NZ314606A - Supporting device attachable to a wall for suspending objects such as pictures comprising offset parallel portions - Google Patents

Description

314606 intbllectual property office l JUL 1998 I received 1 Patents Form No 5 Patents Act 1953 Number 314606 Complete Specification Date 15 April 1997 An anchor I, Delia Maria Lund, a New Zealand citizen of 3/6A Tennyson Street, Petone, New Zealand, hereby declare the invention, for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: 1 31A 606 Title An anchor.

Background to the Invention The walls of rooms of buildings and in particular buildings for domestic purposes, offices and the like are often lined with a form of plaster board such as that known under the trade name "Gib board". When it is desired to hang an object such as a picture on the wall of such a room, if the Gib board is attached to a wooden frame which is composed of a studs or other solid timber members, then it is as a simple matter to drive a nail or a screw partly through the plasterboard and into the timber frame member. The screw or the nail is driven a sufficient distance into the timber frame that a portion of the screw will remain proud of the exterior surface of the Grib board to form an anchor on which an object such as a picture can be hung.

If it is desired to hang an object on a specific location of the wall which is not directly in front of the timber framing, then is the article to be hung is comparatively light in weight, an anchor generally known as a picture hook is used. A picture hook usually consists of a nail which is passed through a hole in a metallic strip which is bent into the shape of a hook and the nail is then hammered into the wall lining. Picture hooks because of their form of construction are generally suitable only for supporting light weight articles. 314606 When a more robust support is required at a location other than where the plaster board is supported by timber framing, more complicated forms of anchors are utilised.

Prior art The more robust forms of anchors generally require a hole to be bored in the lining to receive the anchor. The anchor can have a body portion which is passed partly through the hole formed in the lining with the body portion having an extension which can expand in the void behind the lining to prevent the anchor from being withdrawn out of the hole. Means are provided to force a part of the extension against the interior surface of the lining to provide the anchor Another-known anchor is called a "gravity toggle" and this anchor utilises a machine screw in conjunction with a nut into which the screw can be engaged with the nut being attached to an off centre body so that when the body is passed through a hole formed in the lining, the body can pivot by the action of gravity to prevent the body from being pulled back through the hole in the lining. The disadvantage with a gravity toggle is that once the body has been passed through the hole in the wall it is not possible to remove the screw because as soon as it is disengaged from the body, the body will drop away and the anchor is lost.

Various other forms of anchors are also known. Most known anchors have a body formed to be partly inserted in a hole formed in the wall and the extension comprises wings so formed that when a screw is passed through the body it can engage in the wings 314606 to force the wings against the interior face of the plaster board. While such anchors perform the task adequately, they are comparatively expensive to produce and are not easy to use.

Object of the invention It is accordingly one object of this invention to provide an anchor which is a simple to use and which either it does not require a tool or at most only a simple tool to enable it to be installed.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an improved anchor which is simple to manufacture and efficient in operation.

Disclosure of the invention Accordingly the invention comprises an anchor composed of a continuous body and comprising a support connected by a bridge to a probe, said support having at least a portion which extends at an angle to the bridge and said probe extending from the bridge substantially parallel to the main axis of the support but in an opposite direction, and wherein the length of the bridge is at least as length as the thickness of the wall lining to which the anchor is to be installed.

Preferably the free end of the probe is formed into a screw thread which extends in a substantially conical shape commencing at the termination of the end of the probe. 314 Preferably the support comprises a U shaped portion with one arm of the U being adapted to bear against the outside surface of the wall lining when the anchor has been installed in the lining.

The invention also comprises a method of utilising the anchor composed of a continuous body having a support connected by a bridge to a probe, the support having at least a portion which extends at an angle to the bridge with the probe extending from the bridge substantially parallel to the main axis of the support but in an opposite direction, the length of the bridge being at least the thickness of the wall lining to which the anchor is to be installed, the method comprising positioning the anchor so the free end of the anchor bears on the surface of the wall at the location where the anchor is to be installed, manipulating the anchor to force the probe trough the wall lining and tilting the anchor to point the probe substantially upwardly behind the wall lining.

Brief description of the drawings Preferred forms of the invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a perspective view of one preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the anchor during the insertion stage.

