US2140666A - Display frame - Google Patents

Description

Dec. 20, 1938. T. CHMHIELEWSKI ET'AL 2,140,656

DI SPLAY FRAME Filed Nov. 13, 1937 w I vMW 3 Patented Dec. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Brook] yn, N. Y.

Application November 13, 1937, Serial No. 174,470 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-1521) The present invention relates to improvements in display frames and more particularly to an easel type frame.

An object of the present invention is to pro- Vide a display frame in which the angle of display is kept constant.

Another object is to provide a simple construction which may be moulded or pressed from a synthetic resin or like material.

A still further object is to provide a device in which no assembly operation is required.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawing, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a device formed according to the present invention in open position.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 with the support swung in the opposite direction, and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary horizontal section taken through the pivotal connection.

In the form of display frame at present known the swinging supporting member is kept from opening beyond a certain degree by means of various forms of stops or webs which interconnect the body of the frame and the supporting member. Thus, Patent No. 2,016,349 employs an additional stop piece which is interposed between the swinging support and the body of the frame. The whole assembly has to be riveted or otherwise secured together by hand. The device according to the patent is composed of a relatively large number of parts and several of these parts must be made of metal and the whole assembly put together by hand.

Our invention aims to produce a greatly simplified and improved frame of the general type shown in the above identified patent. Referring particularly to the drawing, the display frame comprises a pair of frame bars lil which are grooved or channeled at their inner sides, as shown at l I in Figure 5, and are closed at the opposite ends of the channels. The channels II are formed to receive the opposite vertical edges of an article [2 to be displayed. The article generally designated at l2 may consist in a photograph l3 placed between a sheet of plain glass l4 and a backing sheet of glass I 5 silver coated at I6 to form a mirror. The article, therefore, presents a portrait at one side and a silvered mirror sur face at the other side.

Of course it is tobe understood that the device is not limited to any particular type of article type find ready appliany shape in which the diameters at different portions are of different lengths. As long as there is a major and minor axis of different lengths the socket serves the purpose of the present invention.

A U-shaped supporting bracket [9 has near the upper ends of its free arms a pair of inwardly directed pins 20. The distance between the free arms of the bracket I9 is such that the pins 2|] are held yieldably in the sockets l8 of the bars l0. These pins 20 have a shape which is also out of round and is here shown as ovoid. The pins are smaller in cross-section than the sockets with the exception that the greater diameter of the pins is larger than the length of the smaller diameter of the sockets so that a complete revolution of a pin in a socket is impossible. The relation between the size of the pins '20 and the size of the sockets l8 and the relative shapes of these determine the extent to which the bracket l9 carrying the pins 20 can swing out of the plane of the bars I0. One convenient position for a display frame is that illustrated in which bracket I9 is allowed to swing roughly 60. This supports the-portrait at a good angle for observation when it is placed on a table or the like in living quarters. It may very often be desirable in putting the display frames to other uses to have the object l2 disposed at a different angle to the horizontal. Variations in this angle may readily be obtained by varying the relative positions or sizes or both of the pins and sockets in a manner that will readily be apparent to anyone skilled in the art.

From the description above it will be apparent that the frame bars H] are identical and are of such shape that they may be readily pressed or moulded. Likewise the bracket l9 may be moulded in one piece from the same material as the bars 10. Only two different parts are, therefore, required. The same mould can be used to turn out both of the bars l0 and the bar I9 is the other part required. The glasses [4 or mirrors l5, l6 are of ordinary rectangular shape and do not require any new operations in preparing them for use in this display frame. When the bars ID are placed over the opposite edges of the article I2 the bracket I9 is spread to spring the pins 20 over the enlarged portions ll of the bars and are then allowed to drop into the sockets I8. By the resiliency of the bracket IS the whole assembly is maintained together and no rivet or other attachment is necessary between the parts.

It will, therefore, be apparent that the device disclosed above is a much simpler and more efficient device than has been heretofore known. No assembling operation need be performed before use. The display frames are customarily sold to a customer who intends to insert some display article of his own between the glasses or glass and mirror furnished. The means for stopping the swinging of the bracket is contained within the frame bars and there is nothing visible of this mechanism. The net appearance of the device is, therefore, more ornamental and particularly so when the moulded parts are formed of some of the new synthetic resins or other plastics which are obtainable in a great variety of colors and textures.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction and design of the above specifically described embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A display frame of plastic material comprising article holding means, and a supporting member, said holding means having an enlarged reinforcing portion provided with an outwardly opening socket of substantially oblong shape, said supporting member having a pin to fit said socket, said pin having diameters of different lengths and the longer diameter of the pin being shorter than the longer diameter of the socket and longer than the shorter diameter of the socket, whereby the pin and supporting member are rotatable with respect to said article holding means through part of a revolution, said pin being stopped by contact with the opposite sides of said socket when turned to swing its longer diameter towards the line of the shorter diameter of the socket.

2. A display frame adapted to hold an article having straight opposite edges, comprising a pair of identical molded article holders with a channel formed lengthwise to receive the edges of said article, each of said holders having an enlarged portion intermediate its ends and provided with a socket opening oppositely of the channel, said socket being formed of substantially oblong shape with diameters of different lengths, and a supporting means having pins adapted to fit into said sockets and shaped to have two diameters of different lengths the longer diameter being greater than the shorter diameter of the socket and less than the longer diameter of the socket, whereby relative rotation of the pin and socket is permitted through part only of a revolution.

THEODORE CHMIELEWSKI. NICHOLAS A. MONFORT.

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