Abstract:
A ceiling hook (H) comprises a fastener (F) for anchoring in a support structure, and a locking ring in the form of an anti-rotation washer (W). The washer (W) includes anchoring teeth ( 34 ) for stationarily mounting the washer (W) to the ceiling. The hook member ( 12 ) and the washer (W) comprise co-operating locking ratchet elements ( 22, 28 ) for locking the fastener (F) to the washer (W) and thus preventing the fastener (F) from loosening from the ceiling. The washer (W) defines at a central opening ( 30 ) thereof at least one notch ( 32 ) with the fastener (F) defining at least one tab with ( 26 ), the notch ( 32 ) being slidable through the tab ( 26 ) for mounting the washer (W) to the fastener (F) and then allowing it to rotate between the tab ( 26 ) and the book member ( 12 ), whereby the washer (W) is prevented from being removed from the fastener (F) unless the tab ( 26 ) and notch ( 32 ) are aligned.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to anchors and, more particularly, to threaded anchors adapted to be secured to walls and ceilings for attaching an object thereto. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     There exist various types of fasteners which are adapted to be engaged in walls or ceilings, for instance in boards made of gypsum which generally constitute these walls and ceilings. Such fasteners may be used to mount various articles, such as picture frames, brackets, to walls or may be used, for instance, in the form of hooks which are engaged in ceilings for suspending articles therefrom, such as plant hangers. Particularly in the case of fasteners secured to ceilings for suspending items therefrom, it often happens that the items, such as hanging plants, rotate about a generally vertical axis, for instance when a plant is manually rotated in order to water it from different sides. In these cases, the attachment of the hanging article to the fastener which often takes the form of a hook, may force the fastener to rotate with respect to the ceiling along a direction which gradually loosens, i.e. unscrews, the fastener which ultimately can disengage from the ceiling under the weight of the suspended article and this may result in damaged articles, messes and even injury. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an aim of the present invention to provide a new anchor adapted to be rotatably fastened to walls and ceilings and which includes a locking mechanism for preventing an easy unintended rotation thereof with respect to the walls or ceilings. 
     It is also an aim of the present invention to provide a new anchor in the form of a hook especially adapted for rotatable engagement thereof by way of a threaded screw-like portion of the anchor to a ceiling for suspending articles therefrom. 
     Therefore, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a fastener for anchoring in a support structure in combination with a locking unit for substantially preventing the fastener from accidentally loosening from the support structure, comprising a first member adapted to be inserted in the support structure for firmly anchoring said fastener thereto and also comprising a second member adapted to be located externally of the support structure, said locking unit including anchoring means for stationarily mounting said locking unit to the support structure, said second member and said locking unit comprising co-operating locking elements for locking said fastener to said locking unit and thus preventing said fastener from loosening from the support structure. 
     Also in accordance with the present invention, there is provided a method for securing a fastener to a support structure and substantially preventing the fastener from accidentally loosening from the support structure, comprising providing a fastener adapted to be partly inserted in the support structure for firmly anchoring the fastener thereto; providing a locking unit and stationarily mounting said locking unit to the support structure; and providing means for locking said fastener to said locking unit for preventing said fastener from accidentally loosening from the support structure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Having thus generally described the nature of the invention, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, showing by way of illustration a preferred embodiment thereof, and in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an anchor in accordance with the present invention shown in the form of a ceiling hook; 
     FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of a fastener of the ceiling hook of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the fastener of FIG. 2; 
     FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the fastener of FIG. 2 but shown from an opposite side thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the ceiling hook of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the ceiling hook of FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 7 is a top plan view of an anti-rotation washer of the ceiling hook of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 8 is an elevational view of the washer of FIG. 7; 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the anchor of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 10 a top plan view of the anchor of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 11 a perspective view of another anchor in accordance with the present invention, also shown in the form of a ceiling hook; 
     FIG. 12 is a side elevational view of the anchor of FIG. 11; and 
     FIG. 13 is a top plan view of the anchor of FIG.  11 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     In accordance with the present invention, FIGS. 1,  9  and  10  illustrate a ceiling hook H which includes two components, namely a threaded fastener F and an anti-rotation washer W which are respectively illustrated in detail in FIGS. 2 to  6  and  7  and  8 . 
     Now referring to FIGS. 2 to  6 , the threaded fastener F comprises a threaded member  10  in the form of a screw and a hook member  12  securely mounted to the threaded member  10 . The threaded member  10  includes threads  14  which are particularly adapted for secure anchoring in gypsum boards which are typically found in the constructions of walls and ceiling. Obviously, the threads  14  may be differently configured such as to comply receiving materials other than gypsum. The hook member  12  includes an upper disc-like member  16  and an integral hook  18  extending downwardly therefrom. The disc member  16  includes an upper surface  20  with a pair of diametrically opposed ratchet teeth  22  extending upwardly therefrom, as best seen in FIGS. 2,  3  and  6 . 
     The threaded member  10  includes a lower circular head  24  which is provided with a pair of diametrically opposed, radially extending, elongated tabs  26  which are slightly spaced apart from the upper surface  20  of the disc member  16  of the hook member  12 , as best seen in FIG.  3 . 
     Now turning to FIGS. 7 and 8, the anti-rotation washer has a generally annular shape with a series of successively arranged ratchet tongues  28  being provided along the outer periphery thereof. The washer W defines a central opening  30  which is generally circular in shape except for a pair of diametrically opposed notches  32 . Between the central opening  30  and the ratchet tongues  28 , the washer W defines a number of upwardly extending anchoring teeth  34  of pointed configuration and which are, in the illustrated embodiment, in the number of four (4) equally distributed along the washer W and have been defined by stamping cutting the washer W and folding the teeth  34  until they extend substantially perpendicularly to the general plane of the washer W. 
