Abstract:
A picture-hanging device for hanging an object such as a picture or mirror that allows a picture to be adjusted vertically after securing the picture-hanging device to a wall. The device has an elongated adjustment member, an adjustable locking head that slideably engages with the elongated adjustment member, and a cable secured to either the elongated adjustment member or the adjustable locking head. The cable secures the picture to a picture-hanging device, and the height of the picture can be adjusted relative to the position of the picture-hanging device even after the picture-hanging device has been secured to a wall. This adjustable picture-hanging device allows the user to fine tune the placement of a picture without having worry about the precise placement of the picture-hanging device, or studs in a wall. The device also prevents unnecessarily drilling new holes in a wall.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to an apparatus useful for hanging articles, and more particularly, to an adjustable and releasable device having a cable, useful for hanging objects such as pictures, mirrors, small cabinets, or the like. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Hanging pictures or other items on a wall often requires precise measurements to ensure that a single picture is level, or that two different pictures are aligned with each other. Hanging a picture usually requires that nails, screws or other attachment devices secure the picture to the wall. However, there are problems with the traditional method of hanging pictures. One problem is that when the user wants to place a picture in a precise position on a wall, it may be difficult because the hook(s) on the picture frame do not line up directly with where the nail or screw is located. Additional problems exist when trying to align two different pictures, because hooks on different picture frames are not in the same location on the frame with respect to the top of the picture frame. This presents a problem because merely aligning nails on a wall does not guarantee that the pictures themselves will be aligned with each other. Figuring out where to put a nail or screw into a wall is therefore often times consuming and tedious. 
         [0003]    Currently, the standard way to reposition a picture that is not level or at a proper height, is to take the picture off of the wall, then remove the nail or screw from the wall, then place that nail in a different location, re-hang the picture, and determine whether the picture is at the desired height. If the picture is not at the desired height, repeat the process all over again. This process of aligning and leveling pictures through trial error is time consuming, produces unnecessary holes, and reduces wall strength that might ultimately need to be repaired. 
         [0004]    Additional problems with hanging pictures in the standard way are related to how large pictures are hung on walls. Large pictures often have multiple hooks on the frame to distribute the weight of the picture; yet, sometimes it is not practical to place nails on a wall adjacent to the frame hooks because if the hooks do not align with wall studs, the nails would have to be inserted into weak portions of the wall without any studding. If the user tries to only place nails into wall studs, the pictures may not be in an aesthetically desired position, or may not be level if the nails are not symmetrically aligned with the framing hooks. The user then has the dilemma of either hanging the picture securely against studs (which may place the picture in an unaesthetic position), or hang the picture exactly where the user wants, but not secured against wall studding. 
         [0005]    Another problem is that pictures are susceptible to falling off walls during earthquakes when hung in the traditional manner. This occurs because hooks or wires on a picture frame do not envelop the entire nail or screw on the wall, and therefore the jolt of even a small earthquake can cause the picture to bounce off the nail and fall to the ground. Furthermore, when pictures are secured to a wall by via means where the hooks or wire on a picture frame do not envelop the nail on a wall, the pictures are vulnerable to theft, because the pictures can easily be stolen by merely lifting the picture off a nail or screw. 
         [0006]    Some hangers have been designed that attempt to overcome the above mentioned problems. U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,147 to Zimmerman describes an adjustable hanging device that controls the length of a flexible line fixed at both ends for hanging objects by means of a rotatable body that can length or shorten a hanging wire, thereby shifting a picture up or down on a wall. U.S. Pat. No. 6,666,425 to Ferguson describes a vertically-adjustable picture-hanger having a body with a plurality of vertically arranged teeth and an adjustable bracket such that the picture can be placed on any one of the vertically arranged teeth. U.S. Pat. No. 8,061,054 to Rabin describes an adjustable picture-hanging device with an elongated strap and a pair of spaced sliders to enable marking spots on a wall for facilitating leveling of a picture to be mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 6,572,067 to Kamenstein describes an adjustable picture-hanging hook having a gear coupled to a hook that can adjust a picture horizontally or vertically. U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,284 to Kelrick describes an adjustable hanger having a rack and pinion for continuously moving an object horizontally and a treaded screw for continuously moving the object vertically. While these inventions and others allow for adjustment of pictures on a wall, there is a continuing need for improved hanging devices that are inexpensive to manufacture, have a low profile, have anti-theft and earthquake damage prevention features, all while allowing a user to quickly, and accurately adjust the position of a picture with a minimum of difficulty. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention relates to an adjustable apparatus for hanging an article. While throughout the specification the article is referred to as a picture, and the apparatus is referred to as a picture-hanging device, the apparatus will work on any object equipped with hanging hardware to be hung on walls or off of ceilings, such as mirrors, cabinets, and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a picture-hanging device for the easy adjustability of positioning and leveling of a single picture, as well as aligning multiple pictures. 
