Electrical junction box for support of a hanging appliance

Abstract

An electrical junction box for supporting a hanging load includes a base plate and a sidewall extending from it. The base plate has a pair of square bolts holes at opposite positions next to the sidewall. The sidewall has a pair of tabs bent inward, each tab having a bolt hole aligned with one of the square bolt holes. A square necked carriage bolt extends through each square bolt hole and its aligned tab bolt hole, with a lock nut on each of the bolts for supporting the hanging load. A spacer sleeve surrounds each of the bolts, between the base plate and the tabs, forming a rigid structure when the nuts are tightened. The sidewall further includes mounting holes for side mounting of the junction box for a supporting structure, permitting flush mounting of the box relative to a ceiling.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical junction box for supporting a hanging load, said junction box including a base plate and a peripheral sidewall extending therefrom, said base and sidewall together forming a junction box cavity; said base plate defining a spaced plurality of base plate bolt holes adjacent said sidewall;   said sidewall including a spaced plurality of inwardly extending tabs each defining a tab bolt hole in alignment with one of said base plate holes; said sidewall further defining a plurality of mounting holes for side mounting of said junction box for a supporting structure; and   a bolt extending through each of said base plate bolt holes and the tab bolt hole aligned therewith, and a lock nut engaged with each of said bolts for supporting said hanging load on said box.   
     
     
       2. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 1, further including a spacer sleeve surrounding each of said bolts between said base plate and said tabs. 
     
     
       3. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 1 in which said plurality of bolt holes is a pair of bolt holes, and said plurality of tabs is a pair of tabs, said pairs being at substantially opposite locations on said junction box. 
     
     
       4. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 1, in which said bolts have means thereon for preventing rotation of said bolts with respect to said base plate. 
     
     
       5. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 4 in which said base plate bolt holes are square, and said bolts are square necked carriage bolts. 
     
     
       6. An electrical junction box assembly for supporting from the underside thereof a bracket for a hanging load, said assembly including a junction box having a base plate and a peripheral sidewall extending downwardly therefrom, said base plate and sidewall together forming a junction box cavity open at its lower end and closed at its upper end by said base plate, said base plate defining a pair of base plate bolt holes at substantially opposite positions on said base plate and adjacent said sidewall;   said sidewall including a pair of integral tabs extending transversely inwardly of said cavity adjacent the lower end thereof, and each defining a tab bolt hole in alignment with one of said base plate bolt holes; said sidewall further defining a plurality of mounting holes for side mounting of said junction box to a supporting structure;   a bolt having a shank portion extending downwardly and slidably through each of said base plate bolt holes and the tab bolt hole aligned therewith, and having a head portion engaged with the upper surface of said base plate,   a nut threadably engaged with the lower end of each of said bolts for supporting said bracket from the underside of said box, and   a spacer sleeve surrounding each of said bolts between said base plate and said tabs, respectively.   
     
     
       7. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 6 in which said bolts are secured against rotation with respect to said base plate. 
     
     
       8. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 7 in which said base plate bolt holes are square, and said bolts are square necked carriage bolts. 
     
     
       9. An electrical junction box assembly for supporting from the underside thereof a bracket for a hanging load, said assembly including a junction box having a base plate and a peripheral sidewall extending downwardly therefrom, said base plate and sidewall together forming a junction box cavity open at its lower end, and closed at its upper end by said base plate, said base plate defining a pair of base .[.palte.]. .Iadd.plate .Iaddend.bolt holes at substantially opposite positions on said base plate and adjacent said sidewall,   a pair of bolts each having a shank portion extending downwardly and slidably adjacent its upper end through one of said base plate bolt holes, and slidably adjacent its lower end through a registering opening in said bracket,   a nut threadably engaged with the lower end of each of said bolts beneath said bracket for supporting said bracket from the underside of said box, and   a spacer sleeve surrounding each of said bolts between said base plate and said bracket.   
     
     
       10. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 9, wherein said bolts extend slidably adjacent their lower ends through openings in a pair of tabs which are integral with and project inwardly from the sidewall of said box adjacent its lower end. .Iadd. 
     
     
       11.  An electrical junction box for supporting a hanging load, said junction box including a base plate and a peripheral sidewall extending therefrom, said base and sidewall together forming a junction box cavity; said base plate defining a spaced plurality of base plate bolt holes adjacent said sidewall;   said sidewall including a spaced plurality of inwardly extending tabs each defining a tab bolt hole in alignment with one of said base plate bolt holes;   a bolt extending through each of said base plate bolt holes and the tab bolt hole aligned therewith, and a lock nut engaged with each of said bolts for supporting said hanging load on said box, and   means on said bolts for preventing rotation thereof with respect to said base plate and tabs. .Iaddend. .Iadd.12. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 11, wherein   at least one bolt hole of each aligned pair thereof is non-circular in configuration, and   said means comprises a corresponding non-circular portion formed on each of said bolts to project into and to be held against rotation by said one bolt hole of the pair through which said bolt extends. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 11, including a spacer sleeve surrounding each of said bolts between said base plate and said tabs, respectively. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14. An electrical junction box as defined in claim 11, wherein each of said bolts has a shank portion thereof extending downwardly and slidably through an aligned pair of said bolt holes, and having a head portion thereof overlying and engaged with the upper surface of said base plate. .Iaddend.