US2924417A - Light fixture hanger - Google Patents

Description

Feb. 9 1966 M. BODiAN LIGHT FIXTURE HANGER Filed Jan. 14, 1957 2 Fm. i.

29- l7 I9 25 26 l5 I2 26 25/9 /7 IN l/E IV TOR 1 /4/9606 fiWM/V 2/ By K A TTOR/VE Y LIGHT FIXTURE HANGER Marcujs Bodian, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Sunbeam Li hting Company, Los Angeles, Calif., a firm Application January 14,- 1957, Serial Not 634,037 4 Claims. '(Cl. 248-343) This invention relates to an aligner head for a pendant light fixture. I a

I Qne object of the invention is to provide an easily installed hanger for a pendant light fixture, including a readily attached canopy. Another object is to provide safety detent means to prevent accidental loosening of the hanger.

These and other objects are attained by my invention which will be understood from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is an assembly view partly in section showing swivel hanger with canopy in place on ceiling surface, and a pendant light fixture supported by said hanger;

F Fig. 2 is atop plan view taken from the line 2- -2- of Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 33 Q zF s- Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1, with the ball element omitted for clarity, showing the means for attachment of the socket frame to the base plate, and also showing means for attaching the canopy;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring clip; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the socket frame.

Referring to the drawings, a preferred embodiment of my invention consists of a base plate 11 which is adapted to be supported on an electric wiring outlet box 12 by means of screws 13 in the threaded cars 14 which are generally provided on the open face of the outlet box. The base plate 11 is provided with a central raised boss 15 having an opening for electrical conduits and diametrically opposed raised tab pockets 17 with adjoining openings 18 disposed away from the central circular raised boss 15, the pockets 17 being adapted to receive outturned tabs 19 on the socket frame 20. A wedge tab 26 extends into each of the pockets 17 from the inner edge of the base plate pocket for the safety locking of the outturned tabs 19, as will be described.

The socket frame 20 consists of a generally cylindrical body, one end of which is drawn in to form a part-spherical socket 22 which is adapted to hold a ball 23. Upper portions of the cylindrical body 21 are cut away in opposite segments to leave opposed legs 24 extending from the upper rim of the socket 22. The legs 24 are curved in cross-section and disposed apart to fit around the raised boss 15 on the base plate 11; and each leg at its end is provided with an out-turned tab 19 which is adapted to engage the tab pocket 17 of the base plate. The circular raised boss 15 serves as an abutment for the legs, and as a guide in turning the tabs into the pockets. A raised abutting boss 25 is provided on the outer face of each of the tabs 19, these bosses being adapted to engage wedge tabs 26 extending into the tab pockets 17 from the base plate 11 adjacent the inner edge of the tab pockets 17. Each leg 24 is also provided, at positions intermediate the out-turned tabs- 1 9 and the socket,

with radial tabs 38 which are adapted to' co-act with parts of the canopy 33 as later described.

On the outer surface ofeaclr of the legs 24 adjacent the out-turned tabs 19 there is provided a spring detent clip 27 which is arranged to releasably engage the" notches 28 in the edge of the tab pockets 17 contiguous to the boss 15 on the base plate. The socket frame is removably attached to the base plate 11 by rotating theframe around the boss 15" so that the out-turned tabs 19 enter the tab pockets 17 to the bottom of the pockets, at which position the spring detents 27 engage the notches 28 and simultaneously the wedge tabs 26 press against the abutting bosses onthe out-turned tabs 19, thus securely locking the socket frame 20 to the base plate 11,.

a so that it cannot be loosened by vibration or by a lateral- 1y applied force. The socket frame 20 may, by reversing the rotation and simultaneously releasing the spring detents 27 by grasping them with the fingers, be removed without the employment of any tools.

The ball 23 which may be formed from sheet metal fits in the socket 22 and is provided with a stem 29 upon which the lighting fixturemay be attached at the end opposite the ball. The ball. 23 is preferably provided on one side aligned with the stem with a peripheral groove 30whic'h engages a large dimple 31 extending into the socket 22, this arrangement preventing the-rotation of the ball in the socket relative to the axis of the stem, but does not prevent the movement of the ball inthe socket to position the stem at any depending angle within the range permitted by the lower opening in the socket.

