US1571957A - Combined fixture support and loom fastener - Google Patents

Description

Feb.v 9, 192e. 1,571,957

f E, W. MOON COMBINED FIXTURE SUPPORT AND Loom FASTENER Filed April 21. 1924 Patented F eb. 9, 1926.

FA'ittlhit OFFICE.

EDWARD W. MOON, OF YOUNGSTOWN, NE'W YORK.

COMBINED FIXTURE SUPPORT AND LOOJI FASTENER.

Application filed April 21, 1924. Serial No. 707,882.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD 1V. MOON, a vcitizen lof the United States, residing at Youngstown, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Fixture Supports and Loom Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to4 a combined lixture support and loom fastener, and it more particularly has reference to what is generally referred to in the trade as a crowfoot. Fixture supports of such type are. in common use for attaching electric chandeliers or fixtures to ceilings and walls of buildings. v In a support of the kind known as a crowfoot, used for attaching electric chandeliers to ceilings, walls and the like, no provision is generally made for fastening the loom through which the current conducting wires are passed to prevent withdrawal or displacement of the loom. Short circuiting of the current therefore takes place occasionally, Vowing to the fact that the loom becomes `displaced and the current-conducting wires come in contact with inflammable parts of a building, causing damage.

This invention is an improvement on my previous invention patented to me November 13,1923, No. 1,43,794t, and its primary object is to provide a fixture support of the crow-foot type which will avoid the possibility of short circuits and consequent fires due to the displacement of the loom, and also meet all requirements of the fire underwriters.

Another object ofmy invention is to provide a crow-foot in the form of a stamping, and to equip the same with loom openings and knock outs, and also with one or more mechanical clamps', each adapted to secure one pair of loom elements, or iiexible tubing as such elements are sometimes called, when passed through a pair of openings formed in the base of the device. i

A still further object of my invention is to provide a combined fixture support and loom fastener wherein a comparatively large number of lengths of loom may be fastened in place to accommodate wires leading to different lamps or different clusters of.

lamps.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel features of construction and in the arrangement and f combination of parts to be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

in the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the divisional wall or floor between two stories of a building to the under side or ceiling of which my invention is applied, and illusstrated in connection with a portion of an electric chandelier or light fixture.

Fig. 2 is a detached perspective view of this improved crow-foot.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section through the crow-foot taken on line 3 3, Fig. 1, looking up, the screws fastening the device to the ceiling being omitted.

Fig. i is a vertical section through the crow-foot and a portion of the ceiling, taken on line L -4, Fig. v3, looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section through the crow-foot and a portion of the ceiling taken on line 5-5, Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow crossing said line.

'Referring bynumerals to the drawing, the reference numeral 6 designates a pair of spaced joists, 7 the flooring, 8 the lath, and 9 the plaster, -all forming part of the wall or floor between two stories of a building. Connecting the two joists is a bridge piece 10, and fastened to each joist is a suitable insulation fitting 11 in each of which a length of loom 12 is clamped. Current-conducting wires 13, 1% are passed through the loom and are connected to wires 15, 16, respectively, which are passed through an adapter 17 having the pipe 18 threaded thereinto and forming part of the electric chandelier or light fixture 19, which may be of any desired construction. The light fixture shown in the drawings has a cap 20, which bears against the plaster 9 and encloses the crow-foot and the current conducting wires.

n some types of chandeliers, the pipe 13 is dispensed with, and in such cases the wires 15 and 1G will be otherwise arranged than herein shown, although they will be connected to the wires 13 and 14; extending out through the ends of the loom 12. T he wires l5 and 1G extend out through the lower end of the pipe 18 and are continued down to .the electric lamps with which the el andelier or light iixture may be equipped. ln some cases said wires may be continued along a chain or chains from which the tervals around the wall, is spaced uniformly lamps are suspended, while in other cases the pipe 18 may be lengthened and arms extend outwardly from the pipe or tubeV surrounding the saine, the outer ends of the arms having the electric lamps applied thereto. In a fixture', as last described, the wires l5, 16 will be concealed completely.