         [0008]    Conventionally, a picture-hanging device can be as simple as a single nail or screw. Once the nail or screw is secured to a wall, the position of the picture hung on that wall is set because the hooks or a wire on the back of the picture frame are pre-set on the frame. It is therefore an object of this invention to be able to adjust the height and/or tilt of a picture frame after the picture-hanging device has already been secured to a wall without using levels, plumbs or drawings lines. In another object of the invention, the wall hanging device allows for a few inches of horizontal and vertical discrepancy so the holes in the wall can be placed closer or further away from each other, thus optimizing their placement based on location of studs, or avoiding electric wires, plumbing, etc. The picture-hanging device can be left in place even when new pictures with differently sized frames are desired, since the picture-hanging device can be adjusted to accommodate a new frame. 
         [0009]    To achieve these and other readily apparent objectives, the present invention provides an adjustable picture-hanging device that can first be secured to a wall or ceiling without having to worry about the precise placement the device. The device comprises at least three structures. A first structure is an elongated adjustment member (such as a strap, rack, or cable tie) having an attachment end and an insertion end. 
         [0010]    A second structure of the picture-hanging device is an adjustable locking head. The locking head is capable of slidably engaging with the elongated adjustment member when an insertion end of the elongated adjustment member is inserted in an insertional direction through an aperture of the locking head. Within the locking head, there is a locking protrusion (such as a pawl) that is capable of engaging the elongated adjustment member such that the locking head and adjustment member cannot move relative to each other in a withdrawal direction, but can move freely in an insertional direction. Also located within or on the locking head is a releasing member (such as a tab, button, latch, or the like) that a user can employ to preferentially release or engage the protrusion in the locking head from the adjustment member. The adjustable member of the locking head may be automatically engaged, or manually engaged by the user, while the release of the adjustable member from the locking head is a manual release. When the user releases the releasing member (by pressing a tab, button, or the like), the locking head and the adjustment member can move freely in both the insertional and withdrawal direction. When the releasing member is not employed by the user, the locking head and the adjustment member cannot be moved relative to each other at least in a withdrawal direction. 
         [0011]    A third structure of the picture-hanging device is a cable that is secured to the locking head (alternatively, the cable can be secured to the adjustment member). The cable connects the picture to the picture-hanging device. When the locking head moves vertically up or down relative to the adjustment member, the cable likewise moves up and down relative to the elongated member. Even though the adjustment member may be fixed to a wall, the cable holding the picture can be moved up and down, thereby raising or lowering a picture, even though the picture-hanging device may already be fixed to the wall. 
         [0012]    The configuration of the cable, elongated member, and locking head has the advantage of allowing the user first affix the adjustment member to the wall, and then attach the locking head, cable and picture to the adjustment member. Once the picture-hanging device and picture are connected, the user can adjust the position of the picture by sliding the elongated member along the locking head until the desired position is found. To remove, or readjust the picture, the user can disengage the locking protrusion within the locking head, thereby allowing the locking head, cable, and picture to move in either an insertional or withdrawal direction (i.e. up or down) relative to the fixed adjustment member on the wall. In a one embodiment, the cable is a looped cable where two ends of the cable extend from opposite sides of the locking member. In another embodiment, to secure a picture, the looped cable simply wraps around a wire or hook on a picture frame. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]    These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become appreciated, as the same becomes better understood with reference to the specification, claims and drawings herein: 
           [0014]      FIG. 1  is a front plan view of a disassembled picture-hanging device having an elongated attachment member, locking head, and cable attached to a picture frame hook. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is front plan view of an assembled picture-hanging device. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  is a front plan view of an elongated adjustment member attached to a cable and picture frame hook for hanging a picture to a ceiling. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is a front plan view of two assembled picture-hanging devices hung on studs not aligned with frame hooks. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5   a  is a front view of an elongated adjustment strap with a plurality teeth. 
