AU767008B2

AU767008B2 - Systems for hanging pictures and the like

Info

Publication number: AU767008B2
Application number: AU20378/99A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Peter Watson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1998-03-11
Filing date: 1999-03-11
Publication date: 2003-10-30
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-11
Also published as: AU2037899A

Description

-1- Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

(ORIGINAL)

Name of Applicant: Actual Inventors: Address for Service: Invention Title: PETER WATSON PETER WATSON DAVIES COLLISON CAVE, Patent Attorneys, 1 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, 3000.

"Systems for hanging pictures and the like" Details of Associated Provisional Application(s) No(s): PP2259/98 filed 11 March, 1998 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me: Q:\OPER\RSH\WATSON.069- 10/3(99

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P:\OPER\RSHICTURES.CAP- 10/3/99 -2- SYSTEMS FOR HANGING PICTURES AND THE LIKE The present invention relates to systems for hanging pictures and the like.

When hanging pictures and the like it can be quite difficult to correctly position the picture hook in the wall so that the picture when suspended from the hook is located precisely at the required position and the method frequently adopted is a trial and error method involving adjustments in the position of the hook in the wall until the correct placement is achieved. This is not particularly satisfactory as it can result in damage to the structure of the wall when several attempts are made to correctly position the hook.

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According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for use in hanging a picture, comprising a template of board material, said template having a central point, lines defining mutually perpendicular axes passing through said central point, series of 15 lines parallel to said axes and regularly spaced on opposite sides of said axes such that pairs of said lines spaced by the same distance at each side of said one axes enable centring of the template relative to a picture frame along that axis and pairs of said lines spaced by the same oo i distance at each side of the other axis enable centring of the picture frame relative to that axis whereby subsequent adaptation of the template substantially to the size of the picture frame while centred and subsequent application of the template to the rear of the picture frame enables the hanging point of a hanging wire or cord of the picture frame to be marked on that one of the axes which is vertical such that the hanging point can subsequently be marked on the wall by application of the template to the wall.

Further according to the invention, there is provided a method of hanging a picture, comprising applying to the rear of the frame a template having a size corresponding to that of the frame whereby the template is centred relative to the frame, marking on a central vertical axis of the template the hanging point of a hanging wire or cord of the frame, applying the template to the wall, and marking the hanging point on the wall by piercing the template through the hanging point thereon.

P:\OPER\RSH\PICflRES.CAP 10/3/99 -3- According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a system for use in hanging a picture, comprising a hanging device comprising a handle, a hook beneath the handle and from which the picture can be suspended whilst the device is held in the hand, and means defining a marking point at a fixed distance above the hook whereby application of the device to the wall while the picture is suspended from the device enables a datum point to be marked on the wall for subsequent placement of a picture hook to the wall at a position beneath the datum point at a distance corresponding to said fixed distance.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a template used in a picture hanging system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 shows schematically the manner in which the template is used to mark the hanging point of a picture frame; 15 Figure 3 is a schematic view of a hanging device of a hanging system in accordance with a second embodiment of the invention; Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing a marking eye of the hanging S"device; and Figure 5 shows schematically the hanging device of Figure 3 while in use.

A picture hanging system in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention as shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a template 2 formed from sheet material which can readily be cut, for example cardboard, possibly produced from recycled paper waste. The template 2 is of rectangular shape marked to provide mutually perpendicular axes A 2 which intersect at the centre O of the template 2 and which are parallel to the respective sides of the template 2. A series of rectangular outlines R, R. of progressively increasing size are printed on the template 2 with each rectangular outline being centred on the centre point O of the template 2 and the sides of each rectangle being parallel to the respective sides of the template 2. Although as illustrated there are only four such outline shapes shown, this is purely to assist clarity of illustration and in practice the template 2 will contain considerably P:\OPER\RSH\PICTRES.CAP 103/99 P:\OPER\RSH\PICTURES. CAP -10/3/99 -4in excess of four outline shapes.

