Lampholder mounting assembly with captive nut

Claim 2

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement which comprises: a. a lampholder having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof; b. said legs having oppositely disposed grooves formed in and extending lengthwise of opposing faces thereof; and c. a nut formed of a single thickness of permanently bendable sheet material and having only two opposite side edges extending lengthwise respectively in said grooves; d. said side edges being normally curved in a lengthwise direction and having an overall normal nut height greater than the distance between opposing faces of each of said grooves; e. said curved side edges being engaged by and compressed between said opposing faces of said grooves and being permanently bent thereby to a curvature flatter than said normal height.

Claim 3

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement as defined in claim 1 wherein: a. the oppositely disposed grooves in opposing faces of the legs have enlarged open ends for permitting ready insertion of the curved nut in a lengthwise direction into the oppositely disposed grooves in the legs.

Claim 4

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement which comprises: a. a lampholder formed of a molded material and having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof, b. said spaced legs having opposing faces and oppositely disposed grooves formed in said faces; and c. a retaining member formed of a single thickness of permanently bendable sheet material and having a greater dimension in length than in width and further having only two opposite side edges extending lengthwise respectively in said grooves; d. said side edges being normally curved in a lengthwise direction and having an overall normal retaining member height greater than the distance between opposing faces of each of said grooves; e. said curved side edges being engaged and held by said opposite faces of the grooves in the legs and being permanently bent thereby to a curvature flatter than said normal height.

Claim 5

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement which comprises: a. a lampholder formed of a molded material and having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof, b. said spaced legs having opposing faces and oppositely disposed grooves formed in said faces; and c. a retaining member formed of a single thickness of permanently bendable sheet material and having a greater dimension in length than in width and further having only two opposite side edges extending lengthwise respectively in said grooves; d. said side edges being normally curved in a lengthwise direction and having an overall normal retaining member height greater than the distance between opposing faces of each of said grooves; e. said curved side edges being engaged and held by said opposite faces of the grooves in the legs and being permanently bent thereby to a curvature flatter than said normal height.

Claim 6

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement as defined in claim 3 in which: a. the retaining member fits into the grooves in the legs only when inserted therein in said lengthwise direction; and b. the grooves in the legs have enlarged openings at the ends thereof.

Claim 7

In a mounting for a lampholder having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof with oppositely disposed grooves formed in and extending lengthwise along opposing faces of said legs, the improvement which comprises: a. an arcuately shaped retaining member having two lengthwise side edges and being adapted to extend between said legs with only Said two side edges thereof fitting into said oppositely disposed grooves respectively; b. said arcuate retaining member having a threadable opening at the center thereof and comprising a single thickness of permanently bendable sheet metal; c. said sheet metal having a thickness less than the width of the respective grooves and said lengthwise side edges of said arcuately shaped member being normally curved in their lengthwise direction to an overall height which is greater than the width of said grooves; d. said side edges also being permanently deformed to a curvature of less than said normal height by engagement with the opposing faces of the respective grooves.

Claim 8

In a mounting for a lampholder having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof with oppositely disposed grooves formed in and extending lengthwise along opposing faces of said legs, the improvement which comprises: a. an arcuately shaped retaining member having two lengthwise side edges and being adapted to extend between said legs with only Said two side edges thereof fitting into said oppositely disposed grooves respectively; b. said arcuate retaining member having a threadable opening at the center thereof and comprising a single thickness of permanently bendable sheet metal; c. said sheet metal having a thickness less than the width of the respective grooves and said lengthwise side edges of said arcuately shaped member being normally curved in their lengthwise direction to an overall height which is greater than the width of said grooves; d. said side edges also being permanently deformed to a curvature of less than said normal height by engagement with the opposing faces of the respective grooves.

Claim 9

In a mounting assembly for a lampholder, the improvement as defined in claim 5 wherein: a. the length of the retaining member is greater than the width thereof.

Claim 10

In a mounting for a lampholder having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof with oppositely disposed grooves formed in and extending lengthwise along opposing faces of said legs, the improvement which comprises: a. an arcuately shaped retaining member adapted to extend between said legs with side edges thereof fitting into said oppositely disposed grooves; b. said arcuate retaining member having a threadable opening at the center thereof and comprising a single thickness of bendable sheet metal; c. said sheet metal having a thickness less than the width of the respective grooves and being curved to an overall thickness which is greater than the width of said grooves; d. said sheet metal also being deformable when the side edges of said arcuate retaining member are engaged by opposing faces of the respective grooves; wherein: e. the arcuate retaining member has angularly disposed faces formed at opposite ends thereof; f. said end faces being disposed at acute angles relative to opposing surfaces of the grooves and defining sharp corners engaging with said surfaces in lengthwise movement of the retaining member relative thereto.