           [0019]      FIG. 5   b  is a cross section view of an elongated adjustment strap with a plurality teeth. 
           [0020]      FIG. 6  is a locking head with side pinch release members for locking and releasing an elongated adjustment member. 
           [0021]      FIG. 7   a  is a perspective view of a locking head with an elongated strap passing through the locking head aperture as found in the prior art. 
           [0022]      FIG. 7   b  is a side cross sectional view of a locking head with an elongated adjustment member passing through the locking head aperture as found in the prior art. 
           [0023]      FIG. 7   c  is a front view of a locking head for use with an elongated adjustment member in as found in the prior art. 
           [0024]      FIG. 8  is a cross sectional view of a locking head with a releasing member, pawl and elongated adjustment member having a plurality of teeth. 
           [0025]      FIG. 9   a  is a perspective view of an assembled elongated adjustable member, looped cable, and locking head having a key release. 
           [0026]      FIG. 9   b  is a cross sectional view of an assembled elongated adjustable member, lopped cable, and locking head, having a key release. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0027]    The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. 
         [0028]    It will be understood that when an element is referred to as being “on” another element, it can be directly on the other element or intervening elements may be present there between. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. 
         [0029]    It will be understood that, although the terms first, second, third etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers and/or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer or section from another element, component, region, layer or section. 
         [0030]    The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the,” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” or “includes” and/or “including” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, regions, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. 
         [0031]    Furthermore, relative terms, such as “lower” or “bottom” and “upper” or “top,” may be used herein to describe one element&#39;s relationship to another elements as illustrated in the Figures. It will be understood that relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the Figures. 
         [0032]    Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein. 
         [0033]    Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described herein with reference to idealized embodiments of the present invention. As such, variations from the shapes of the illustrations as a result, for example, of manufacturing techniques and/or tolerances, are to be expected. Thus, embodiments of the present invention should not be construed as limited to the particular shapes of regions illustrated herein but are to include deviations in shapes that result, for example, from manufacturing. 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  depicts a disassembled picture-hanging device  10 . The picture-hanging device  10  has an elongated adjustment member  12  that inserts within an aperture  18  of a locking head  14 . The locking head  14  has a cable  20  that is connected to a hook  22  on a picture frame  24 . In this embodiment the adjustment member  12  has an aperture  2  located on an attachment end  4  for placing a nail, hook, or screw into a wall, to fix the adjustment member  12  against a wall. The elongated portion  11  in one embodiment has a plurality of longitudinally spaced plurality of teeth  6  that are capable of engaging with a locking protrusion, such as a protrusion tooth of pawl  28 , which resides within the aperture  18  of the locking head  14 . (Here, the locking head  14  is shown in transparency, so the protrusion  28  can be seen). In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment member  12  can be inserted in an insertional direction and move down freely relative to the locking head  14 . However, the adjustment member  12  is prevented from being withdrawn in a withdrawal direction by engagement of the protrusion  28  with the plurality of teeth  6 . 
         [0035]    The adjustment member  12  can only be withdrawn from the locking head  14  when the protrusion  28  is released from engagement with the teeth  6 . This release is accomplished by the user employing (either by pressing, pulling, pushing, or the like) a releasing member(s)  16  which disengages the protrusion  28  from the plurality of teeth  6  on the adjustment member  12 . The engagement and disengagement of the adjustment member  12  from the locking head  14  allows the user to move the locking head  14  in fine adjustable increments up or down relative to the adjustment member  12 . In one embodiment, the increments, determined by the relative spacing between each of the plurality of teeth  6 , are evenly spaced from each other, and preferably each tooth is between 0.2 to 10 mm from each other. In another embodiment, the relative spacing between each of the plurality of teeth  6  are between 0.5 mm and 3.0 mm. 