The canopy 33 consists of a hollow metal stamping having a central opening 34 adapted to fit around the lower end of the socket 22. Inside the canopy there is provided a pair of diametrically opposed helical tracks 35 formed from sheet metal on a cylindrical body 36 having attachment tabs 37 which are spot-welded to the inside surface of the canopy. The helical tracks 37 are adapted to engage radial tabs 38 on the legs 24 of the socket frame 20, as previously described. When the canopy is rotated with the helical tracks 35 engaging the radial tabs 38, the rim of the canpoy is raised to tightly press against the outer rim of the base plate 11 (or against the ceiling surface), and thus conceals all of the hanger device except the pendant stem 29 and the lower portion of the ball 23.

Although I have shown in the preferred structure the groove 30 in the ball 23, these and the large dimple 31 may be omitted so that full swivel action, including rotation of the ball, may be attained, if desired.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent. The ball and socket permits a wide angular movement of the stem and accommodates the hanging by vertically positioned stems of light fixtures from ceiling surfaces which are inclined from the horizontal. The hanger may be readily mounted in the ceiling by a workman using only one hand to position the co-acting parts and rotate them into place, and the detents and swivel tabs securely hold the socket frame 20 and the parts attached thereto to the base plate without any danger of being released by vibration or lateral forcing. The canopy is easily applied over the socket frame by merely holding the canopy over the frame and rotating it, thus securing a neat cover for the hanger. The parts of my device are readily made from sheet metal stampings and are assembled by riverting or welding with a minimum of assembly costs.

I claim:

1. A hanger for a pendant light fixture comprising a sheet metal stamping base plate adapted to be attached to a ceiling outlet box or the like, said base plate having a central circular raised boss and raised tab pockets arranged concentrically with and outside said boss; a

socket frame removably attached to said base plate, said frame consisting of a socket for a ball, and a pair of sheet metal supporting legs extending from the upper rim of said socket, each of said legs having an out-turned tab slidably enga'g'ingtheYtab pocketsof said base plate, said legs being disposed to fit around said base plate boss; and a ball fitting into said socket, said'ball having a stem extendingdownwvardly fromsaidsocket adapted for attachment toa pendantfixture. r a

2. A-hanger fora pendant light fixture comprising a sheet metal stamping baseplate adapted to be attached to a ceiling outlet box or the like, said base plate having a central'circular raised'boss and raised tab pockets arranged concentrically with and outside said boss; a socket frame'rernovably attached to said base plate, said frame' 'consisting of a socket for a ball, and a pair of sheet 'rne'tal supporting legsextending from the upper rim of fsaid' socket, each of said legs having an out-turned tab adaptedto -slidably engage the-tab pockets of said base plate, said: legsfbeing disposed to fit around said base plate-boss; and a ball=fittinginto said socket, said ball 'having'a stein" extending downwardly from said socket and adapted for attachment to'a pendant fixture, said ball being peripherally grooved on one side in an axial-plane parallel to saidstem, and said socket having a punched-in dimple engaging said groove in said ball.

3. A -liangeflfor a 'p'endant light fixture comprising a sheet metal starnping 'base plate adapted to be attached to a ceiling outlet box or the like, said base plate having a central'eircular' raised boss-and raised tab pockets arranged concentrically with and outside said boss, the edgesof said pockets-adjacent said central boss being provided with detent notches; a sheet metal stamping socket frame removably attached to said base plate, said frameconsisting-of a socket fora ball, and a pair of supporting legs extending from the upper rim of said socket,

each of said legs having an out-turned tab slidably engaging the tab'pockets of said base plate, said legs being disposed to fit over said base plate boss and each of said legs being provided on its outer surface adjacent said central boss of said base plate with a spring detent means engaging said detent notches in said pockets; and a ball fitting into said socket, said ball having a stem extending downwardly from said socket.

4. A hanger for a pendant light fixture comprising a sheet metal stamping base plate adapted to be attached to' a ceiling outlet box or the like, said base plate having a central circular raised boss and raised tab pockets arranged lconcentrically with and outside said boss, the edge of said base plate adjacent said boss and said pocket having a protruding wedge tab; a sheet metal stamping socket frame removably attached to said base plate, said frame consisting of a socket for a ball, and a pair of supporting legs extending from the upper rim of said socket, each of said legs having an out-turned tab slidably engaging the tab pockets of said base plate, said legs being disposed tofit over said base plate boss, the out-turned tab on each leg being provided'on its outer face with an abutting boss engaged by said protruding wedge tab of said base plate; a ball fitting into said socket, said ball having a rod coupling means extending downwardly from said socket.

References Cited in the file of this patent ,UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,738,652 Hulse Dec. 10, 1929 2,733,888 Kinander Feb. 7, 1956 2,749,074 Bodian June 5, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 182,097 Great Britain Aug. 2, 19 23

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