Abstract:
A calendar holder for dual panel folding calendars includes a peripheral frame for receiving the calendar, a lower slot for supporting the bottom calendar panels, an upper slot for supporting the upper calendar panels, and a mounting peg at the upper slot that extends through perforations in the upper panels to independently hang the calendar within the frame.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices for holding calendars, and, in particular, a holding frame for displaying and hanging preprinted calendars in a bifold format. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Yearly, monthly and weekly calendars are widely available in varying formats for use on desks, walls, refrigerators and other venues for tracking dates and activities. On walls, the calendars are generally hung from an exposed picture hook or nail. Such a stark presentation detracts from the visual quality of the calendar and from framed paintings or photographs, and wall hangings in accompanying spaces. 
     To provide additional decor, various holding devices have been proposed for holding and framing calendars. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 1,765,070 to Graham provides a picture frame for a calendar wherein a bottom slot in the rear of the frame allows substitute calendar pages to be inserted. The frame is limited to a single panel display and must be removed from the wall for changing the display. Other calendar frames have been limited to designs specifically tailored to the frame such as shown in U.S. Des. Pat. Nos. 425,114 and 423,571 to Blazer et al., and 318,292 to Duncan wherein the calendar pages are inserted by removing a rear panel of the frame. Calendar frames have also been proposed wherein date information may be entered on a clear cover panel overlying the calendar, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,852,282 to Selman, allowing successive months to be displayed without changing a calendar template. Thus, the use of the calendar frames is limited to specifically designed formats and not amenable to commercially available merchandise. 
     One popular calendar type widely available to consumers comprises a plurality of sheets that are hinged at a center horizontal fold by staples, spiral springs or like connections, thereby dividing the calendar into an upper panel generally bearing a thematic photographic or artistic rendering, and a bottom panel with conventional grids displaying the date, day and month. By pivoting the lower panel upwardly, successive months and renderings may be displayed. The panels are provided with central perforations at their upper margins to allow the calendar to be hung and displayed from a suitable fastening member such as a picture hook. While displaying appealing artistry and quality and easily changed from month to month, the intended picture hook mounting detracts from the presentation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention provides a decorative framed calendar holder that may be fashioned in a wide variety of frame molding materials and configurations, readily accepts conventional sized bifold or folding calendars, and may be update without removing any component while remaining in the hung position on a wall. The calendar holder includes a peripheral frame that conformably receives a conventional bifold calendar. A lower cross member at the bottom molding provides a lower slot for receiving the lower panels of the calendar. An upper cross member at the top molding provides an upper slot for receiving the upper panels of the calendar. The upper cross member carries a sliding mounting peg that extends through the perforations in the upper panels thereby independently hanging the calendar within the calendar holder. The calendar may be changed by slightly bowing the lower panel and removing it from the lower slot, flipping the removed lower panel upwardly, retracting the mounting peg, bowing the panel into the upper slot, and reinserting the mounting peg to re-hang the calendar on the frame with the new month and artistry displayed. 
     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a calendar holder that is available in a wide variety of decorative framing materials. 
     Another object of the invention is to provide a hanging holder for a calendar that may changed for succeeding months without removal from the support surface. 
     A further object of the invention is to provide a decorative calendar holder for widely available calendar formats. 
     Yet another object of the invention is to provide a calendar holder for multiple panel calendars that may be changed monthly without the removal of framing components. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a calendar holder carrying a calendar; 
     FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the calendar holder shown in FIG. 1 with the calendar removed; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken along line  3 — 3  in FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of the mounting peg for the calendar holder; 
     FIG. 5 is a rear view of the calendar holder; and 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line  6 — 6  in FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to the drawings for the purpose of describing the preferred embodiment and not for limiting same, FIG. 1 illustrates a calendar holder  10  mounted on a vertical wall  12  and carrying thereon a conventional folding calendar  14 . As shown in FIG. 5, the rear surface  16  of the holder  10  is provided with a suitable hanger  18 , such as a horizontal picture wire, attached to side brackets  20  for mounting the calendar on the wall  12 . 