2l designates the combined fixture support vand-loom clanrp, generally referred to as a crow-foot. 'It is stan'iped from suitable sheet metal of proper gage to provide the necessary strength and: has a. suitable flat base 22, preferably of circular formation. Said base'has .screw openings therein, through which screws or other fastening devices are passedI which are threaded or driven through' the plaster J and' the lath S and into the bridge piece l0 which provides a solid foundation for the device. From the center ofy said device, the metal is pressed outwardly te form the annular body portion 23 which has a` reverse-ly or inward-ly pressed portion 24 centrally7 therein. This reversely or inwardly pressed portion is cylindrical and internally threaded and forms an axial socket. The fixture support may therefore be said to comprise a fastener portion', preferably in the form of a Hat circular flange or base and a supporting portion stamped outwardly from said fasten-er portion and having the axial socket 24 forming part thereof. The outer end of the socket is connected with the base by a surrounding wall 25 which, at regular ina greater distance from the outer surface of thel socket than the parts of the wall therebetween, thus forming what may be termed legs 26 connecting the' outer end of the axial socket by a uniformly curved portion 27 with the flange or base 22. y rlhese legs, spaced equi-'distantly around the socket, are connected together by portions of the surrounding wall which lie in closer relation to the outer surface ef the axial socket than said legs, and the portions of said .surrounding wall connecting said legs and disposed in closer relation to said socket furnish sufficient room on the base or flange 22 to form loom openings 28 and knockouts 29 therein, each of the knockouts and each of the loom openings being positioned between two of the legs 26. lt is of course to be understood that where more than two lengths of loom are to be employed, the desired number of knockouts 29 will be driven out of the flange to form additional loom openings.

lt may here be stated that, the inner portions of each of the loom openings 28 and the inner portions of each of the knockouts 29 are alined with a portion of the wall surrounding the axial socket so that when a length of loom is passed through one of said openings or through a loom opening formed by driving out one of the linocliouts, it may lie in contact with said surrounding wall between two adjacent legs. lt will be noted that the outer walls of the legs 26 have an exterior convex surface while the parte of said surrounding walls between said legs are exteriorly concaved, the concavity of such i'ntervei'iing' portions being continued to forni the sides of adjacent legs so that the concaved' exterior portions of the surrounding wall between adjacent legs, form a substantial semi-circle, describing one-half of a loom opening or a. knockout, as the case may be.

ln the particular crow-footshown in the drawing, six legs are formed on the body portion of the device and applied to alternate legs are mechanical clamps 30,

each beingadapted to secure one pair of flexible tubing to the device. Each clamp consists of a strip of metal or other suitable material havino an externally' eoncaved portion 3l centrally between its ends, and i-n ternally concaved portions 32 at opposite ends of said externally concaved portions' or, in other words, each strip takes the form of a double reverse curve, the end portions thereof siibstantia'llyv conforming to the formation of the loom or flexiblev tubing used in connection with the device.

Passed through the externally concaved portion of each clamp is a clainping screw :38 which threads into one of thelegs formed on the body portion' of said device.'- By unthreading such clamping screw, the clamp f cned thereby may be moved outwardly to provide sutlicient clearance to freely pass looms through two looml openings in the .flange and outwardly in contactw'ith two concaved portions ofgsa-id body portion at opposite sides-of said leg. Upon tightening the clamping screw, the clamp' will be' forced in firm contact withv looms andy prevent withdrawal of the saine from the device. Inv the drawing l have shown two clamps, but only one in use therefore, if desired` the second clamp could be removed from ythe device. llirhen additional curient-conducting wires are required on the light fixture supported by the device, the second clamp could be easily placed in service. lVh'ere` three pairs of looms are to be employed, a third clamp will be employed in connection with the rcmaining leg equipped with a clamping screw opening, such as shown at 34 in Fig. 3. Each clamp employed is co-extensive with and co-operates with two loom openings.

The connection between the outer end of the axial socket 24 and the outer end of the wall surrounding the same being u'niforn'ily rounded, gives the' outer end of the body portion a neat appearance. Viewing said body portionA from the side, the wall surrounding the axial socketis tapered from the base or flange 22 to the outer end of the device and has regularly spaced concaved depressions forming what I have referred to as legs between said depressions, and in line with the wall of each depression is a loom opening, or a knockout formed by partly severing the metal of the base so that portion thereof may be forced out of the base to form additional loom openings.

