US1154887A

US1154887A - Picture-hanger.

Info

Publication number: US1154887A
Application number: US84297414A
Authority: US
Inventors: Jasper Newton Rickles
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1914-06-04
Filing date: 1914-06-04
Publication date: 1915-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1932-09-28

Description

ser

J. N. RICKLES.

PICTURE HANGER.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 4,1914.

1 l 54,88?. Patented Sept. 28, 1915.

LLIIIIIII COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH co., WAsHlNuTON, D. c.

. Y of the same,

JASPER NEWTON RICKLES, OF ALTOONA, ALABAMA.

PICTURE-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 28, '1915.

Application filed J' une 4, 1914. Serial No. 842,974.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JASPER N. RrcKLEs, a citizen of ,the United States, residing at Altoona, in the county of Etowah and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Picture-Hanger, of which thefollowing is a spuecification.

The invention relates to improvements in picture hangers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of picture hangers and to provide a simple, practical, and eflicient device, adapted to be readily applied to a picture, and capable of securely suspending the same from a picture molding or a nail,'and equipped with meansY for permitting the picture to be readily adjusted to any angle to enable the same to be arranged in ythe most advantageous position for displaying it, and also to facilitate cleaning or dusting it and to provide a shelf when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a picture hanger adapted to support an ornament in position for concealing the attaching and adjusting means, so that the picture hanger will present a highly ornamental appearance.

ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims appended hereto, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, sizeand minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention. 1

Inthe drawing :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of a picture hanger constructed in accordance with this invention and shown applied to a picture. Fig. 2 is a side elevation the picture molding being in section. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the picture shown in Fig. 1, illustrating the manner of attaching the flexible connection to the same., Fig. 4 is an enlarged rear elevation of the picture hanger, the flexible connection and the ornament being omitted. Fig. 5 is an enlargedcentral vertical sectional view of the same, the front vplate or ornament and the flexible connection being shown. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional vview on the line 6 6 of Fig. 5. Y

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts.k in all the figures of the drawing. v

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 designates a hanger frame consisting of a single piece of stout wire or other suitable material bent at an intermediate point to form a bottom approximately U-shaped loop 2 and substantially inverted U-shaped side portions 3, forming front and rear

upright guides

4 and 5. The bottomloop 2, which is arranged horizontally, is composed of spaced sides and a transverse connecting bar orV portion 6, the sides being connected with the front guides 4 by return bends 7, arranged in the vertical planes of the sides of the bottom loop and forming supports for the lower ends of the rear guides 5. Instead of constructing the hanger frame of a single piece of wire in the particular manner shown, it may be of any other preferred construction, involving the essential features, viz: the front and rear u pright guides and the lower transverse bar or portion.- 1 l j The hanger frame is equipped at its upper portion with a relatively fixed hanger plate 8, provided near its upper end with an inwardly or rearwardly extending portion 9, adapted to fit against and rest upon a picture molding 10, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawing. The upper end of the plate 8 is provided with` a jaw 11 consisting of a plate or piece provided at the lower edge with projecting teeth 12 extending below the portion 9 of the plate 8 and adapted to engage the upper face of the picture molding in rear of the top bead thereof, whereby the hanger frame may be securely hooked on the picture molding. The teeth of the upper aw are adapted to embed themselves in the picture molding to facilitate a lirm and secure attachmentof the device to the said molding. The fixed hanger plate 8 is bent and slightly flanged at its side and top marginal edges to stiffen it, and it is provided at opposite sides of its lower portion with beads 13, which firmly embrace the front guides 4 kof the hanger frame. The beads of the hanger plateare arranged at the crotch formed by the front and rear guides, so that the weight to which it is subjected will maintain it in proper position.

The rear guides 5 receive a slidable clamping member 14 consisting of a plate bent at the sider edges to form sleeves or beads 15 fio to slidably embrace the rear guides, and provided at the upper edge with projecting teeth 16, adapted to engage the molding at the bottom thereof,`whereby the molding is firmly gripped between the fixed jaw of the hanger plate and the slidable clamping jaw or member 14. Theslidable jaw or clamping member 14 is 'yieldably maintained in engagement with the picture molding by coiled springs 17 -disposed on the rear guides and interposed between the clamping plate or jaw 14 and short sleeves 18 locatedat the lower ends of the `rear guides and seated upon the return bends 7. The slidable clamping plate or member 14 is provided with an inverted key hole slot or opening 19, adapted to enable the device to be suspended from'a -nail or similar headed fastening device. The key hole slot or opening 19 consists of a lower enlarged portion and a constricted upper portion, which is adapted to engage the back of the head of a nail after the head has been passed through the lower enlarged portion of the opening.

