Patent ID: 7381893

Claim:
A fastening device for mounting an electrical fixture in a ceiling area, comprising: an electrical junction box; a support bar for spanning a distance between a pair of spaced joists, the support bar comprising: a pair of end-plates attached to the support bar, each end-plate having a surface plane that is substantially perpendicular to a lateral axis of the support bar, and including at least two openings for receiving fasteners, wherein a first end-plate is attached to a first end of the support bar, and a second end-plate is attached to a second end of the support bar; a clamp component for attaching the electrical junction box to the support bar; and a pair of overlays, each overlay associated with one of the pair of end-plates and comprising: an opening for receiving the support bar; and at least two fastener openings, each fastener opening for positioning a fastener that passes through one of said at least two openings in end-plate and attaches the end-plate to one of the spaced joists, wherein a first overlay is positioned along the support bar adjacent the first end-plate, and a second overlay is positioned along the support bar adjacent the second end-plate, wherein the electrical fixture is attached to the electrical junction box to mount the electrical fixture in the ceiling area.