Abstract: A folded electrical box for mounting an electrical wiring device to a support member. Preferably, the electrical box is formed by folding a unitary blank of thin sheet material. In the preferred embodiment, the electrical box includes an integral mounting bracket. The mounting bracket has a pair of bracket portions extending outwardly from one side wall of the electrical box for coupling the electrical box to a support member. Each of the bracket portions has side mounting section extending from the electrical box for engaging one side of the support member extending perpendicular to the dry wall plaster and a face mounting section extending substantially perpendicularly from the side mounting section for engaging the side of the support member with the dry wall plaster secured thereto. The side mounting section of the mounting bracket is reinforced by folding the sheet material to double its thickness, while the face mounting section has a single thickness to avoid bulging the dry wall plaster.

Abstract: A hanger assembly for mounting and supporting an electrical box or other fixture is formed from two identical complementary hanger support members. The support members are slidably coupled together for selectively adjusting the length of the assembly. Each of the support member is formed from a blank, and includes a body portion with a hook-shaped coupling member at one end for coupling the body portion of the complementary support member thereto and a mounting tab at the opposite end for coupling a structural support thereto. The support members also include a supporting flange along a lower longitudinal edge for coupling and supporting the electrical box or other fixture thereto.

Abstract: A connector for communications systems has four input terminals and four output terminals, each arranged in an ordered array. A circuit electrically couples each input terminal to the respective output terminal and cancels crosstalk induced across the adjacent connector terminals. The circuit includes four conductive paths between the respective pairs of terminals. The first and third paths are in relatively close proximity and are substantially spaced from the second and fourth paths. The second and fourth paths are in relatively close proximity.

Abstract: A roof vent for preventing the buildup of hydrogen gas produced by battery charging in a remote digital telephone cabinet is provided with a movable splash guard for blocking the vent outlet when impinged upon by water and/or wind, thereby preventing the entry of water into the cabinet. The vent also includes a weatherproof cover whose lower edge is formed with scallops or undulations to maintain air gaps between the cover and the cabinet roof.

Abstract: An electrical contact position indicator assembly is operatively coupled to an electrical device, such as a recloser, for indicating the relative position of the contacts of the electrical device, i.e., opened or closed, at any given time during operation of the electrical device. The position indicator assembly includes a movable indicator having first indicia to indicate that the contacts are opened, and second indicia to indicate that the contacts are closed. Each of the first and second indicia of the indicator lies in more than one plane. Preferably, each of the first and second indicia of the indicator lies on a three-dimensional, curvilinear or spherical surface. In the preferred embodiment, the indicator includes a mechanical linkage to the contact opening and closing assembly.

Abstract: An apparatus for dimming a discharge lamp is provided which comprises an electromagnetic regulator. The electromagnetic regulator has a primary winding connected to an AC power supply, a secondary winding connected to the lamp, and a tertiary winding. A capacitor is selectively connected to a tap on the tertiary winding via a switching device for dimming purposes.

Abstract: A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) line cord plug utilizes an electronically latched relay, rather than a circuit breaker or other type of mechanical latching device, to interrupt the AC load power when a ground fault condition occurs. In order to reduce the size of the relay and minimize the cost and complexity of the GFCI plug, the fixed and movable relay contact structures are mounted directly to the circuit board which carries the remaining components of the GFCI circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the fixed relay contact structures are integral with the plug blades of the GFCI plug. The movable relay contact structures preferably comprise deflectable spring arms which are preloaded when the relay contacts are in the open position in order to control the contact gap, and which are deflected past the point of contact closure when the relay contacts are in the closed position in order to increase the closing force.

Abstract: An adapter for coupling electrical connectors has a housing having first and second connections on first and second opposite ends of the housing. A set of electrical contacts extends in each connection. A first connector can be coupled to the first connection and can electrically engage its electrical contacts. A circuit is mounted in the housing for electrically connecting the contacts. A latch is attached to the first connection for releasably securing the first connector to the first connection. A release is coupled to the latch and is accessible for operation at the second end of the housing for unlatching the first connection from the first connector.

Abstract: A system comprising a portable apparatus and employing a method of admittance versus frequency analysis to detect the existence of a fault in a de-energized electrical line regardless of whether the line contains branches. The portable apparatus comprises a capacitor unit detachably connected to a de-energized line, ground or a neutral conductor, a switch unit detachably connected to a de-energized line, the de-energized line being tested, and an insulated cable connecting the capacitor unit to the switch unit. The switch unit comprises a discharge switch that can be activated by pulling on the hot line tool. The capacitor unit comprises a capacitor which is discharged into the electrical line via the insulated cable and the switch unit when the discharge switch is activated to create a pulse.

