US 8,297,579 B1Granted

Electrical box hanger assembly for a suspended ceiling

AssigneeArlington Industries, Inc.

InventorThomas J. Gretz

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Abstract

A hanger assembly for supporting an electrical box above a drop ceiling having a grid supporting structure. The assembly includes an elongated one-piece bar with a U-shaped cross-section, an end bracket secured at each end of the bar, a center bracket, an anchor bar, and an electrical box. The end brackets include an inner leg for resting on the horizontal ledges of adjacent T-rails and arms for loosely fitting over the top of the T-rails. A fastening arrangement for securing the electrical box to the elongated bar enables mounting the electrical box in two ways. The electrical box can be mounted with its sides square with the bar or with the sides at a 45° angle to the bar. Mounting the electrical box with the sides at a 45° angle provides full access to all knockout apertures in the sidewalls of the electrical box.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An electrical box hanger assembly for use on a suspended ceiling comprising:

a one-piece elongated bar including a base portion, two sides extending upward from said base portion, a longitudinal axis, and two ends;
an end piece secured to each end of said elongated bar, each of said end pieces including an end plate, two arms extending outward from said end plate, and two legs extending downward from said end plate;
an electrical box extending upward from said elongated bar, said electrical box including a bottom wall in contact with said elongated bar, sidewalls, and a pair of apertures in said bottom wall;
a center bracket for securing said electrical box to said bar, said center bracket is of substantially U-shaped cross-section including a bottom, two sides, and two wings extending from said sides of said center bracket;
a fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said elongated bar in either of two orientations;
said fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said elongated bar includes two pairs of apertures in said wings of said center bracket, each of said pairs of apertures aligned upon an axis, said axes through each of said pairs of apertures are at an angle of 45° with respect to one another;
and
said orientations including a first orientation with said sidewalls of said electrical box at a 45° angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said bar and a second orientation with said sidewalls of said electrical box square with respect to said longitudinal axis of said bar.

5 more elements

An electrical box hanger assembly for use on a suspended ceiling comprising:

a one-piece elongated bar including a base portion, two sides extending upward from said base portion, a longitudinal axis, and two ends;
an end piece secured to each end of said elongated bar, each of said end pieces including an end plate, two arms extending outward from said end plate, and two legs extending downward from said end plate;
an electrical box extending upward from said elongated bar, said electrical box including a bottom wall in contact with said elongated bar, sidewalls, and a pair of apertures in said bottom wall;
a center bracket for securing said electrical box to said bar;
a fastening arrangement for securing said electrical box to said elongated bar in either of two orientations;
said orientations including a first orientation with said sidewalls of said electrical box at a 45° angle with respect to said longitudinal axis of said bar and a second orientation with said sidewalls of said electrical box square with respect to said longitudinal axis of said bar;
an anchor bar for anchoring said hanger assembly from an overhead support;
said anchor bar includes two legs extending from said base portion of said elongated bar, a top portion extending between said legs of said anchor bar, and a clip member on each of said legs;
said clip members each include a base portion substantially perpendicular to said legs and a post portion extending from said base portion;
and
said post portion is substantially parallel to said legs.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.