Picture frame

• US 3,965,601 A
• Filed: 08/12/1974
• Issued: 06/29/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Esselte Pendaflex Corporation (Esselte Group Holdings SA)
• Original Assignee: Helmar Nielsen
• Inventors: Nielsen, Helmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Louis G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Contreras, Wenceslao J.
• Application Number:
  US05/496,746
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 40/152, 40/156, 40/155, 403/401, 403/402, 52/753 D, 52/758 H
• US Class Current: 40/782
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/0605 made from extruded or moulded profiles, e.g. of plastic or metal
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/101 for insertion within frame members
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/102 having an aperture to receive a fastener to connect to a frame member
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 2200/65 Miter joints

Abstract

A quick-assembly picture frame is provided with improved means for locking the precut frame members together. The invention is intended for use primarily with picture frames formed from metal in extruded cross sectional shapes. Adjacent ends of frame members which define the corners of the frame are locked together by L-shaped brackets which are received in channels at the rear face of each of the frame members. The L-shaped brackets at each corner are secured to the channels by any suitable means such as screws which bear inwardly toward the bottom of the channels to secure the L-shaped brackets in the channels. The L-shaped brackets and channels are formed in a manner which, when the screws are tightened, will cause the adjacent frame members to pivot slightly about their lengths and in a manner which draws the forwardly facing corner regions of the frame sections tightly together.

Claims

1. In a picture frame formed from frame sections, each of said frame sections having a rearwardly facing channel which terminates in inwardly extending lips, having interior surfaces an improved means for securing an adjacent pair of said sections together at a corner junction comprising:

a bracket having a pair of legs disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle made by said frame sections at said corner junction, said legs being adapted to fit within the rearwardly facing channels of adjacent frame sections at said corner junction, said legs being of a width which is greater than the rearwardly facing opening defined by said lips of said rearwardly facing channels thereby to retain said bracket within said channels;

locking means for urging said bracket away from the bottom of said channels and toward and against said lips;

means forming the interior surfaces of said lips of said rearwardly facing channel of at least one of the frame sections to cause said at least one frame section to pivot along an axis parallel to its length and in a direction which will draw the forwardly facing regions of the adjacent frame sections together at their corner junction in response to operation of said locking means.

2. A device as defined in claim 1 further comprising:

each of said channel lips having a surface which faces generally forwardly, the forwardly facing surface of the inner of said channel lips being disposed closer to the forward portion of said frame section than the corresponding surface of the outer of said channel lips.

3. A device as defined in claim 2 further comprising:

said inner channel lip being of greater thickness than the outer channel lip.

4. A device as defined in claim 1 where said locking means comprises:

at least one set screw threaded through each of said legs of said bracket.

5. In a picture frame formed from frame sections, each of said frame sections having a rearwardly facing channel which terminates in inwardly extending lips, an improved means for securing an adjacent pair of said sections together at a corner junction comprising:

a bracket having a pair of legs disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle made by said frame sections at said corner junction, said legs being adapted to fit within the rearwardly facing channels of adjacent frame sections at said corner junction, said legs being of a width which is greater than the rearwardly facing opening defined by said lips of said rearwardly facing channels thereby to retain said bracket within said channels;

locking means for urging said bracket away from the bottom of said channels and toward and against said lips;

the cross-sectional shape of at least one frame section comprising said rearwardly facing channel being defined by a common web, a pair of rearwardly extending walls connected to the ends of said web, each of said rearwardly extending walls terminating at its rear edge in said inwardly extending lip, a forwardly extending wall portion connected to an end of said common web and extending forwardly therefrom, the forward end of said forwardly extending wall portion terminating in an inwardly extending forward lip, said forwardly extending wall portion, common web and inwardly extending forward lip defining a picture-receiving channel, said device further comprising;

the surfaces of said common web, rearwardly extending walls and inwardly extending lips which define said rearwardly facing channel being arranged to define a parallelogram of a configuration which is displaced approximately 1/8°

to 1/2°

from the rectangular.

6. A device as defined in claim 5 further comprising:

a bearing plate of generally identical configuration as said bracket, said bearing plate being disposed within said adjacent of adjacent frame sections, said bearing plate lying within said channels forwardly of said bracket and being retained within said channels by said bracket.

7. In a picture frame formed from mitered frame sections, each of the frame sections having a rearwardly facing channel which terminates in inwardly extending lips having interior surfaces, improved means for securing an adjacent pair of said sections together at a corner junction comprising:

a bracket having a pair of legs disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle made by the frame sections at the corner junction, the legs being received within the rearwardly facing channels of adjacent frame sections at the corner junction, the legs being of a width which is greater than the rearwardly facing opening defined by the lips of the rearwardly facing channels to retain the bracket within the channels;

a bearing plate of generally identical configuration to that of the bracket, the bearing plate being disposed within said adjacent frame sections and lying within the channels forwardly of the bracket; and

locking means for urging the bracket and bearing plate apart, said bracket, bearing plate, locking means, and the interior surfaces of said lips of said channels being constructed to cooperatively cause at least one of said adjacent frame sections to pivot along an axis parallel to its lenght to draw the forwardly facing regions of the adjacent frame sections together at the corner junction in response to operation of the locking means.