090084571
    Abstract: A bracket and junction box assembly and method allows simplified wiring at a prefab production facility and at a construction site. A junction box including a detachable and reattachable rear cover plate is pre-assembled with a plaster ring, electrical device, and leads attached to the switch or outlet, at a prefab facility. A Metal Clad (MC) cable may be attached to the junction box and wires carried in the MC Cable may be connected to the leads. A mounting bracket is generally sandwiched between the junction box and the plaster ring for mounting to framing members at the construction site. Following assembly at the prefab facility, the prefab junction box is shipped to the construction site where the bracket and junction box assembly is mounted to framing members. Connections to wires carried by MC Cables are then facilitated by removing the rear cover plate to access the interior of the junction box.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 27, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Inventor: Bruce G. Phillips