US3501124A - Mirror or picture hanger - Google Patents

Description

March 17, 19-70 1w, 05 3,501,124

MIRROR 0R PICTURE HANGER Filed April 8, 1968 James Wfioss ATTORNEYS JNVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,501,124 MIRROR OR PICTURE HANGER James W. Goss, 410 South St. SW., Warren, Ohio 44482 Filed Apr. 8, 1968, Ser. No. 719,372 Int. Cl. A47g 1/24, N16

US. Cl. 248495 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A two-piece hanger for mirrors and pictures comprising an attaching member and a hinging member pivotally connected thereto. The attaching member has means for attaching it to the back of a mirror. or picture frame in vertically adjusted position. A keyhole slot in the hang ing member receives the head of a nail or similar fastening device in a wall or other supporting surface. In use, one of the hangers is attached to each upper corner of a rectangular mirror or picture frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention Description of the prior art Various attempts have been made to produce hangers for mirror and picture frames as substitutes for the ordinary picture wire. But so far as applicant has been able to learn, no hanger as simple and practical as his twopiece hanger has been suggested prior to his invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In general terms, the invention may be described as comprising a hanger formed of two sheet metal parts, namely, an attaching member for attachment to an upper corner of the frame for a mirror or picture, and a hanging member pivotally attached to the upper end of the attaching member and adapted to move relative thereto in the normal plane of the hanger.

The attaching member is formed from an elongated strip of sheet metal, bent at its central portion to form a loop at the upper end of said member. The metal strip is then bent upon itself from the lower end of said loop to the two ends of the strip, and the ends of the strip may be spot welded or otherwise secured together.

The double thickness of the metal strip has two elongated slots formed therethrough, preferably through the median line of the strip, for receiving screws, or similar fastening means, for securing the attaching member in vertically adjusted position to the back of the frame.

Substantially triangular, sharp prongs are stamped from the double thickness of the metal strip for biting into the back of the frame and holding the attaching member in adjusted position upon the frame.

The hanging member is formed of a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal of somewhat greater width than the strip from which the attaching member is formed. An inverted keyhole opening is formed in the hanging member, the lower larger portion of the opening being of slightly greater width than the attaching member.

This hanging member is pivotally secured to the attaching member by having the loop at the upper end of the attaching member located through the enlarged portion of the keyhole opening. In order to provide a pivotal attachment between the two members, the lower edge of the enlarged portion of the keyhole opening is downwardly curved from the center toward each end so that it has only a point contact with the top of the loop of the attaching member.

One of these hangers is attached to each upper corner of the frame, on the rear side thereof, the keyhole openings in the hanging members engaging the heads of nails or similar devices secured to the wall upon which the picture or mirror frame is to be hung.

It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide hangers for mirror or picture frames which will dispense with the difliculties and disadvantages of ordinary picture wire.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a hanger comprising an attaching portion with means for securing it to an upper corner of a mirror or picture frame and a hanging member pivotally connected thereto and having a keyhole opening for receiving a nail or the like secured in the wall upon which the frame is to be hung.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a hanger in which the attaching member is provided with means for securing it, in vertically adjusted position, to the back of a frame.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hanger of the character referred to in which the attaching member is formed from a strip of metal bent upon itself and forming a loop at its upper end which is located through the enlarged portion of the keyhole opening in the hanging member.

The above objects together with others which will be apparent from the drawing and following description may be attained by constructing the improved hanger in the manner illustrated in the drawing and hereinafter described in detail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a hanger embodying the invention with parts being broken in section for the purpose of illustration, tilted positions of the hanging member to each side of center being shown in broken lines;

FIG. 2 is an edge elevation of the hanger shown in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 3 is a smaller scale rear elevation of a mirror or picture frame showing two of the hangers embodying the invention connected to the two upper corners thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The improved hanger as shown in the drawing is formed of two sheet metal parts, namely, the attaching member indicated generally at 1 and the hanging member indicated generally at 2. These two members are pivotally connected together so that the hanging member 2 may move relative to the attaching member 1 to the right or left in the normal plane of the device.

The hanging member 2 is formed of a substantially rectangular piece of sheet metal having an inverted keyhole opening therein comprising the lower enlarged portion 3 and the upper reduced portion 4. The lower edge of the keyhole opening is arcuate in shape being curved downwardly from the center toward each side as indicated at 5.

