Picture hanging apparatus

• US 5,249,765 A
• Filed: 10/08/1991
• Issued: 10/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Emmett E. Garcia
• Original Assignee: Emmett E. Garcia
• Inventors: Garcia, Emmett E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chotkowski, Karen J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BERGER, DEREK JOEL
• Application Number:
  US07/773,358
• Time in Patent Office: 728 Days
• Field of Search: 248/475.1, 248/476, 248/489, 248/495, 248/497, 248/498
• US Class Current: 248/475.1
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/1606 comprising a wall member cooperating with a corresponding picture member

Abstract

The invention is a two-part picture hanging system in which one part is attached to the picture frame and the other part is secured to a vertical wall. The part that is attached to the picture includes a recess designed to inwardly receive a portion of the wall-mounted part of the system. In one embodiment of the invention, the part that is attached to the picture includes a shaped portion that is designed to fit within a complementary-shaped channel in the frame. Once in place, the part can be moved to any desired position along the channel and then locked in place. An embodiment of the wall-secured part of the system is taught in which the part is a standard cap screw having a hexagonally-shaped head. The complementary picture-secured part of the system includes a recess having flat sides and is designed to inwardly receive the cap of the screw with the flat sides of the recess securely contacting two flat sides of the cap. In each of the embodiments, the picture is prevented from shifting by flat portions of the wall-mounted part contacting flat portions of the picture-mounted part of the system.

Claims

1. In combination, a picture hanging system and a picture frame comprising:

a picture frame having a top segment, a bottom segment and two side segments, said top segment having a front surface, a planar, vertically-oriented rear surface and a planar, horizontally-oriented bottom surface;

a first member adapted for attachment to the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame, said first member being a flat plate that, when attached to the picture frame, forms a vertically-oriented planar surface parallel to and adjacent the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame, said first member having a vertically extending slot that has vertically extending sidewalls;

a second member having an aperture through which a fastener may partially pass to thereby secure the second member to a vertical foundation, said second member also having a head portion and a body portion wherein the second member has a "T"-shaped horizontal cross-section with the head portion forming one portion of the "T" and the body portion forming a perpendicular second portion of the "T" and wherein when the first and second members are joined, the body portion of the second member fits within the slot of the first member and the head portion of the second member is located below and forwardly of the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame; and

wherein the body portion of the second member includes at least two flat sides and a flat top surface and wherein the slot in the first member is sized and shaped so that when the first and second members are joined, the two flat sides of the body portion contact along their length the flat sidewalls of the slot and the flat top surface of the body portion contacts a flat, horizontally-oriented surface that forms the top of the slot.

2. In combination, a picture hanging system and a picture frame comprising:

a picture frame having a top segment, a bottom segment and two side segments, said top segment having a front surface, a planar, vertically-oriented rear surface and a planar, horizontally-oriented bottom surface;

a first member adapted for attachment to the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame, said first member being a flat plate that, when attached to the picture frame, forms a vertically-oriented planar surface parallel to and adjacent the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame, said first member having a vertically extending slot that has vertically extending sidewalls;

a second member having an aperture through which a fastener may partially pass to thereby secure the second member to a vertical foundation, said second member also having a head portion and a body portion wherein the second member has a "T"-shaped horizontal cross-section with the head portion forming one portion of the "T" and the body portion forming a perpendicular second portion of the "T" and wherein when the first and second members are joined, the body portion of the second member fits within the slot of the first member and the head portion of the second member is located below and forwardly of the rear surface of the top segment of the picture frame; and

wherein the head portion of the second member has a flat top surface wherein when the second member is joined to the first member, the top surface of the head portion of the second member contacts the planar bottom surface of the top segment of the picture frame.