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NEC rules sometimes refer to "the yoke".

For example: 1999 NEC ยง 210-4(b):

Dwelling Units. In dwelling units, a multiwire branch circuit supplying more than one device or equipment on the same yoke shall be provided with a means to disconnect simultaneously all ungrounded conductors at the panelboard where the branch circuit originated.

What is meant by the term 'Yoke' as used in the NEC?

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1 Answers1

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The 'Yoke' is the structural frame of a receptacle or switch: yoke

It is often metal, with holes for two captive mounting screws, and should almost certainly be grounded if a grounding conductor is present.

Examples:

  • A light switch in a single-gang junction box has a single yoke.
  • Receptacles (in North America) are often manufactured in a pair of two outlets on a single 'yoke', which can be installed into one single-gang junction box.
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