U.S. patent number 3,665,629 [Application Number 05/091,282] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-30 for clip fastened picture frame assembly.
Invention is credited to Frank Shore.
United States Patent |
3,665,629 |
Shore |
May 30, 1972 |
CLIP FASTENED PICTURE FRAME ASSEMBLY
Abstract
A picture frame assembly formed of outer and inner frame parts,
the inner frame parts being slidably or snap fastened into the
space in the outer frame parts and being interchangeable with inner
frame parts of different shape and construction for serving the
purpose of securing a wooden painting frame within the frame parts
and at the same time utilizing clips for the securing of the
picture mat assembly for the painting frame assembly within the
frame parts. The frame parts are cut on a bias from long extruded
members and are joined at their corners, the outer frame parts
having rear grooves and the joining of the outer frame parts to
include the inner frame parts being effected by corner plates
extending into the ends of the grooves at the corner joints thereof
and the inner parts having square recesses for receiving the
picture mount assembly or a painting and clips adapted to be turned
fastened into the grooves on the back of the outer parts and turned
to a location to overlie the back of the picture - mat assembly or
painting frame to hold the same in the squared recesses of the
inner frame parts. Clips having opposing projections to be turned
into a T shaped slot, a picture surface engaging portion, a hanging
wire loop portion and opening for attachment by a screw to a wooden
frame.
Inventors: |
Shore; Frank (Hicksville,
NY) |
Family
ID: |
22226986 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/091,282 |
Filed: |
November 20, 1970 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
40/790;
40/782 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47G
1/0605 (20130101); A47G 2001/0661 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A47G
1/06 (20060101); G09f 001/12 () |
Field of
Search: |
;40/152,152.1,154,156 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Michell; Robert W.
Assistant Examiner: Contreras; Wenceslao J.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A picture mounting assembly comprising an outer frame formed of
frame pieces mitered at their corners and joined together, said
outer frame pieces having a T-shaped groove running along the rear
face thereof, said outer members having a forward bead providing a
space between the rear portion and the bead, an inner frame piece
having a squared recess for receiving the picture assembly carried
within the space of the outer frame piece, and clip members having
projecting fingers adapted to be extended into the T-shaped groove
of the outer frame piece and turnable from a longitudinal position
to a right angle position to effect locking engagement with the
T-shaped groove, a picture assembly in the squared portion of the
inner frame piece and said clip when turned to its right angle
position serving to retain the picture assembly in the square
recess of the inner wall piece.
2. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
inner wall piece having an incline face overlying the front of the
picture assembly and a rib projection engageable with the bead
portion of the outer frame piece serving to hold the inner frame
piece in place within the space of the outer frame piece, said
inner wall piece having a further portion overlying the bottom of
the outer wall piece, and said inner wall piece being to its rib
snap fastened into the space of the outer wall piece.
3. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 2, and said
square recess portion of the inner wall piece overlying the inside
of the bottom of the outer wall piece and adapted to receive a
picture mat assembly from the rear of the frame, and said clip
extending over the square recessed portion of the inner wall member
and bearing against the rear of the picture mat assembly.
4. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
inner frame piece having a channel portion and flanges respectively
underlying the front bead portion of the outer wall piece and
overlying the rear portion of the outer frame piece, said square
recessed portion extending inwardly from the channel portion and
opening to the front of the picture frame assembly with its rear
wall lying flush with the rear face of the outer wall piece, said
picture assembly including a wooden frame with a canvas painting
thereon and fastening elements extending into the wooden frame from
the inner ends of the clips to hold the painting frame against the
recessed portion of the inner wall member.
5. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
clip members having an inwardly bendable inner end and a portion
struck from the bendable end and having an opening in the struck
portion for receiving the end of a hanging wire and the inwardly
bent end having an opening for receiving a screw for attachment to
a wooden frame.
6. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
clip member having a portion when turned overlying the inner edge
of the frame and engageable with the rear face of the pictures to
hold the same in place.
7. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 6, and said
clip having an eye portion for the engagement therewith of a
hanging wire.
8. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
frame pieces being joined at the corners of the frame with angle
shaped corner plates having two legs and each of said legs being
bent upwardly along diverging fold lines to provide a top engaging
face whereby upon compression and tight fitting engagement in the
T-shaped slot the said edges of the bent up part of the leg portion
will be shifted laterally to effect tight gripping engagement
laterally with the sides of the slot as well as vertically with the
top and bottom thereof.
9. A picture mounting assembly, as defined in claim 1, and said
frame pieces being joined at the corners of the frame with angle
shaped corner plates having two legs and each of said legs being
bent upwardly on a bias to provide parallel, but slanting folds,
whereby upon compression and tight fitting engagement in the
T-shaped slot the said edges of the bent up part of the leg portion
will be shifted laterally to effect tight gripping engagement
laterally with the sides of the slot as well as vertically with the
top and bottom thereof.
