US3265339A

US3265339A - Picture frame hanging and leveling device

Info

Publication number: US3265339A
Application number: US397164A
Authority: US
Inventors: Daniel J Hushek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1964-09-17
Filing date: 1964-09-17
Publication date: 1966-08-09
Anticipated expiration: 1983-08-09

Description

Aug. 9, 1966 D. J. HUSHE-K PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICE Filed Sept. 17. 1964 HHHHHHIH I NVENTOVR..,

DAN/EL J. HUSHEK I5 2/ p/ 4 a. m

United States Patent 3,265,339 PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICE Daniel I. Hushek, 630 Davis St., Melrose Park, Ill. Fiied Sept. 17, 1964, Ser. No. 397,164 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-29) This invention relates to a picture frame hanging and leveling device for hanging pictures and similar articles on a vertical wall or like supporting surface.

One of the problems involved in hanging pictures and in leveling picture frames on vertical walls and like supporting surfaces, by means of a hook or nail attached to the wall surface, and a flexible cord attached to the picture frame and suspended from the supporting hook or nail, is the problem of leveling the picture frame after it has been suspended by a flexible cord from the supporting hook or nail.

Another problem involved in .the use of prior picture frame hanging devices, such as hooks and nails, has been the problem of assuring that the picture frame will maintain its desired level position after it has been mounted in position of use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved picture hanging and leveling device which in use facilitates the hanging and leveling of picture frames upon a vertical wall or like supporting surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved picture frame hanging device which, in use, makes it possible to insure that the picture frame When mounted in position of use will retain its desired level position.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a new and improved picture frame hanging and leveling device embodying novel means for supporting a picture frame unit in a position forwardly of a vertically extending supporting wall surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved picture frame hanging and leveling device which in use makes it possible to adjust the position of the picture frame suspended by the new picture frame supporting or hanging and leveling device after screws, or like fastening elements, from which the new picture frame hanging and leveling device is suspended, have been inserted into a vertical wall or like supporting surface and without the necessity for removing the supporting screws or like supporting elements from, and reinser-ting them into, the supporting wall surface and thereby further marring the vertical supporting wall or like supporting surface.

Other objects will appear herein-after.

In the drawings:'

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a picture frame suspending by the new picture frame hanging or supporting and leveling device;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one of the new picture frame hanging and leveling devices mounted in position of use upon the side rail of a picture frame;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on line 33 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, on line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

A preferred embodiment of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device is illustrated in the drawing, wherein it is generally indicated at 10, and is generally inverted L-shaped in plan, and is shown as being associated and used with a typical picture frame unit 11 which embodies parallel vertically extending side walls 12, a horizontal top wall 13, and a horizontal bottom wall 14; the picture frame unit 11 being mounted upon a vertical 3,265,33% Patented August 9, 1986 surface generally indicated at 15 supporting wall (FIG. 3).

The new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 comprises a normally vertically extending body portion 16 having formed therein an elongated vertically extending slot 17, and an upper horizontally extending arm portion 18 which extends generally right angul-arly from the body portion 16 at the top of the latter and is interconnected with the vertically extending body portion 16 by a transverse interconnecting web portion 19; the horizontally extending arm portion being offset laterally from and out of the plane of the vertically extending body portion 16, as best shown in FIG. 3,-for a purpose which will be described hereinafter.

The new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 may be made of any suitable material, and in any suitable manner as, for example, by being stamped fro-m suitable light sheet steel, aluminum, or like metal, or by being molded from plastic synthetic resinous molding material, or the like.

As shown in the drawing, the offset horizontally extending upper arm portion 16 has a horizontally extending elongated slot 21) formed therein.

In the use of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device, two of the new picture frame hanging and leveling devices 11 are mounted on the picture frame unit 11, so that one of the new picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 is mounted on each of the vertically extending side walls or rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11 and preferably adjacent the upper portion thereof, as shown. To this end, a pair of suitable fastening elements in the form of screws 21 are inserted at spaced intervals through each of the elongated slots 17 in the vertically extending body portions 16 of the picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 and the screws 21 are driven into the body of the side walls or rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11.

After the two fastening screws 21 have been inserted through each of the vertically extending slots 17 in the vertically extending body portions 16 of the picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10, into the side rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11, the user then measures the distance between the centers of the two horizonally extending slots 20 in the horizontally extending offset arm portions 18, whereupon the distance from the ceiling down to the desired height at which the user wishes to hang the picture frame unit 11 is measured. A pair of spaced headed supporting nails 22 are then driven into the supporting wall surface 15 at points corresponding to the centers of the two horizontally extending slots 20 in the horizontally extending arm portions 18, at approximately the height at which it is desired to suspend the picture frame unit 11, and approximately equidistant from the ceiling, and at the desired distance laterally from each other. The picture frame unit 11 and attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 are then suspended from the supporting nails 22 by engaging theupper portion 23 of each arm 15 over the head 24 of the supporting nail 22, as shown in FIG. 3, so that the head 24 of the nail 22 is disposed slightly rearwardly of the upper portion 23 of the corresponding arm 18 and some looseness or play is thus provided between the heads 24 of the supporting nails 22 and the arms 18-23 of the picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 so that the picture frame unit 11 and the attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices may be slid and adjusted laterally or horizontally on the supporting nails 22. A test hanging of the picture frame unit 11 is then made and if the picture frame unit 11 is not hanging or suspended straight or properly, the user than measures the distance from the ceiling to both sides of the top wall 13 of the picture 33 frame unit 11 to determine the distance or extent of which it is out of line or plumb.

