US3828457A

US3828457A - Decorative wall fixture

Info

Publication number: US3828457A
Application number: US00326462A
Authority: US
Inventors: A Willis
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1973-01-24
Filing date: 1973-01-24
Publication date: 1974-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 1991-08-13

Abstract

A decorative fixture for hanging on a wall, having a baseboard in sections, slots in the baseboard, and supported items having studs protruding therefrom, the studs simultaneously holding the segments of the baseboard together and supporting the supported item in cantilevered fashion from the baseboard.

Description

United States Patent [191 Willis [45] Aug. 13, 1974 DECORATIVE WALL FIXTURE 2 ,2 3/1958 [76] Inventor: Arthur E. Willis, 927 Circuit Dr., ROSCVlllfi, Calif. 95678 3:469: 13 9 19 9 22 Filed: Jan. 24, 1973 3,668,798 6/1972 [21] Appl' 326,462 Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant ExaminerWenceslao J. Contreras [52] US. Cl. 40/152.1 Attorney, g or Firm-Ernest Brown [51] Int. Cl. ..G09fl/12 [58] Field of Search 40/145, 142 R, 140, 143, [57] ABSTRACT 40/125 H, 128, 152.1, 124; 248/475; 403/343 109 10 379 344; 52 75 R 75 A decorative fixture for hanging on a wall, having a C 758 D baseboard in sections, slots in the baseboard, and supported items having studs protruding therefrom, the [56] References Cited studs simultaneously holding the segments of the baseboard together and supporting the supported item in UNITED STATES PATENTS cantilevered fashion from the baseboard. 1,587,966 6/1926 Le Fevre 40/142 R 2,588,009 3/1952 Jones 248/489 Qlaims, 13 Drawing Figures PAIENIEU AUB 1 3 I974 SHEET 1 OF 2 DECORATIVE WALL FIXTURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The article of manufacture of this invention may be used as a knick-knack shelf, to support a mirror, picture or the like.

It is a common American pastime to collect knickknacks such as cups and saucers, salt and pepper shakers, and the like as souvenirs. At one time the habit was so prevalent that one frequently found that a shelf was built around the living room in a typical American house for carrying such items.

Typically one places souvenirs on a fireplace mantle or the top of a chest of drawers in a bedroom. If one wants to hang a mirror or picture, one typically screws it to the wall or hangs it from a hook.

The article of manufacture contemplated by this invention is a decorative fixture for hanging on a wall for supporting shelves, mirrors, pictures or decorative placques.

The article has a sectional baseboard with two or more interlocking sections. The adjacent edges of adjacent sections are contoured to be complementary. Two adjacent interlocking ends of the sections have a channel on one of the adjacent ends and a male member or tab on the other adjacent end, matching the channel. The channel and the tab or male member have overlapping keyhole slots therein.

Studs fit through the slots, holding the adjacent sections in interlocking relationship. Each of the studs has a shank which slides freely in the slots and a head which is larger than the slot and smaller than the entrance opening for the slot. I

Attached to the studs is an item to be supported. That item may, for example, be a picture frame, a mirror or a shelf.

If desired, secondary items, such as a picture frame or placque may ride on the studs between the baseboard and the primary items to be supported. These secondary items have keyhole slots alignedwith the keyhole slots on the baseboard so that the studs on the primary items to be supported pass through the aligned keyhole slots in the secondary items and in the baseboard.

The centers of the sections of the baseboard may also have keyhole slots to receive studs attached to other items to be supported.

In a preferred embodiment, the secondary items to be supported have a channel on the back thereof which straddles the baseboard. If only the primary items are supported, it is desirable to have a channel on the back of those primary items for straddling the baseboard.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a decorative wall fixture which may conveniently be packaged in disassembled form, then assembled and attached to the wall with the supported items holding the pieces of the fixture together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects will become apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a picture frame supported by a baseboard in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 shows a back view of the supported picture frame of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a typical sectional baseboard in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 4 shows a second embodiment of a sectional baseboard in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 5 is a view, partly in section, taken at 5-5 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of the device of this invention;

FIG. 7 is a view, partly fragmented, taken at 77 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken at 8-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a view, partly in section; taken at 9-9 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken at l0l0 in FIG.