In order to use the hanging system, the template 2 is placed over the picture frame and is accurately aligned using the printed outline shapes R so that the centre of the picture frame coincides with the centre O of the template 2, and the template 2 is cut so that its overall size corresponds to that of the picture frame. To facilitate the alignment of the picture frame on the template, the adjacent outline shapes R on the template can be differently coloured and/or may carry numbers or other identification in order to ensure, that the user correctly positions the picture frame on the template 2 with the centre of the picture frame and template 2 in precise alignment. When the template 2 has been cut to the required size, the template 2 is then applied to the rear of the picture frame and cut-outs 6 (Figure 2) are made in positions corresponding to the mounting points 8 of the hanging wire or cord 10. The template 2 can "then be applied to the rear of the picture frame so that it lies flush against the rear surface of the picture frame with the wire or cord mounting points 8 projecting through the cut-outs 6 15 and with the wire or cord 10 on the rear surface of the template. The wire or cord 10 can then be drawn into its extended V-shaped hanging configuration along the relevant vertical axis or marked on the template. The apex point X of the wire or cord 10 can then be marked on the vertical axis and this will define on the template 2 a position exactly aligned with the hanging point of the frame. The template 2 is then removed from the frame and is positioned on the wall in the required position for the picture. When the template 2 is correctly positioned on the wall, the hanging point can then be marked on the wall by piercing the template 2 through the hanging point X marked on the vertical axis, using a pointed tool which will make a small mark on the wall corresponding to the hanging point. With the wall thus marked, a picture hook can be applied to the wall so that the hook can be accurately positioned with its hanging part accurately aligned with the hanging point.

In the template 2 particularly described, the two orthogonal axes A 2 are required so that the template 2 can be used with its longitudinal axis vertical for pictures in a so-called portrait format and with its longitudinal axis horizontal for pictures in a so-called landscape format. It will of course be understood that the relative length and width dimensions of the P:\OPER\RSH\PICTURES.CAP- 10/3/99 picture frame are not required to correspond with those of the series of rectangles R drawn on the template 2 as all that is necessary to correctly position the template 2 relative to the picture frame is to align the vertical sides of the frame relative to the opposite vertical sides of a rectangle on the template and the horizontal sides of the frame relative to the opposite horizontal sides of a rectangle on the template 2 and this latter rectangle may or may not be the same rectangle as that associated with the vertical sides of the frame. In this manner the template can also be used with picture frames of square shape.

Although, as will be apparent, a single template will be suitable for use with a large range of different sizes of picture frame, it is envisaged that a range of a few different sizes of templates may be desirable for use with the entire range of picture frame sizes likely to be encountered in practice.

Although in one form of this embodiment the rectangular outlines R, R. are printed 15 on the sheet material of the template to enable the template to be adapted substantially to the size of the picture frame by cutting along the appropriate lines, in an alternative form of this embodiment the template may be perforated or scored to define across the area of the template eeeee a rectangular grid pattern the sides of which coincide with at least some of the lines defining the rectangular outlines whereby these lines will be at least partially defined by the perforation lines or score lines although further visual enhancement can be provided by printed lines over the perforated or score lines if necessary. This provides the facility of simple adaptation of the size of the template substantially to the size of the picture frame by tearing the template along the adjacent perforation lines or score lines if necessary. Although this may mean that the template is not formed to a size exactly that of the picture frame, nevertheless the series of perforation lines or score lines can be formed on the template at such a spacing that the likely size difference between the template and picture frame will not materially affect the effectiveness of the hanging system. Of course, even with a template having perforations or score lines, a user is still able to size the template to the exact size of the picture frame by cutting the template and for this purpose it is envisaged that the template can carry further printed lines between adjacent perforation lines or score lines to facilitate cutting along these P:\OPER\RSH\PICTURES.CAP 10/3/99 -6additional lines to substantially the exact size of the picture frame if desired.

This embodiment of hanging device can be produced quite inexpensively for a single usage only.

