Adjustable hanger for elongated wall mounted members

A hanger for mounting elongated members relative to a wall surface which permits alignment of the elongated member in a direction perpendicular to the surface, and also in both directions along the surface. The uses of the hangers find particular application in hanging elongated fluorescent light troffers or mounting tubes, and for mounting other devices such as a lighted hand rail or an unlighted hand rail for stairways.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to adjustable hangers that permits adjusting 
a mounting point for elongated members in three different mutually 
perpendicular directions. 
2. Prior Art 
Various hangers for lighting fixtures or support devices for fixtures have 
been advanced. Devices that fasten into a wall includes items shown in 
U.S. Pat. Nos. 909,769 and 948,095. U.S. Pat. No. 2,967,692 illustrates a 
ceiling fixture support which has a slotted adjustment member that adjusts 
the support in a plane parallel to the ceiling, and does permit adjustment 
in two directions within this plane. U.S. Pat. No. 2,329,243 shows a type 
of eccentric washer that can be rotated for providing adjustment for 
improperly located mounting holes for a mounting screw. This also shows 
adjustment in directions along the plane of a wall on which the members 
are to be mounted. 
U.S. Pat. No. 1,197,052 also shows a wall mounting stud or bolt which has a 
fixture securing means that is adjustable. Another example of a hanger 
device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,943,137. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to hanger units for elongated members that 
have to be supported at two or more spaced points and spaced outwardly 
from a surface such as a supporting wall or other hanger apparatus, in 
which there is a provision for adjustment to insure proper alignment of 
the connections between the wall and the elongated member in three 
mutually perpendicular directions. Two of the directions lie generally in 
the plane of the wall or the supporting surface, and the other direction 
of adjustment is perpendicular to the wall surface. 
Further, the device of this invention provides a unique way of obtaining 
rapid, and quick connection for adjustable devices where the device 
permits adjustment in two directions in a plane for alignment purposes, 
and where the in and out alignment is not critical. 
In one form of the invention, a twist lock connector member is attached in 
a fixed position to a supporting wall, and an outer support housing can be 
twist locked into place and held securely. The housing can carry a stud or 
bolt for mounting the elongated member and by providing either a slotted, 
or an eccentric mounting connector member, adjustment in two directions in 
the plane of the wall can be achieved. 
In and out adjustment is achieved by using a separate sleeve that slips 
over the hanger unit mounting member and can be trimmed to length to 
provide the in and out adjustment and thereafter the elongated member can 
be bolted solidly to the supporting unit and retained in position spaced 
from the wall. 
The hanger unit is relatively simple to mass produce by casting or other 
known techniques and permits on-site adjustment across a wide range of 
variances in location of mounting inserts that are normally placed into a 
concrete wall, for example when the wall is formed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
An elongated member to be supported indicated generally at 10, in this 
particular instance comprises a tubular member in the form of a 
fluorescent troffer or support for fluorescent light tubes. This elongated 
member is supported with respect to a wall 11 at two or more substantially 
spaced points, and the wall can be a concrete wall having present screw 
anchors in the wall for mounting such an elongated member. The spacing of 
the screw anchors is generally not very precise, and will vary greatly. 
Thus, it is necessary, because the troffer is a rigid member and the 
attachment holes or openings on the troffer are fixed in location, to 
provide for an adjustment in the plane of the wall in both directions so 
that alignment of the supporting studs for the elongated member can be 
achieved by adjustable devices. Further, in and out spacing relative to 
the wall should be adjustable because the wall may not be completely 
planar, but can have dips or protrusions that would make the spacing vary 
between attachment points while, of course, the rigid tube or troffer 
would not conform to the undulations of the wall. 
A suitable adjustable attaching member or hanger unit indicated generally 
at 12 is utilized in the first embodiment of the invention. The adjustment 
member 12 as can be seen in FIGS. 2-4, generally comprises a twist lock 
mounting plate (clamp member) 13 that in this form of the invention has a 
slotted opening 14 in the center thereof that is elongated in a direction 
parallel to the wall, and is held relative to the wall in a fixed location 
through the use of a cap screw (fastener member) 15. The cap screw in turn 
is threadably mounted into a cap screw anchor 16 that is anchored in the 
wall. The plate 13 in this form of the invention has three twist lock ears 
13a spaced 120.degree. apart and extending outwardly of the central 
portion thereof, and the twist lock ears have tapered surfaces 17a at the 
rear side thereof (side adjacent the wall) so that they form cam surfaces 
that taper inwardly toward the wall in clockwise direction as is shown in 
FIG. 4. 
