Hanger For Material In Sheet Form

Abstract

A hanger for decorative sheet material such as posters, pictures, record covers and the like, comprises a channel member of generally U-shaped cross-section having a longitudinal opening or slot at one side thereof defined by inwardly bent, oppositely towards each other inclined tabs extending from the ends of the leg portions of the U-channel member which clamp the sheet material in between them or permit their engagement with a hook provided on the sheet material over a selected tab for support of the sheet material. Selectively, one side of the U-channel type hanger member maybe provided with pressure sensitive adhesive portions to secure the hanger member to a supporting surface such as a wall or the like.

Description

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hanger structures and more in particular to hanger structures for substantially flat sheet materials.

In hanging substantially flat, decorative sheet materials such as pictures, posters, record covers, leaf calendars, charts or the like to a supporting surface, conventionally separate means are employed. One of the means is associated with the particular material to be hung and the other means generally comprises a supporting hook associated with the supporting surface, which is generally semi-permanently embedded in the supporting surface. This conventional arrangement of hanging flat sheet material from a likewise generally flat supporting surface, is objectionable in that first: the hanger means associated with the flat sheet material are usually permanently fastened thereto and distract from the general decorative appearance of the sheet material and, secondly: the supporting means associated with the supporting surface are generally damaging to the supporting surface by being embedded therein.

This conventional arrangement is further objectionable, in consequence of the above defined structure, in that selective relocation of the hung sheet material from one place to another is made more difficult, time consuming and as stated before, may be damaging to the supporting surface by having to relocate the semi-permanent supporting means from one location on the supporting surface to another.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved hanger means for flat sheet material which has no potion permanently fastened to either the supporting surface or to the supported sheet material. The improved hanger does not distract from the general decorative appearance of the sheet material but rather adds a decorative touch to the sheet material to be supported. Additionally, the hanger has easily applicable and selectively removable means for securement of the hangers to the supporting surface without causing damage to the supporting surface.

The present improved hanger structure comprises a longitudinal channel member generally of U-shaped cross-section which along one side provides a slot formed by inwardly and toward each other inclined resilient tab members integrally formed with and extending from the opposite flanges of the channel member whereby the respective sheet material may be clamped within the channel member by insertion between the resilient tab members. If the decorative sheet material is provided along one or two opposite sides with integral hook means, which is often the case in such materials as posters and the like, the hook means may be conveniently hooked over a selected tab within the channel type hanger member.

One of the longitudinal flange portions of the hanger member is provided with one or more pressure sensitive adhesive portions by which the hanger members may be conveniently secured to a supporting surface and similarly conveniently removed therefrom for relocation.

Further advantages and distinct features of the present invention are set forth in the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate several preferred embodiments of the present invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a sheet material supported and hung by means of the present improved hanger structure;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through the sheet material and hanger structure assembly illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of another form of sheet material supported and hung by an alternate form of hanger structure;

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-section through the sheet material and hanger structure assembly of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fractional cross-section through the improved hanger structure of the present invention and portions of the sheet material shown supported therein as seen along 5--5 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a similarly enlarged fractional cross-section through the present improved hanger structure and another form of sheet material supported therein as seen along line 6--6 in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the attached drawings, a decorative flat sheet material, such as a frameless picture, record cover or the like, is indicated by the numeral 10 and has an upper longitudinal margin 12 by which the sheet material 10 is supported within the present improved hanger structure 14.

The hanger structure 14 is comprised of a longitudinal, rectangular channel member having a generally U-shaped cross-section as seen in FIG. 2 and more in detail in FIG. 5. The hanger 14 comprises opposite longitudinal side flanges 16 and 18, respectively, integrally connected to a transverse bridge portion 20 to form a U-channel configuration.

With more particular reference to FIG. 5, the free ends of the longitudinal side flanges 16 and 18 of the hanger 14 are each provided with a longitudinally substantially flexible tab portions 22 and 24, respectively, which may be formed integrally with the lower ends of the side flanges 16 and 18 by any known manufacturing process. The longitudinal tab members 22 and 24, respectively, are bent inwardly into the U-channel between the side flanges 16 and 18 and extend in a converging direction towards each other.

In order to hang the sheet material 10 which, as mentioned, may be a record cover or the like, the upper margin 12 of the sheet material is inserted between the tab members 22-24 into the U-channel of the hanger 14 and is retained therein by means of the flexibility of the tab members 22-24 which exert an opposite retaining force against the sides of the margin 12 of the sheet material, sufficient to retain the sheet material in a free hanging position in the U-channel type hanger 14.

The hanger 14 may be made from any suitable, preferably lightweight, material such as sheet metal or from a suitable synthetic material such as nylon, perlon, Teflon or the like and may be colored or ornamented for decorative purpose to similate a frame, adding to the aesthetic appearance of the sheet material 10.

