Bonding and grounding clamp/connector for electrode conductors
View Patent ↗By providing a single housing incorporating a central passageway or channel formed therein which is constructed for receiving and retaining a typical grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor and constructing the housing for being quickly and easily mounted and secured in a knockout hole formed in any desired electrical outlet box, junction box, meter box, or similar enclosure, an efficient, easily manufactured and easily assembled bonding and grounding clamp/connector is realized. Preferably, the housing of the clamp/connector of the present invention incorporates a locking screw threadedly mounted to the housing and positioned for quickly and easily securely affixing the grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor in the channel or passageway of the housing once positioned therein.
1. A bonding and grounding clamp/connector constructed for mounted engagement in an electrical enclosure, said clamp/connector comprising:
A. a generally cylindrically shaped member incorporating a first end and a second end;
B. an enlarged flange radially extending outwardly from said cylindrically shaped member and constructed for abutting contact with a surface of the electrical enclosure;
C. a threaded zone formed on the outside surface of the cylindrically shaped member and positioned adjacent the enlarged flange;
D. an elongated, longitudinally extending passageway
a) formed in said cylindrically shaped member and extending completely through the member from said first end to said second end, and
b) dimensioned for receiving and retaining an elongated, continuous, grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor;
E. a threaded aperture formed in the cylindrically shaped member, extending from the outside surface thereof into said cylindrically shaped member and terminating with the elongated, longitudinally extending passageway;
F. a locking screw mounted in said threaded aperture for threaded engagement therewith, enabling said locking screw to be advanced into and out of locking engagement with a grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor positioned in said elongated, longitudinally extending passageway; and
G. a locking ring constructed for threaded interengagement with the threaded zone formed on the outside surface of the cylindrically shaped member for cooperating with the enlarged, radially extending flange for enabling said clamp/connector to be securely affixed to the electrical enclosure through an opening therein so that said locking screw mounted in said threaded aperture is positioned inside said electrical enclosure.
2. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 1 , wherein said enlarged radially extending flange is further defined as comprising a diameter greater than the diameter of a conventional knockout hole formed in an electrical enclosure, thereby enabling said clamp/connector to be inserted in a knockout hole of an electrical enclosure and retained therewith.
3. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 2 , wherein said the enlarged flange is further defined as being formed on the first end of said cylindrically shaped member, enabling said clamp/connector to be inserted into the knockout hole of an electrical enclosure with the flange contacting an exterior surface of the electrical enclosure while the threaded zone is positioned inside the enclosure, and said clamp/connector is securely affixed to the electrical enclosure by securing the locking ring on the threaded zone in contact with the inside surface of the electrical enclosure.
4. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 3 , wherein a grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor is securely affixed to said clamp/connector by axially advancing the grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor through the longitudinally extending passageway and threadedly advancing the locking screw into secure affixed interengagement with said grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor.
5. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 1 , wherein said clamp/connector is further defined as being constructed from electrically conductive material in order to provide desired conductivity.
6. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 5 , wherein said electrically conductive material is further defined as comprising one selected from the group consisting of aluminum, copper, and alloys thereof.
7. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 1 , wherein said enlarged flange is further defined as being formed along the length of said cylindrically shaped member effectively defining an upper section and a lower section.
8. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 7 , wherein said lower section is further defined as comprising a threaded zone formed on the outer surface thereof substantially in its entirety.
9. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 8 , wherein the threaded aperture is further defined as being formed in the upper section extending from the outer surface thereof into said upper section and terminating with the elongated, longitudinally extending passageway.
10. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 9 , wherein said enlarged flange is further defined as comprising a diameter greater than the diameter of a conventional knockout hole formed in the electrical enclosure for enabling said clamp/connector to be inserted into the knockout hole from inside said enclosure with the upper section thereof retained inside the enclosure and the lower section thereof, with its threaded zone, extending outwardly therefrom for secure engagement with the locking ring.
11. The bonding and grounding clamp/connector defined in claim 10 , wherein the threaded zone of the lower section is positioned for enabling threaded interengagement with a coupling affixed to a metallic or nonmetallic conduit or raceway for enabling the grounding rod/grounding electrode conductor to be positioned in and protected by said conduit/raceway.