Patent Abstract:
A system and method for hanging a picture frame on a wall, comprising the steps of providing a picture frame with a hanger, for receiving a nail therein and a marking device temporarily secured to the picture frame and disposed near the void for receiving the nail; pressing the picture frame with the marking device protruding out from the picture frame, so that the marking device makes a perceivable mark on the wall, then removing the marking device; inserting a nail, screw or a length adjustable wall auger into the wall at the mark; and hanging the picture with the hanger so that the nail, screw or a length adjustable wall auger occupies some of the space earlier occupied by the marking device.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national stage application of PCT/US2011/061146, filed on Nov. 17, 2011, which in turn claims the benefit provisional application 61415167, filed on Nov. 18, 2010, both of which are incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention generally relates to hand tools and more particularly to systems for hanging picture frames. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     In the past, many people wishing to securely hang a picture at a precise location on a wall so as to hang level with the ground and to resist being perturbed have had difficulty completing the task. 
     While many prior art approaches of picture hanging have been employed in the past, they do have some drawbacks. First of all, hanging a picture frame with a single nail or screw often results in it being accidentally perturbed from a level position when someone walks by and brushed up next to the picture, or if the wall holding the picture shakes, when a nearby door is slammed. Secondly, using two or more precisely measured nail locations have often proved difficult for many people. 
     Consequently, there exists a need for improved methods and systems for hanging picture frames without some of the drawbacks of the prior art systems. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for hanging picture frames in an efficient manner. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to utilize a dual purpose hanging and wall marking structure on a picture frame. 
     It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the time required to properly mark nail hole locations. 
     It is another advantage of the present invention to reduce errors in marking the location of nail holes. 
     It is another feature of the present invention to include a level which is sized and constructed so as to sit on a top horizontal portion of a picture frame in a stable manner. 
     It is an advantage of the present invention to allow a picture to be leveled by grasping the picture frame while the level remains positioned atop the picture frame to be hung. 
     It is a feature of the present invention to include a method which allows the person hanging the picture frame to visually locate the picture and hang it without the need for any distance measuring. 
     It is an advantage of the present invention to reduce the errors which often occur with picture hanging. 
     The present invention is a system and method for securely hanging pictures, designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs, provide the previously stated objects, include the above-listed features, and achieve the already articulated advantages. The present invention is carried out in a “distance measuring-less” manner, in a sense that the need to measure distances of nail holes in relation to other nail holes or structure on the picture frame, has been eliminated. 
     Accordingly, the present invention is a system and method including a dual purpose hanging and marking structure on a picture frame. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention may be more fully understood by reading the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the appended drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a wall side of a dual purpose hanging and marking structure of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an opposing frame side of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is wall side view of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a view of two dual purpose hanging and marking structures mounted on a wall side of a picture frame. 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded front view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention with a reusable marking structure. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view of a standing and tapeable level of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is an end view of the level of claim  7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a perspective view of the wall auger of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a side view of the wall auger of  FIG. 9 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Now referring to the drawing wherein like numerals refer to like matter throughout, and more specifically referring to  FIG. 1 , there is shown a dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  which may be a unified molded plastic piece or it may be a metal piece or assembly. Cost, weight requirements and other application specifics may dictate material choices and manufacturing methodologies. Injection molded plastic may be a preferred embodiment for some residential applications. Dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  has a dual purpose hanging and marking structure top side  110 , dual purpose hanging and marking structure bottom side  120 , dual purpose hanging and marking structure left side  130  and dual purpose hanging and marking structure right side  140 . Dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150  is disposed between dual purpose hanging and marking structure left side  130  and dual purpose hanging and marking structure right side  140 . Disposed within dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  may be at least one dual purpose hanging and marking structure frame attachment screw receiving hole  131 . The terms screw and nail are used interchangeably herein and both are intended to refer to the other. Other ways of attaching one object to another could be utilized instead of screws or nails, such as wall augers, adhesives, welding, bolts, clamps and any other suitable attachment scheme. It should also be understood that the present invention may include the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  which has been formed integrally as part of a picture frame or a component thereof. It also should be understood that the present invention is not intended to be restricted to picture frames, which terms are used throughout as a mere example of the many types of things that might be hung on a wall, such as signs, rugs or any object. 
     Dual purpose hanging and marking structure top side  110  has a dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  disposed therein which is used during the early stages of the process and then removed before the actual final placement of the picture frame is made. Dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  is shown to include a dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure  162  which may mark a wall by leaving a substance (e.g. chalk, pencil lead, ink, paint, etc.) on the wall or by causing a dent, whole or other surface marking to occur. Dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section attachment portions  163  are included to provide for temporary attachment of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  to the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150  so that it can be easily removed once the wall has been marked. Dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section removal assisting hole  161  may be included to allow a pencil or other object to be inserted therein to assist in twisting the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  enough to break the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section attachment portions  163  in order to accomplish detachment and removal. Note, the present invention discusses hanging something on a wall, this is intended a an example and the system and method of the present invention could be used to hang objects on to things other than walls, such as furniture or any suitable place where something might be hung. The dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150  is indented so as to allow for space to accommodate screw, nail or bolt heads or any other structure to help secure the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  to the wall. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 2 , there is shown a wall side of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  of  FIG. 1 . There is shown a dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure back support structure  164  which is provided to give support to the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150  when the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure  162  is pressed against the wall. Dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure back support structure  164  helps reduce unwanted and undesirable deflection or twisting of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  when the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure  162  is pressed against the wall to make a mark. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 3 , there is shown a top view of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 4 , there is shown a front view of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  of  FIG. 1 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 5 , there is shown two dual purpose hanging and marking structures mounted on a wall side of a top portion of a picture frame. 
