Patent ID: 7278620

Claim:
An assembly for mounting a fixture to a ceiling, the assembly comprising: a mounting plate adapted to be connected to the upper surface of the fixture or to form a portion of the fixture; a cylindrical coupling member mounted on the plate and having a slot formed therein; a plurality of threads provided on the outer surface of the coupling member; two diametrically-opposed through openings formed through the wall of the coupling member; a down-rod adapted to extend substantially vertically with its lower end portion extending in the coupling member in a coaxial relationship; the lower end portion of the down-rod engaging the upper surface of the plate, and the upper end portion of the down-rod adapted to be connected to the ceiling; two diametrically-opposed through openings formed through the wall of the down-rod and adapted to be aligned with the openings in the coupling member; a bolt extending through the aligned openings to pivotably mount the down-rod to the coupling member for movement between the substantially vertical position and a substantially horizontal position in which the down-rod radially extends throught the slot, wherein the slot is sized to allow the down-rod to radially extend through the arcuate slot when the down-rod is in the substantially horizontal position; and an internally threaded retaining member adapted to extend around the down-rod when it is in the substantially vertical position and to engage the threads on the coupling member to retain the down-rod in the substantially vertical position.