U.S. patent application number 14/280131 was filed with the patent office on 2015-11-19 for frame hanging wire post with locking connector.
The applicant listed for this patent is Robert W. Miller. Invention is credited to Robert W. Miller.
Application Number | 20150327695 14/280131 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54352557 |
Filed Date | 2015-11-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150327695 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Robert W. |
November 19, 2015 |
FRAME HANGING WIRE POST WITH LOCKING CONNECTOR
Abstract
A hanging wire post with a locking connector for decorative
hanging applications. This hanging wire post would be alternate to
using eyelets or D-rings for attachment point of hanging wire to
frame. This hanging post will install to frame with a single
center-point screw. This post supports the hanging wire which is
threaded through and around backside of post resulting in a
frictional grip on wire that facilitates wire length adjustment.
The hanging wire is then locked into position with the parallel
line locking connector. The result is a very high strength end
connection, and very quick and precise installation. No frustration
of trying to tie precise knots in stranded wire or stranded wire
rope. This device will work equally well with coated or uncoated
stranded wire and wire rope.
Inventors: |
Miller; Robert W.;
(Huntington Beach, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Miller; Robert W. |
Huntington Beach |
CA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54352557 |
Appl. No.: |
14/280131 |
Filed: |
May 16, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
248/493 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G 1/1666 20130101;
F16G 11/146 20130101; F16G 11/14 20130101; F16G 11/05 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A47G 1/16 20060101
A47G001/16; F16G 11/14 20060101 F16G011/14; F16G 11/05 20060101
F16G011/05 |
Claims
1. A frame-post with locking connector for securing hanging wires
to the support frame of architectural decorative objects
comprising: a semi-circular or circular post with a axial center
point bore for an attach screw to secure the post to frame
structure, at a mid-point along length of said post are boreholes
located so as to allow for a hanging wire end to be threaded
through first bore hole to loop around circular side of said post
and pass back through second bore hole; typically said boreholes
will be parallel and equally spaced from a center line bisecting
the semi-circular shaped rod, said bore holes being of a specified
diameter to allow the wire to be secured in position by the
frictional resistance from the tight radii of the encircled post,
but still be able to be adjustable by hand to enable precise
adjustment in length of the designated hanging wire; the wire
locking connector for the device is slid up to pick-up the free
wire end extending from the second bore hole, and is then located
adjacent to post and the lock-screw is installed into connector to
fix the wire position.
2. The locking connector for the assembly comprises an elongated
hollow cylinder having an axial channel of specified diameter at
its interior to receive the parallel wire segments and allow for
installation of the locking screw along side of the two constrained
wires, the locking screw of this connector imparts a compressive
lock on the constrained, steel wires as the screw advances down the
bore of the cylinder.
3. A frame post with a locking connector as described in claims 1
and 2 that can be used with uncoated or plastic coated hanging
wire, without any requirement to remove the plastic coating prior
to installing connector.
4. A frame post with a locking connector that properly installed to
the supporting frame will provide a connection strength equal to
the load rated strength of the hanging wire.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 13/495,638 filed Jun. 13, 2012 and is incorporated herein by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Hanging wires for picture frames and other architectural
items are typically suspended with stranded load-rated steel wire
with wire OD's of .032 to .092''. The stranded wires are now
available with a polymeric coating which prevents the sheared ends
of wire from having splayed strands that can easily puncture
skin.