         [0036]    In one embodiment, the cable  20  can be can be in the form of a loop, which extends from opposing sides  17  of the locking head  14 . In the looped embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 , the locking head  14  and looped cable  20  are connected to the hook  22  on a picture frame  24  by using a hitch knot, such as a girth hitch (a hitch to connect two closed structures, such as the type of hitch knot used to attach luggage tags to luggage). To secure the cable  20  to the hook  22  using a girth hitch, first one end of the loop  20  is inserted under the hook  22  (or if there is a wire across the frame, the one end of the loop  20  can be inserted under the wire). Next, the locking head  14  is drawn through the free end of the loop  20  in an over-under manner and pulled taught, thereby securing the locking head  14  to the picture frame  24  via the cable  20  and framing hook  22 . Other methods of connecting the cable  20  to the picture  26  include the use of a strap hitch, cow hitch, lark&#39;s head hitch or lanyard hitch. 
         [0037]    There are several advantages over the prior art in this embodiment. One advantage is that when the adjustment member  12  is secured to the wall via a nail or screw  162  (as illustrated in  FIG. 2 ), the distance between the picture frame  24  and the nail  162  can still be varied by moving the adjustment member  12  up or down relative to the locking head  14 . The adjustment member  12  and the locking head  14  can move relative to each other when the user employs a releasing member  16  to disengage the protrusion  28  from the plurality of teeth  6  on the adjustment member  12 . This is advantageous because unlike the traditional method of hanging a picture (where once a picture is secured to a nail on a wall, the position of the picture cannot be changed without placing the nail in a different location), here, the height of the picture can be adjusted after nailing the adjustment member  12  to the wall. 
         [0038]    Another advantage of this device is that nail  162  that fixes the adjustment member  12  to the wall does not need to be placed in a precise location in order for the picture frame  24  to be placed in a specific location at a later time. The user can adjust the relative distance between the screw  162  and picture  26  after the adjustment member  12  has been fixed to the wall. Still another advantage is that the picture-hanging device  10 , prevents the picture  26  from falling off the wall during an earthquake. Unlike the traditional method of securing a picture to a wall where a screw  162  directly attaches to the hook  22  of the picture  26 , which would allow a picture to be lifted and removed (or pop off a wall during an earthquake), in this embodiment, the cable  20  is secured around the hook  22  and cannot be disengaged from the picture hanging device  10  without either releasing the locking head  14  by employing the releasing member  16 , or by reversing the hitch of the looped cable  20 . 
         [0039]      FIG. 2  depicts an assembled picture-hanging device  160  where the elongated member  12  is secured to a wall by a nail or screw  162 . The elongated member  12  is secured within the locking head  14  and can only be released by the user pressing releasing members  16  (here, depicted as side tabs). As in  FIG. 1 , the locking head  14  is secured to a framing hook  22  (here depicted without the picture  26  or picture frame  24  of  FIG. 1 ), using a girth hitch. In this embodiment, the locking head  14  can move up relative to the elongated member  12  (in an insertional direction), thereby raising the picture. The locking head  14  cannot move down relative to the elongated member (in a withdrawal direction) without the user pressing the side tabs  16 , which disengage a protrusion  28  from the plurality of teeth  6 , as described and illustrated in greater detail in  FIGS. 7-9 . 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  illustrates another embodiment of a picture-hanging device  40 . In this embodiment, instead of attaching the picture  26  to a wall, the picture  26  is attached via ceiling hardware  32  to a ceiling  30 . In this embodiment, the locking head  14  hangs from the ceiling hardware  32  via a decorative rope or chain  34  or other attachment device. In an alternative to the embodiments of  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2  where the looped cable  20  is attached to the locking head  14 , here, the looped cable  20  is attached to the adjustment member  12 . Similar to the embodiment of  FIG. 1 , the looped cable  20  then can secure the picture  26  by using any one of a variety of hitches. The picture  26  may be suspended from the ceiling  30 , and adjusted vertically by inserting the adjustment member  12  though an aperture  18  of the locking head  14 . The embodiment of  FIG. 3 , has a protrusion in the locking head  14  that prevents the adjustment member  12  from being withdrawn once the adjustment member  12  has been inserted. The locking head  14  may be adjusted up or down relative to the adjustment member  12  by having the user press a releasing member  16  that disengages the protrusion (such as a pawl) from the adjustment member  12 . In other embodiments for a ceiling hanging picture-hanging device, the elongated member  12  may be attached to the ceiling hardware  32  via the decorative rope  24 , instead of the locking head  14  (i.e., the positions of locking head  14  and elongated adjustment member  12  are switched). This type of arrangement where the apparatus  40  secured to the ceiling  30  would be advantageous when a picture cannot hang on a wall, such as for use in galleries that wish to have artwork where viewers can see the art from all sides. 
