Lockable Support For Artistic Renderings On Display

Abstract

A lockable support for artistic renderings on display, in a preferred embodiment, comprises a hollow column, a floor-secured upright frame positioned centrally within the column having a lock acceptor means at its top, and a lockable top cover which accepts the base of the artistic rendering to be displayed. This lockable support protects the displayed article from theft and from falling, when the top cover with the artistic rendering is positioned on the column and locked to the frame, making unaccessible all fastener means used to secure the displayed object so long as the locking mechanism remains engaged. In another embodiment, the upright frame is weighted near the floor, in lieu of bolting to the floor. Each embodiment makes a secure and attractive pedestal for use in museums, public buildings and elsewhere, where both stability and securability of the artistic renderings, such as sculptures, is sought.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Security from theft, vandalism and breakage is of major importance and concern where artistic renderings are displayed particularly in public places. Sophisticated electronic and mechanical alarm systems are now employed along with guards to protect expensive works of art from being stolen or damaged. These measures work to an extent, but still do not prevent a thief or vandal from doing damage before being apprehended, or even on occasions removing an artisitc rendering. Further, alaram systems and guards are relatively expensive, especially to museums and art galleries that are working on a limited budget.

The lockable support for artistic renderings on display, at described herein, is a positive, yet comparatively inexpensive, effective restraint on the otherwise possible theft and destruction of the artistic rendering of objects. With or without additional alarm systems, the lockable support, often in the form of a pedestal, performs the task of physically holding and locking the artistic rendering, while creating a beneficially attractive display. Upon locking, all fastening means which secure the work of art are unaccessible except for the entry of a key. The result is a theft-proof and fall-proof pedestal for use wherever security as well as an attractive display means are needed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Thefts of artistic renderings on display such as sculptures, as well as damages to them caused by falling are prevented by utilization of the lockable support defined herein. A hollow column made of wood or other material with or without decorative designs, surrounds an upright frame which is bolted and/or weighted to the floor or other support structure so lateral and pivotal movement is prohibited and danger of tipping and falling is eliminated. At the top of the upright frame a receiving bar is provided to accept a hook secured to a lock shaft turned by a key lock. The lock shaft and key lock are located in a top cover of the lockable support, which fits, as a lid, over the hollow column.

When an artistic rendering is positioned on the top surface of the cover and held by fasteners, inserted under the cover and the cover is then locked in place, any attempt, thereafter, to lift the sculpture from its lockable support or pedestal is thwarted as all tool operated fasteners are concealed. Theft is prohibited, yet, when the proper key is used, the sculpture is easily removed for storage, for placement on another like lockable support or pedestal located elsewhere, or for display on any structure, often with the top cover still being utilized.

DRAWINGS OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lockable support or pedestal for artistic renderings, such as the bird sculpture shown;

FIG. 2 is a partially cut-away and exploded perspective view of the lockable support, indicating both a weighted base and a secured base;

FIG. 3 is an underside perspective view of the locking components of the top cover; and

FIG. 4 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the top cover in locked position.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The theft-proof, fall-proof lockable support or pedestal 10 for displaying artistic renderings such as a bird sculpture 20 is illustrated in FIG. 1, as it appears in actual use. A hollow column 12 is the outside structure which is decorative yet conceals the support and its securement means. The top cover 14, after an artistic rendering 20 is secured from below, is locked to the overall support 10 by operating a lock 16, often a barrel lock, secured to the top cover 14. The lockable support or pedestal 10 is located on a floor, table, or other principal supporting structure.

In FIG. 2, portions are moved apart and/or cut-away to illustrate the relationship of more components of the lockable support. A four-sided central upright steel frame 30 is positioned at its base 40 to a principal support structure, not shown, such as a floor or table top, either with threaded fasteners 42 inserted through apertures 44, or alternately by utilizing one or more weights 43 lowered onto the respective base stabilizing arms 46 to hold the lockable support 10 in place using sufficient weights 43 to prevent its convenient carrying by a thief, while avoiding the necessity of securing it with fasteners to a principal structure such as a floor or table. Base arms 46 and top arms 48 are bent upwardly and downwardly, respectively, to provide distal guides 32 which keep the hollow column 12 centrally located about the upright frame 30. A lock mechanism acceptor 50 such as a small rod secured to the upright frame 30, accepts a hook-type locking mechanism 18 rotatably extending a hook 60 from the top cover 14. The transverse rotatable shaft 58 upon which the hook 60 is securely mounted, fastened or joined, rests and is confined in the notches 28 formed at the top of the hollow column 12 and which are suplemented by the cover 14 in retaining the ends of rotatable shaft 58.

The hollow column 12 may be made from wood with each side joined to a corner post 52. Other materials such as plastic or metal may be used, often in a unitized integral structure. The cover 14 with key cylinder 16, and the hook type locking mechanism 18, receives a sculpture 20 on its top surface 54, and using fasteners 64 manipulated from below, the sculpture 20 is secured in place as shown in FIG. 3. A vertically downwardly extending flange 56 surrounds the top of the hollow column 12 and rotatably further supports the transverse rod 58 with its hook 60 which rotate when a fitted key is inserted and turned in the lock cylinder 16, a portion of the lock being secured to the rod 58.

In FIG. 4 the top cover 14 is shown in place on the hollow column 12 and locked to the upright frame 30. The hook 60, mounted on the rotatable rod 58, has been pivoted around the lock mechanism acceptor 50, such as the small rod, which is mounted to the upright frame 30, thereby locking the top cover 14 and sculpture 20 securely and making unaccessible all fasteners and/or weights used in securing the art work and upright frame. Such securement continues until the fitted key is reinserted into the lock cylinder 16 to oppositely rotate the rod 58 to disengage the hook 60 permitting removal of the cover 14 and sculpture 20 from the column 12 and upright frame 30.