Claim 11

In a mounting for a lampholder having a pair of spaced legs at one end thereof with oppositely disposed grooves formed in and extending lengthwise along opposing faces of said legs, the improvement which comprises: a. an arcuately shaped retaining member adapted to extend between said legs with side edges thereof fitting into said oppositely disposed grooves; b. said arcuate retaining member having a threadable opening at the center thereof and comprising a single thickness of bendable sheet metal; c. said sheet metal having a thickness less than the width of the respective grooves and being curved to an overall thickness which is greater than the width of said grooves; d. said sheet metal also being deformable when the side edges of said arcuate retaining member are engaged by opposing faces of the respective grooves; wherein: e. the arcuate retaining member has angularly disposed faces formed at opposite ends thereof; f. said end faces being disposed at acute angles relative to opposing surfaces of the grooves and defining sharp corners engaging with said surfaces in lengthwise movement of the retaining member relative thereto.

Claim 12

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the combination which comprises: a. a lampholder molded of plastic material and having a pair of spaced legs extending from one end thereof; b. said legs having grooves formed in opposing faces thereof and extending lengthwise thereof; c. said grooves having open ends and upper and lower faces defining the width thereof; and d. an arcuate retaining member in the form of a threaded nut comprising a single thickness of bendable sheet metal and having curved side edges extending into said oppositely disposed grooves; e. said arcuate retaining member being curved in a lengthwise direction and having a curved thickness greater than the width of said grooves; f. said curved side edges being engaged by the upper and lower faces of said grooves and being held under compression therebetween; wherein: g. the retaining member has end faces disposed at an acute angle relative to the opposing faces of the grooves; h. said end faces having sharp corners engaging with said faces in lengthwise movement of the retaining member relative thereto.

Claim 13

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the combination which comprises: a. a lampholder molded of plastic material and having a pair of spaced legs extending from one end thereof; b. said legs having grooves formed in opposing faces thereof and extending lengthwise thereof; c. said grooves having open ends and upper and lower faces defining the width thereof; and d. an arcuate retaining member in the form of a threaded nut comprising a single thickness of bendable sheet metal and having curved side edges extending into said oppositely disposed grooves; e. said arcuate retaining member being curved in a lengthwise direction and having a curved thickness greater than the width of said grooves; f. said curved side edges being engaged by the upper and lower faces of said grooves and being held under compression therebetween; wherein: g. the retaining member has end faces disposed at an acute angle relative to the opposing faces of the grooves; h. said end faces having sharp corners engaging with said faces in lengthwise movement of the retaining member relative thereto.

Claim 14

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder, the combination as defined in claim 8 wherein: the grooves in opposing faces of the legs have enlarged openings at their ends for permitting the side edges of the arcuate retaining member to be introduced in the grooves freely when the retaining member is inclined relative to said openings.

Claim 15

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement which comprises: a. a lampholder formed of plastic material and having a body and a base; b. said base including a pair of spaced legs extending outwardly therefrom; c. said legs having opposing vertical faces containing oppositely disposed open-ended grooves which extend lengthwise of the legs; d. said grooves having a width defined by opposing upper and lower faces; and e. an arcuate blank forMed from a single thickness of a deformable non-resilient metal; f. said blank being curved in a lengthwise direction to a curvature greater than the width of the grooves and having its only two curved side edges respectively extending into said oppositely disposed grooves; g. said curved side edges being permanently deformed to a flatter condition than said curvature by engagement thereof between said upper and lower faces of the grooves.

Claim 16

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement which comprises: a. a lampholder formed of plastic material and having a body and a base; b. said base including a pair of spaced legs extending outwardly therefrom; c. said legs having opposing vertical faces containing oppositely disposed open-ended grooves which extend lengthwise of the legs; d. said grooves having a width defined by opposing upper and lower faces; and e. an arcuate blank forMed from a single thickness of a deformable non-resilient metal; f. said blank being curved in a lengthwise direction to a curvature greater than the width of the grooves and having its only two curved side edges respectively extending into said oppositely disposed grooves; g. said curved side edges being permanently deformed to a flatter condition than said curvature by engagement thereof between said upper and lower faces of the grooves.

Claim 17

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement as defined in claim 10, which includes: a. a threaded member engaging with a central portion of the arcuate blank at a point between the said legs; b. said threaded member having a headed and extending above the legs for clamping engagement with a supporting panel.

Claim 18

In an assembly for mounting a lampholder on a fixture panel, the improvement as defined in claim 10 wherein: each of the oppositely disposed grooves in the leg has an enlarged opening at an outer end thereof for receiving the curved side edges of the arcuate blank therein without deforming said side edges.