     In operation, the system and method of the present invention can operate as follows: 
     Step 1. Attach a first dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  to a picture frame; 
     Step 2. Attach a second dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  to the picture frame. Note, the location on the picture frame is not limited to a particular single spot on the picture frame. It is preferred to place the dual purpose hanging and marking structures  100  being located on the wall side of the picture frame near its top and separate the first and a second dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  by some distance. 
     Step 3. The picture frame is placed against the wall and leveled or oriented to some desired non-level orientation and pressed against the wall to leave a mark. When the leveling is accomplished it can be done with a standing and tapeable level of  FIGS. 7 and 8 . For example, the level can be positioned on the wall and oriented in a level arrangement. Tape is then applied to the wings holding the level to the wall. The picture frame then can rest on the top lip or ledge of the level and can be translated back and forth to the desired lateral position, alternately the level can be stood on top of the frame on the bottom lip of the level and the combination of the frame and level are moved to a level arrangement. When the pressing occurs the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure  162  leaves some sort of visual indication of the location of each of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structures  162 . 
     Step 4. The dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  is removed from the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150 . 
     Step 5. A screw is placed into the wall at the location of the marks made by the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section marking structure  162 . 
     Step 6. The picture then is hung on the screws so that the screw into the wall engages the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central protruding section  150  at the former location of the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160 . 
     The above procedure assumes that the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  has a dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  included therein which is a single use dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100 . In alternate embodiments of the present invention, the dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section  160  is not attached to the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100  by dual purpose hanging and marking structure central removable section attachment portions  163 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 6 , there is shown, a reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure central detachable section  660  which is inserted into a reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure  600  which is configured to detachably receive therein the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure central detachable section  660  which may be a snap in module that can be readily inserted and removed from the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure  600 . In another embodiment of the present invention, the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure  600  could be formed by the frame manufacturer into the picture frame itself. This could be done so that reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure central detachable section  660  can mate with this integral structure or the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure  600 . In yet another alternate, the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure central detachable section  660  could be simplified to just being removable marking plugs and the reusable dual purpose hanging and marking structure  600  is simplified into just being holes drilled or formed in the picture frame to receive the removable marking plugs. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 7 , there is shown a specialized level of the present invention generally designated  700  having a left side taping wing  702  and a right side taping wing  704  which are preferably quite thin, so as to facilitate being taped to a wall. Level  700  has a plurality of weight reducing holes  706  and has a flat standing lip  710  which can sit atop a picture frame. Note, the side taping wings  702  and  704  are preferably so thin that the level could not stand atop a frame while it is being leveled, if there were no flat standing lip  710 . Also shown, is a left lip buttress  712  and a right lip buttress  714 . There is shown a top lip  720  which may be omitted from a preferred embodiment to reduce weight. Also, if top lip  720  is omitted, the buttresses  712  and  714  could be made to terminate on an intermediate section of the planar body  701  of the level  700 .  FIG. 8  shows an end view with the full length buttresses and top lip  720 . If top lip  720  were omitted, buttresses could be a triangle extending about half way up the planar back  701 . 
     Now referring to  FIG. 9 , there is shown a perspective view of a length adjustable wall auger  900  having a head  902  and spacer disk  904  which would preferably be at or near the level of the drywall when the wall auger  900  is screwed in. The space between spacer disk  904  and head  902  is to allow the drywall-wall auger to engage the dual purpose hanging and marking structure  100 . A flighting  906  is disposed on a tapered central core  908  which are sized and configured to grasp drywall. Disposed at the end of tapered central core  908  is a thin detachment region  910  which is preferably sized and configured to be cut with a wire cutter or similar tool or broken by bending the cutting tip  912  back and forth to fatigue the detachment region  910 .  FIG. 10  shows a side view of the same drywall wall auger  900 . Cutting tip  912  can be removed to reduce the overall all length of the wall auger so that it is not thicker than the drywall itself, so as to not risk encountering any other matter such as wiring, plumbing, heating ducts or structural members or the like. 
     It is thought that the method and apparatus of the present invention will be understood from the foregoing description and that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construct steps, and arrangement of the parts and steps thereof, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of their material advantages. The form herein described is merely a preferred exemplary embodiment thereof.

Technology Classification (CPC): 1