Canvas Stretcher

Abstract

The specification discloses a canvas stretcher and frame for pictures or the like comprising a hoop-shaped frame having a front edge around which a canvas may be stretched, and a metallic hoop-shaped member adapted to be telescoped around the side edge of the frame from the rear thereof such that the front edge of the hoop-shaped member abuts against a rearward facing surface on the side edge of the frame. The hoop-shaped member has a plurality of spaced bendable tangs located around its periphery and extending outward therefrom for piercing the canvas when stretched in place around the frame. The tangs are bendable inward in the rearward direction for securing the canvas tightly around the frame. Also provided in an outer hoop-shaped member adapted to be telescoped around the side edges of the frame and the first hoop shaped member when the canvas has been stretched and secured to the tangs of the first hoop-shaped member.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a canvas stretcher and frame for pictures of the like and particularly for use for framing round or oval shaped canvas paintings.

In the picture framing industry, there are no readily assembled frames which allow one to inexpensively frame round or oval shaped canvas paintings. Currently, such canvas paintings must be custom framed which is time consuming and hence expensive.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a canvas stretcher and frame which allows one to readily and inexpensively frame canvas paintings and particularly circular or oval shaped canvas paintings.

The canvas stretcher and frame comprise a frame member having a front edge, a rear end to be located against a wall, and a surrounding outward facing side edge. Also provided is a thin walled member having an opening corresponding in shape to the shape of the frame member adapted to be fitted around the side edge of the frame member. The frame member is adapted to have a canvas stretched over its front edge and around the thin walled member when fitted in place. The thin walled member has a plurality of spaced bendable tangs located around its periphery and adapted to extend outward therefrom for piercing the canvas when stretched in place. After the canvas has been stretched and pierced by the tangs, they may be bent inward in the rearward direction for securing the canvas tightly around the frame. In addition, there is provided an outer member having an opening corresponding in shape to the shape of the frame member and which is adapted to be fitted closely around the outward facing side edge of the frame member and around the thin walled member when a canvas has been stretched and secured to the tangs. The outer member is employed to provide a side cover for hiding the tangs and canvas edges when secured in place.

In a further aspect, the outward facing side edge of the frame member has a forward side portion and a rear side portion with the forward side portion extending further outward than the rear side portion. A generally rearward facing surface extends between the forward and rear side portions. The thin walled member is adapted to be fitted around the rear side portion of the frame from the rear thereof to locate a forward edge thereof in abutment with the rearward facing surface.

In a further embodiment, the outward facing side edge of the frame member is straight throughout its height between the front edge and rear end of said frame member and the thin walled member has a flange extending inward from its rear end such that the flange will abut against the rear end of the frame member when the thin walled member is fitted in place around the frame member from the rear thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a canvas stretched and framed to an oval shaped frame of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the canvas stretcher and frame of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the frame of FIG. 2 partially assembled with a canvas stretched and secured to the tangs of one of its component members;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partial view of FIG. 3 illustrating more detail thereof;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 of the canvas stretcher and frame assembled with a canvas secured and frame thereto;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of FIG. 5 illustrating more detail thereof;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates a further embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 2, the canvas stretcher and frame of the present invention comprises a frame member 11 having a shape corresponding to the shape of the painting desired to be framed. In the embodiment disclosed, the frame member 11 is oval shaped, however, it could be circular or have other shapes. As illustrated, member 11 has a central aperture 13 extending therethrough whereby it is in the form of a hoop to provide a lightweight frame member. Referring to FIG. 3, the frame member 11 comprises a front edge 15, a rear edge 17 to be located against the wall to which it is to be hung, and a surrounding outward facing side edge 19. The outward facing side edge 19 comprises a forward side portion 19A and a rear side portion 19B with the forward side portion 19A extending further outward than the rear side portion 19B. A rearward facing surface 19C extends between the forward and rear side portions. The canvas stretcher and frame also comprises a thin walled, hoop-shaped member 21, having a central opening 25 extending therethrough and corresponding in shape to the exterior shape of the rear side portion 19B of the frame member 11 such that member 21 may slide or telescope around the rear side portion 19B of the frame member 11 from the rear end thereof to locate its forward edge 21A in abutment with the rearward facing surface 19C. The thin walled member 21 is formed of metal and has a plurality of bendable tabs or tangs 21B located around its outer periphery and adapted to extend outward therefrom for piercing the canvas when stretched in place. As illustrated, the tangs 21B are formed by punching triangular shaped openings in the wall thereof and bending the tangs 21B outward. In assembly, the member 21 will be slid from the rear of the frame member 11 around the rear side portion 19B to a position whereby its forward edge 21A abuts against the surface 19C. The canvas 24 then will be stretched over the front edge 15 of the frame member 11 and around the side thereof and to pierce the canvas by the tangs 21B after which they will be bent inward in the rearward direction to tightly secure the canvas around the frame. Since the canvas, when pierced and secured to the tangs, exerts a forward pulling force to the member 21, it will be pulled tightly against the rearward facing surface 19C to securely hold it in place.

Also provided is an exterior shield 31 having an opening 33 corresponding in shape to the shape of the frame member whereby the member 31 may be fitted closely around the frame and thin walled member 21 when the canvas has been stretched and secured to the tangs of the thin wall member 21. The shield 31 acts to hide the tangs and the edges of the canvas when secured in place. The member 31 is fitted in place by sliding or telescoping it around the frame member 11 from its front end whereby any tangs 21B which have not been completely bent inward will be bent inward by the member 31. If desired, rather than initially bending the tangs 21B inward, flat against the frame 11 after the canvas has been stretched and pierced, they may be bent backward and inward at a slight outward angle and then bent inward the rest of the way by sliding the member 31 around the frame from its front end. This will allow more tension to be applied to the member 31 by the tangs after assembly, to insure that the member 31 is properly held in place.

