Method Of Mounting Canvas On Artist's Frame

Abstract

A frame assembly for mounting artist's canvas and method of making same wherein the frame assembly includes a plurality of frame members having mitred ends which are held together at a plurality of mitred joints by corner plates. Each of the corner plates has a plurality of apertures therein and a plurality of nails extend through each of the corner plates and into respective ones of the frame members in predetermined directions to permit the corners of the artist's canvas to be inserted between the mitred joints to provide smooth, neat-appearing corners for the canvas.

Description

The present invention relates to a frame assembly for mounting artist's canvas and a method of making same and more particularly to an assembly and method whereby the canvas is inserted and held between mitred corners of frame members of the assembly to provide smooth and neat-appearing corners for the canvas.

One of the most persistent problems confronted by artists in the mounting of their canvas onto frames has been the existence of loose or untidy-appearing corners of the canvas. The present invention overcomes this problem to provide smooth, neat-appearing corners for the canvas when mounted on a frame assembly.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a canvas-covered artist's frame assembly wherein a plurality of frame members having mitred ends are placed together to form mitred joints and wherein corner plate members are fastened to the frame members at the mitred joints in such a way as to permit the insertion of the canvas corners into the mitred joint to provide smooth and neat-appearing corners for the canvas as it is mounted on the frame assembly.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one corner of a frame assembly embodying the principles of the present invention and illustrating the construction and the method whereby the corners of the canvas are inserted into the mitred joints;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation view of an embodiment of the invention wherein a reinforcing frame piece is utilized;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a frame member of the assembly including molding strips;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of a corner of the frame assembly immediately after insertion of the canvas into the mitred joint; and

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 showing the completed corner.

With reference now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown in FIG. 1 two frame members 10 and 12 having mitred ends 14 and 16. The frame members 10 and 12 also have rear face surfaces 18 and 20 onto which is fastened a corner plate 22 of metal or plastic material. It should be Understood that although the discussion with respect to FIG. 1 relates to only one mitred joint that similar joints are present in the frame assembly.

The corner plate 22 has a plurality of apertures therein and a plurality of fastening means are inserted through the apertures and into the rear surfaces 18 and 20 of the frame members. More specifically, the corner member 22 is substantially trapezoidal in shape and includes a longest base edge 24, a top edge and two angled edges 28 and 30. A first fastening member or nail 32 extends through one of the apertures adjacent the longest base edge 24 and into the rear surface base 18 of frame member 10. The nail 32 is driven substantially perpendicularly with respect to the rear face surface 18 and into the frame member 10.

A second fastening member or nail 34 extends through another of the apertures in the corner plate 22 which is located adjacent the longest base edge 24 and the nail 34 is driven into the rear face surface 20 at an angle less than 90.degree. with respect thereto and with the point 36 of the nail directed toward the outside perimeter of the assembly and toward the outside surface 38 of the frame member 12. Fourth and fifth fastening means or nails 40 and 42, respectively, extend through additional apertures in the plate 22 and extend respectively into the frame member 10 and 12 at angles less than 90.degree. with respect to the rear face surfaces 18 and 20 so that the points of the nails 40 and 42 are directed toward the outside perimeter of the assembly and toward the outside surfaces 44 and 38 of the members 10 and 12, respectively.

The frame assembly, when completed as illustrated in FIG. 2, has the corner 46 of the canvas inserted between the mitred end 14 and 16 of the frame members and any excess portions of the canvas 48 adjacent to the corner 46 which are not inserted into the mitred joint are folded and stapled to one of the rear face surfaces 18 or 20 so that a smooth and neat-appearing corner is provided for the canvas 48.

If desired, first and second screws 50 and 52 can be inserted through additional apertures of the plate 22 and into the respective frame members 10 and 12 to provide additional strengthening for the joint.

In the event that a large frame assembly is used it may be desirable to provide reinforcing or stabilizing members between the various frame members. As shown in FIG. 3 there may be provided a cross member 51 and two parallel diagonal members 53. The cross member 51 extends between and frictionally engages the frame member 10 and the frame member 56. A triangular gusset plate 54 overlies each end of the cross member 51 and is nailed or screwed thereto as at 55 and to the respective frame member 10 or 56 as at 57. Each diagonal member 53 extends from one of the gusset plates 54 to a corner of the frame assembly. One of each member 53 is nailed or screwed to its respective gusset plate 54 as at 58, and the other end is nailed or screwed to the respective corner member 22 as at 59. In the illustrated embodiment the gusset plates 54 are offset from the center line of the cross member 51 to facilitate the securing of the diagonal members 53. If the diagonal members 53 are not used, the gusset plates 54 will ordinarily be aligned with the center line of the cross member 51.

If desired, molding strips 82 (FIG. 3) can be fastened along the outer edges of the frame members so that the canvas 48 when mounted on the frame assembly is held away from the frame members to avoid the possibility that the outline of the frame might appear when a drawing or painting is made on the canvas. In addition, molding strips or blocks of the same depth such as block 84 can be placed along the inner edge of each of the frame members so that when the corner plate 22, for example, is fastened to the frame members 10 and 12 the molding strips 82 and 84 together form a stable base and support the frame member 10 in such a way as to avoid any possibility of splitting of the frame member or of twisting movement due to the unsupported inner edge when the plate 22 is being fitted to the frame member 10.

In the method of mounting the canvas on the frame assembly, as best illustrated in FIG. 1, the frame members 10, 12, 56 and 57 each having mitred ends and rear face surfaces are positioned with selected ones of the mitred ends in substantially abutting relationship with each other to form mitred joints. Each of these joints is similar to that illustrated in FIG. 1 and the steps hereinafter set forth with respect to the joint illustrated in FIG. 1 are equally applicable with respect to the other joints.