Description
This invention relates to picture frame assemblies. It is the
principal object of the present invention to provide a picture
assembly made of outer and inner frame parts which can be joined
together and by a provision of a different inner frame part the
picture frame serving for either to receive a picture mat assembly
or a canvas painting frame and wherein the picture mat assembly and
the painting frame can be releasably and easily retained within the
picture frame assembly by snap clips turnable into place upon the
rear of the frame assembly and wherein grooves provided in the rear
of the outer frame parts and used for the joining of the frame
parts together by corner plates can be used for the turnable
retaining clips.
Another object of the invention is to provide a picture frame
assembly formed of inner and outer frame parts, in which the
picture mat assembly or canvas painting can be secured in place by
clips and without the need of fastening screws or special tools for
securing the clips to the frame parts.
Other objects of the present invention are to provide a picture
frame assembly, having the above objects in mind, which is of
simple construction, has a minimum number of pieces, adapted to be
converted from picture mat assembly to a floating frame assembly,
easy to assemble, effective and efficient in use.
For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had
to the following detailed description taken in connection with the
accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the picture frame embodying
the features of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the picture frame showing the
clips used in securing the picture mat assembly in the frame.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the
frame and as viewed on line 3--3 of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the
frame with illustration made as to the manner that the clip is
applied to the rear of the frame to hold the picture mat assembly
in the frame.
FIG. 5 is a front perspective view of the frame adapted as a
floating frame for receiving a canvas painting with the retaining
clips being adapted to serve for the placing of nails or screws
into the wooden frame of the painting.
FIG. 6 is a rear perspective view of the floating frame with the
clips in place upon the frame to secure the canvas painting.
FIG. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the
floating frame and the canvas painting and as viewed on line 7--7
of FIG. 6.
FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view of a fragment of the frame
and painting assembly looking upon the clip and illustrating the
manner in which a nail or screw is applied to the wooden painting
frame so that the clip when turned into attaching position is
adapted to receive the screw or nail.
FIG. 9 is a collective and perspective view of the clip and
attaching screws for the painting frame free of the clip and the
clip free of the frame.
FIG. 10 is a front perspective view of a further floating frame
with a canvas painting fitted therein and a marginal gap running
along the sides of the painting frame to show depth against the
inclined surface of an inner wall piece.
FIG. 11 is a rear perspective view embodying a modified form used
for securement of the frame against the inner wall part of the
frame.
FIG. 12 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of the floating
frame and taken through one of the clip fasteners and showing the
wooden painting frame secured by a screw to the clip and the clip
having an eye projection to which a hanging wire is fixed.
FIG. 13 is a rear perspective view of the modified clip and of the
screw used for the attaching of the wooden frame to the clip.
FIG. 14 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the groove on
the outer frame to which this clip is secured and with illustration
being made as to the manner in which the clip is secured into and
under the flanges of the grooves.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view of one of the angle shaped corner
plates used for securing the outer frame pieces together with the
legs of the frame piece being bowed to insure tight grip within the
rear groove on the outer frame members.
FIG. 16 is a fragmentary illustrative view showing how the bowed
portion of the angle shaped plate has gripping relationship with
the bottom and opposing flanges of the grooves.
FIG. 17 is a fragmentary perspective view of another one of the
angle shaped corner plates with the legs of the plate being bowed
differently from FIG. 15.
FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of still another angle
shaped plate which is bowed still differently from that shown in
FIGS. 15 and 17.
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 1 to 4, 10 represents a
complete picture frame assembly with parts assembled together and
containing the picture and mat. This picture frame assembly is made
from four metal pieces cut from an extruded metal piece on an angle
bias of 45.degree. to provide a mitered joint at each of the
corners of the frame and is indicated at 16. These frame pieces are
secured together at the joints 16 by angle shaped plates 17. These
plates are extended into the ends of T-shaped groove 19 extending
along the rear faces of the frame pieces. The frame pieces are
extended inward on to the corner plates 17 and will be joined along
their mitered cut ends at the corner of the plates 17 and will be
clearly seen in FIG. 4.
These frame pieces 11, are open on their inner faces to provide a
base 21 and a front hollow beading 22 that has a slit opening 23.
The rear of the frame piece that has the groove 19, also has a
bevel face 24 and an upper face 25 facing the space 21 and the slit
opening 23 of the bead 22.