In one form of the embodiment in FIG. 1 and 2, for hanging the sheet material 10 onto a supporting surface, such as a wall, a wire hanger 26 is provided of a shape generally resembling a wire cloth hanger having its longitudinal base portion extending through the U-channel type hanger 14 to abut underneath the transverse bridge portion 20 thereof. The opposite, toward each other converging leg portions of the wire hanger 26 extend into another U-channel hanger member 14a of substantially shorter dimension. The short hanger member 14a is disposed in reverse position to the primary sheet material hanger 14 and is provided along one of its side flanges with pressure sensitive adhesive portion 28 adapted for attachment to the supporting surface (not shown). It will be understood, that the intermediate wire hanger 26 and supporting hanger 14a may be omitted and the adhesive portion 28 may be provided directly on the sheet material supporting hanger 14 for direct attachment to a supporting surface, as will be described in connection with the embodiment in FIGS. 3 and 4. Additionally, the wire hanger 26 may be replaced by a decorative cord.

The sheet material 10, supported by the improved hanger 14 of the present invention, as indicated is of relatively stiff material, such as cardboard or a plastic as generally used for record covers or the like, and which is of sufficient rigidity to hang flat downwardly from the supporting hanger 14 without crinkling or curling-up.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4, a pair of the present improved U-type hanger member 14 is utilized to support the upper and lower margins of a sheet material 30, which in this instance, may be of a relatively soft, foldable material such as used for posters, single sheet calenders, charts and the like. These sheet materials usually have a stiffening flange provided along their upper and lower edges made of sheet metal or the like which, in the embodiments in FIGS. 3,4 and 6 is utilized to retain the flexible sheet material 30 in the hanger member 14.

As seen in FIG. 6, the upper stiffening flange 32 of the sheet material 30 is slightly bent outwardly so that, when the upper margin of the sheet material 30 is inserted in the U-channel type hanger 14, the stiffening flange 30 will hook over one of the longitudinal tab members 22 or 24, respectively, as shown, to thereby retain the sheet material 30 in a supporting downwardly depending position in the U-channel type hanger 14. In order to prevent crinkling or curling of the flexible sheet material 30, the lower margin of the sheet material, which is likewise provided with a stiffening flange 32, is similarly supported within another U-channel type hanger member 14 disposed in opposite direction to the upper hanger member 14, as seen in FIG. 4.

To support the sheet material 30 in a depending position from a supporting surface, one longitudinal side flange 16 or 18, respectively, of the hanger member 14 is provided with a plurality of pressure sensitive adhesive portions 28 to attach the hanger member to the respective supporting surface (not shown). Conversely, the sheet material 30 may be hung in the fashion illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The provision of the lower hanger member 14 for the flexible sheet material 30 is provided to add sufficient weight and stability to the sheet material 30 so that, when the sheet material is hung in position it is not liable to crinkle or curl-up on itself. However, if preferred, the lower hanger member 14 may likewise be provided with pressure sensitive adhesive portions 28, as shown in FIG. 4, for attachment to the supporting surface to securely maintain the sheet material 30 in a flat stretched-out position.

Thus, it will be obvious from the foregoing description and the appended drawings that the present invention provides an improved hanger structure for flat sheet material to be supported from a supporting surface which is constructed such as not to damage the sheet material in hanging and which adds a decorative touch to the sheet material when applied thereto.

The present improved hanger structure is such as to permit easy relocation of the sheet material from one supporting surface to another without damage to the supporting surface and permits separation of the sheet material from the hanger for interchange with another sheet material.

The present improved hanger structure is particularly adaptable for all types of sheet materials, decorative or otherwise, which are not initially provided with integral hanging means.

Although the present invention has been described by means of a preferred embodiment, various changes in detail and material of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit and essential characteristic of the invention as indicated by the scope in the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. A poster hanger for supporting and suspending a poster comprising:

an elongated substantially rigid channel-shaped member having a uniform cross sectional configuration in the form of an inverted U, the parallel opposite depending side flanges of the U terminating in upwardly and inwardly converging retaining flanges which terminate in laterally spaced poster-gripping edges, said side flanges being yieldable to permit the lateral gap between said retaining flange gripping edges to widen as a poster upper edge is slid upwardly through said gap, said gripping edges being adapted to maintain a resilient gripping force on a poster sufficient to hold it suspended from the hanger, said retaining flanges also functioning to define an upwardly extending retaining lip adapted to interlock with a downwardly bent flange extending along the length of a poster top edge to thereby create an interlocking retention of the poster flange behind said lip which normally prevents the poster from being removed from the hanger except by longitudinally withdrawing it the full length of the hanger.