Static structures (e.g. – buildings) – Sheetlike element assembled parallel to existing wall,... – Element spaced from wall – ceiling – or floor and held by...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-02
2001-05-15
Friedman, Carl D. (Department: 3635)
Static structures (e.g., buildings)
Sheetlike element assembled parallel to existing wall,...
Element spaced from wall, ceiling, or floor and held by...
C052S506070, C248S906000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06230464
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention pertains to an elongate hanger that is stamped from sheet metal and that is usefull for hanging an electrical box between a pair of ceiling panel-supporting bars disposed at right angles to the hanger. As contrasted with the hanger illustrated and described in Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,1 14,327, separate mounting brackets are not required.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As disclosed in Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,327, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, a pair of elongate hangers stamped from sheet metal and a pair of separate mounting brackets are used to hang an electrical box or another electrical fixture from a suspended ceiling, between a pair of eg panel-supporting bars. Similar hangers and similar mounting brackets are available commercially from S-P Products, Inc., of Elk Grove Village, Ill., under its trade designation “EZ Bar Hanger System”.
Typically, as available commercially from various suppliers, an electrical box suitable for hanging from a suspended ceiling, between a pair of ceiling panel-supporting bars, opens downwardly when installed and has four side walls, each having a pair of holes pre-formed to a receive screws. Spacings between the preformed holes of the pairs vary from one supplier to another. Spacings between such holes and the lower edges of the side walls of the box vary from one supplier to another. When a pair of elongate hangers and a pair of separate mounting brackets are used to hang such a box as discussed in the preceding paragraph, the mounting brackets are fastened to an opposed pair of the side walls of the box, via screws driven through suitable holes in the mounting brackets, into the preformed holes in the opposed pair of the side walls of the box.
After the mounting brackets are fastened as discussed in the preceding paragraph, the mounting brackets are mounted on the hangers, in a manner disclosed in Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,327. Usually, the mounting brackets are mounted on the elongate hangers at a selected one of multiple possible positions, which correspond to various possible spacings between such holes and the lower edges of the side walls of the box, so that the lower edges of the side walls of the box and the lower edges of the hangers are positioned approximately at a common elevation.
This invention has resulted from efforts to eliminate separate mounting brackets, which are disfavored because such brackets add material costs and installation costs, but to continuing to enable the lower edges of the side walls and the lower edges of the hangers to be approximately positioned at a common elevation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention provides an elongate hanger stamped from sheet metal and useful for hanging, between a pair of ceiling panel-supporting bars disposed at right angles to the hanger, an electrical box having a side wall with a lower edge and having a pair of holes in the side wall. The hanger has two opposite ends, a main panel with a front surface and a back surface and with a lower edge and an upper edge, and a lower flange projecting from the front surface of the main panel at the lower edge of the main panel. This invention does not require separate mounting brackets as disclosed in Williams U.S. Pat. No. 4,114,327.
Rather, as contemplated by this invention, the main panel of the anger has numerous parallel slots arranged so that a pair of the slots can receive a pair of fasteners extending from the front surface, through the pair of the slots, into the pair of holes in the side wall of the electrical box, if the side wall of the electrical box is disposed against the back surface of the main panel so that the lower edge of the side wall of the electrical box is disposed at a selected elevation relative to the lower edge of the main panel of the hanger, such as a common elevation relative thereto.
Advantageously, the lower edge of the side wall of the electrical box can be thus disposed in any of numerous possible spacings between the pair of holes in the side wall of the electrical box, in any of numerous possible spacings between each of the pair of holes in the side wall of the electrical box and a nearer one of the opposite ends of the hanger, and in any of a range of possible spacings between each of the pair of holes in the side wall of the electrical box and the lower edge of the side wall of the electrical box
Preferably, the slots are arranged in an upper row and a lower row, the upper and lower rows being spaced from each other, the upper row being spaced from the upper edge of the main panel and the lower edge being spaced from the lower edge of the main panel. Preferably, moreover, the main panel of the hanger has a substantially imperforate portion separating the upper and lower rows of the slots.
Preferably, as an added feature, the lower flange has plural grooves, each of which is arranged to receive a tie wire wrapped around the hanger so that the tie wire is restrained in said groove against slipping along the hanger. Preferably, moreover, the hanger has an upper flange projecting from the front surface of the main panel, at the upper edge of the main panel and the upper flange having plural grooves, each of which is disposed above one of the grooves of the lower flange.
Preferably, as an added feature, the main panel has, at each of the opposite ends, a pair of slits defining a tab adapted to be bent at a right angle. The tab has a hole arranged to receive a fastener to fasten the tab to a ceiling panel-supporting bar extending at a right angle to the hanger.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of this invention are evident from the following description of a preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1288024 (1918-02-01), Kendig
patent: 4114327 (1978-09-01), Williams
patent: 4606166 (1986-08-01), Platt
patent: 4757967 (1988-07-01), Delmore
patent: 4790505 (1988-12-01), Rose
patent: 4916877 (1990-04-01), Platt
patent: 5405111 (1995-04-01), Medlin
patent: 5516068 (1996-05-01), Rice
patent: 6047517 (2000-04-01), Vrame
S-P Products, Inc., “EZ Bar Hanger System,” two undated pages (admitted prior art).
3244 Corporation
Friedman Carl D.
McDermott Kevin
Rockey Milnamow & Katz Ltd.
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