초록 ▼

A protective ring apparatus includes a back plate and a riser wall which projects outward from the back plate. The riser wall is located peripheral to a back plate central access channel. A front frame is connected to a top portion of the riser wall, and the front frame defines a front frame access

A protective ring apparatus includes a back plate and a riser wall which projects outward from the back plate. The riser wall is located peripheral to a back plate central access channel. A front frame is connected to a top portion of the riser wall, and the front frame defines a front frame access channel which is in registration with the back plate central access channel. A pair of twist links, located along a common link axis, are connected to opposite sides of the front frame. A removable protector plate is connected to the pair of twist links and, prior to its removal, covers and prevents wires in an open electrical box from being cut by a cutting tool used to cut a window in a sheet of drywall to be installed around an electrical box framed by the plaster ring apparatus.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A protective ring apparatus for an electrical junction box, comprising: a back plate which includes peripheral fastener reception slots and which includes a back plate central access channel, a riser wall projecting outward from said back plate, wherein said riser wall is located peripheral t

1. A protective ring apparatus for an electrical junction box, comprising: a back plate which includes peripheral fastener reception slots and which includes a back plate central access channel, a riser wall projecting outward from said back plate, wherein said riser wall is located peripheral to said back plate central access channel, a front frame connected to a top portion of said riser wall, wherein said front frame defines a front frame access channel which is in partial registration with said back plate central access channel, at least one link connected to a side of said front frame, wherein said at least one link is located along an axis extending transversely with respect to said front frame access channel, and a removable protector plate connected to said at least one link, wherein said removable protector plate normally is located in said front frame access channel and covers said back plate central access channel, and wherein said removable protector plate being removable from said front frame access channel by twisting said protector plate and said at least one link about said axis. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein at least one other link is connected to another side of said front frame, said at least one other link being connected to said removable protector plate along said axis. 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein: said links are twist links, and said removable protector plate is separable from said twist links by twisting said removable protector plate on said twist links relative to said link axis. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said back plate and said front frame lie in spaced-apart parallel planes. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said riser wall has a height that is approximately equal to a thickness of a sheet of drywall. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said front frame access channel and said back plate central access channel are large enough to receive a single electrical receptacle. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said front frame access channel and said back plate central access channel are large enough to receive two electrical receptacles. 8. A method of protecting electrical wires in a pre-installed open box on a first surface prior to installing a sheet of surface material on the first surface, comprising the steps of: (a) attaching a protective ring over the opening of said box after the latter is attached to said first surface, said protective ring having a removable protective partition thereon to cover said opening, (b) placing said surface material on said first surface to cover said first surface including said protective ring cover attached over said opening of said box, (c) removing a portion of said surface material to uncover said protective ring, and (d) removing said removable partition from said protective ring, wherein said movable partition is attached to said protective ring by at least one twistable link and said step (d) comprises the further step of: (e) applying pressure to said removable partition to cause said removable partition to partially rotate relative to said twist link until said link is severed and said partition is thereby removed from said protective ring. 9. The method of claim 8 wherein said at least one twist link is twistable about an axis located in a plane common to said partition, said at least one link and said protective ring, and said step (e) of partially rotating comprises the further step of: (f) applying pressure to said partition to twist said partition about said axis repeatedly in opposite directions relative to said axis until said twist link becomes severed.