Abstract:
A two piece hanger device for mounting an object on a wall wherein one piece is mounted on the object and one piece is mounted on the wall and wherein one of the two pieces can be angularly adjusted with respect to the other to permit proper horizontal alignment of the object to be hung.

Description:
The invention relates to a two piece wall hanger that is used to hang pictures, photographs, medallions, etc. to a wall. 
   BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
   There are many different types of wall hangers which are used for mounting and hanging art work and related items to room wall surfaces. One problem associated with existing two piece hangers is that exacting orientation of the hangers on the wall and the article to be hung is required so as to avoid leaning of the hung article so that its orientation will be horizontal and parallel to the floor and ceiling of the room. 
   The current invention provides for correct orientation by allowing some relative movement between the hanger piece on the wall and the hanger piece on the object to be hung on the wall. 
   Further the attachment of the two hanger pieces to one another should provide for some physical connection between the two hanger pieces to keep the two hanger pieces from separating and to cause the two hanger pieces to resist vertical movement between them so as to be able to support the object to be held against the wall. With light weight objects to be hung, stopping relative movement is easier than when the objects weigh more. For example, a one pound picture frame puts less of a vertical strain on a hanger mounting than does a ten pound picture frame. 
   Other aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following descriptions when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  show a first embodiment of the two piece hanger wherein the two pieces of the hanger are formed unitary with a perforated tear line between them. 
       FIG. 2  shows a cross-section of the hanger of  FIG. 1  taken along the line A-A. 
       FIG. 3  shows a cross-section of the hanger of  FIG. 1  taken along the line B-B. 
       FIG. 4  shows a partial cross-section of one of the finger portions of the hanger of  FIG. 1 , when the two hanger pieces are connected. 
       FIG. 5  shows a partial cross-sectional view of the spring latch of the hanger of  FIG. 1 , when the two hanger pieces are connected. 
       FIG. 6  shows a partial cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of either the finger or latch portions of the invention, when the two hanger pieces are connected. 
       FIG. 7  shows a partial cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of either the finger on latch portions of the invention, when the two hanger pieces are connected. 
       FIGS. 8-11  are another embodiment of the invention similar to  FIG. 1 , showing the two pieces of the hanger separated and with the modified version of fingers ( FIGS. 8 and 9 ) and their modified finger received area ( FIGS. 10 and 11 ). 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1  show a unitary article hanger having an article piece  10  and a wall piece  12  separated by a perforation line  14 . One can separate the two pieces by tearing along the perforation line by a bending and pulling motion between the two pieces  10  and  12 . A plurality of holes  16  are formed in each of the two pieces to provide an entry for either nails or screws (not shown) to secure the piece  10  non-rotatably to the article to be held (not shown) and the piece  12  to the room wall (not shown) on which the article is to hang. An alternative or supplemental securement for the pieces is provided by an adhesive coating  18  on the back-side of the two pieces. A removable covering paper  20  can be provided on top of the adhesive. These covering papers  20  for protecting adhesive surface until time for use are well known. 
   A plurality of pins  22  are placed in a circle around an upper portion of the piece  10  and extend outwardly from the piece  10  on the piece surface  26  opposite the adhesive surface  18 . These pins  22  are round with a conical tip  28 . The pins  22  are placed very close to one another for alignment purposes as will be explained latter. The distance between pins should ideally be less than ½ the diameter of the pin. The wall piece  12 , is provided with a plurality of pin receptacles  24 , which are configured to be identical in shape and in the same circular array as the pins  22 , so as to provide a friction fit therewith as each of the pins  22  is inserted into a respective pin hole  24 , for supporting and orienting the two pieces  10  and  12  during the hanging operation. The piece  10  is made rectangular or square with a flat straight top edge  30 , which is made straight so as to be more easily aligned parallel with a top edge of the article to be hung. 
   Once the piece  10  is attached to the article to be hung and the piece  12  to the wall on which the article is to be hung, the pins  22 , on piece  10  are inserted into holes  24  on piece  12 . Because of the number of pins  22  and holes  24  and their closeness to one another, slight vertical misalignment between the pieces  10  and  12  with the floor and ceiling and floor of the room can be accommodated due to a small relative rotation of piece  10 . This is occasioned, by the fact, that the top most pin  22  on piece  10  (that is the pin closest to the top edge  30 ) can be placed in any of the top holes  24  (closest to top edge  33 ) of piece  12 . Thus, even if piece  12  was not mounted accurately, holding the object to be mounted level, will allow an alignment of pins  22  and holes  24  that will provide a proper horizontal orientation of the object to be held. 
