METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR HANGING AN OBJECT

• US 20170055732A1
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Under The Roof Decorating Inc.
• Original Assignee: Under The Roof Decorating Inc.
• Inventors: Krake, Kelly R., Tousignant, Liette, Kurtz, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,826,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/06 Picture frames making from paper B31D
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/16 Devices for hanging or supporting pictures, mirrors, or the like
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1606 comprising a wall member cooperating with a corresponding picture member
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/162 Picture members for connection to a conventional wall hook or nail
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1633 Wall members for connection to a conventional picture
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/205 Devices for positioning picture hooks on a wall
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 13/02 for supporting on, or attaching to, an object, e.g. tree, gate, window-frame, cycle

Abstract

An apparatus and method for hanging objects on a supporting wall includes a bracket with an outwardly extending shelf for supporting engagement with the object. A flange extends upwardly from the bracket and is secured by a fastener to the object. A marking device is removably mounted in an aperture formed in the bracket and has a sharp marking element extending therefrom. After the bracket is attached to the object by the fasteners and the marking element is positioned in the aperture, the object is pressed against the supporting wall at the desired hanging location whereupon the marking element marks the wall at the correct location for installing the hanging hardware. After the hanging hardware is installed at the marked locations, it is subsequently received in the bracket aperture after the marking element is removed therefrom to hang the object on the hanging hardware.

Claims

1. An apparatus for mounting an object on a support structure comprising:

a bracket including a body having a shelf extending perpendicularly outwardly from the body for positioning the bracket on the object and a flange extending at a right angle from the shelf;

at least one fastener engageable with the flange for securing the bracket to the object; and

a marking device removably mounted on the body, said marking device having a marking element for marking a mark on the support structure after the marking device has been positioned on the body and the object pressed against the support structure.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is formed with an aperture;

and in which the marking device is removably secured in the aperture with the marking element extending outwardly from the body in a direction opposite from the direction the shelf extends from the body.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the aperture is circular;

and in which the marking device is a circular disc which is pressed into the aperture to removably mount the marking device on the body.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the marking device includes a positioning element for positioning the marking element with respect to the body when the marking device is removably mounted on the body.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the aperture is formed with a notch;

and in which the positioning element is a tab formed on the disc which is received in the notch when the marking device is removably mounted on the body.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the marking element is a sharp projection extending outwardly from the marking device.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein a positioning leg extends outwardly from the body and extends at a right angle with the shelf for positioning the bracket in a right angle corner of an object to be supported by the bracket on the support structure.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein the shelf and positioning leg form a pair of planar sections extending at right angles to each other on the body;

and in which a pair of fasteners extend through said planar sections to secure the body in a right angle corner of the object to be supported on the support'"'"'structure.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the body is a flat planar member with opposed first and second surfaces;

in which the shelf is a flat planar member extending perpendicularly outwardly from the first surface;

in which the flange is an end portion of the flat planar member and is formed with a hole; and

in which the fastener extends through said hole for securing the bracket to the object.

10. The apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein an aperture is formed in the flat planar member;

in which the marking device is a disc removably mounted in the aperture; and

in which the marking element is a pointed member extending outwardly from the disc in an opposite direction from the direction that the shelf extends from the planar member.

11. In combination, an object and an apparatus for hanging said object on a support structure wherein:

said object has at least one horizontally extending member;

said apparatus comprises a bracket which includes a body having a shelf extending perpendicularly from the body and engageable with horizontally extending member of the object, and a flange extending upwardly from the shelf and forming a right angle therebetween;

at least one fastener attaching the flange to the horizontally extending member of the object for securing the bracket to the object; and

a marking device removably mounted on the body, said marking device having a marking element for making a mark on the support structure after the marking device has been positioned on the body and the bracket has been secured to the object, and the object pressed against the support structure.

12. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein the object is a frame including the at least one horizontally extending frame member and two side frame members forming at least two right angled corners;

in which the apparatus includes a pair of said brackets, each of said brackets further including;

a positioning leg extending perpendicularly from the body and forming a right angle with the shelf and engageable with a respective side frame member to position each of said brackets in one of the right angle corners.

13. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein the body of the bracket includes a flat planar member with the first and second surfaces;

in which the shelf is a flat planar member extending perpendicularly outwardly from the first surface; and

in which the flange is an end portion of the flat planar member which forms a right angle with the shelf.

14. The combination defined in claim 11 wherein the body of the bracket is formed with an aperture;

and in which the marking device is removably secured in the aperture with the marking element extending outwardly from the body in a direction opposite from the direction that the shelf extends from the body.

15. The combination defined in claim 14 wherein the aperture is circular;

and in which the marking device is a circular disc which is pressed into the aperture to removably mount the marking device on the body.

16. A method of installing a bracket on an object and hanging the object on a support structure including the steps of:

providing a bracket having a body formed with a shelf extending outwardly from the body, at least one fastener, and a marking device containing a marking element removably mounted in an aperture formed in the body;

placing the bracket shelf against a complementary shaped surface of the object to be supported by the bracket;

securing the bracket to the object by utilizing the fastener;

pressing the marking element into the support structure by pressing the object against the support structure at the proposed hanging location of the object making a mark at the location where the hanging hardware is to be installed for securing the object to the support structure;

securing the hanging hardware on the support structure at the location derived from the mark made by the marking element;

removing the marking device from the aperture of the body; and

suspending the object on the hanging hardware by inserting the hanging hardware into the aperture.

17. The method defined in claim 16 including the step of placing a tab extending from the marking device into a locating notch formed in the body of the bracket and communicating with the aperture to position the marking device in said aperture before the step of pressing the marking element into the support structure.

18. The method defined in claim 16 including the step of forming the bracket and marking device each as a one-piece member of molded plastic.

19. An apparatus for suspending an object on a support structure comprising:

a bracket including a body having a shelf extending perpendicularly outwardly from the body for generally supporting the object thereon and a flange extending upwardly from the shelf;

at least one fastener extending between the flange and object for securing the bracket to the object; and

an aperture formed in the body for receiving hardware secured to the support structure for suspending the object on the support structure.

20. The apparatus defined in claim 19 wherein a marking element is removably mounted in the aperture of the body for making a mark on the support structure for positioning the hanging hardware thereon.

21. The apparatus defined in claim 20 wherein the at least one fastener is a nail;

and in which said nail extends through a hole formed in the upstanding flange.