Y-connect fastener for ceiling fan blades

An apparatus for firmly fastening a fan blade to bracket arm of a ceiling fan motor, the fan blade having a plurality of mounting apertures extending transversely through an inward end of the fan blade, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of protuberant members extending from the bracket arm, said protuberant members having shank portions and head portions which fit through the apertures in the blade to extend outward of the fan blade, on an opposite side of the fan blade from the bracket arm;
• a rotary plate fastener having an upper surface, a lower surface and peripheral edge portions extending between said upper and lower surfaces, said peripheral edge portions having openings which are aligned for registering adjacent to said shank portions of said protuberant members extending through the fan blade;
• wherein said openings are C-shaped and have closed sides which extend a minimum of one-hundred and eighty degrees around a circumference of said shank portions of said protuberant members, and said openings have open sides disposed opposite of said closed sides;
• said rotary plate fastener further having tabs which extend from an opposite side of said rotary plate fastener from the fan blade, for pressing against to rotate said rotary plate fastener relative to the fan blade and said protuberant members;
• said openings including a first opening and second openings, said first opening adapted for defining an axis and receiving a first one of said protuberant members along said axis for rotating said rotary plate fastener about said axis, and said second openings aligned with said open sides disposed for receiving respective ones of said protuberant members as said rotary plate fastener is rotated around said axis;
• and
• wherein said rotary plate fastener is first moved to disposed said first opening around said first one of said protuberant members, and then rotated about said first one of said protuberance members to twist said second openings around said shank portions of respective ones of said protuberant members, such that said rotary plate fastener is pressed between a said head portions of said protuberant members and a surface of the fan blade.

An apparatus for firmly fastening a fan blade to bracket arm mounted to a ceiling fan motor, the fan blade having a plurality of mounting apertures extending transversely through an inward end of the fan blade, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of protuberant members extending from the bracket arm, said protuberant members having shank portions and head portions which fit through the apertures in the fan blade to extend outward of the fan blade, on an opposite side of the fan blade from the bracket arm;
• a rotary plate fastener having an upper surface, a lower surface and peripheral edge portions extending between said upper and lower surfaces, said peripheral edge portions having openings which are aligned for registering adjacent to said shank portions of said protuberant members extending through the fan blade;
• wherein said openings have closed sides which extend a minimum of one-hundred and eighty degrees around a circumference of said shank portions of said protuberant members, with at least one surface of said rotary plate fastener disposed for engaging said head portions of said protuberant members when said protuberant members are disposed within respective ones of said openings, and said openings have open sides disposed opposite of said closed sides;
• wherein said protuberant members are defined by a threaded fastener and a bushing, said threaded fastener having a shank which extends through said bushing and a head which fits atop said bushing, and said bushing being formed of a resilient material having a first portion which fits snugly within one of said apertures of the fan blade and a second portion which fits snugly within one of said openings in said peripheral edge portions of said rotary plate fastener;
• said openings including a first opening and second openings, said first opening lineally extending to define an axis and receiving a first one of said protuberant members along said axis for rotating said rotary plate fastener about said axis, and said second openings configured with said open sides disposed along at least one arcuate projection line which extends around said axis, such that said open sides are aligned for receiving respective ones of said protuberant members as said rotary plate fastener is rotated around said axis;
• and
• wherein said rotary plate fastener is first lineally moved to disposed said first opening around said first one of said protuberant members such that said first one of said protuberant member is disposed adjacent said peripheral edge portion and along said axis, and then rotated about said first one of said protuberant members to twist said second openings around said shank portions of respective ones of said protuberant members, such that said rotary plate fastener is pressed between said head portions of said protuberant members and a surface of the fan blade.