         [0041]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of two apparatuses  130  for hanging a dual-hooked picture useful for securing a picture  26  to studs  142 ,  144  that are not aligned with framing hooks  22 ,  23  on the frame  24  of the picture  26 . In this embodiment, there is a first picture-hanging device  140  and a second picture-hanging device  150 . The first picture-hanging device  140  is secured to a first stud  142  and the second picture-hanging device  150  is secured to a second stud  144 . Here, the studs,  142 ,  144  are not aligned with the hooks  22 ,  23  of the picture  26 . The advantage of this embodiment is that the two picture hanging devices  140 ,  150  can be individually tilted and adjusted to have the picture  26  perfectly level even though the nails or screws  162  are not aligned with the hooks  22 ,  23  on the picture  26 . This configuration is especially advantageous for heavy paintings in art galleries, where the paintings need to be mounted to studs  142 ,  144 , and cannot be mounted in direct alignment with the hooks  22 ,  23 . Another advantage is that each attachment device  140 ,  150  can be individually adjusted so that the picture  26  can be level. Still another advantage of this configuration is that the picture hanging devices  140 ,  150  can be reused in the same position on the studs  142 ,  144  for other pictures that may need different alignments. In this situation, when the user needs to replace the painting with another painting (which may require a different height placement) no new holes in a wall would have to be created, since the new painting can use the same picture-hanging devices  140 ,  150 , and these devices can be vertically adjusted by moving the locking head  14  up or down the elongated member  12  as previously described and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 . 
         [0042]    A detailed description of the first structure, an elongated adjustment member  12 , of the picture-hanging device will now be described. Various embodiments of elongated adjustment members  12  have been described in the prior art. One such type of elongated adjustment member is a cable tie strap, also known as a zip tie. Examples of cable ties include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,991,444 to Bailey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,009,509 to McCormick, U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,728 to Woods, U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,591 to Hopkins, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,791 to Khokhar, all hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. Elongated adjustment members may be of a kind that has beaded protrusions along a flexible elongated strip, or a series of ladder and rung-like structures capable of securing a locking head to the elongated adjustment member with a pawl that is insertable between rungs. 
         [0043]      FIGS. 5   a  and  5   b  illustrate an embodiment of a elongated adjustable member that is a cable tie  12 . Cable ties, also called zip ties are a type of fastener often used for binding cables or wires together. They are traditional made from nylon, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, various plastics, synthetic polymers, metals, or other materials. In one embodiment, a cable tie  12  has an insertion end  8 , an attachment end  4 , and an aperture  2  for securing the cable tie  12  to a wall by inserting a nail or screw through the aperture to secure the cable tie  12  to the wall. In this embodiment, the cable tie  12  have a plurality of teeth  6  that slope downward in one direction. Here, the plurality of teeth  6  are a linear rack of teeth that are a series of transverse ratchet serrations which lie on a common plan to cooperate and permit passage of the free end  8  of a cable tie  12  through a locking head. The sloping of each tooth  6  allows for movement of the tie  12  in one direction when inserted through a locking head having a protruding tooth (such as a pawl), but not in the reverse direction direction. Each tooth  6  has a pointed angled top edge  104 , a substantially vertical plane  108  forming the height of each tooth  6 , and a downward sloping plane  106  that connects the pointed angled top edge  104  of one tooth  6  to the bottom of the substantially vertical plane  108  of an adjacent tooth  6 . The angled teeth  6 , allow for a protrusion tooth  28  within a locking head (See  FIGS. 7-9 ) to slide through in an insertional direction, but prevents the cable tie  12  from being withdrawn in a reverse direction. A protrusion in the locking head  14  allows movement in an insertional direction but prevents subsequent withdrawal of the cable tie  12  in the opposite withdrawal direction. If a user attempts to withdraw the cable tie  12  from a locking head, back-tension is applied the substantially vertical plane  108  of one or more teeth  6  of the cable tie  12  against the protrusion (such as a pawl, as depicted in  FIGS. 7-9 ) in the locking head  14 , which prevents withdrawal of the cable tie  12  from the locking head  14 . In this embodiment, The elongated portion  10  of the cable tie  12  has a marginal plain portion  102 , which is not serrated. This non-serrated portion allows the cable tie strap  12  to be pulled through the locking head  14  more easily. 