Viewing the device from another angle, it comprises an integral cro\vfoot stamped from a sheet of metal of proper gage, or other suitable material, to provide a flange or other fastener portion, and a supporting or body portion in the form of an internallythreaded axial socket having its inner end free or disconnected from other parts of the device, while its outer cnd is connected to the base by a recurved portion and a surrounding wall, said recurved portion merging into the wall of said socket and into the surrounding wall to provide a neatly linished rounded outer end for the device.

The device may also be referred to as having a fastener portion in the form of a circular or other shaped flange, an outwardlypressed portion inwardly pressed at its central region to form a supporting socket extending inwardly into the outwardly pressed portion.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A light-fixture support comprising a crow foot having a flange, an axial socket and a wall surrounding said socket an-d connecting the outer end thereof with said flange, said flange having a loom opening therein, and a clamp secured to said surrounding wall and adapted to securely fasten a length of loom passed through said loom opening.

2. A light-fixture support stamped from a single sheet of material and having a flat fastener portion, an outwardly extending body portion having its inner end connected to said fastener portion and having an inwardly-pressed or extended socket arranged axially therein, said flange having loo-m openings therein, a clamp applied to said body portion and being` co-extensive with said loom openings, and a screw passed through said clamp between its ends and threaded into said body portion.

8. A light-fixture support formed of a 1 single piece of material and having a circular flange provided with screw holes and a pair of loom openings, an axially-disposed socket and a wall surrounding said socket and connecting the same with said flange, said wall having concaved portions in line with said loom openings, and a clamp fastened to said surrounding wall between said concaved portions and having internally concaved portions at opposite ends opposing the concaved portions of said surrounding wall.

center is inwardly pressed to form a socket,

said outwardly-pressed central portion forming a. circular flange at its inner end having a pair,` of loom openings there-- through, and a clamp secured to said outwardly-pressed central portion and having` inner concaved surfaces at opposite ends adapted to engage loom passed through said loom openings.

A light-fixture support stamped from a single piece of metal having a circular flange, an axial socket and an outwardly tapering` wall surrounding said socket and connecting said flange with the outer end of said socket, said outwardly tapering wall having concaved portions around the same at regular intervals forming legs therebetween, said flange having loom openings in line with two of said concaved portions, and knockouts in line with the remaining ooncaved portions, and a loom clamp fastened to the leg between said loom openings, alternate legs being provided with means adapted for co-operation with additional clamps to be used when removing said kncckouts from said clamp.

6. A light-fixture support stamped from a single piece of material and having` a base in the form of a flange provided with openings adapted to receive fastening devices, an axial socket and an outwardly tapering wall connecting` said flange with the outer end of said socket, said outwardly tapering wall having portions concaved circumferentially at regular intervals around the same and having the intervening portions thereof of convex formation circumferentially to form legs between said concaved portions, said flange having a loom opening in line with each of two said concaved portions, and a knockout in line with each of the remaining concaved portions` and clamps adapted to be fastened to alternate legs, clamps not in use to be removed from their co-operating legs.

7. A light-fixture support stamped from a single piece of metal and having a circular base in the form of a flange provided with screw openings, a pair of loom openings and a plurality of knockouts, said loom openings and knockouts being spaced equidistantlyv around said flange, an internally threaded axial socket and an outwardly tapered wall connecting said flange with the outer end of said axial socket and merged therewith by a rounded portion forming the outer end of said support, said outwardly tapering wall ha\1ing concaved portions spaced cqui-distantly7 around the same to form legs therebetween, said legs being of Convex formation circumferentially and the vsidee thereoll nier-ging into said col-leaved screw hole of the leg between said looin poi-tions, said eoncaved portions being alined openings and into the screw holes o the re- Wirh the inner half of said knockouts and inaining leg. or legs when the knockonts at 10 forming' the inner` portion of said loom openopposite sides of said ren'iuiningr leg or legs ings, alternate legs being provided with are driven from said flange.

Screw holes, and looni clampshaVi-ng clzunp- In testimony whereofl. affix my signature. ing screws adapted to be threaded into the EDVARD 7. MOON.

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