FIG. 11 is a top view of a typical shelf supported in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 6;

FIG. 12 is a rear view of the shelf of FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a view taken at 13-13 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS. 1 through 5 and 13 show a plurality of

picture frames

10,12 mounted upon a baseboard 14. The baseboard 14 is made in a plurality of sections l6, 18.

It is intended that FIG. 3 should represent a multiple section baseboard which may have only two

sections

16, 18 or which may have more sections, as desired. Further, although only two

frames

10, 12 are shown, it is intended that the baseboard 14 may carry as many frames or other items, as desired.

In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the

sections

16 and 18 have complementary ends 20, 22. The male member or tab 24 slides into a channel 26 in the end 20 until the end surface 28 abuts the surface 30 and the surface 32 abuts the surface 34.

The pair of keyhole slots 36 and 38 overlap, i.e. are in alignment, when the member 22 is inserted into the channel 26. Each keyhole slot has an enlarged end, such as 40, to receive a stud (to be described).

The channel 26 may be formed by

flanges

50, 52, as shown in FIG. 3, or by

overlying tabs

54, 56, 58, 60, 62, 64, asshown in FIG. 4.

To hold the sections l6, 18 of the baseboard 14 together, astud is inserted through the larger end 40 of the slots 36, 38. The stud has a shank 72 which slides in the slots 36, 38 and a head 74 which is larger than the width of the slots 36, 38 but smaller than the enlarged portion 40 so that the stud 70 may be inserted into the slot, then allowed to slide into the narrower region of the slot. The stud 70 holds the

sections

16 and 18 together.

Additional slots

80, 82, 84 may be positioned on the baseboard 14.

The stud 70 preferably projects from the back of the mirror 10, as shown more particularly in FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the

studs

90, 92 may fit into the

keyhole slot

82, 84 to support the mirror 10 on the baseboard l6. Alternatively, the mirror 10 may be used with one of the studs or 92 passing through slots 36, 38 and the other passing through slot 80.

Preferably the back of the frame 10, and other like frames, has a channel which straddles the baseboard 14, as shown particularly in FIGS. 1 and 5. The

channel is shown in FIG. 2 on an angle to the mirror 10, whereby the embodiment of FIG. 2 is adapted to straddle a baseboard which crosses the back of the mirror at an angle. The use of a baseboard at an angle from the horizontal is usually decorative, and the baseboard need not necessarily be at such an angle but may proceed straight across the back of the mirror as shown more particularly in FIG. 1.

If desired, the mirror surface 102 may be inclined outwardly from the baseboard as shown in FIG. 5.

A typical picture frame, having a slidable insert 200 which inserts into the picture frame and which carrier a picture 202, fits into grooves in the side of the picture frame and behind the glass cover, as shown in FIG. 13.

Another embodiment of the invention is shown in detail in FIGS. 6 through 12. The embodiment of FIGS. 6 through 12 shows four

different placques

110, 112, 114, 116 supported upon a baseboard 14, each having a

shelf

118, 120, 122, 124 positioned in front of the placque. Each shelf, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, has a pair of

studs

126, 128, similar to that of FIGS. 1 through 5, which project through keyhole slots, such as slot 130 in FIG. 7. The baseboard 14 also has keyhole slots therein, matching the keyhole slot 130, to receive the

studs

126, 128. The

studs

126, 128 also serve to hold together the sections of the baseboard 14, as in FIGS. 1 through 5.

FIGS. 8 and 10 show the manner in which the stud 128 penetrates through a keyhole slot in the placque or decoration 114, thence through the keyhole slot in the placque or decoration 114, thence through the keyhole slots in the channel 26 and in the male member or the tab 24. Thus, the shelf 122 (and the other shelves as well) is cantilevered from the baseboard 14, and the

studs

126, 128 support the decorative placque 114.

