Patents Represented by Attorney, Agent or Law Firm Jerry M. Presson
  • Patent number: 5749740
    Abstract: A bonding strap for non-metallic electrical enclosures, which is directed to the provision of a metallic bonding strap for non-metallic, back-to-back electrical enclosures. The bonding strap facilitates automatic bonding between the bridge of bridge-mounted electrical devices which are installed in the enclosure and a grounding conductor terminated to the strap so as to provide two locations for attaching grounding conductors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 1996
    Date of Patent: May 12, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Thomas R. Swift, Kevin R. Richter
  • Patent number: 5744754
    Abstract: A strain relief arrangement for electrical wires or cables and, more particularly, an electrical receptacle or housing incorporating an integral strain relief arrangement for electrical transmission cables or wires. The electrical receptacle has a rear wall structure including holes or apertures for the passage therethrough of electrical wires or cables, and in which each of the holes possesses a configuration adapted to incorporate a strain relief arrangement for the electrical wires or cables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 1997
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Ward E. Strang, Carol Z. Howard
  • Patent number: 5743759
    Abstract: An electrical connector with a cord seal is disclosed for attachment to an end of an electrical cord to prevent dust, moisture and other foreign matter from entering the electrical connector. The electrical connector preferably a connector body with a plurality of electrical contacts mounted therein, and cover coupled to the connector body. The cover has an end wall with the cord seal mounted therein such that the outer surface of the cord seal is at least substantially flush with respect to the exterior surface of the end wall of the cover to increase the difficulty of removing the cord seal from the opening in the end wall of the cover. In other words, the geometry of the exterior surface of the end wall of the cover blends with the geometry of the outer surface of the cord seal. The electrical connector can be either a male or a female electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Albert A. Pudims, Thomas J. Vigorito
  • Patent number: 5741149
    Abstract: An electrical connector adapted to be coupled to a complementary locking type electrical connector by initial relative axial movement therebetween. The electrical connector includes an insulated housing with a set of electrical contacts mounted therein, and a locking member movably coupled to the housing between an unlocked position and a locked position upon relative rotational movement between the complementary locking type electrical connector and the electrical connector. The housing has a first detent member and a sleeve for nesting with a portion of the complementary locking type electrical connector. The sleeve has a mating surface with a first polarizing member for cooperating with a complementary polarizing member of the complementary locking type electrical connector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: John C. Anthony
  • Patent number: 5741157
    Abstract: A raceway system with a conduit, a device box and a transition adapter connects two different multi-conductor cables. The adapter includes a board holder, a printed circuit board mounted on the board holder, and input and output connectors mounted on the circuit board. The board holder has a base member and wall members extending from opposite edges of the base member. The printed circuit board has input contact areas, output contact areas and conductor traces connecting the respective contact areas. Each connector has a plurality of contacts, with each contact having a wire receiving portion and a terminal portion. The terminal portions engage and are connected to the contact areas on the circuit board. By connecting the conductors of the cables to the contact wire receiving portions, the two cables are properly connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Michael R. O'Connor, Robert A. Aekins
  • Patent number: 5735704
    Abstract: A shroud seal having an annular ring portion and an annular lip portion. The annular ring portion is installed on the shroud of an electrical connector such that the annular lip portion is axially compressed on the shroud by a mating shrouded electrical connector. The annular ring portion has a frustoconical inner sealing surface which is sized to be twisted from its original molded frustoconical form to a cylindrical form when installed around the shroud of the electrical connector. This twisting of the shroud seal produces a concentrated hoop stress in the seal at its points of contact with the shroud. The annular ring portion and the lip portion are compliant to allow for large axial tolerance variations between the mating electrical connectors, and provides for low insertion force between the mating electrical connector. In one embodiment, the electrical connector is in the form of a plug having a tubular portion or seal guard for encircling the shroud seal to protect the seal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: April 7, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: John C. Anthony
  • Patent number: 5731543
    Abstract: A conduit connector assembly for attachment of a conduit carrying electrical wires to an electrical junction box includes a fitting body, an end stop grommet, and a spring clip. The fitting body has open first and second opposite ends and an interior bore for receiving therein an end portion of a conduit. The end stop grommet includes a grommet body having an interior cavity with open first and second end portions, the grommet body being inserted within the interior bore of the fitting body. The conduit is received and held within the interior bore of the fitting body and within the interior cavity of the grommet body. The fitting body is inserted through an opening in the junction box and is connected thereto. The grommet body is secured within the interior bore of the fitting body and has an outer flange making contact with the fitting body for preventing the grommet body from being inserted into the fitting body beyond a predetermined position therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 24, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert W. Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 5728973
    Abstract: A knockout arrangement for an electrical junction box includes a housing having at least one side wall being substantially planar, a pair of spaced apart first knockout structures on the side wall with the first knockout structures defining a first circular knockout and a second annular knockout surrounding and containing the first circular knockout, the first and second knockouts having centers spaced apart such that the second knockout is defined in eccentric relation to the first knockout and the first and second knockouts of each knockout structure are adapted to be selectively removed to create a trade size opening for passage of a conduit of either of two sizes through the side wall, and a second knockout structure disposed on the side wall between and spaced apart from the first knockout structures and containing only the first knockout.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert W. Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 5727706
