US2640671A

US2640671A - Wall fixture support

Info

Publication number: US2640671A
Application number: US114760A
Authority: US
Inventors: Martin J Grady
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1949-09-09
Filing date: 1949-09-09
Publication date: 1953-06-02
Anticipated expiration: 1970-06-02

Description

Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATE S PAT ENT vlOrFlFl `WALL FIXTURE SUPPORT .Martin J Grady, Brdgmamliieh.

.Application September 9, 1949,.Seria1.No..114,760

(Cl. 2&8-4225) 21Claims. 1

Thisiinvention relates broadlyto wall `fixtures, suchias towel'bars and the like, "and vmore `particularly to "an improved support or mounting means for such fixtures.

Towel'bars andother wall fixtures ofthe type used in bathrooms or kitchens are Icommonly mounted by means Vof suitable brackets which are 4rattached to 'the 'wall by screws or other similar "fastening elements. Although such bracketsfare often-chromeplated, enameled, or otherwise provided withan Yattractive finish, in most'cases th-escrevvs or fastening devices and thefcooperating'attaching portions of the bracketsarelprominently visible when the'bracket is in "mounted condition thus detracting from lthe overall neatappearance of the iixture.

In some cases 'certain types lof Lwall fixtures have been provided with detachable mounting means'v comprising usually awall-platerigidly securedltothe wall by screws and a cooperating slotforvthellike in the yrear of the fixture slidably engaged over the wall plate. However, mounting means ofithis character have in most instances failed 'to -provide the desireddegree-of `rigidity for the iixture, and an unattractive space-is often evident .betweenl the fixture and the Wall.

In'thecase-of elongated wall nxtures,-such as towelfbars and the like, it has been common practice toemploy two brackets or supports Vdisposed at opposite Yends of the'bar in "order to obtain the necessary rigidity and stability 'of the lixtureonithe-wall. Prior to my invention, vno satisfactory means has been suggested for mounting ato-wel bar cr similar elongated'vvall xture using only' 1asingle support having both the required structural `rigidity and the desired attractive overallfappearance.

Accordingly, a primary object of my invention isltopro'vide a. novel support fora wall fixture-or thelikelwhich is adapted to yeiect rigid mounting .ofntheinxture on the wall while at the same time .presenting .a highly attractive appearance wthiallJfastening .elements concealed from normal view.

Another object .of the invention is to provide a support ufor :a .wall'fixture vor the like which is characterized by anovel two-lpiece construction havingafhigh'degree ofzrigidity when in assembled condition and providing a close'neat-appearing iit-against the supporting wall.

irlurther object of the invention is to provide a novel support for an elongated wall nxture, suchasfaztowel-bar orithe like,which comprises onlyfa single .mounting means capable-of `rigidly securing the xture tothe 'wall `while presenting aineat-iandattractive:overallappearance.` l

will become 'apparent from subsequent "detailed description of the` invention and the accompany ing drawing in' which:

Fig. 1 is a 'perspectivefview onaredunedscai'e of a towel bar se'curedto a wall'by meansuffa support `comprising one 4vspecific embodiment of my invention Fig. 2 is an exploded .plan view showing fthe parts of the device in detached relation;

Fig. 3 `is a vertical y'crosssectionalviewftttlien substantially along the'line '3il'ofliig."1I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional' viewftak'en substantially'along the line I'll-#4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken" Reference is novv made to the drawing lvvhere in I have shown, by way of illustration, ia fixture in the form of a-towel'bar-attached'to a wallby meansoi a support constructed in accordance with `my invention. The device comprises two` cooperating ,parts, namely, a mounting member or vbase indicated generally at -H (Fig. 1) '-whichfis rigidly `aiiixedftorawall l2, and an -elongatedlbar member, indicated generally vfat i3, and l-'come prising a pair "of oppositely extending l'arms "il and i8 which may be of any desired length but are "here lillustrated as being `vof runequal "lengths,

the arms 14bei-ng connected Y'by z-an integral lil-v shaped portion Fl. Extending inwardly from the yU-shaped 'portion l1' yfor lholding the 'armsy hi and i6 in outwardlyspaced relation Awith" thevv wall l2 is 'an integral socket portion fill having La sliding iit with portions of 'the-base lfl and se curely retained lthereon by means hereinafter described in detail.

The base 'n comprises a lwan :plate is having'- a peripheral iiange or 'rim 2 I Aadapted v-to t against ther` surface of thelwally lf2. Extendingfor-fmail Iview iwhen the device `is 'in assembled -.con'' dition.