     To assemble the washer W to the threaded fastener F, the threaded member  10  of the fastener F is inserted through the central opening  30  of the washer w such that the pointed anchoring teeth  34  of the washer W extend in a same direction as the threaded member  10 . The washer W is brought into contacting engagement with the upper surface  20  of the fastener F by aligning the notches  32  of the washer W with the tabs  26  of the head  24  of the threaded member  10 . If such an alignment is not made, the washer will be prevented from reaching the upper surface  20  by the tabs  26 . 
     Then, the washer W is rotated clockwise (when viewed from above in FIG. 1) relative to the fastener F to cause a disalignment between the tabs  26  and the notches  32  thereby preventing disengagement of the washer W from the fastener F. It is understood that the thickness of the washer W inwardly of the anchoring teeth  34  thereof is less than the spacing between the tabs  26  and the upper surface  20 ; indeed, this is required in order to allow the washer W to be below the tabs  26  when the washer W rests on the upper surface  20  thereby allowing the washer W to be rotated with respect to the fastener F. 
     When the washer W is rotated along the upper surface  20  and below the tabs  26 , its ratchet tongues  28  ride along the ratchet teeth  22  provided on the upper surface  20 . 
     Once the washer W is properly mounted to the fastener F as described hereinabove, the ceiling hook H is ready to use. To install the ceiling hook H in a supporting structure such as a gypsum board of a ceiling, the ceiling hook H is held by the hook member  12  and the pointed end of the fastener F is slightly translationally inserted in the gypsum of the ceiling and the hook H is then rotated about an axis of the threaded member  12  such that the threads  14  engage the ceiling in a conventional manner. The hook H must be rotated until the washer W contacts the visible surface of the ceiling. 
     Before the ratchet tongues  28  reach the ceiling, the pointed raised anchoring teeth  34  of the washer W perforate the gypsum ceiling and become engaged therein, whereby any subsequent rotation of the fastener F is effected without the washer W following; in other words, once the anchoring teeth  34  of the washer W have engaged the ceiling, the washer W cannot rotate and can only translationally displace towards the ceiling as being forced in that direction by the disc member  16  upon further rotation of the fastener F. Once the anchoring teeth  34  have so engaged the ceiling and the fastener F has been further rotated up to its ratchet teeth  22  contacting the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W, the continued rotation of the fastener F is done with the ratchet teeth  22  riding along the underside of the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W until the fastener F cannot be further rotated which occurs when the upper surface  20  is in firm abutting engagement with the washer W which itself bears firmly against the visible surface of the ceiling. 
     In this position, it is readily understood that the fastener F cannot loosen with respect to the ceiling, i.e. it cannot rotate counterclockwise, as it is prevented from counter rotating by the locked engagement of the ratchet teeth  22  of the fastener F with the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W in concert with the fact that the washer W is itself stationary as being anchored to the ceiling in view of its anchoring teeth  34  being engaged in the ceiling. 
     It is noted that a pair of ratchet teeth  22  are preferably provided on the fastener F in order to ensure that, in the event that the fastener F is inserted in the ceiling in a slightly crooked way (i.e. the axis of the threaded member  10  is not perpendicular to the receiving surface of the ceiling), at least one ratchet teeth  22  lockably is engaged to the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W. In other words, if for one reason or another, one of the ratchet teeth  22  can rotate freely, i.e. away from the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W, the other ratchet teeth  22  will engage in ratchet fashion these tongues  28  and ensure that the fastener F is rotatably locked to the washer W such as to prevent the fastener F from counter rotating with respect thereto thereby preventing the fastener F from loosening from the ceiling. 
     Therefore, the ceiling hook H of the present invention is prevented from accidentally loosening due to gradual rotation of the article suspended therefrom which may be done to, for instance, water a plant so suspended, or even due to manual rotations of the hook for adjusting the orientation thereof. 
     As an alternative to the above-described and herein illustrated embodiment, the anti-rotation locking washer W, or a similar unit), could be directly installed in the ceiling rather than being first assembled to the fastener F, for instance by pressing the washer manually towards the ceiling such as to drive the anchoring teeth  34  into the ceiling&#39;s gypsum board; then the fastener F may be positioned in the central opening  30  of the washer W and subsequently rotatably inserted in the ceiling. Once the disc member  16  is close enough to the ceiling and thus to the washer W, its ratchet teeth  24  will engage the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W and ride therealong until the fastener F tightly imprisons the washer W against the ceiling at which point, as described hereinabove, the fastener F is prevented from loosening by the locking engagement of its ratchet teeth  22  with the ratchet tongues  28  of the washer W which itself is held stationary by being secured to the ceiling by its anchoring teeth  34 . 
     In such a case where the washer W is mounted manually to the ceiling, that is without using the fastener F, the washer W could be made without its notches  32  and the fastener F could be exempt of its tabs  26 . The central opening  30  could also be provided with a guide to align, i.e. concentrically position, the washer W with the location on the ceiling at which the fastener F will be subsequently inserted; such a guide could take the form of a yieldable transparent sheet extending across the opening  30  and defining a pair of orthogonal sighting lines intersecting at the center of the washer such that the center of the washer could be positioned at the intended location of the fastener. 
     FIGS. 11 to  13  show a variant ceiling hook H′ which is similar to the ceiling hook H of FIGS. 1 and 9 except that it does not include the anti-rotation washer W thereof. The ceiling hook H′ thus includes a unitary component, namely a threaded fastener F′. 
     The threaded fastener F′ is similar to the threaded fastener F of FIGS. 1 and 9, except that it does not include the ratchet teeth  22  and the tabs  26  thereof as they are not necessary to the ceiling hook H′ as they are only functional when the fastener of the present invention is used with the anti-rotation washer W, or the like.