In a typical situation, one might have a heart-shaped placque 110, a club-shaped placque 112, a diamondshaped placque 114 and a spade-shaped placque 116. These placques may be of different color. For example, by analogy with a deck of cards, the hearts and diamonds may be red while the clubs and spades may be black. The

shelves

118, 120, 122, 124 may be used to support knick-knacks.

The four

placques

110, 112, 114, 116, the four

shelves

118, 120, 122, 124, and a pair of sections of the baseboard 14 may be packaged together and sold as, for example, a souvenir in a gambling casino.

Organizations such as Service Organizations (Rotary, Kiwanis, Toastmasters, and the like) may mount their symbol or sea] placque upon a baseboard, such as the baseboard 14,either as

secondary placques

110, 112, 114, 116 or after the fashion of the mounting of the mirros of FIGS. 1 through 5.

Thus, it may be seen that the apparatus of this invention is an extremely useful decorative fixture which may compactly be packaged, and which may be used to support a substantial number of decorative items or utilitarian items such as picture frames, mirrors, and the like.

Although the invention has been described in detail above, it is not intended that the invention should be limited by that description, but only by that description in combination with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination:

a sectional baseboard having a plurality of interlock- .ing sections, the adjacent edges of adjacent sections being complementary, adjacent interlocking ends of said sections having a channel on one of said adjacent ends and a male member on the other said adjacent end, said male member matching said channel said channel and said male member having overlapping keyhole slots therein; and

at least one stud for each said slot, the shank of said stud sliding freely in said slots, and the head of said studs being larger than said slot and smaller than the entrance opening for said slot, said studs further including a supported member attached thereto. a

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further com prising additional keyhole slots in said baseboard section; and

additional supported members having studs thereon, said studs having shanks which slide freely in said last name slots and having a head which is larger than said slots and smaller than the entrance opening for said slots;

whereby said supported elements are supported, through their respective studs, by said baseboard and the said studs in said over-lapping slot hold together the sections of said baseboard.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 and further comprising:

secondary supported members, having keyhole slots therein aligned with said baseboard slots; and

said studs on said first mentioned supported members being positioned through said slots in said secondary supported members and in said baseboard;

whereby said first mentioned and said secondary supported members are supported, through said studs, by said baseboard.

4. Apparatus as recited in claim 3 in which said secondary supported members each have a channel therein dimensioned to straddle said baseboard sections, and said slots in said secondary members are positioned in said last named channels.

5. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said supported members have channels therein dimensioned to straddle said baseboard sections, and said studs are positioned within said last named channels.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which said supported member is a picture holder comprising:

a picture frame, a transparent cover, and a slidable picture backing which fits between said frame and said cover.

Claims

1. In combination: a sectional baseboard having a plurality of interlocking sections, the adjacent edges of adjacent sections being complementary, adjacent interlocking ends of said sections having a channel on one of said adjacent ends and a male member on the other said adjacent end, said male member matching said channel said channel and said male member having over-lapping keyhole slots therein; and at least one stud for each said slot, the shank of said stud sliding freely in said slots, and the head of said studs being larger than said slot and smaller than the entrance opening for said slot, said studs further including a supported member attached thereto.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1 and further comprising additional keyhole slots in said baseboard section; and additional supported members having studs thereon, said studs having shanks which slide freely in said last name slots and having a head which is larger than said slots and smaller than the entrance opening for said slots; whereby said supported elements are supported, through their respective studs, by said baseboard and the said studs in said over-lapping slot hold together the sections of said baseboard.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 and further comprising: secondary supported members, having keyhole slots therein aligned with said baseboard slots; and said studs on said first mentioned supported members being positioned through said slots in said secondary supported members and in said baseboard; whereby said first mentioned and said secondary supported members are supported, through said studs, by said baseboard.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which said supported member is a picture holder comprising: a picture frame, a transparent cover, and a slidable picture backing which fits between said frame and said cover.