' The Tforwardly extending supporting 'structure OrattahingImeans is-arranged to fit snuglyfwlt'l'i-l in fthe :socket portion [8, and in `the 'presentins.

stance comprises principally a pair of tubular elements 22 integral with the wall plate I9 and projecting therefrom in longitudinally spaced relation adjacent the opposite ends of the plate I9. Screw receiving recesses are provided by the central openings through the tubular elements 22, and a pair of screws 23 having their head portions disposed within the tubular members 22 adjacent the bases thereof extend inwardly through aligned aperturesiin the plate I9 for rigidly fastening the base II to the wall I2. A pair of rearwardly extending screw-receiving bosses 24 are formed at the inner face of the plate I9 integrally therewith to provide additional support for the screws 23 (Fig. 4). An additional pair of screw-receiving bosses 28 are also provided intermediate the bosses 24 and are formed with weakened areas comprising thin frangible webs 21 at the inlet ends thereof which may be readily broken to permit the insertion of additional screws in the event that more rigid mounting of the base II on the wall I2 is desired or if a different spacing of the fastening screws is necessary in order to secure the base II to the lath or stud structure behind the wall surface. An elongated rib 28 extends between the

bosses

24 and 26 for increasing the structural strength of the base. For providing additional support forthe socket portion I8 of the bar member I3, as described below in detail, a pair of laterally spaced upper and lower lugs or

flanges

29 and 3|, respectively, also extend outwardly from the wall plate I9 intermediate the tubular elements 22.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the socket portion I9 is generally oval or elliptical in shape and the end walls are thickened, as at 32 and 33 (Fig. 5), with the inner faces of the thickened end walls being substantially flat to provide a snug-fitting engagement with the tubular elements 22 whereby to prevent endwise movement of the socket portion I8 relative to the base II. In order to impart lateral support to the bar member I3, the tubular members 22 are also disposed in contact, as seen at 34 in Fig. 5, with the laterally extending side walls of the socket I8 at oppositely spaced points on either side of the

dat end walls

32 and 33. Thus, each ofthe tubular elements 22 is in tight-fitting engagement with one of the flattened end walls of the socket I8 and also with the adjacent side walls of the socket at three circumferentially spaced points around the periphery of the tube.

The upper and lower side walls of the socket portion I8 are also thickened, as at 36 and 31, and are provided with flat inner faces for snugly engaging the outer surfaces of the flanges 29 and 3I, respectively. A locking screw 38 extends upwardly'through an aperture inthe thickened lower wall 31 of the socket I8 and is received in a complementary threaded aperture in the lower flange 3I for retaining the bar member I3 in position on the base II. The locking screw 38 is disposed at the underside of the socket portion I8 and coacts with the bottom flange 3l in order that the outer head portion of the screw 38 may be concealed from ordinary view when the device is mounted on the wall.

In order to install my device, the base II is first positioned at the desired location on the wall surface and the screws 23 are then inserted and tightened firmly, the base II being thereby secured to the wall in such position as to hold the bar member I3 level when the device is completely assembled. Following the mounting of the base member II, the socket portion I8 of the bar member I3 is slidably fitted onto the forwardly extending supporting structure of the base I I and the locking screw 38 is then fastened in place.

When the device is thus completely assembled, it will be seen that the inner edge of the socket portion I8 abuts the outer face of the wall plate I9 and the walls of the socket portion I8 therefore completely enclose the outwardly extending supporting structure comprising the tubular elements 22 and the

flanges

29 and 3 I. Accordingly, in my device all of the fastening elements and the cooperating supporting structure for the xture are neatly concealed from normal view while the fixture is at the same time rigidly and attractively mounted on the wall surface.

Although the wall fixture support of my invention has been illustrated herein in connection with a, towel bar, it will be apparent that various other wall fixtures such as soap dishes, tooth brush racks, cup holders, and the like may be similarly mounted.

An additional feature of the specic embodiment of my invention herein described is found in the highly advantageous structure of the towel supporting means per se. In this connection, it will be seen that each of the arms I4 and I6 has a free unobstructed and inwardly curved outer end 39 to permit towels or wash cloths to be slipped endwise onto the towel bar in a rapid and,

convenient manner. In addition, the upper edges of the arms I4 and I6 are turned inwardly to provide flat upper anges or ledges 4I which serve eifectively to prevent slippage of the towels` or wash cloths when the latter are in place on the bar.

Although the invention has been described in connection with one particular structural embodiment, it will be understood that various modifications and equivalent structures may be resorted to without departing from the scope of4 having an elongated generally oval socket mem-y ber slidably mountable on said base with the tubular elements being received within the socket member and engaging the latter at the oppositely disposed ends thereof, the end walls of said socket member being flattened at the inner faces thereof adjacent said tubular elements with said tubular.

elements having close fitting contact with the flattened inner faces of said end walls, and the diameter of said tubular elements being sufh- 4 ciently large relative to the generally ova1 configuration of said socket member so that each of said tubular elements has a close fitting engage.

ment with the side walls of said socket member at spaced points on opposite sides of the point of contact with the adjacent flattened end wall.

2. A wall fixture comprising a base adapted be mounted atwise on a wall surface, a pair of tubular elements extending outwardly from said base in spaced relation thereon, a pair of upper and lower flange members extending outwardly from said base intermediate said tubular elements, and a fixture having Van elongated generally oval socket member slidably mountable on said ange members and said tubular elements, said socket member having thickened upper and lower side walls and thickened end walls with theI said tubular elements has a close-litting engage' ment with the side Walls of said socket member at spaced points on opposite sides of the point of contact with the adjacent :attened end Wall for rigidly and non-rotatably supporting the fixture on said base.

MARTIN J. GRADY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,276,463 Wells Aug. 20, 1918 1,297,610 Tachudin Mar. 18, 1919 1,962,739 Hoegger June 12, 1934 2,035,568 Pudliner 1 Mar. 31, 1936 2,315,955 Hallenscheid Apr. 6, 1943