         [0044]    A detailed description of the second structure of the picture-hanging device, a locking head, will not be described more fully. Several types of locking heads for cable ties have been previously described in the prior, in the U.S. patents describing cable ties referenced above. In one embodiment of a locking head  70 , as illustrated in  FIG. 6 , the locking head  70  has releasing members  72  that are side pinch tabs. When these side tabs  72  are pressed, the aperture  18  within the locking head  70 , increase in size by separating the holding tabs  76  which form around a cable tie that is inserted within the aperture  18  of the locking head. By increasing the size of the aperture  18  when pressing the side tabs  72 , the user can slide the cable tie  12  (as depicted in  FIGS. 1-5 ) in either an insertion or withdrawal direction because the increased aperture  18  allows the plurality of teeth  6  to be lifted away from the protruding tooth  76 , which holds the cable tie in a locked position when the side pinch tabs  72  are not pressed. This type of locking head is advantageous for adjusting the position of a picture on a wall because of the ease of releasing the cable tie  12  from the grip of the locking head  70 . Here, while one hand presses the releasing side tabs  72 , the other hand can adjust the relative position cable tie  12  (which is attached to a looped cable  20  and a picture  26 ) to the locking head  70 . 
         [0045]      FIGS. 7   a - c  depict another embodiment of an elongated adjustment member and locking head with cable  50  that may be used to hang a picture. Here, the elongated strap  13  does not have any transverse ratcheting teeth (such as the teeth in a cable tie), but is easily secured in a locked position by pressure from a protrusion  54  within the locking head  57 . U.S. Pat. No. 5,740,591 to Hopkins discloses such an elongated strap and locking head without a looped cable  20  for hanging a picture, and is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.  FIGS. 7   a - c  depict perspective, cross sectional and front views of this embodiment, respectively. In this embodiment the picture-hanging device  50  has a top releasing member  52 , which is attached to the locking head  57  via pivot attachments  60 , which as hinges on side walls  58  of the locking head  57 . This allows the releasing tab  52  to swivel into a locked position (when the tab  52  is down) and an unlocked position (when the tab  52  is up). Here, the elongated adjustment member  13  is a compressible flexible strap  13 . When in the locked position, at least one protrusion  54  on the releasing tab  52  clamps down and presses against the strap  13  (as depicted in  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b ), which may be made of rubber, nylon, or other natural or synthetic material. The strap  13  is inserted in an aperture  18  within the locking head  57 , and the strap  13  is locked in position the protrusion  54  compressing the strap, thereby locking the strap  13  in place within the locking head  57 . In this embodiment, the strap  13  is freely movable in either a withdrawal direction or insertional direction when the protrusions  54  are disengaged from the strap  13  (as depicted in  FIG. 7   c  without the strap  13 ), but is locked within the locking head when the releasing tab  52  is in its down locked position (as shown in  FIGS. 7   a  and  7   b ). To hang a picture, the locking head  57  is secured to a looped cable  20 . As previously described in  FIGS. 1-5  to wrap around a hook (as previously described and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 ). 