[0003] Decorative hangings are typically supported in a structural
frame which will be supported by a hanging wire that attaches to
either eyelets or D-rings attached to frame. The eyelet is
relatively weak and is subject to bending and/or dislodging from
picture frame. The D-ring having a heavier attach screw(s) is a
better method for attaching to frame. However both types will
require tying the wire to the eyelet or D-ring. Obtaining the exact
desired length of a hanging wire while tying in a knot is the first
part of problem, and the second is the stiff stranded wires do not
lend themselves to be formed into taut configurations of a
knot.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] Accordingly, it is the general purpose of the present
invention to provide a hitching post for frames of decorative
hanging items that will facilitate connecting and adjusting lengths
of the structural hanging wires. The hitching post described in the
drawings, can be easily attached to frame, and then be quickly
threaded with the hanging wire. The hanging wire is adjusted to
desired length and then locked into position with the described
parallel line connector. This preferred parallel line connector
type is an improvement over the typical swaged ferrule type of
parallel line splice connector. This preferred parallel line
connector has a very low profile, is easily installed with no
special tooling and develops a connected strength equal to the
rated load for the structural wire. All current parallel line wire
connectors require that with coated wire, the coating must be
removed in order to install connector. With this inventive
connector, the thread of the advancing locking screw will slice
through the polymer coating on coated hanging wires to provide a
mechanical lock on the steel strands of the wire, thus enabling the
connector to be used with coated wire. This inventive frame post
with connector will provide an assembly strength of wire to frame
equal to the load rating of the hanging wire.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0005] The aforementioned objects and advantages of the present
invention, as well as additional objects and advantages thereof,
will be more fully understood herein as a result of the detailed
description of a preferred embodiment when taken in conjunction
with the following drawings:
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing typical prior art of
method of attaching structural hanging wire to eyelet or
D-Rings;
[0007] FIGS. 2A and 2B are perspective drawings of the inventive
hitch post less the parallel line connector;
[0008] FIG. 3 is a top view of post showing hanging wire threaded
through post, and how the wire length is adjusted by
pulling/pushing on parallel wires extending from post;
[0009] FIG. 4 illustrates how the parallel line connector is slid
up in position, capturing both wire segments from post, and is in
position to be locked in place with the locking screw; and
[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective illustration of a hanging wire post
installed on a picture frame with the locking connector in position
with the locking screw installed.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0011] This basic hitching post is a short length (.60'' typ) of a
circular/semicircular rod section with a center point bore (.160''
ID typical) that will accept the attach screw to attach this post
section to frame. This post section will typically have parallel
bore holes that allow the hanging wire to be threaded through,
looped around back side of circular section of post, and threaded
back through second bore hole with enough extra length to allow for
installation of the parallel line splice connector. Ideally the
component materials for completing an installation would be
supplied as a kit; containing the particular strength-rated hanging
wire and the corresponding hitch posts with locking connectors. The
bore hole diameters for posts would typically be about 1.2 times
the actual wire OD. The centerline spacing between the parallel
boreholes would be about 4.2 times the wire OD. Typically the
diameter of post would be .50 inch for wire up to .050''OD, and .75
inch for wires up to .100''. This hole/wire configuration will
result in some friction so that wire position will be readily
adjustable by hand, but will hold position to allow for precise
length adjustment. Prior to threading the post, the parallel line
connector will be slid onto the mid-section of the hanging wire, so
as to be in position to capture the free end of wire that will be
threaded back through post. After the length of the hanging wire is
established, the waiting parallel line connector is slid up to pick
up the parallel wire segment extending out of the second borehole,
connector is moved up snug to post and then the locking screw is
installed to complete the parallel line-splice connection.
[0012] The locking connector of this device is similar to a swaged
ferrule sleeve type of connector for parallel line splicing except
the ferrule is a high strength plastic cylinder sized to accept the
two parallel hanging wires through the bore that are then locked
into position by the self tapping locking screw inserted into the
bore that develops a compressive lock between the wires and the
encompassing cylinder by the advancing lock-screw. The described
connector can be used with uncoated or plastic coated hanging wire.
A typical connector for a 1/16.sup.th inch wire rope plastic coated
(OD .098'' typ) would be as follows: Cylinder OD .31'' length
.75'', Bore .210''. Locking-screw is #6 -3/4'' length. Properly
installed to adequate frame, this wire post with connector
combination will have an assembly strength exceeding the rated wire
load of 96 pounds. For this application, the advantage of this
connector is that it requires no special tool, and is immediately
adjustable, If the installed hanging line is too long/short, one
removes the locking screw, and readjusts the line positions in the
connector.
* * * * *