The attaching portion 1 is formed of a strip of sheet metal of less width than the enlarged lower portion 3 of the keyhole opening in the hanging member. In forming the hanger, the metal strip from which the attaching member is formed is bent backwardly and downwardly as indicated at 6 and located through the enlarged po tion 3 of the keyhole opening in the hanging member, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

This portion of the metal strip is then bent against the straight portion 7 thereof, as indicated at 8, forming an open loop 9 at the upper end of the attaching member. This end portion 10 of the strip then extends downward in contact with the flat portion 7, to which it may be spot welded, as shown at 19 in FIG. 2.

Two vertically disposed elongated slots 11 are formed through the two thicknesses 7 and 10 of sheet metal and a plurality of sharp, substantially triangular tangs 12 are stamped therefrom and adapted to bite into a wooden frame 13 for a mirror or picture.

OPERATION -In using the improved hanger, two of the hangers are attached to the rear surface of the frame 13, one hanger in each upper corner of the frame, as shown in FIG. 3. The hangers are attached to the frame 13 by screws 14 located through the elongated slots 11 of the attaching member 1.

In hanging the frame, one nail, such for instance as indicated at 15 in FIG. 3, is driven into the wall at the desired height. Then measure the distance between centers of the slots 4 in the hanging members and drive a second nail such as indicated, for example, at 16 into the wall at the same distance down from the ceiling, as the nail 15.

The heads 17 of the nails 15 and 16 may be received in the enlarged lower portions 3 of keyhole openings in the hanging members 2 and the frame then lowered so that the nails 15 and 16 are received in the reduced slots 4 in the upper portions of the hanging members 2.

It should be understood that instead of nails 15 and 16 being driven into the wall, screws may be used, in which case it is advisable to drill small holes in the wall before inserting the screws.

Should the frame require any adjusting to make it level, the screws 14 through the slots 11 in the attaching member 1 of either of the hangers may be loosened to permit said attaching member to be moved upward or downward as desired relative to the frame. When the proper adjustment is made all of the screws 14 are tightened sufficiently to cause the tangs 12 to bite into the wood of the frame holding the hangers in adjusted position upon the frame.

In the event that the nails 15 and 16 may be accidentally placed slightly too close together or too far apart, the hangers will then automatically adjust themselves to such condition. As seen in FIG. 1, the hanging member 2 may pivotally move either to the right or left, in the normal plane of the hanger, relative to the attaching member 1, the curved lower edge of the enlarged portion 3 of the keyhole opening rocking upon the upper end 18 of the loop 9.

As shown from the above, it will be evident that the improved mirror or picture frame hanger provides a simple, inexpensive and easily operated device for replacing the commonly used picture wire obviating the difficulties and disadvantages thereof,

It will also be seen that the improved hanger may be easily and readily adjusted to the proper vertical position relative to the frame and securely attached to the frame in proper adjusted position.

It will further be seen that by pivotally mounting the hanger member on the attaching member, in the manner shown and described, the hangers will automatically adjust themselves to accommodate any discrepancy in the proper spacing of the nails or screws in the wall.

In the foregoing description certain terms have been used for brevity, clearness and understanding, but no unnecessary limitations are to be implied therefrom beyond the requirements of the prior art, because such words are used for descriptive purposes herein and are intended to 'be broadly construed.

Moreover, the embodiments of the improved construction illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the exact details of construction.

I claim:

1. A hanger for mirror and picture frames, said hanger comprising an attaching member, means for securing the attaching member in vertically adjusted position to the back of a frame, and a hanging member having an opening therein, the attaching member being of less width than said opening, a loop at the upper end of the attaching member located through said opening whereby the hanging member is pivotally connected to the upper end of the attaching member so as to move relative to the attaching member in the normal plane of the hanger, and means upon the hanging member for engaging a fastening device such as a nail.

2. A hanger as defined in claim 1 in which the lower edge of said opening is downwardly curved from its center toward each side and said curved lower edge of the opening contacts the upper end of said loop.

3. A hanger as defined in claim 2 in which said opening is an inverted keyhole opening.

4. A hanger as defined in claim 1 in which the opening in the hanging member is an inverted keyhole opening, the lower edge of said opening being downwardly curved from its center toward each side, and in which the loop is located through the enlarged lower part of said keyhole opening, the curved lower edge of the opening contacting the upper end of said loop.

5. A hanger as defined in claim 4 in which the attaching member has elongated vertically disposed slots for receiving screws for securing the attaching member to the frame.

6. A hanger as defined in claim 5 in which sharp prongs are stamped from said attaching member for engagement in the back of the frame.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1931 Simon 248-498 X 5/1955 Jacquet 248-495 US. Cl. X.R. 248-498

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