Abstract: An electrical connector is disclosed for securing an end of an electrical cord to an electrical device or cord connector. The electrical connector preferably has a pair of housing halves, a contact retainer body with integral front face and a funnel cap. The funnel cap retains the blade assembly or terminals within the contact retainer body and funnels the wiring of the electrical cord into the contact retainer body for connection with the terminals of the electrical connector. The funnel cap is first releasably coupled to the contact retainer body by a tight-fit such as a press-fit or a snap-fit during wiring of the electrical connector, and then positively retained to the contact retainer body by features of the housing of the electrical connector after complete assembly of the electrical connector.

Abstract: An electrical device in the form of an electrical connector includes a main body having an axial passage for receiving an electrical cord and a fixed jaw extending from the upper face of the main body. A movable jaw is connected to the fixed jaw by a plurality of screws for applying clamping forces to an electrical cord between the jaws. A movable clamping device is carried by either the fixed or movable jaw and is axially and rotationally movable from a first retracted position to an extended position into the passage between the jaw. Movement of the movable clamping device enables the connector to clamp different size electrical cords.

Abstract: An insulator conveys cooling fluid for or connects an optical fiber cable to an outdoor high voltage electrical system. The insulator includes an elongated pipe of non-conductive material having an internal passageway through it for the cooling fluid or optical fiber cable. An elongated weathershed housing surrounds and covers the outer surface of the pipe. Couplers, located at the opposite ends of the pipe connect conduits for conveying cooling fluid into and out of the fluid passageway or passing the cable. The insulator can be connected between an electrical device and a heat exchanger through connectors such that cooling medium can pass from the heat exchanger at ground potential up through the insulator which also supports the device and into the device for cooling the device.

Abstract: A handle assembly for use with a circuit breaker includes an elongated shaft mounted through a hole in a cover of an enclosure containing a circuit breaker having an actuator lever movable between a plurality of different positions. The shaft is mounted to the cover to undergo rotational movement about, but not translational movement along, a longitudinal axis of the shaft. The outer end portion of the shaft extends outwardly from an exterior side of the cover, while an inner end portion of the shaft extends inwardly from an interior side of the cover into the enclosure, terminating at a location spaced from the actuator lever of the circuit breaker in the enclosure. The handle assembly also includes a handle attached to the outer end portion of the shaft so as to undergo rotation with the shaft.

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.

Abstract: A connector for communications systems includes four input terminals and four output terminals in ordered arrays. A circuit electrically couples respective input and output terminals and cancels crosstalk induced across adjacent connector terminals. The circuit includes four conductive paths between the respective input and output terminals. Sections of two adjacent paths are in close proximity and cross each other between the input and output terminal. At least two of the paths have sets of vias connected in series between the input and output terminals. The sets of vias are adjacent.

Abstract: A gangable electrical box includes a main body and a pair of removable sidewalls. 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 sidewalls include flanges along each transverse edge and a pair of flanges on the longitudinal edge. 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 flanges of the main body are arranged 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.

Abstract: A resettable internal actuating mechanism, used in an electronic sectionalizer having a tube assembly movable between a closed position and an open position, includes a latching element of an electro-mechanical component mounted in the tube assembly and biased to move to an extended position and movable to a retracted position in response to receipt of an electrical signal, an actuating member spaced from the latching element and mounted in the tube assembly and being biased to move from a non-actuated position to an actuated position, and a linking lever mounted in the tube assembly between the latching element and the actuating member and biased to pivotably move from a latched position to an unlatched position. The linking lever has opposite ends latched respectively to the latching element and actuating member when the linking lever is at the latched position and the latching element is at the extended position to thereby hold the actuating member at the non-actuated position.

Abstract: A control system for a network element (NE) such as a remote digital terminal (RDT) in an integrated digital loop carrier (DLC) system is provided which comprises subsystems for operating circuit packs and for providing functions that are common to the circuit packs. Each subsystem has a subagent residing on a network processor circuit pack. The subagents communicate via a common subagent interface. A NE which supports both OSI and non-OSI interfaces such as Transaction Language 1 (TL1) and Common Management Services Element (CMISE) interfaces is provided, along with a method for mapping TL1 commands to CMISE messages using TL1 proxy objects.