   Since the size of the pins  22  are the same as the holes  24 , a friction fit will occur which will allow the person hanging an object to push the object hard against the wall, so the pins  22  enter the holes  24  and are held frictionally therein. The point  28  on the end of the pins  22  assists in aligning a pin  22  with a hole  24 , since as the point  28  enters the hole  24 , the pin shaft is centered in the hole  24  as the point rides into and along an edge of the hole  24 . 
   While  FIGS. 1-4  show the configurations of the pins  22  to be round with a center tip  28 , the pins could be configured as an arrow or Christmas tree shape as respectively shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 . In  FIG. 6  the arrow configuration of pin  22 A provides a flexible lower tip  36  which is flexed inwardly to pass through opening  38  and then expand into enlarged portion  34 . This expansion will hold the two pieces  10  and  12  together and inhibit vertical movement between them. Since the outer surface of the tip  36  does not extend all the way to the end of enlarged portion  34 , and since the tip  36  is thin and flexible, the pieces  10  and  12  can be separated by pulling the piece  10  on the article to be hung away from the piece  12 , mounted on the wall. This pulling will cause the tips to flip over, as shown by the arrow  40  ( FIG. 6 ) so the pin  22 A can pass through opening  38  as the piece  10  is pulled away from piece  12 . 
   The Christmas tree configuration of  FIG. 7  has a pin  22 B and fingers  42 . As the pin  22 B is inserted into the hole  24 , the fingers  42  will be compressed downwardly closer to the center of the pin  22 B, thus, increasing the frictional forces on the holes  24  to increase the holding power over the smooth sides, shown in  FIG. 4 . A Christmas tree configuration means a stem with multiple angled fingers extended from the stem. 
   While it is believed that the previously described pins  22  and holes  24  would provide sufficient support for most objects to be hung, an additional or supplemental latch mechanism between the pieces  10  and  12  can be provided to support heavy objects. As shown in  FIGS. 1 and 5  a latch plug  50  is attached into slot  58  in piece  10 . The top  60  of plug  50  is flexed to be inserted into slot  58  and has a lesser size than the slot to allow some relative movement between the plug  50  and the piece  10 . The plug  50  has an hour glass external shape with slopping sides  62  and  64 . Internally of the piece  12  is an opening  52 , sized to receive the plug  50 . A spring  54  loaded plunger  56  with slanting end edge  66  is also located in piece  12 . When the two pieces  10  and  12  are first pressed together, an outer edge of the bottom  68  of plug  50  would contact top surface  62  of the plunger and because of the slope  66  of the plunger  56 , the plunger  56  will be cammed to the left ( FIG. 5 ) against the bias of spring  54  to allow for insertion of the plug  50 . As the plug  50  moves downwardly ( FIG. 5 ) of the opening  52 , the plunger  56  can move to the right, because of the hour glass internal surface of plug  50 . When returned to the position shown in  FIG. 5  the plunger  56  will hold the pieces  10  and  12  together. The pieces  10  and  12  can be released from one another by pulling them apart where upon surface  64 , of plug  50 , will contact the lower ( FIG. 5 ) surface  66 , of plunger  56 , and cause it to be cammed against spring  54  (to the left) to allow plug bottom surface  68  to pass by the tip of plunger  56  to separate pieces  10  and  12 . The camming action of plunger  56  is the same as found in most door knobs. The top  60 , of plug  50  is smaller than slot  58  into which it is inserted to allow the plug  50  to move relative to piece  10 , to accommodate the fact that top pin  22  will not always be in top holes  24  due to alignment purposes as previously explained. The arrow configuration of  FIG. 6  could replace the  FIG. 5  locking device and as the stem of the arrow can bend, the arrow can act to accommodate misalignment between the two pieces  10  and  12 . 
     FIGS. 9-11  show an alternative pin  22  and hole  24  attachment from that of  FIGS. 1-4 . Here the pins  22 A are thin nails. The holes  24  are replaced with a sticky pad  70 . Once the object to be hung is properly aligned, the nails are pressed into the pad  70  after its piece  12  was mounted on the wall and is held by friction between the nails  22 A and the sticky pad  70 . The sides of the nail can be roughed so as to increase the frictional force with the sticky pad  70 . Alternatively, the nails could be configured as the arrow or christmas tree of  FIGS. 6 and 7 . The sticky pad  70  needs to stay sticky throughout its life, to allow for removal of piece  10  from piece  12 . 
   Although the present disclosure has been described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood that this is done by way of illustration and example only and is not to be taken by way of limitation. The spirit and scope of the present disclosure are to be limited only by the terms of the appended claims.