Figure 3 is a view of the anchor when in position on a wall. 3146 Detailed description of preferred embodiments As indicated in the drawings, the anchor may be formed metal rod of a generally 5 circular cross sectional shape, although it will be understood that other cross sectional shapes can also be utilised, The anchor has a probe 6 and a support 3 connected by a bridge 4. In one form, the bridge can be of a U shape as illustrated in the drawings. It will be understood that the support 3 can comprise different shapes depending upon the type of proposed use of the anchor. For instance in one form it can include a flattened 10 area (not shown in the drawings) which can provide a weight bearing surface for the shelf or the like.

The probe 6 projects from the bridge 4 at a reflex angle to form an elbow 5 which in the illustrated embodiment is a right angle. The end of the probe 6 terminates in a 15 screw threaded portion 8 which is preferably a coarse spiral thread which commences at a point and expands into a conical shape. Various configurations of the screw thread can be utilised with the main requirement being that it can easily penetrate into the lining as will be hereinafter further described.

To utilise the illustrated anchor, it is positioned so that the point of the screw thread 8 will bear against the exterior 10 of the lining. By applying a rotatory motion to the anchor and simultaneously pushing the anchor towards the wall, the screw thread will penetrate the lining. Continued rotation of the anchor will result in the probe being drawn 6 314 6 y (Q through the wall by the action of the screw thread and as illustrated at 9 in Figure 2 this action will tend to break away the plaster at the rear surface of the wall. When the probe 6 has passed fully through the wall, the anchor can tilted so the probe 6 will point upwardly. As indicated in the drawings, the length of the bridge 4 is preferably slightly greater than the thickness of the lining of the wall. It will be understood that although the length of the bridge is preferably as illustrated in Figure 3, this can vary depending upon the particular application required for the anchor. Generally the length of the bridge will depend upon the thickness of the wall lining to which the anchor is to be attached.

When the installation of the anchor is complete it will adopt the position illustrated in Figure 3 and the inner surface of the support 3 will bear against the outside surface 10 of the wall lining. The probe will bear against the inner surface 7 of the lining and thereby allow the anchor to provide a robust support for articles.

It will also be understood that the shape of the angle forming the elbow 5, while it is illustrated as a right angle in the drawings, can be at any angle which is sufficient to enable the anchor to perform the desired application.

The foregoing description illustrates one preferred method of installing the anchor which consists in pressing the screw threaded end of the probe against the wall lining and rotating the anchor to form a hole in the lining. It will be understood that although this is the preferred method of attaching the anchor, nevertheless in certain circumstances it can 31460§ be desirable to firstly make a pilot hole in the wall. Such a hole can be made by any appropriate instrument.

While the anchor is preferably formed a round metallic rod, it is to be understood that the anchor can also be formed of any other suitable material such as a moulded plastics material.

Having read the foregoing description it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that modifications and amendments can be made to the particular illustrated and described form of the invention are yet still come within the basic concept. All such amendments and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the appended claims. 8

Claims (6)

314606 WHAT I CLAIM IS:

1. An anchor composed of a continuous body and comprising a support separated by a bridge from a probe, said support having at least a portion which extends at an angle to the bridge and wherein said probe r. ctends from the bridge substantially parallel to the said portion but in an opposite direction, and wherein the length of the bridge is at least the thickness of a wall lining to which the anchor is to be installed.

2. The anchor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the free end of the probe is formed into a screw thread which extends in a substantially conical shape commencing at the termination of the end of the probe.

3. The anchor as claimed in claim 1, wherein the support comprises a U shaped portion with one arm of the U being adapted to bear against the outside surface of the wall lining when the anchor has been installed in the lining.

4. A method of utilising the anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims comprising positioning the anchor so the free end of the anchor bears on the surface of the wall at the location where the anchor is to be installed, manipulating the anchor to force the probe trough the wall lining and tilting the anchor to point the probe substantially upwardly behind the wall lining.

5. The anchor substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF NZ 9 0 6 OCT 1998 RECEIVED 31460

6. A method installing the anchor as claimed in any one of the preceding claims 1 to 4 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings. McCABE^AND COMPANY By ATTORNEYS FOR THE APPLICANT 10