Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate with a single opening for receiving one or a gang of wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting wiring devices such as a receptacle and/or a switch to a box and then attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. These deficiencies are overcome by an alignment plate having a single centrally located opening sized to receive one of more wiring devices and a set of alignment pins for each wiring device. Each set of alignment pins on the alignment plate is located on a vertical axis which defines the center for a wiring device and each wiring device has openings for frictionally receiving and holding captive a set of alignment pins.

Abstract: An adapter having a front face with a flange portion and a centrally located opening. The opening has an inner dimension sized to accept at least a front face of a wiring device and the flange has an outer dimension sized to fit at least within an opening of a front face of a wall plate. The flange portion has a vertical surface contour along a vertical direction of the flange and a horizontal surface contour along a horizontal direction of the flange such that, when the adapter is installed, the contours of the flange result in a smooth transition from the wiring device to the wall plate.

Abstract: The instant invention discloses a receptacle where the surface of the face along its width is flat in one plane and along its length has a constant radius. The shape of the face of the receptacle allows for the proper seating of an inserted plug. The receptacle is adapter to be located in a wall plate having a vertical axis of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane and zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The receptacle can be placed next to a switch, the front face of which follows the shape of the wall plate.

Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. In the prior art, the wiring devices are first loosely attached to a box and then moved back and forth, and up and down to fit within cut outs in a wall plate which is then attached to the wiring devices with screws. A time consuming and tedious job. This invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing wiring devices that have locating openings for engaging alignment pins located on a plate that is subsequently attached to a box.

Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting wiring devices such as a receptacle and/or a switch to a box and then attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. These deficiencies are overcome by an alignment plate having a single centrally located opening sized to receive one of more wiring devices and a set of alignment pins for each wiring device. Each set of alignment pins on the alignment plate is located on a vertical axis which defines the center for a wiring device and each wiring device has openings for frictionally receiving and holding captive a set of alignment pins.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate for a wiring device. The wall plate has a single opening for receiving one or a gang of two or more wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: There is disclosed a wall plate with a single opening for receiving one or a gang of wiring devices within the single opening. The wall plate has along its vertical axis, a surface of positive first differential and zero second differential, comprised of a combination of splines drawn between points of varying distance from a datum plane. The surface has zero second differential when the rate of height increase of individual splines is constant. The wall plate, when composed of non-conducting material, has a conductive coating on its front surface, on its back surface or on both its front and back surfaces. When the wiring device is a switch, the surface of the switch face follows that of the wall plate. When the wiring device is a receptacle, the surface along the receptacle face is flat in one plane to allow for the proper seating of an inserted plug.

Abstract: An electrical connector, such as one for receiving a plug, having at least two prongs for insertion into the connector, and having an electrical cable connected to the prongs of the plug and the connector in the usual way, includes a series circuit having an LED. The LED is located within the connector behind a window, and light from the LED provides a visual indication to a user that the connector is connected to a live circuit. The series circuit is located in a module that can be pre-assembled before being located within the connector and, when in the connector, the series circuit is electrically coupled directly to the contacts in the connector by means of spring contacts located in passageways in the module. Indexing means is provided for aligning the LED in the module with the window in the connector to insure that a user can see if the LED is on or off.

Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the arm is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.

Abstract: The instant invention overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting electrical wiring devices to a common box and then positioning the devices relative to each other prior to attaching a wall plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. In the prior art, the wiring devices are first loosely attached to a box and then moved back and forth, and up and down to fit within cut outs in a wall plate which is then attached to the wiring devices with screws. A time consuming and tedious job. This invention overcomes these deficiencies by providing wiring devices that have locating openings for engaging alignment pins located in a plate that is subsequently attached to a box.

Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the difficulties encountered with respect to mounting wiring devices such as a receptacle and/or a switch to a box and then attaching a cover plate. Some of the difficulties encountered are positioning the wiring devices to be in alignment with each other, locating the wiring devices to be parallel to each other, adjusting the spacing between the different devices to be equal and uniform and fixing all of the devices to be flat against the wall. These deficiencies are overcome by an alignment plate having a single centrally located opening sized to receive one of more wiring devices and a set of alignment pins for each wiring device. Each set of alignment pins on the alignment plate is located on a vertical axis which defines the center for a wiring device and each wiring device has openings for frictionally receiving and holding captive a set of alignment pins.

Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a wiring device such as a receptacle or a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the paddle is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.

Abstract: There is disclosed structure which overcomes the deficiencies with respect to prior art devices by providing a wiring device such as a receptacle or a spring loaded switch having a paddle that pivots about its upper end and is biased to assume the same at rest position when either in its on position or off position. Repeated pressing and releasing the lower portion of the face of the switch paddle alternately closes and opens a set of contacts within the switch to alternately connect and disconnect a load from a source of electricity each time the paddle is pressed. Thus, regardless of whether adjacent switches are on-off switches or 3-way switches, they will always be in alignment. An on-off indicator such as a small light, a flag in a window, a mechanical protrusion of the like can be provided to indicate to a user when the contacts of the switch are opened or closed.