In order to complete assembly of the frame to adapt to receive the
picture - mat mounting assembly, indicated generally at 26, an
inner frame or shadow wall member 27 is slid longitudinally into
the space 21 of the picture frame piece and is retained therein by
a small rib 28 aligned with the slit opening 23. This shadow frame
piece 27 has a main bevel edge 29 that will extend inwardly from
the bead 22 of the frame piece and a bottom inclined surface 31
extending from the bottom portion 32 that will overlie the incline
face 24 on the bottom of the frame piece while the portion 32 of
the shadow piece 27 will lie flush over the surface 25 of the outer
frame piece. The incline faces 29 and 31 of the shadow frame piece
27 terminate at their inner ends. A square corner recess portion 33
for receiving the picture - mat assembly 26.
The picture - mat assembly 26 generally comprises a glass or
transparent front member 36, a picture mat frame 37, a picture 38
and a backing 39. This entire assembly is dropped into the corner
recess 33 of the shadow frame part 27 and must be retained with an
outward displacement from the rear of the picture frame assembly
10.
To hold the picture - mat assembly 26 in place in the rear of the
picture frame assembly, further use is made of the T-shaped groove
19 that has served to join the mitered frame pieces together by the
angle plates 17, by the provision of clips 41, which can be
inserted when turned to one direction into the T-shaped groove 19,
but when turned to another direction or at right angles to the
inserting position for the groove, to overlie the picture - mat
assembly 26 and bear against the backing member 39 to thereby lock
the picture mat assembly 26 into the squared recess 33 of the
shadow frame piece 27. This clip 41 has depending opposing fingers
42 and 43 struck from the body of the material at one end thereof
which can project into the opening 19 along its narrow portion 44
when the clip is in the position as shown in full lines in FIG. 4
and these projections 42 and 43 have outwardly turned ends, which
will engage lips 46 and 47 when the clip 41 is turned to a dotted
line position shown at 41' to overlie the picture mat assembly 26.
The clip is thereby made secure to the frame piece through the
finger projections 42 and 43 and will bias itself toward the
picture mat assembly 26. A thumb depression 48 is provided on the
inner end of the clip so that the thumb can be applied readily to
the clip to angle the same and at the same time the clip is assured
of making pressure contact with the picture mount assembly 26. Any
number of these clips can be applied depending upon the size of the
frame being completed and the clip can be attached at any location
along the length of the groove 19 in the frame piece 14. By
reversing the rotation of the clips 41, the clip can be removed
from the frame assembly to release the picture mat assembly 26 into
the recesses 33 of the shadow frame piece 27, so that it can be
replaced by another picture when reassembled and made ready for
being placed within the frame assembly. It should be apparent that
by the provision of these clips a very simple means has been
provided for retaining and holding the picture - mat assembly
within the picture frame, and at the same time there is provided a
simple means for effecting the release of the picture mat assembly
and replacement of another such assembly.
Referring now particularly to FIGS. 5 to 9, 50 represents generally
a floating frame and painting assembly in which the frame has been
adapted to receive a canvas painting by the provision of a
differently shaped inner wall piece 51 then that shown in the above
described first form of the invention and which has a squared inner
recess 52 into which a canvas painting frame 53 is dropped and made
secure in place by a similar spring clip 54 and nails or screws 55.
The inner frame piece 51 is extruded to a different shape from the
shadow frame piece 27 of the first form of the invention and the
clip 54 is shaped differently on its inner end and provided with
holes 56 and 57 spaced from one another for receiving the screws or
nails 55 that enter wood frame 58 of the canvas painting 53.
The frame pieces are of extruded formation and with the outer frame
piece being of the same piece as described with the first form of
the invention has the space 21 provided by the bead 22 with the
slit 23, the T-shaped slot 19 in the bottom of the frame piece and
a surface 25.
The inner floating frame piece 51 is generally of channel shaped
with spaced flanges 58 and 59, the flange 58 having a rib 61
extended in the slot 23 of the outer frame piece and the flange 59
overlying the surface 25 on the bottom of the frame piece.
Extending inwardly from the flange 59 and over the incline face 24
of the bottom of the outer frame piece 14 is the square recessed
portion 52 into which the canvas frame 53 sets.
The clip 54 has inwardly extending finger projections 62 and 63
that extend into the groove 19, which are made fast through the
groove by the turning of the clip 54 from a longitudinal position
running along with the frame piece to a right angle position so
that its end overlies the painting assembly 53 to a position as
shown in FIG. 8.
A thumb depression 64 is provided on the clip 54 for the same
purpose as mentioned above to facilitate the moving of the clip to
the angled position and a surface on which the wooden frame 58 may
rest. With the painting frame in place the screws or nails 55 are
forced into the wooden frame 58 of the painting so that the rear
face of the wooden frame 58 is brought into tight engagement with
the depression surface 64 and with the corner recess 52 of the
inner frame piece 51.
