Metal stud bracket
A bracket for securing an electrical box to a support comprising a base, a first flange extending downwardly from a first portion of the base, a second flange extending downwardly from a second portion of the base wherein the base is positioned between the first and second flanges, a first tooth positioned on the first flange and extending inwardly toward the second flange, and a second tooth positioned on the first flange adjacent to the first tooth and extending inwardly toward the second flange.
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The present invention relates to the field of support brackets in general, and in particular, to a metal bracket for mounting an electrical box to a wall stud.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONFor many years, electrical boxes have been mounted to wall studs during commercial and residential construction. Such wall studs were historically made of wood, often in the form of “two by fours.” Over time, the industry has increased the use of channel-shaped metal wall studs in place of the wooden stud. To facilitate mounting an electrical box to a wall stud, whether it be metal or wood, metal stud brackets have been designed that are affixed to the wall stud and an electrical box is in turn affixed to the metal stud bracket via welding, rivets, screws or other connecting mechanisms. In this manner, through the use of a metal stud bracket, electrical boxes can be effectively mounted to wall studs during construction. In fact, a number of different metal stud bracket designs have been developed. When metal, channel-shaped, wall studs are used, it is desirable for the selected metal stud bracket to be sufficiently and quickly attached to the metal wall stud. In some prior designs, the installer needed to hold the stud bracket with one hand and then drill holes in the wall stud at a desired location with the other hand. It is therefore desirable to have a stud bracket that may be positioned in a desired location on the stud bracket and pressed into place in a manner that helps prevent relative movement between the metal stud bracket and the wall stud and that sufficiently secures the metal stud bracket to the wall stud to allow for easier installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention is directed to a metal stud bracket that is designed to be attached to a wall stud and that may have an electrical box affixed thereto. The metal stud bracket includes a base with a first flange that extends downwardly from a first portion of the base, as well as a second flange that extends downwardly from a second portion of the base, where the base is positioned between the first and second flanges. The metal stud bracket further includes a first tooth positioned on the first flange that extends inwardly toward the second flange, as well as a second tooth positioned on the first flange adjacent to the first tooth that also extends inwardly toward the second flange. The metal stud bracket is designed to be easily positioned at a desired location on a metal wall stud and can be snapped into position by pressing on the base. The first tooth and the second tooth can engage a closed side of a wall stud to fix the metal stud in place and help prevent movement of the metal stud bracket relative to the wall stud. In this manner, the first and second teeth of the metal wall bracket serve to hold the metal stud bracket in place on the wall stud.
In a further embodiment of the invention, a row of teeth is added to the first flange where the teeth are angled inwardly toward the second flange. The row of teeth serves to provide a further barrier to help prevent movement of the metal stud bracket with respect to the wall stud. In yet a further embodiment of the invention, the second flange of the metal stud bracket includes a third tooth and a fourth tooth and a second row of teeth that serve to further prevent movement of the metal stud bracket with respect to the wall stud and allows the metal stud bracket to be used on either side of the wall stud.
The present embodiments are illustrated as exemplary embodiments that disclose a metal stud bracket that that may be affixed to a wall stud and that may have an electrical box affixed thereto.
The metal stud bracket is preferably comprised of a steel material, and most preferably an SAE 1074 spring steel having a minimum thickness of 0.04 inches. The metal stud bracket may be formed from a single piece of steel wherein the first and second flanges are bent into position from the base. More particularly, a blanking operation is performed to develop the outside contour of the metal stud bracket 10. A piercing/lancing operation is performed to obtain teeth 12, 14, 19, 21 and rows of teeth 16 and 26. A first bending operation is performed to obtain mounting extensions 40, and the weld projections 42 are simultaneously formed with the same tool. A second bending operation is then performed to form the first flange 52 and second flange 54. Following the formation of the first flange 52 and second flange 54, the metal stud bracket 10 is subjected to austempering, and then subjected to zinc plating and then baked to prevent hydrogen embrittlement.
The claims should not be read as limited to the elements specifically described unless stated to that effect. Therefore, all embodiments that come within the scope and spirit of the following claims and equivalents thereto are claimed as the invention.