A support housing indicated generally at 20 as shown is generally tubular, 
but has a first twist lock end wall 21, that provides three ears 22 that 
extend radially inwardly of the tubular wall 20a and are spaced to be 
passed between ears 17 to be located between ears 13a and wall 11. Thus 
the ears 22 provide an opening in the first end of the housing of a size 
to have ears 13a moved therethrough and thereafter the housing twisted so 
that the housing is cammed inwardly toward the wall so that the clamp 
member 13 clamps it against the wall. The opposite end of the housing 
indicated at 23 supports a cap screw or stud 24 that in turn protrudes 
axially away from the housing and the wall 11 and can pass through an 
aperture in the troffer or tube 10 which comprises the elongated member to 
be supported. Normally tube 10 will have some access so that a nut 25 can 
be threaded over the bolt or stud 24, and the troffer securely held or 
tightened down. 
In order to provide for adjustment of distance between the surface of the 
wall 11 and the elongated member 10, a sleeve 26 that surrounds the 
housing 20 and is of a greater axial length than the housing is positioned 
over the housing 20 and is trimmed in length at its base end, indicated at 
26a, so that the in and out position of the tube or elongated member 10 
can be precisely arranged after the wall has been erected and the mounting 
member and housing have been initially placed in position. After the 
sleeve has been trimmed and the mounting bolt 24 extended through the 
troffer aperture, nut 25 is threaded onto the bolt. 
Referring to FIG. 2, it can be seen that the elongated member 10 in this 
form is a fluorescent troffer including fluorescent light tubes 27, 
mounted on a support 28 that is held in a suitable manner. A suitable 
cover indicated at 29 also can be utilized in this device and this case 
would be transparent so that light could pass through the cover. 
FIG. 1 illustrates the in and out adjustment as well, where the sleeve can 
be trimmed to fit the existing wall, merely by cutting off the base end of 
the sleeve 26 shown there, and as shown the end fitting against the tube 
10 can be cut into a curved shape so that the fit is tight. Then the nut 
25 can be tightened down securely to insure that the troffer 10 is held in 
place with the sleeve held firmly in position between wall 11 and member 
10. 
FIGS. 5 and 7 illustrate clamp member 13, with the cam surface of ear 17 
being indicated at 17 in FIG. 5. The adjustment through the use of the 
slot 14 can be in any direction in the plane of the wall. In other words, 
by rotating the ear 13a slightly, and sliding the support 13 relative to 
the stud 15, the hanger unit can be adjusted into any desired position in 
a plane parallel to the wall. 
Shown in dotted lines in FIG. 6 are the ears 22 formed in one end wall of 
the housing 20. As can be seen the ears 22 will fit between the ears 17, 
and wall 11 and then by rotating the housing clockwise, the ears 22 will 
slip against the cam surface 17 and be held in position by the ears 13a. 
The housing can be provided with access openings, if desired, for 
tightening the cap screw 15 into place, merely by removing portions of the 
tubular wall or opposite end wall of the housing 20, as shown at 20b in 
FIG. 4. 
In the second embodiment, an elongated member 40 is supported relative to 
the wall 11, through the use of a modified hanger unit, generally 
designated 41. In this case, a mounting plate or clamp member 42 is 
attached to the wall, through the use of a cap screw 43 which is threaded 
into a screw anchor 44 in the wall. The clamp member 42 is a washer type 
support that has a radially outer circular flange 42a to provide a 
continuous annular shoulder whereby an annular space is defined between 
the surface of the wall 11 and the axial inner surface of the flange. The 
shoulder can be tapered slightly radially inwardly in an axial direction 
toward the wall to permit tightening the housing 45 which as shown is 
partially tubular, against the wall 11 to securely fasten the housing in 
position. In this particular instance, it can be seen that the circular 
opening 42b for the cap screw 43 in the washer 42 is eccentric with 
respect to the center axis of the washer so that by rotating the washer 
about the cap screw, the outer periphery of the washer and the flange 42a 
will be arranged in a different location relative to the center axis of 
cap screw 43 to provide for adjustment in two different directions in the 
plane of the wall. 
Housing 45 in this form of the invention has an inner annular flange 45a at 
one end thereof which fits under the flange 42a, and at the other end, the 
end wall 46 thereof is provided with a stud 47 that protrudes outwardly 
from the housing tubular wall and end wall 26. Stud 47 in turn is 
eccentric with respect to the longitudinal central axis of the housing 45 
so that when the housing is rotated about its central axis with respect to 
the washer 42, the amount of offset of the stud 47 from the central axis 
of the cap screw 43 will be varied to provide for an additional adjustment 
to align the stud with the opening 40a that is shown in the tube 40. 
The housing 45 can also be provided with side openings 48 on opposite sides 
of the tubular wall 45b thereof which are of sufficient size so that the 
washer 42 can be slid into position inside the housing when the unit is to 
be assembled, i.e. each opening 48 being of a size to have washer 42 
inserted therethrough. An opening 49 can be provided in the end wall 46 
for tightening down the cap screw 43, or the cap screw 43 also can be made 
accessible from the openings 48. 