Thus, for example, assuming that the picture frame unit 11 is found to be out of line or plumb by a half inch, the user then takes the picture frame unit 11 down and loosens either or both of the picture frame hanging and leveling devices on their supporting screws 21 and then moves one or both picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 the necessary distance in the direction up or down to accommodate for the distance or extent by which the picture frame unit 11 was out of line or plumb. The screws 21 are then tightened securely so as to clamp the picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 against the side walls 12 of the picture frame unit 11, whereupon the picture frame unit 11 with the attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10' attached thereto is then reinserted in position upon the supporting nails 22 and at this time the picture frame unit ll'should be suspended in proper level position from the supporting nails 22, although, if necessary, the picture frame unit 11 and attached picture frame hanging and leveling devices 10 may be adjusted laterally or horizontally on the supporting nails 22, as pointed out hereinbefore.

It will thus be noted that the new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 enables the picture frame unit 11 to be properly suspended upon and from a vertical wall or like supporting surface without the use of any flexible cord, or the like.

It will further be noted that the purpose of the horizontally extending slot 20 in each of the offset horizontal arms 18 of the picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 is not only to receive the supporting nail 22 but to enable compensation to be effected for the possibility that the supporting nails 22 will not be placed at exactly the right distance apart. Hence, the slotted arms 18-20, in conjunction with the other parts of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10, render it possible to level the picture frame unit 11 to insure that it is properly hung without removing the supporting nails 22 from the wall surface 15 and thereby avoiding undue mutilation of the vertical supporting wall surface 15, or the like.

It will further be noted that the vertically extending slot 17 in the vertically extending body portion 16 of the picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 enables compensation to be made for the fact that the supporting nails 22 or like supporting members may not be initially mounted in exactly equidistant positions vertically from the ceiling of the room, or like place from which the picture frame unit 11 is to be hung, so that when this occurs, suitable compensation may be made by loosening the screws 21 and adjusting the picture frame hanging and leveling devices '10 on the side walls or rails 12 of the picture frame unit 11 and without removing the supporting nails 22 from the supporting wall surface 15.

It will likewise be noted that by reason of the fact that the upper arm 18 of the new picture frame hanging and leveling device 10 is offset laterally out of the plane of the main body portion 16, the picture frame unit 11 is supported in position of use somewhat away from the vertically extending supporting wall surface 15 so as not to mar the latter and to enhance the esthetic appearance of the picture.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, that the present invention provides a new and im proved picture frame hanging and leveling device having the desirable advantages and characteristics and accomplishing its intended objects including those hereinbefore pointed out and others wihch are inherent in the invention.

I claim:

1. In a picture frame hanging and leveling device the combination comprising a wall, a member including a main body portion having a slot formed therein for the reception of fastening means by which the said member may be attached to -a rail of a picture frame unit, the said member including an arm portion extending 'angularly from the said main body portion and having an elongated slot formed therein; a headed supporting element which is driven into said wall, received in said slot for suspending the said picture frame hanging and leveling device therefrom; the transverse and longitudinal dimensions of the slot greatly exceeding the diameter of the head on said supporting element whereby the supporting element may be readily inserted therein, and the upper edge of said slot being linear to allow relative sliding movement between said supporting element and said member.

'2. A picture frame hanging and leveling device as defined in claim 1 in which the said member is generally of inverted L-shaped in plan and in which the said arm portion of said member extends generally right angularly from the said main body portion thereof, and is offset laterally from the plane of said main body portion.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 57,072 12/1939 Denmark. 77,153 7/1950 Norway.

CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner. J. F. FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

Claims

1. IN A PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICE THE COMBINATION COMPRISING A WALL, A MEMBER INCLUDING A MAIN BODY PORTION HAVING A SLOT FORMED THEREIN FOR THE RECEPTION OF FASTENING MEANS BY WHICH THE SAID MEMBER MAY BE ATTACHED TO A RAIL OF A PICTURE FRAME UNIT, THE SAID MEMBER INCLUDING AN ARM PORTION EXTENDING ANGULARLY FROM THE SAID MAIN BODY PORTION AND HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT FORMED THEREIN; A HEADED SUPPORTING ELEMENT WHICH IS DRIVEN INTO SAID WALL, RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT FOR SUSPENDING THE SAID PICTURE FRAME HANGING AND LEVELING DEVICE THEREFROM; THE TRANSVERSE AND LONGITUDINAL DIMENSIONS OF THE SLOT GREATLY EXCEEDING THE DIAMETER OF THE HEAD ON SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENT WHEREBY THE SUPPORTING ELEMENT MAY BE READILY INSERTED THEREIN, AND THE UPPER EDGE OF SAID SLOT BEING LINEAR TO ALLOW RELATIVE SLIDING MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID SUPPORTING ELEMENT AND SAID MEMBER.