Claims
1. A bracket for securing an electrical box to a support comprising:
- a base;
- a first flange extending downwardly from a first portion of the base;
- a second flange extending downwardly from a second portion of the base wherein the base is positioned between the first and second flanges:
- a first tooth positioned on the first flange and extending inwardly toward the second flange;
- a second tooth positioned on the first flange adjacent to the first tooth and extending inwardly toward the second flange.
2. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the first tooth and the second tooth extend inwardly at an angle of between 60 and 65 degrees.
3. The bracket of claim 2, wherein the first tooth and the second tooth each extend inwardly at an angle of 62 degrees.
4. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the first tooth and the second tooth each have a pointed end and are generally of triangular shape.
5. The bracket of claim 2, wherein the first tooth and the second tooth each comprise a generally rectangular shape.
6. The bracket of claim 1, wherein the first flange extends in a direction perpendicular to the base.
7. The bracket of claim 6, wherein the second flange extends downwardly from the base at an angle of between 65 and 85 degrees from the base towards the first flange.
8. The bracket of claim 7, wherein the second flange extends downwardly from the base at an angle of 75 degrees from the base towards the first flange.
9. The bracket of claim 1, further including a row of teeth positioned on the first flange extending inwardly toward the second flange.
10. The bracket of claim 9, wherein each tooth in the row of teeth has a pointed end.
11. The bracket of claim 9, wherein each tooth has an end that is positioned such that the ends of the teeth are closer to the base than the end of the first tooth and the end of the second tooth.
12. The bracket of claim 11, wherein the ends of the row of teeth are adapted to engage the edge of a metal channel-shaped wall stud, and the end of the first tooth and the end of the second tooth are adapted not to engage to the edge of a metal channel-shaped wall stud.
13. A bracket for securing an electrical box to a support comprising:
- a base;
- a first flange extending downwardly from a first portion of the base;
- a second flange extending downwardly from a second portion of the base wherein the base is positioned between the first and second flanges:
- a first tooth positioned on the first flange and extending inwardly toward the second flange;
- a second tooth positioned on the first flange adjacent to the first tooth and extending inwardly toward the second flange;
- a third tooth positioned on the second flange and extending inwardly toward the first flange;
- a fourth tooth positioned on the second flange adjacent to the third tooth and extending inwardly toward the first flange.
14. The bracket of claim 13, wherein the first tooth, the second tooth, the third tooth and the fourth tooth extend inwardly at an angle of between 60 and 65 degrees.
15. The bracket of claim 14, wherein the first tooth, the second tooth, the third tooth and fourth tooth each extend inwardly at an angle of 62 degrees.
16. The bracket of claim 15, wherein the first tooth, the second tooth, the third tooth, and the fourth tooth each have a pointed end and of a generally triangular shape.
17. The bracket of claim 13, wherein the first flange extends in a direction perpendicular to the base.
18. The bracket of claim 17, wherein the second flange extends downwardly from the base at an angle of between 65 and 85 degrees from the base towards the first flange.
19. The bracket of claim 18, wherein the second flange extends downwardly from the base at an angle of 75 degrees from the base towards the first flange.
20. The bracket of claim 13, further including a first row of teeth positioned on the first flange extending inwardly toward the second flange, and a second row of teeth positioned on the second flange extending inwardly toward the first flange.
21. The bracket of claim 20, wherein each tooth in the first row of teeth and the second row of teeth has a pointed end.
22. The bracket of claim 20, wherein each tooth in the first row of teeth has an end that is positioned such that the ends of the teeth are closer to the base than the end of the first tooth and the end of the second tooth, and wherein each tooth in the second row of teeth has an end that is positioned such that the ends of the teeth are closer to the base than the end of the third tooth and the end of the fourth tooth.
23. The bracket of claim 22, wherein the ends of the first row of teeth are adapted to engage the edge of a metal channel-shaped wall stud, and the end of the first tooth and the end of the second tooth are adapted not to engage to the edge of a metal channel-shaped wall stud.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 31, 2009
Publication Date: Jan 6, 2011
Applicant: EGS Electrical Group LLC (Rosemont, IL)
Inventors: Vinaya Kubsad (Pune), Pawan Vishwakarma (Pune), Bill Leber (Vernon Hills, IL), Carlos J. Ylagan (Glendale Heights, IL)
Application Number: 12/584,076
International Classification: A47B 96/06 (20060101);