SUMMARY OF THE ADVANTAGES

Utilization of the lockable support or pedestal 10 for artistic renderings such as the illustrated bird sculpture, prevents their theft as well as their breakage caused upon falling. The lockable support may or may not be used in conjunction with other security systems. The floor-secured or weighted upright frame may be placed within different surrounding decorative hollow columns. Other types of locks may be used to secure the cover, yet only one locking location is needed in making all threaded fasteners and/or weights inaccessible. When several of the lockable supports are used, for example, in museums or art galleries, the artistic renderings displayed thereon may be unlocked and moved from support to support as arrangements are changed, and resecured to other supports no matter where they are located. Other like height columns 12 and upright frames 30 may be paired to provide shorter assemblies of lockable supports 10 for table or shelf arranged displays and longer assemblies for floor arranged displays. Other proportions of cross-sectional areas are often specified as well as other cross-sectional shapes. In regard to the latter, the hollow column is often round, triangular, and/or hexagonal in cross section. At all times the objective is to ultimately secure the artistic rendering without detracting from its beauty often in fact enhancing its beauty. In so doing the lockable support is arranged for conveniently pre-assembling the components and securing them with fasteners and/or weights, and thereafter, by operating one locking mechanism securing the entire assembly. Such fasteners are kept readily accessible until the hollow column is placed around the centrally located upright frame, which is the principal load carrying member of this overall assembly of the lockable support for the artistic renderings.

Claims

I claim:

1. A lockable support for artistic renderings protecting one or more artistic renderings such as a sculpture displayed thereon both from theft and damage by falling as several fasteners concealed inside and made unaccessible when locked, secure both the artistic rendering and the lockable support in their respective display positions, comprising:

a. an upright frame to be firmly positioned below to a support structure such as a floor or table and having a lock mechanism acceptor, and having guides which insure the concentric placement of a hollow column about the upright frame;

b. a hollow column surrounding the upright frame;

c. a top cover on which one or more artistic renderings may be secured with fasteners from below, having a locking mechanism to secure it to the lock mechanism acceptor of the upright frame, after the hollow column has been placed around this upright frame thereby making unaccessible, so long as the locking mechanism is locked, both a positioning means maintaining the upright frame on a selected structure such as a floor and fastening means securing the displayed artistic rendering to this top cover and consequently to the overall lockable upright support.

2. A lockable support for artistic renderings, as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock mechanism acceptor of the upright frame is a bar to which a key-movable hook may be engaged, and wherein the top cover has flanges extending downwardly about the hollow column.

3. A lockable support for artistic renderings, as claimed in claim 2, wherein a barrel lock with keyhole aperture is mounted on a flange of the top cover and a portion thereof is secured to a shaft which in turn is fitted with a hook so upon turning of a key the shaft and hook pivot to become engaged with the lock mechanism acceptor bar of the upright frame, thereafter preventing the removal of the top cover from the upright frame and securing the artistic rendering in place.

4. A lockable support for artistic renderings which protects them when displayed thereon from theft and from falling by lockably making unaccessible both the fastening means securing the artistic rendering and components of the lockable support in their respective display positions, comprising:

a. an upright frame to be secured with threaded fastener means to a principal support structure such as a floor, having guide means to insure the concentric placement of a hollow column about the upright frame, and also having a lock mechanism acceptor to which a key lock movable hook may be engaged;

b. a hollow column substantially the same length as the upright frame to be slipped around the upright frame; and

c. a top cover for the column and upright frame on which one or more artistic renderings are to be displayed and to be secured with one or more threaded fasteners, having a surrounding flange extending downwardly about the outside of the hollow column after the hollow column has been slipped around the upright frame, and having a locking mechanism incorporating a barrel lock with a keyhole aperture mounted on the surrounding flange and including a shaft secured to part of the locking mechanism and fitted with a hook pivoted, as the key is turned, to engage the lock mechanism acceptor on the upright frame, thereafter making inaccessible, both the fastening means securing the upright frame to its principal supporting structure below and the fastening means securing the displayed artistic renderings to the top cover, until the lock mechanism is unlocked.

5. A lockable support for artistic renderings which protects them when displayed thereon from theft and from falling by lockably making unaccessible both the fastening means securing the artistic rendering and components of the lockable support in their respective display positions, comprising:

a. an upright frame to be positioned on a principal support structure, such as a table, using weights positioned on the upright frame, having receiving structure to position the weights and guiding structure to insure the concentric placement of a hollow column about the upright frame, and also having a lock mechanism acceptor to which a key lock movable hook may be engaged;

b. a hollow column substantially the same length as the upright frame to be slipped around the upright frame; and

c. a top cover for the column and upright frame on which one or more artistic renderings are to be displayed and to be secured with one or more threaded fasteners, having a surrounding flange extending downwardly about the outside of the hollow column after the hollow column has been slipped around the upright frame, and having a locking mechanism incorporating a barrel lock with a keyhole aperture mounted on the surrounding flange and including a shaft secured to part of the locking mechanism and fitted with a hook pivoted, as the key is turned, to engage the lock mechanism acceptor on the upright frame, thereafter making inaccessible both the weights maintaining the upright frame on its principal supporting structure below and also the fastening means securing the displayed artistic renderings to the top cover, until the lock mechanism is unlocked.