In the second embodiment of hanging system as shown in Figures 3 to 5 there is provided a hanging device 20 having at its upper end a handle 22 which carries a rod-like support 24 terminating at its lower end in a hook 26. At an intermediate position along the length of the rod 24 there is formed an eye 28 which is apertured for passage of the point of 9. 9.

e a pencil or other similar marker. The eye 28 is positioned a known distance above the base part of the hook 26. The hanging device 20 can be formed in one piece from metal wire, preferably plastics coated, or alternatively, the rod 24 and hook 26 can be formed from wire attached to a separate handle, possibly a plastics handle.

In order to use the device, the hanging wire or cord 30 of the picture frame is applied to the hook 26 of the device so that the picture is held suspended by the device. The hanging device 20 is then applied to the wall while being held in the hand of the user (as shown in Figure 5) and is manipulated until the picture is in the required position. When in the required position, the wall is marked with a small pencil mark applied through the eye 28 of the hanging device 20, and the hanging device 20 and picture are then removed from the wall.

The eye 28 of the hanging device 20 is a known, fixed, distance D from the hook 26 of the hanging device so that a measurement vertically downwards from the pencil mark by the fixed distance D will correspond to the hanging point of the picture hook and the hook can then be applied to the wall at the appropriate position.

The device 20 will be fabricated in a size or possibly a range of sizes whereby the device is suitable for use with a large range of picture frame sizes, the primary determinant being the fixed distance between the eye and hook at the lower end of the rod and which must be greater than the distance subtended between the hanging point of the hanging wire or cord and the top of the picture frame.

P:\OPER\RSH\PICTURES.CAP 10/3/99 -7- The embodiments have been described by way of example only and modifications are possible within the scope of the invention.

Throughout this specification and claims which follow, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise", or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers.

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Claims

1. A system for use in hanging a picture, comprising a template of board material, said template having a central point, lines defining mutually perpendicular axes passing through said central point, series of lines parallel to said axes and regularly spaced on opposite sides of said axes such that pairs of said lines spaced by the same distance at each side of said one axes enable centring of the template relative to a picture frame along that axis and pairs of said lines spaced by the same distance at each side of the other axis enable centring of the picture frame relative to that axis whereby subsequent adaptation of the template substantially to the size of the picture frame while centred and subsequent application of the template to the rear of the picture frame enables the hanging point of a hanging wire or cord of the picture frame to be marked on that one of the axes which is vertical such that the hanging point can subsequently be marked on the wall by application of the template to the wall.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the board material is capable of being easily cut whereby the template can be adapted substantially to the size of the frame by cutting.

3. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the board is perforated along series S.. of mutually perpendicular lines to define a grid, the perforation lines defining said grid constituting at least some of said centring lines, the perforation lines enabling adaptation of the template substantially to the size of the frame by cutting or tearing the board along those lines.

4. A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the board is scored along a series of mutually perpendicular lines to define a grid, the score lines defining said grid constituting at least some of said centring lines, the score lines enabling adaptation of the template substantially to the size of the frame by cutting or tearing the board along those lines.

A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the board material is capable of being easily pierced to enable marking of the hanging point on the wall by piercing through PAOPER\RSH\PICTURES.CAP 10/3/99 -9- the board.

6. A method of hanging a picture, comprising applying to the rear of the frame a template having a size corresponding to that of the frame whereby the template is centred relative to the frame, marking on a central vertical axis of the template the hanging point of a hanging wire or cord of the frame, applying the template to the wall, and marking the hanging point on the wall by piercing the template through the hanging point thereon.

7. A system for use in hanging a picture, comprising a hanging device comprising a *0 handle, a hook beneath the handle and from which the picture can be suspended whilst the device is held in the hand, and means defining a marking point at a fixed distance above the hook whereby application of the device to the wall while the picture is suspended from the device enables a datum point to be marked on the wall for subsequent placement of a picture hook to the wall at a position beneath the datum point at a distance corresponding to said fixed distance.

8. A system for hanging a picture substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 or Figures 3 to 5 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this 10th day of March, 1999. PETER WATSON By his Patent Attorneys: DAVIES COLLISON CAVE