A sleeve 50 in this form of the invention is of a substantially larger 
diameter than the housing 45, so that the eccentricity of the housing 
relative the central axis of cap screw 43 does not cause interference with 
the interior of the sleeve 50. The sleeve 50 is used for adjusting the 
distance of the tube from the support wall, as previously explained 
relative sleeve 26, but in this instance it would center or assume its 
desired position relative to the housing 45 regardless of the fact that 
the housing 45 may be in a position where the stud 47 is off center from 
the center line of the sleeve. 
Thus, in the second embodiment of the invention, the same concept of using 
an attachment member, a housing held by the mounting plate relative to the 
wall which can be adjusted in two directions in the plane of the wall, and 
a sleeve that can be adjusted in length for permitting positioning 
relative to the wall surface are shown in combination. Stud 47, of course, 
can have a nut 47a threaded on to the stud for holding the tube or 
elongated member 40 in a position abutting against the sleeve. 
A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 12, and in this form 
of the invention, a clamp member or washer 55 which is constructed 
substantially similar to the washer 42 is utilized, except that a slot 55a 
that is elongated in a plane parallel to the wall is formed in the washer. 
The mounting member 55 can be held in place with a cap screw 43 as 
previously explained, and held relative to the wall 11 with a suitable 
screw anchor 44. The cap screw (fastener member) 56 can be of any desired 
form, and access openings 57 will also be provided in the housing 60 for 
permitting the washer 55 to be inserted into the housing. 
A stud 58 is positioned in an outer end wall 59 of the housing 60 to extend 
through an aperture in tube 61 and this will hold the tube (elongated 
member) 61 in the normal position when a nut is threaded on the stud. In 
this form of of the invention, the stud 58 is centered on the central axis 
of the housing, and the slot and the washer 55 provides for adjustment in 
two directions in the plane of the wall. Again, here a sleeve 63 is 
utilized to provide for an adjustment for the spacing between the tube 61 
and the surface of the wall 11, and by trimming the sleeve 63 to the 
desired length after the tube mounting unit has been properly positioned. 
A fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, and in 
this form of the invention a mounting member 80 is utilized. The mounting 
member 80 is cylindrical and has an exterior threaded wall 81. Further 
member 80 has a slot 82 extended therethrough that is elongated in a plane 
parallel to the wall 11. The mounting member can be held in place with a 
cap screw (fastener member) 84 threaded into a suitable screw anchor 85 
that is mounted by the wall 11. 
An annular housing 87 of a substantially greater axial length than the 
mounting member is provided at one end portion with internal threads 88 
that form a mating fit with threads 81. The opposite end portion of the 
housing is provided with internal threads 89 that form a mating fit with 
the threads 90 of a plug 92 for mounting the plug on the housing. 
A stud 94 is mounted by the plug to extend through an aperture in tube 
(elongated member) 91 and this will hold the elongated member in the 
normal position when a nut 95 is threaded on the stud. The stud is 
centered on the central axis of the housing to extend outwardly thereof in 
a direction away from the mounting member 80. A sleeve 97 of a diameter to 
slip over the housing and of a greater axial length than the housing is 
utilized to provide for an adjustment between the elongated member 91 and 
the surface of the wall, the one end of the tube being cut to form a 
mating fit with the elongated member as described with reference to 
previously described embodiments. 
In use of the fourth embodiment the fastener 84 is extended through slot 82 
and threaded into anchor 85. The housing 87 may be threaded onto the 
mounting member either before or after the fastener is extended through 
the slot 82, the mounting member being provided with two holes 98 to 
accept a spanner wrench to permit turning the mounting member relative the 
housing. Before tightening the screw 84, an aligner tool (not shown) that 
includes a cylindrical portion which may be slid into threaded portion 89 
and a pointer that extends axially outwardly of the cylindrical portion 
about the same distance the stud extends outwardly of plug 92 is slid into 
the housing with the pointer adjacent a string line that extends along the 
mounting apertures of the elongated member. Now the housing and mounting 
member are rotated about cap screw 84 and/or are moved to vary the 
position of the cap screw relative the length of the slot 82 until the 
pointer's pointed end is aligned with the string-line. 
While the housing is retained in this adjusted position the alignment tool 
is removed and the cap screw is tightened. Thereafter the plug is threaded 
into the housing and the elongated member secured to the stud 94 in the 
manner previously indicated. The exterior surface of the plug may be 
provided with holes such as holes 98 for accepting a spanner wrench for 
turning the plug relative to the housing. 
The cap screws, mounting bolts or studs can be hollow, if desired, to 
permit wiring to be passed through the studs into the interior of the 
tubular member that is being supported, for powering lights or other units 
that might be positioned into such tubes. Also, in place of a screw anchor 
and cap screw, a bolt can be extended through the wall or supporting wall 
for mounting the clamp member thereon without the use of a screw anchor.