A corner plate 22 of substantially trapezoidal shape and having a longest base edge 24 and a top edge 26 with apertures therein is located adjacent the joint formed by the abutting ends 14 and 16. A first nail 32 is then inserted through one of the apertures in the plate adjacent the longest base edge 24 and is forced into the frame member 10 at substantially a right angle with the rear face surface 18 thereof. A second nail 34 is then placed through another aperture adjacent the longest base edge 24 and at an angle less than 90.degree. with respect to the rear face surface 20 of frame member 12. The point of the nail 36 is directed outwardly and towards the outer surface 38 of the frame member 12 so that the mitred ends 14 and 16 are forced together.

The canvas 48 is then fastened onto the frame members by driving staples 47 through the edges of the canvas into the rear face surface of the frame members, beginning at the center of each frame member and working toward the ends but inserting no staples at the location of the mitred joint. The mitred joint and the ends 14 and 16 are then spread apart, as by the use of a screwdriver. The corner 46 of the canvas is then tucked or inserted between the ends 14 and 16. Then the canvas at the mitre is forced into the crack between the ends 14 and 16 in a direction parallel to the plane of the frame, using a putty knife or the like. This operation draws the canvas into intimate and wrinkle-free contact with the peripheral edges of the frame members. The ends 14 and 16 are then permitted to close, by withdrawing the screwdriver, so that the corner 46 of the canvas is tightly held within the mitred joint.

A third nail 40 is then inserted through an aperture in the plate 22 adjacent the top edge 26 thereof and into the frame member 10 at an angle less than 90.degree. with respect to the rear face surface 18 thereof so that the point (not shown) of the nail 40 is directed towards the outer perimeter of the frame assembly and towards the outer surface 44 of the frame member 10. Similarly, a fourth nail 42 is inserted through another aperture of the plate 22 which is located adjacent the top edge 26 thereof and the nail is inserted into the frame member 12 at an angle less than 90.degree. with respect to the rear face surface 20 so that the point 43 of the nail is directed toward the outer perimeter of the frame assembly and toward the outer surface 38 of the frame member 12.

The insertion of the nails 40 and 42 with the respective points thereof directed toward the outer perimeter of the frame assembly forces the frame members 10 and 12 together so that the ends 14 and 16 tightly contact the corner 46 of the canvas which has been tucked therebetween.

The tucking operation leaves the excess canvas, which is always present at the corner, in the form of two two-layer folds 49 and 51 adjacent the tucked-in corner 46 and projecting upwardly from the rear surfaces 18 and 20 of the frame members, as shown in FIG. 4. These folds 49 and 51 are then pressed together with the fingers and are then bent down in the same direction into contact with one or the other of the faces 18 or 20 and secured with a staple 53. The result is that the peripheral edges of the frame members remain covered with a single wrinkle-free layer of canvas and that the excess canvas on the rear face of the joint lies flat and wrinkle-free against the frame members, as shown at 53 in FIG. 5. More specifically, this excess canvas is four layers thick, since each of the folds 49 and 51 consists of two layers.

In the event that the joint is desired to be strengthened, screws 50 and 52 can be inserted through apertures in the plate 22 and into the respective frame members 10 and 12.

Thus, this invention provides for a unique frame assembly for mounting artists' canvas and for a method of producing such a frame assembly whereby the corners of the canvas are inserted between the mitred ends of the frame members of the assembly and whereby any portions of the canvas adjacent the corners thereof which are not inserted into the mitred joints can be neatly folded and stapled to the rear surfaces of the frame members so that smooth and neat-appearing corners are provided for the canvas as it is mounted on the frame assembly.

Obviously modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A method of mounting artists' canvas on a frame assembly having a plurality of frame members with mitred ends and rear and front face surfaces comprising the steps of:

placing said frame members in position with selected ones of said mitred ends in substantially abutting relationship with each other to form mitred joints;

locating a corner plate of substantially trapezoidal shape having a longest base edge and a top edge with apertures therein at each of said mitred joints;

placing first nails through each one of said apertures adjacent said longest base edge of each of said plates and substantially perpendicularly into said rear face surfaces of respective ones of said frame members;

placing second nails through each one of other of said apertures adjacent said longest base edge of each of said plates and at an angle less than 90.degree. into said rear face surfaces of respective ones of said frame members;

fastening said canvas onto predetermined portions of said rear face surfaces of said frame members to cover said front face surfaces;

spreading said mitred joints;

tucking corners of said canvas into said spread joints;

closing said joints to enable said mitred ends of said frame members to hold said canvas corners within said closed joints;

placing third nails through each one of said apertures adjacent said top edge of each of said plates and at an angle less than 90.degree. with said rear face surface of respective ones of said frame member;

placing fourth nails through each one of other of said apertures adjacent said top edge of each of said plates and at an angle less than 90.degree. into said rear face surfaces of respective ones of said frame members; and

fastening loose ends of said canvas adjacent the corners thereof onto said rear surfaces of said frame members to provide smooth, neat-appearing corners for said canvas.

2. A method as in claim 1 including the steps of:

placing said second, third and fourth nails into said frame members in directions pointing toward the outside perimeter of said assembly.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein said step of fastening said canvas onto predetermined portions of said front face surfaces of said frame members further includes the step of:

stapling said canvas to said predetermined portions beginning at the center of each of said frame members and working toward said mitred corners thereof.

4. A method as in claim 2 further including the step of:

placing screws through predetermined ones of said apertures in each of said plates and into respective ones of said frame members.

5. A method as in claim 2 further including the step of:

inserting at least one brace member in a friction fit between two of said frame members; and

fastening said brace members to said two frame members.

6. A method as in claim 2 further including the step of:

fastening molding strips onto the front face surface of said frame member.