Supports – With anti-theft or anti-tamper means
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-08
2003-06-17
Braun, Leslie A. (Department: 3632)
Supports
With anti-theft or anti-tamper means
C248S466000, C248S476000, C248S489000, C248S495000, C248S475100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06578812
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention concerns a hanging system composed of one or more hanger bodies with one or more screws and adjustable hooks attached to a picture frame or other object, and one or more brackets that are attached onto a wall or surface. The system allows the object to be positioned while on the brackets and to lock the picture against the wall thereby providing a measure of security against theft and movement by incidental contact. The brackets are anchored into the wall so that there is space between the wall and the brackets for the interfacing attachments on the hanger. The system provides a measure of adjustability for position the picture on the wall without having to remove the object from the track.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known security picture hangers in commercial production used for hanging pictures onto walls are not able to adjust the position of the picture against the wall. They lack any significant capability for changing the position of the picture after the picture is attached to them without removing the picture. It is useful to be able to have a picture securely hung against a wall or other surface in the precise desired position without having to constantly remove the picture to make adjustments. The adjustability provided by this invention allows the picture to be moved to an infinite number of positions within a range without having to remove the picture from the wall and then to lock the picture at that position onto the wall. With one or more horizontal brackets along a length of a wall pictures can be added or removed from the brackets as desired. A security easel may even be the object attached to the brackets.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention combines one or more horizontal brackets attached to a wall and one or more hanger bodies attached to a picture or other object. Each hanger body has from one to three adjusting screws. Some embodiments have adjusting screws with hooks or bars that engage a bracket. Other embodiments have the hanger body and an adjusting screw engaging the bracket. This combination of components provides a system that supports the object on a wall or surface so that it can be precisely positioned over a range and then locked in that position.
The simplest embodiment is composed of a bracket in the form of a length of double beveled track anchored horizontally to the wall and a hanger body with a single screw and hook. The hanger body is attached to the top middle of the frame and has a downwardly inclined lower lip that fits onto the top of the track. This inclined lip fits into the space between the wall and the track and supports the picture that it is attached to. This connection also lets the picture move horizontally along the track. The single screw in the hanger body extends below the bottom of the track and the upwardly inclined threaded hook on the screw engages the bottom of the track. Tightening the hook onto the bottom of the track locks the picture in place.
A second embodiment has a horizontal track attached to a wall and a hanger body having two screws being attached to the top middle of a picture. The screws are positioned such that the first screw is on the outer edge of the hanger body and is threadedably engaged through the hanger body. The second screw is in the same plane as the first screw, closer to the base of the hanger and able to rotate freely. When the picture with the hanger attached is placed onto the track the outer screw engages the top recess of the track and supports the picture. The picture can then be positioned along the track to the desired horizontal position. The height of the picture can also be adjusted by raising or lowering this outer screw. The inner screw extends past the bottom of the track and the bottom hook travels up and engages the bottom side of the track when this screw is turned and this locks the picture in place.
The next embodiment is similar to the previous one except that it has two outer screws threaded in the hanger body on either side of the middle inner rotating screw. The two outer screws engage the top recess of the beveled track and provide leveling as well as horizontal and vertical positioning. The inner screw is again used to lock the picture by having the hook engage the bottom of the track.
The next embodiment has three screws horizontally along the same plane of the hanger body. The screws are free to rotate in the body and each screw has a threaded hook on it. The middle hook has an upwardly facing hook while the two outside screws have downward facing hooks. The two outside screws have retaining nuts where they exit the bottom of the hanger body to keep them from being pushed up through their respective holes in the hanger body. This assembly, when attached to the top back center of a picture, allows the picture to be hung with the two side hooks over the top of the track and the middle hook under the bottom of the track. This permits the picture to be leveled, positioned horizontally and vertically, and then locked onto the track.
Top and bottom hangers are used on the picture when security is desired. These embodiments require top and bottom tracks. For these embodiments the number of adjusting and locking screws and hooks in each hanger body can be reduced to a single middle hook. The bottom hook is facing in a downward direction and the top hook is facing in an upward direction. The bottom hook will go over the top of the bottom track while the top hook goes under the bottom of the top track. The bottom hook supports the picture onto the bottom track and the top hook holds the picture against the wall and forces the top of the picture into the bottom track when tightened.
The use of a single screw top and a single screw bottom hanger with two tracks permits horizontal and vertical positioning and locking onto the two track combination. The use of a double (side by side) screw for the bottom hanger permits leveling when used with two tracks. The use of a three screw hanger for the top and bottom hangers makes each track a supporting track.
For large pictures two top three screw hangers can be used near the top corners with a single long track or with two short tracks anchored to the wall. To have the top and bottom of the picture locked onto the wall a four corner arrangement with two long tracks or four short tracks can be used with four single screw hangers.
Instead of mounting the hangers onto the picture the hangers could be attached to an easel that has provisions for locking pictures onto itself. Two tracks would be used with four hangers attached to the corners of the easel for such an arrangement. The use of metal tracks would permit the addition of an electrical signal onto the tracks for monitoring and alarm devices on the easel.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1363321 (1920-12-01), Jaeger
patent: 4611779 (1986-09-01), Leonard, Jr.
patent: 4973021 (1990-11-01), Schuite
patent: 5603475 (1997-02-01), Lim
patent: 5806826 (1998-09-01), Lemire
patent: 5931439 (1999-08-01), Lemire
patent: 5961090 (1999-10-01), Parkin
Braun Leslie A.
Weinhold Ingrid
LandOfFree
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