    Abstract: An electrical outlet box constituted of a plastic material and having wall structure including a hexagonal recess extending into a portion of the thickness of a wall. A through-hole is drillable within the recess to facilitate passage therethrough of a screw-threaded leading end of a cord grip into the outlet box. As a lock nut is torqued down onto the leading end of the cord grip within the outlet box, a hexagonal flange of the cord grip engages within the hexagonal recess so as to inhibit relative rotation between the cord grip and electrical outlet box to obviate the need for a wrench during the torquing down of the lock nut. This structure avoids the need for a custom designed cord grip and facilitates the use of existing cord grips normally designed for utilization with metallic electrical outlet boxes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: March 17, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Kevin R. Richter
  • Patent number: 5726900
    Abstract: A three wire power supply circuit is provided comprising a circuit for monitoring the integrity of the ground connection of the power supply circuit. A circuit element is provided in the line-to-ground current path which conducts when current flows in the line-to-ground current path and is nonconductive when the ground connection is poor or absent. A microcontroller monitors the output of the circuit element and operates a buzzer or a light emitting diode to indicate when the ground connection is poor or absent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 1995
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Mark Richard Walter, David Philip Eckel, Thomas James Batko
  • Patent number: 5716225
    Abstract: An electrical assembly for selectively supplying either 120 volts or 227 volts from a junction box to a high intensity discharge lamp fixture via a dual voltage ballast and a dual voltage electrical connector. The dual voltage electrical connector has dual operation capacity with input voltages of either 120 or 277 volts. The connector comprises a female connector having nine bores extending therethrough with female terminals fixedly coupled within four of the bores, and a male connector having nine bores extending therethrough with contact pins extending outwardly from four of these bores. When the connectors are coupled together in their first orientation, the male contact pin which conducts 120 volts of electricity engages the female terminal connected to a line wire. When the male and female connectors are manually rotated 180.degree. relative to one another into their second orientation, a different pin, which conducts 277 volts, engages the line wire terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: Ralph S. Stringer, Horace L. Green
  • Patent number: 5701824
    Abstract: A trolley having a top member and a base member that are releasably coupled together without the use of a separate fastener. The top member has a top connecting portion with a top locking element, and the base member has a base connecting portion slidably engaging the top connecting portion. The base connecting portion has a base locking element hinged thereon and releasably engaging the top locking element for releasably locking the top and base members. To unlock the top and base members, and allow them to freely slide relative to one another, a screwdriver can be used to bias the base locking element away from the top locking element. The base member further has a portion for attaching a holding device. The top and base members define a through passageway that receives an elongated support therein and has rollers for allowing the trolley to move along the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 1996
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: James W. Johnson, Donald H. Hillard
  • Patent number: 5703327
    Abstract: An electrical box includes a U-shaped main body and a pair of sidewalls. Each of the sidewalls includes coupling flanges along their transverse edges and along one of their longitudinal edges for overlapping edges of the main body. In some embodiments, the main body has opposite side edges, each side edges having a pair of flanges extending from a midpoint on a rear panel and along the end panels. The flanges on the sidewall are formed to complement the flanges on the main body to overlap with each other in a coupling relation. The main body and sidewalls are formed from a folded blank. The main body is constructed so that a plurality of identical main bodies can be ganged with the flanges of a first main body telescoping with the flanges of a second main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 30, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Robert W. Jorgensen
  • Patent number: 5699243
    Abstract: A system for selectively providing power from a power source to a load to operate in an area for at least one occupant comprising a processing device for controlling the opening and closing of a relay connected between the load and the power source for energizing the load, and a sensor for detecting the presence of an occupant in the area. The processing device is programmable to close the relay in response to an output signal from the sensor for a period of time that can be of fixed duration, or a duration that is dynamically and automatically determined using sensor data relating to measured time between successive, detected occupant movements. In addition to a daylight inhibit function, the system is provided with color indicators and a tone generator to indicate various operating conditions and to guide a user entering selected system parameters, among other features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1995
    Date of Patent: December 16, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: David Philip Eckel, Thomas James Batko, Mark Richard Walter, William James Rose, Brian Patrick Donlon, David Abraham Zeichner
  • Patent number: 5687176
    Abstract: An interface circuit is provided for implementing zero-byte substitution (ZBS) in a channel unit or line card which couples a digital subscriber line, such as a basic or primary rate Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) line, to a T1 network or other digital transmission facility. On the transmit side, the occurrence of an all-zero data byte in a B channel of the ISDN interface causes a corresponding zero byte indicator (ZBI) flag to be produced in the D+ channel, and also causes the all-zero byte to be replaced by the preceding non-zero data byte rather than by a prescribed or predetermined data byte. On the receive side, the occurrence of a repeated data byte in a B channel is detected and causes the current data byte to be replaced by an all-zero byte to restore the original data. The ZBI flag is then used as an error check bit to verify that the reinsertion of the all-zero byte was correct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 1995
    Date of Patent: November 11, 1997
    Assignees: Hubbell Incorporated, Telesend, Inc.