It should now be apparent that the same outer frame pieces can
continue to be used and that by a different shaped inner piece the
outer frame pieces are adapted for use for providing a floating
frame assembly for the supporting of a canvas painting 53. It would
be understood that these frame pieces are cut from extruded
members, that they are mitered and connected together in the same
manner as described more in detail in connection with the first
form of the invention. It will also be apparent that the frame
pieces are held together by angle pieces 65 and screws 67. The
wooden frame of the painting have its pieces held together by
corner members 68, as seen in FIG. 6.
Referring now to FIGS. 10 to 16, 70 represents generally a floating
frame according to a modified form of the invention adapted to
receive a wooden painting frame over which a canvas 72 is extended
and this canvas as indicated at 73 extends over the edges of the
wooden frame 71. An outer frame 74 comprising four pieces running
horizontally and vertically and mitered together at the corners
when taken with an inner wall part 76 serves to support the
painting frame 71. The outer wall part has a forward bead edge 77
extending inwardly and having an inner groove 78 for receiving a
rib 79 of the inner wall part 76. The inner wall part 76 has an
inclined wall 81 slanting rearwardly and inwardly from its forward
face and joined at 82 with a rear leg portion 83 over which a rear
groove portion 84 of the outer frame pieces 74 are joined. The
inner wall part or frame piece 76 can be snapped fastened into
place with the rib 79 entering the groove 78 of the forward bead 77
to hold in the wall part in place. The canvas 77 extending about
the wood frame 71 will have its inner end joined with the corner 82
of the wall part and rest upon the inner end of the wall surface 81
thereof leaving an open space 80 to show depth about the edge of
the painting.
The rear portion 84 has a T shaped groove 85, the groove extending
about the full extent of the frame and is adapted to receive a
modified clip 86, shown in an enlarged form in FIG. 13, that is
secured within the T shaped slot 85 by a lining and in the clip
parallel with the slot 85 so as to permit opposing finger
projections 87 and 88 to be inserted into the slot 85 and under
respective flanges 89 and 91 and upon the clip 86 being turned as
illustrated in FIG. 4, the clip will extend rigidly inwardly for
attachment of its inner end portion 92 upon being bent inwardly as
shown in FIG. 12 to the rear face of the wooden frame 71 by a screw
93 that extends through a hole 94 at the outer end of the portion
92. Several of these clips 86 can be placed on the frame and
secured to the wooden painting frame 71. The clips at the side of
the frame may serve for the attachment of a wire 95 by which the
frame and the painting can be hung on a wall surface. As the
portions 92 are bent inwardly, triangular shaped portions 96 with
an opening 97 therein are exposed for the securement thereto of the
hanging wire 95 by merely looping the same into the opening and
twisting the ends of the wire to provide a loop 95'.
The opposing clip projections 87 and 88 are quarter rounded in
order to prevent a rolling engagement with the interior walls of
the T shaped slot 85 and as indicated at 87' and 88' so that the
projections can extend the full width of the T shaped slot and have
rolling engagement with the inner side walls of the slots 85 and
effect a stop when the clip is extended inwardly to hold the clip
against turning beyond 90 degrees, the amount the clip has been
turned to secure the same in the T shaped slot 85.
In FIGS. 15 and 16, there is shown angle shaped plates 100
corresponding to the angle shaped plates 17 and 65 of the two
previously described angle plates, that serve to secure the outer
frame pieces together at the mitered corners. With the angle plate
pieces 100 the legs of the same are bowed at 101 and 102 to provide
additional thickness so that a flush and tight fit can be made of
the angle pieces in the T shaped slot 85 and so that the surfaces
of the bowed portions 101 and 102 will engage tightly with the
underfaces of the opposing inwardly extending flanges of the slot.
In this manner screws used with the other angle shaped plates are
dispensed with.
Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18, there are shown two modified
forms of the angle shaped corner plate. In FIG. 17, the plate is
angled with diverging bends 104 and 105 leaving a top engaging face
106 as the leg of the corner plate is compressed not only will a
tight fit be effected vertically in the T-shaped slot, but upon
compression of the flat face 106, there will be laterally tight
fitting engagement with the sides of the T-shaped slot.
In FIG. 18 is a corner plate 108 having two legs, only one of which
being shown, in which the upward bends of the plate are made on a
bias paralleling one another as indicated at 109 and 110, and where
a flat face 111 will engage the top of the T-shaped slot and upon
compressing will because of the bias folds cause the edges of the
leg to extend laterally to have tight fit engagement with the sides
of the slot as well as with the top and bottom of the slot. This
laterally shifting of the raised portion of the leg is inherent
with the upwardly bent portions being effected upon a bias either
as shown in FIG. 17 where the bends 104 and 105 diverge or in FIG.
18 where the bends 109 and 110 are parallel.
* * * * *