The front guidesv receive a slide20 con striicted of stout sheet metal or other suitable material, and provided at" opposite sides of its upper portion with sleeves or beads 2-1, which slidably embrace the front guides L ofthe hanger frame. rllhe lower -portion of the slide is bent outwardly beyondthe plane of the guides l and issplit longitudinally at spaced points kto provide a bifurcated lower portion 22 and a projecting supporting tongue 23. The sides of the lower'bifurcated portion are bent to vform sleeves or bearings 24;, in which are secured the terminals of a transverse shaft or Y spindle 25, upon which is-mounted a .Sprocket wheel 26. The sprocket wheel'v 26 is composed of a hub portion and spaced 'series of sprocket teeth 27, forming an i n terveniiig groove 28 Aadapted to receive a picture cord to enable either' a Vplain picture cord or a cham 29 to be employed as a ilexi- "ble lconnection for suspending a `picture 30 from the hanger. The chain, which meshes 'with one of thel sctsof sprocket teeth, is

centrally secured at one end 31 to the picture frame at the top thereof, and its other end is connected with the bottom of the pictui'e'frame by a vwire 32, centrally secured to the chain and extending therefrom to the side portions of the bottomV of the picture frame, as clearly illustrated in F ig. 3 of the drawing. 1

The slide Ais yieldably supported in an elevated position by'coiled springs 33 when it is not subjected to the weight of the Vpicture, which p is adapted to compress the spring 33 and carry the sprocket, wheel into engagement with the bottom transverse bar when the picture vis lifted Vand the slide relieved of the weight thereof, :the coiled springs 33 operate to move tlie'slidev upwardly and' carry the sprocket wheel out of engagement with the bottomV transverse portion 6 of the hanger frame. The sprocket wheel is then free` to rotate and the picture may be adjusted to arrange it at any angle. This will enable the picture to be mostadvantageously displayed,and also will. facilitate dusting and cleaning the picture, and at the same time, enable the picture to be arranged in a horizontal position, when desired, to form a shelf. Y

No claim is made in the present applica-Y v35 particular means tion to the 'specific' construction of the sprocket wheel and the for mounting the same. f l Y l The tongue 23, which is curved outwardly and" downwardly over the upper portion of the sprocket wheel, formsa support for a front lplate-34f, riveted or other-` wise secured to the projecting supporting tongue and adapted to conceal' the hanging preferably inthe lformof a bird with out-v stretched wings, andas it is carriedsolel by the slide, it will not interfere with the and adjusting means.'v The front plate is relative adjustment of the slide and the p hanger frame.

What is claimed is Y n '1. A picture hanger including a hanger frame having guides, a hanger plate secured to the hanger frame andV projecting above the same and provided with a fixed toothed jaw forhooking over and engaging the picture `molding at the top thereof, a

slidable clamping member mounted on the said lguides and having teeth to engage the picture moldingat the bottom thereof, and' i -spring actuated means for automatically moving thefslidable clamping member into engagement with the molding.

2. A hanger or holding bracket including a frame having guides, a plate secured to the frame and provided withfa fixed jaw for hooking over vand engaging a molding at one side, a- Vmovable clamping member pro- Y vided at opposite sideswith means for'slidably engaging said guides, said clamping memberbeing also provided with means for engaging the molding at theV other side, and

springs disposed on the 'guides-and arranged to urge the clamping member inwardly toward theiixed jaw.

.3. A ypicture hanger including Ya hanger frame provided with spaced guides, a hanger plate securedto the hanger frame Yand provided with means forhooking over and engaging the top of the picture molding, anda clamping member slidable along the guides and provided between the same with projecting means for engaging beneath the picture molding, said clamping member being also provided between the guides with a nail receiving opening.

4. A picture hanger including a hanger frame, a. hanger plate rigidly secured at its lower portion to the hanger frame and having its upper portion bent rearwardly and shaped to lit a picture molding, and a fixed jaw secured to the plate at the upper end thereof and provided with engaging teeth Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the projecting below the plane of the rearwardly bent portion of the hanger plate, and a slidable clamping member mounted on the hanger frame and coperating with the hanger plate to grip the molding.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence oi' two witnesses.

JASPER NEWTON RICKLES.

Witnesses:

H. M. CANNLINS, J. H. ELLISON.

Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.