Member 31 may be formed of metal or, for example, a hard plastic while the frame member 11 also may be formed of a hard plastic. Member 11 has a thickness in cross-section sufficient to prevent the canvas from bending or distorting the member 11 after the canvas has been stretched and secured in place. It is noted that the front of member 11 slants inward and rearward at 15A whereby the front edge 15 is relatively thin to prevent wrinkles from forming on the canvas after it is stretched across the front edge 15. The wall of member 21 may have a thickness of the order of 1/16 of an inch.

Preferably, member 21 is formed of aluminum. It may be formed from an aluminum strip which may be bent to form the hoop-shaped member 21 and the ends thereof secured together by flat clamps or by soldering. The tangs 21B will be punched before the strip is folded or bent to its desired hoop shape. When formed in the desired hoop shape, the member 11 will have an inside diameter such that it will fit snugly around the side wall portion 19B when slid or telescoped in place. In the embodiment where the wall of member 21 is 1/16 of an inch thick, side portion 19A of frame member 11 will extend 1/16 of an inch radially outward further than side portion 19B whereby the outer side of member 21 will be flush with side portion 19A when member 21 is fitted in place. The tangs 21B are punched to have a narrow base, for example, 1/8 of an inch, to allow the tangs to spread the canvas rather than to cut the canvas when it is pierced by the tangs. When the canvas stretcher and frame of the present invention is packaged for sale, preferably, the tangs initially will be located flat in the plane of the member 21 which in turn will be fitted around the frame member 11. This is done to enhance packaging and to prevent the tangs from cutting the user. The tangs will be bent out as needed to pierce the canvas during the framing operation. After the canvas is stretched and pierced at the desired positions, the tangs then will be bent inward to securely hold the canvas in place as pointed out above.

Although the side 19 of the frame 11 was described as having a forward side portion 19A extending radially outward further than its rearward side portion 19B, it is to be understood that the side 19 of the frame could be straight along its height between the front and rear of the frame member 11 thereby eliminating the rearward facing surface 19C as illustrated in FIG. 8. In this embodiment, the rear end of member 21 will have a small inward extending flange 51 which will abut against the rear surface 17 of the frame when member 21 is slid in place around the frame member 11 from its rear. Also provided will be the outer shield 31 as described above. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, the flange 51 will serve the same function as surface 19C, although the member 21 with a flange 51, will be more expensive to produce. In one embodiment, the flange 51 may extend inward an amount equal to about 1/16 or 1/8 of an inch sufficient to hold the member 21 in place when the canvas has been stretched and secured to the tangs.

FIG. 7 illustrates another embodiment whereby a modified outer shield 41 is provided. The shield 41 comprises an inward extending front edge 43 which is employed to hold a glass plate 45 over the canvas after it has been stretched and secured to the tangs 21B.

As illustrated, hooks 47 are threaded to the inside of the frame member 11 to which a wire or cord 49 may be attached to allow the frame to be hung to a nail or the like secured to the wall.

Although the frame of the present invention was described as being oval or circular shaped, it is to be understood that it could have other shaped, i. e., it could be square or rectangular.

Claims

I claim:

1. A canvas stretcher and frame for pictures or the like comprising:

a frame member having a front edge, a rear end to be located against a wall, and a surrounding outward facing side edge,

a thin walled member having an opening corresponding in shape to the shape of said frame member and adapted to be fitted closely around the side edge of said frame member,

said frame member being adapted to have a canvas stretched over its front edge and around said thin walled member when fitted in place,

said thin walled member having a plurality of spaced bendable tangs located around its periphery and adapated to extend outward therefrom for piercing the canvas when stretched in place,

said tangs being bendable inward in the rearward directions for securing the canvas tightly around said frame, and

an outer member having an opoening corresponding in space to the shape of said frame member and to the shape of the thin walled member when fitted in place and adapted to be fitted closely around said outward facing side edge of said frame member and around said thin walled member when a canvas has been stretched and secured to said tangs.

2. The canvas stretcher and frame of claim 1 wherein said outward facing side edge is straight through its height between said front edge and rear end of said frame member,

said thin walled member having a flange extending inward from its rear end such that said inward facing flange will abut against the rear end of said frame member when said thin walled member is fitted in place around said frame member from the rear thereof.

3. The canvas stretcher and frame of claim 1 wherein said frame member and outer member are hoop-shaped members.

4. A canvas stretcher and frame for pictures or the like comprising:

a frame member having a front edge, a rear end to be located against a wall, and a surrounding outward facing side edge,

said outward facing side edge having a forward side portion and a rear side portion with said forward side portion extending further outward than said rear side portion,

a generally rearward facing surface extending between said forward and rear side portions,

a thin walled member having an opening corresponding in shape to the shape of said frame member adapted to be fitted closely around said rear side portion of said frame member from the rear thereof to locate forward edge thereof in abutment with said rearward facing surface,

said frame member being adapted to have a canvas stretched over its front edge, around its forward side portion and around said thin walled member when fitted in place,

said thin walled member having a plurality of spaced bendable tangs located around its outer periphery and adapted to extend outward therefrom for piercing the canvas when stretched in place,

said tangs being bendable inward in the rearward directions for securing the canvas tightly around said frame, and

an outer member having an opening corresponding in shape to the shape of said frame member and to the shape of the thin walled member when fitted in place and adapted to be fitted closely around said forward side portion of said outward facing side edge of said frame member and around said thin walled member when a canvas has been stretched and secured to the tangs of said thin walled member.

5. The canvas stretcher of claim 4 wherein said frame member, said thin walled member, and said outer member are hoop-shaped members.