Abstract: An assembly for quickly and easily mounting fan blades to a ceiling fan. The assembly includes a plurality of blade holders and a quick-connect mount. Each blade holder includes a coupling tongue having a locking groove located in its upper surface. The quick-connect mount is mountable to a driven part of the ceiling fan and includes a blade holder support and a cover. The blade holder support has a plurality of receivers for receiving the coupling tongues of the blade holders. The cover is rotatably attached to the blade holder support upwardly adjacent the support. The cover has a downwardly-depending skirt around its outer periphery and an annular blade lock on the surface adjacent the blade holder support. The skirt has a notch and the blade lock has a gap that are in radial alignment with each other and are selectively alignable with the receivers upon rotation of the cover and the support relative to one another.

Abstract: A mounting device for mounting an electrical fixture to an overhead support and electrically connecting the fixture to an electrical supply. The mounting device includes a mounting plate, a coupling plate, an electrical receptacle and an electrical plug. The device also includes a cap for covering receptacle terminals and a ball and socket support for the fixture. The mounting plate attaches to a junction box and contains the receptacle, which connects to an electrical supply. The coupling plate attaches to an electrical fixture and rotatably engages the receiving plate. The plug is rotatably secured to the coupling plate and includes a plurality of electrical conductors and a skirt surrounding the conductors. The receptacle includes a body having a plurality of sockets for receiving the conductors and an outer periphery shaped to slidably engage the inner periphery of the plug skirt. Rotation prevention screws may be used to avoid plate separation.

Abstract: An electrical plug and receptacle having safety features is provided. The plug includes a body, at least two conductors, and a skirt. The conductors extend from the body and are laterally surrounded by the skirt. The skirt is retractable into the body so that when the plug is used with a conventional receptacle, the skirt retracts into the body as the conductors are inserted the sockets of the receptacle, shielding a user from inadvertently touching the conductors. The plug further includes a toggle stop that locks the skirt into its fully extended position for using the plug with a safety electrical outlet assembly of the present invention. The safety outlet assembly includes a cover and a receptacle adapted to be secured to an electrical junction box. The receptacle has a receiver adapted to matingly engage the skirt on the safety plug.

Abstract: An electrical plug and receptacle having safety features is provided. The plug includes a body, at least two conductors, and a skirt. The conductors extend from the body and are laterally surrounded by the skirt. The skirt is retractable into the body so that when the plug is used with a conventional receptacle, the skirt retracts into the body as the conductors are inserted the sockets of the receptacle, shielding a user from inadvertently touching the conductors. The plug further includes a toggle stop that locks the skirt into its fully extended position for using the plug with a safety electrical outlet assembly of the present invention. The safety outlet assembly includes a cover and a receptacle adapted to be secured to an electrical junction box. The receptacle has a receiver adapted to matingly engage the skirt on the safety plug.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of ceiling fans and includes a first plate (16) attached to a ceiling junction box and a plug plate (42) to be rotatably joined to the first plate and fixed in a final position by locking screws (70) that pass through apertures (64, 66) in one plate and into bores (38, 40) in the other plate. The locking screws (70) are usable to fix a fan bell to the plug plate. The plug plate (42) includes slidably engageable flat contact strips (204a, 204b). The plates include an initial orientation key (206) for fitting into an oval opening (214) and the first plate may include a spring biased shock protector for blocking access to live contacts (204a) when the plates are not connected. The plates (300, FIGS. 16, 17) may be formed in slidably adjustable sections for use with different size fan bells.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to the general field of ceiling fans and more particularly to the field of ceiling fans with easy install features. Such a fan includes an electrical quick connect device and an articulating fan blade assembly. The quick connect device includes a plug/receptacle configuration enabling the fan to easily connect to an electricity supply while providing the gravitational and rotational support required by the fan. The fan blade assembly includes a drive hub having a series of slots to receive the neck of a fan blade. The fan blade neck is secured in the slot in a fashion that allows for articulation of the blade relative to the fan or removal of the fan blade from the fan.

Abstract: A hanger assembly for attachment to a construction member or other commerically available ceiling fan support. The hanger assembly has an electrical box and a pair of support rods. The electrical box is a standard electrical box which has been modified by adding a pair of holes in the back thereof, each of the holes being in axial alignment with the respective threaded hole of the corresponding electrical box ear. Each of the support rods has a first threaded end section, a second threaded end section, a smooth section adjacent to the first threaded end section and a spline section intermediate the second threaded end section and the smooth section. The respective support rod is secured to the back of the electrical box after the first threaded end section is inserted into the corresponding back hole. The spline section of the respective support rod is in frictional engagement with the corresponding threaded ear hole.

Abstract: A hanger assembly for one-handed mounting between opposing surfaces of wall studs or ceiling joists in normally inaccessible places. The hanger assembly has telescoping elements with toothed ends which are adapted to pierce into wall studs or ceiling joints when the elements are extended. The telescoping elements are spread apart by planting starter teeth on the follower element into a stud or joist and then turning a main body element until the end teeth of the follower element and the end teeth of the main body unit are fully embedded. The follower element is preferably spring loaded so as to provide the hanger assembly with a following or self-adjusting action. The self-adjusting action causes the hanger assembly to adapt to deformations of the wall studs or ceiling joists and to retain the compressive attachment integrity of the hanger assembly.

Abstract: A hanger assembly for one-handed mounting between opposing surfaces of wall studs or ceiling joists in normally inaccessible places. The hanger assembly has telescoping elements with a pilot screw and load bearing teeth on each end. Each end is independently installed. The pilot screw is used to pull in and attach the load bearing teeth on the respective end into a wooden joist or stud. The installation is thus accomplished without requiring or experiencing installation jackscrew forces which would disturb the joist and ceiling boards causing ceiling board nail displacement.