    Inventors: James J. Wisniewski, Fred E. Glave, Craig A. Sharper
  • Patent number: 5684665
    Abstract: A modular electrical assembly including a plurality of conductive electrical components aligned in a column along an axis and electrically connected at axially directed ends. First and second conductive end members are located at opposite sides of the column, the end members having shoulders extending radially relative to the axis, each shoulder having an outer surface facing radially outwards. A non-conductive winding is wrapped in a predetermined pattern about the electrical components and the end members, engaging the shoulders, and applying an axially directed compressive force through the shoulders on the electrical components and end members to maintain electrical connection therebetween. A housing encompasses the winding, while a strip, located between the housing and the winding, covers the outer surface of the first end member to protect the housing from contact with the outer surface of the shoulders. The strip also covers voids between the first end member and the non-conductive winding.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Richard B. Rudy
  • Patent number: 5684405
    Abstract: A wet/dry hot stick tester designed to provide a dry test of a hot stick by applying a voltage equivalent to 100 KV/ft to the hot stick, and to provide a wet test of a hot stick by applying a voltage equivalent to 75 KV/ft thereto. Output electrodes are positioned along a reading aperture provided in a housing of the hot stick tester, in which a hot stick being tested is positioned. A two tap transformer has a first input tap for providing a first voltage equivalent to 100 KV/ft to a hot stick positioned in the reading aperture during a dry test thereof, and has a second input tap for providing a second voltage equivalent to 75 KV/ft to a hot stick during a wet test thereof. An ammeter measures the leakage current through the hot stick during an applied voltage. A wet/dry switch switches the two tap transformer between the first and second input taps.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: David A. Rhein
  • Patent number: 5684408
    Abstract: A protective grounding jumper cable tester basically includes a housing, a direct current power supply, a pair of jumper attachment terminals, a pair of test probe terminals, a current applying circuit connected between the direct current power supply and the pair of jumper attachment terminals for applying a direct current through a jumper cable attached between the jumper attachment terminals, and a resistance sensing circuit connected to the test probe terminals for sensing resistance to the flow of the direct current through the jumper cable by using a pair of test probes connected to the test probe terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 1996
    Date of Patent: November 4, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventor: Clayton C. King
  • Patent number: 5680926
    Abstract: A switched electrical device adapted to be coupled to a complementary locking type electrical connector by initial relative axial movement therebetween and subsequent relative rotational movement therebetween. The switched electrical device includes a housing with an inlet opening for receiving the complementary electrical connector, a rotatable locking type electrical connector with a set of electrical contacts for engaging the electrical contacts of the complementary electrical connector, a switch mounted within the housing for selectively supplying electrical energy to the set of electrical contacts of the electrical connector, an operating handle for moving the switch between "on" and "off" positions, and an interlock mechanism for releasably locking the switch. The interlock mechanism selectively locks the switch in its "off" position so that it cannot move to its "on" position, until after the complementary electrical connector has been inserted into said opening and rotated to a locked position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: John L. Sandor, Patrick J. Tiberio, Jr., John C. Anthony
  • Patent number: D391992
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 10, 1998
    Assignee: Hubbell Incorporated
    Inventors: David A. Vosika, Steven W. Bodell