         [0046]      FIG. 8  depicts another embodiment of picture-hanging device  90 . In this embodiment the locking head  14  has a center releasing member  16 , and an aperture  18  for insertion of an elongated adjustable member  12  (such as a cable tie strap). Within the locking head  14  is a protrusion that is a pawl  28 , The pawl  28  has a pawl tip  15 , which nestles between the teeth  6  of the elongated adjustable member  12 . In this embodiment, the adjustable member  12  cannot be withdrawn from the locking head  14  when the tip  15  of the pawl  28  nestled between the plurality of teeth  6  on adjustable elongated member  12  because of the back-tension of the pawl against the teeth (as previously discussed in reference to  FIG. 5 ). Here, the user can pull the elongated member  12  in an insertional direction with ease because the tip  15  of the protruding tooth  28  of the locking head  14  slides past the teeth  6  of the elongated member  12  because the angle of the tip  15  matches the angle of the teeth  6 . As exemplified in  FIG. 5   b  in conjunction with  FIG. 8 , the top  15  of protrusion  28  within the locking head  14  slides over the downward sloping plane  106 , and then nestles with groove between the teeth  6  of the elongated member  12 . When the elongated member  12  continues to be pulled in an insertional direction, the protruding tooth  28  can be drawn past the pointed angled top edge  104  of the next tooth  6  of the elongated member  12 . 
         [0047]    The elongated member  12  is substantially prevented from being pulled back in a withdrawal direction because the protruding tooth  28  presses against substantially vertical plane  108  of each of the plurality of teeth  6  (as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,185,791 to Khokhar, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety). The user can slide the elongated member  12  in either the insertional or withdrawal direction when the protruding tooth  28  of the locking head  14  is disengaged from the plurality of teeth  6  when user pressed a the releasing tab  16 . By pressing the releasing tab  16  down, the pawl  28  pivots around a pivoting member  92 , and raises the tip  15  of the pawl  28  away from the elongated member  12  and out of the grooves of the plurality of teeth  6 , thereby allowing the elongated strap  12  to move freely in either an insertional or withdrawal direction relative to the locking head  14 . As previously described and illustrated in  FIGS. 1-4 , when the when a looped cable  20  is attached to the locking head, and the looped cable  20  is secured to a picture  26 , the picture  26  can be raised or lowered by moving the elongated strap  12  relative to the locking head  14 . 
         [0048]      FIGS. 9   a  and  9   b  depict an embodiments of a picture-hanging device  120  having a key  122  for locking and releasing an elongated strap  12  to a locking head  14  found in the prior art. Locking heads with insertable keys have been described in the prior art. Examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,377,510 to Smith, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,474 to Tobacchi, both hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. In  FIG. 9   a , a key  122  is inserted into a keyhole  124  located on one side of the locking head  14 . When the key  122  is rotated, one or more than one protruding teeth  28  are lifted away from the grooves between the plurality of teeth  6  on the elongated member  12  via a pawl-lifting member  126  (as illustrated in  FIG. 9   b ), thereby disengaging the protruding teeth  28  of the locking head  14  from the plurality of teeth  6  on the elongated member  12 . Disengagement allows the elongated member  12  to move freely in either an insertional direction or a withdrawal direction. When the key  122  is not turned or inserted, the pawl-lifting member  126  allows the protruding teeth  28  to nestle within the grooves of the plurality of teeth on the elongated member  12 . In this embodiment, a picture  26  can be attached to the locking head  14  via a cable  20 , as previously described and illustrated in  FIG. 1 . This embodiment is advantageous for art galleries or other places concerned with theft because the key release makes it difficult for a thief to easily remove a painting from a wall by merely lifting the painting of a wall secured only with a nail or screw, or pressing release tab. Here, in order to remove the painting without a key, the thief would either have to cut the looped cable  20 , or elongated member  12  in order to remove the artwork. While this embodiment does not prevent theft entirely, it blocks the casual thief from simply lifting a painting off of a hook, or pressing a release tab to remove a painting. 
         [0049]    While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description and not of limitation. As is understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art, a variety of modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention defined by the following claims, which should be given their fullest, fair scope.