     The calendar  14  is a conventional folding calendar comprising a plurality of stacked sheets, printed on both sides and connected together by staples, spiral binders and the like at a horizontal centerline  22  to divide the displayed calendar format into an upper panel  24  and a lower panel  26 . One of the panels, generally the lower panel  24  depicts monthly dates by month, date and day in conventional fashion. The other panel, generally the upper panel  22  displays a rendering in the form of a photograph, print or other media presentation. By selectively rotating the panels into a common plane, an annual calendar may be selected on a month-by-month or other periodic basis. To enable the calendar to be hung from a suitable anchor such as a picture hook, the panels  24 ,  26  include, as shown in FIG. 3, perforated, aligned holes  26 , horizontally centered and spaced slightly inwardly of the vertical ends of the panels. 
     A widely available folding calendar of the type beneficially used in the present invention measures, in displayed form, about 24 inches high and 12 inches wide with the centerline  22  dividing the calendar into panels of about 12 inches high and 12 inches wide. The calendar comprises at least twelve sheets of stock, printed on both sides, thereby displaying a calendar year of dates and display panels. 
     Referring additionally to FIGS. 2 through 4 and  6 , the calendar holder  10  includes a frame  30  and a base plate  32 . The frame member  30  includes laterally spaced, vertical side moldings  34 ,  36 , and longitudinally spaced, horizontal top and bottom moldings  38 ,  40 , respectively. The side moldings  34 ,  36  have a lateral spacing for receiving and having a slight clearance relationship with the width of the calendar, preferably about 12-{fraction (1/16)} inch. The top molding  38  and the bottom molding  40  have a longitudinal spacing for receiving with a slight clearance relationship with the height of the calendar, preferably about 24-{fraction (1/32)} inch. An upper header  42  abuts the upper molding  38  and extends between the side rails  34 ,  36 . The upper header  42  is spaced forwardly of the base plate  32  defining a downwardly opening slot  44 . A lower footer  46  abuts the bottom molding  40  and extends between the side moldings  34 ,  36 . The lower footer  46  is spaced forwardly of the base plate  32  defining a upwardly opening slot  48 . The slots  48 ,  44  are sufficiently wide to accept the stacked thickness of the panels for the calendar at each of the monthly orientations. The slots  44 ,  48  preferably have a width of about ¼ inch to ½ inch. 
     The moldings and the header and footer may be formed of any suitable material of desired exterior cross sectional configuration and joined together at butt or miter joints in a conventional manner. 
     The header  42  and base plate  32  includes a through hole  50  that slidably receives a mounting peg  52 . The hole  50  is horizontally centered and located slightly below the upper molding  38  in a location that is aligned with the perforated holes  26  in the calendar panels. The mounting peg  52  comprises an enlarged cylindrical head  54  and a smaller cylindrical shank  56  that is slidably received in the hole  50 . The shank  56  has an inner end carried in a counterbore in the head  54  and connected thereto by an adhesive and/or interference fit. The head  54  has a size that is comfortably grasped by a user, generally about ¼ inch to ½ inch in diameter. 
     In use, the holder  10  is appropriately hung on the wall  12  and the calendar  14  inserted therein between the moldings with the upper and lower ends carried in the slots  48 ,  44 . The calendar panels  24 ,  26  are selectively folded to display the desired upper and lower panels. With the calendar lightly pressed against the back plate, the mounting peg  52  is inserted into the hole  50  in the header  42 , through the aligned holes  26  in the upper panels, and through the corresponding hole in the base plate  32 . Thereafter, the calendar will be independently hung by the upper panels on the mounting peg  52  for display. To change the display, the next lower panel is Ad bowed outwardly to clear the slot  48  in the footer  46  and pivoted upwardly about the center line  22 , bowed to allow the upper end to enter the slot  44 , aligned with the other upper panels, and the mounting peg  52  reinserted to capture the upper panels and display the contents, dates and renderings, of the succeeding month. 
     It will thus be appreciated that the present invention permits to user to select a decorative calendar frame of desired construction for hanging at a desired location and, without removing any component or the frame from the wall and thereafter quickly and conveniently change the calendar display in accordance with the current date. 
     Having thus described a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will now be appreciated that the objects of the invention have been fully achieved, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The disclosures and description herein are intended to be illustrative and are not in any sense limiting of the invention, which is defined solely in accordance with the following claims.