Abstract:
The hanging device accommodates transport and hanging requirements for an item such as a work of art. In both instances, the item is cushioned from rigors of motion, and both wire hung and nonwire hung articles are accommodated. When no wire is used, the device also accommodates will hanging of the item through use thereof.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    The present invention relates to a device for use in not only hanging but transporting an object, such as a work of art, which may be hung by wires, or not, in a manner where no damage is done to the object while hung or while undergoing rigors of transport.  
         PRIOR ART  
         [0002]    Heretofore various structures have been proposed for hanging an object such as a work of art. However, none to date have been proposed, which can be used to not only hang such work of art, with or without wires, but to also transport the work of art in a manner where it is cushioned within a transportation box against damage imposed by the rigors of transport.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0003]    According to the invention there is provided a hanging device comprising a body having a vertical throughbore therein, having a vertical threaded bore extending thereinto from a top surface thereof and having a horizontal threaded throughbore extending horizontally through a bottom area thereof, each threaded throughbore accommodating a threaded end of an arm having an eyehook at another end of the arm, the eyehook engaging a cushion therearound, with the cushion having a throughbore therein, the throughbore extending within the inner margins of the eyehook and adapted to engage a connector therein, and the body further including at least one horizontal throughbore therein for engaging a connector used to engage the device to an item to be hung thereby.  
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0004]    [0004]FIG. 1 is a side view showing the device in use in mounting a work of art hung by wire to a wall, with an eye hook thereof, used in transport, shown in a storage position thereof.  
         [0005]    [0005]FIG. 2 is a side view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the eyehook removed from its storage position.  
         [0006]    [0006]FIG. 3 is a side view similar to FIGS. 1 and 2 but showing the eyehook of the device in a transport position thereof, with a transport cushion shown engaged within and surrounding the eyehook.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the device engaged to a frame.  
         [0008]    [0008]FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the device of FIG. 4.  
         [0009]    [0009]FIG. 6 is a top plan view showing the device engaged between a work of art and having a vertical wall surface, such as that of a transport box.  
         [0010]    [0010]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the device in use in mounting a work of art which is not wire hung to a wall, using the cushioned eyehook and suitable connector shuch as a hook or a screw.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0011]    Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated therein the hanger device made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention and generally identified by reference numeral  10 .  
         [0012]    As shown, the device  10  incorporates a body  12  in the form of a rectangular cube.  
         [0013]    A throughbore  24  extends vertically therethrough within and through which a wire  26  used for hanging a frame  28  of a work of art is received.  
         [0014]    If desired, a collar  31  may be provided, elevated above the throughbore  24 , to ease tension on the wire  26  at its point of entry, as shown.  
         [0015]    A threaded bore  32  is also provided in the body  12  extending into the upper surface  34  thereof, which threaded bore  32  is sized and configured to receive therein a threaded end  36  of an elongate arm  40  bearing an eyehook  42  on another end  44  thereof. The arm  40  is threaded into the threaded bore  32  to place the arm  40  into a storage position, as shown in FIG. 1.  
         [0016]    Engaged within and around the eyehook  42 , as shown, is a cushion  50 , the purpose of which will be described in greater detail below.  
         [0017]    The wire  26 , when present, is fixed to the device  10  by means of set screw  52  which traps the wire  26  against an inner surface of throughbore  24  as shown.  
         [0018]    Further, the structures of the device  10  are illustrated in transport position in FIGS.  3 - 6 . In this respect, when the arm  40  is removed from the storage position of FIG. 1, it is engaged within a threaded throughbore  58  in a lower area  59  of the body  12 , this threaded throughbore  58  extending perpendicularly to the throughbore  24  for the wire  26 .  
         [0019]    Once seated within the throughbore  58 , the arm  40 , and more particularly the eyehook  42  with cushion  50  thereover, extends laterally outwardly of an outer side edge  60  of the frame  28  to which the device  10  is attached in a manner shown in FIG. 4, i.e., as close to the outer side edge  60  of the frame  28  as possible.  
         [0020]    Now, it will be seen that the cushion so incorporates a centered throughbore  62  therein, defined within an inner margin  64  of the eyehook  42 , the throughbore  62  being provided to allow a connector  66 , such as a screw or bolt  66 , having a head  68  of a diameter greater than a diameter of the inner margin  64  of the eyehook  42 , for use in securing the device  10 , and hence the frame  28  attached thereto, to a transport apparatus or box  70 , known in the art.  
         [0021]    When attached to the box  70  in the manner shown in FIG. 6, it will be understood that the cushion  50  is interposed between the eyehook  42  and the box  70  to which it is attached, creating a softer, more impact resistant “ride” for the work of art being transported with the device  10 .  
         [0022]    Although only one device  10  is illustrated in the drawings for the sake of brevity, it will be understood that a pair of such devices  10  will preferably be used for each work of art to be hung or transported.  
         [0023]    Turning now to FIG. 7, it will be seen that the device  10  is also able to be used as a hanging device  10  for a work of art which has no wires for hanging.  
         [0024]    In this respect, when the device  10  is mounted as close as possible to an upper edge  72  of the frame  28 , as shown best in FIGS. 4 and 7, with the arm  40  engaged in the storage position thereof, extending upwardly from the upper surface  34  of the body  12 , the connector  66  may instead be passed through the throughbore  62  in the cushion  50 , this time securing the device  10  and hence the frame  28  engaged thereto, to a vertical structure  70 , comparable to a transport box  70 , such as a wall  70 , for hanging and viewing rather than transport.  
         [0025]    Accordingly, the device  10  is found to be very accommodating to various known requirements of the art world.  
         [0026]    Of course, the device  10  must also be engageable to the frame  28 , as defined above, and for this purpose at least one throughbore  80 , and preferably a plurality of vertically and horizontally staggered stepped throughbores  80 , are provided, extending horizontally through a center body area  81  through which connectors  66  pass and are received in countersunk fashion to engage the device body  12  to the frame  28 , and more particularly to a rear surface  82  thereof.  
         [0027]    As described above, the device  10  provides a number of advantages, some of which have been described above and others of which are inherent in the invention. Also, modifications may be proposed to the device  10  without departing from the teachings herein. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims.