Abstract:
A device for marking placement of anchors for a wall hanging includes a membrane. The membrane attaches to the wall hanging. A marking member extends from the membrane. The marking member has a reservoir therein.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of my earlier file date of May 19, 2004, application No. 60/572,580. This invention is directed to a device for aiding location and placement for nails/screws and such other hanging anchors on a wall or other flat surface when hanging picture frames, mirrors or shelves.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     Most items which are hung onto a wall or other flat surface have hanging structure attached to the back thereof. By way of non-limiting example, wall hangings such as a picture, mirror, tapestry, shelving or the like may come with a saw-toothed member or a triangular metal member attached to its back, or even wire fixed across two points of the wall hanging by way of example. These structures are provided to catch onto an anchor such as a picture hook, nail or screw affixed to the wall. In the case of shelving, the shelving support may have structures such as a nail or screw opening formed in a bracket or other support member for receiving the screw.  
         [0003]     These devices have been known in the art for many years and have effectively hung wall hangings to walls. However, they suffer from the disadvantage that first, in the case of wire, there is some give to the wire so that where the wire is positioned prior to hanging does not correspond to the position of the wire when it is hanging on the hook or screw. Furthermore, to determine where these saw-toothed or triangular members will be positioned relative to the wall to hang a picture/mirror at the appropriate spot requires many measurements to mark the wall prior to insertion of the anchor. Furthermore, compounding the measurement difficulty, is the fact that when there are multiple mirror/picture supports or multiple mirrors/pictures to be mounted, the supports are not uniformly affixed to the mirror/picture so that measurements cannot be taken from one marked spot to another. Therefore, each item to be hung must be independently measured relative to a floor and a position of the support on the picture/mirror.  
         [0004]     Accordingly, device for marking the spot for insertion of the anchor along a wall which automatically compensates for position of the wall hanging, without complex measurement is desired. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  is a top plan view of the device for marking placement of anchors in accordance with the invention;  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view thereof, the opposite side being a mirror image thereof; and;  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the device for marking placement of anchors for wall hangings in accordance with the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     A device for marking placement for wall hangings, generally indicated as  10  includes a membrane  12 . One face of membrane  12  is coated with an adhesive  14 . As discussed in greater detail below, device  10  is reusable so that adhesive  14  is sufficiently strong to bond and affix device  10  to the back of the wall hanging to be mounted, yet sufficiently weak to allow removal of device  10  while substantially all of adhesive  14  remains with membrane  12  for re-use.  
         [0009]     To facilitate removal of membrane  12 , membrane  12  is formed with a tab region  16 , so that the user may grab membrane  12  and peel membrane  12  away from the wall hanging. As is known in the art, a removable backing  18  may be affixed to membrane  12  by adhesive  14  during transit and prior to use. Tab  16  again aids in separation of membrane  12  and adhesive  14  from backing  18 . In a preferred embodiment, membrane  12  is formed of a sheet of plastic or sufficiently rigid paper to support the remaining structure. The adhesive  14 , because it substantially remains with membrane  12 , is non-marking and will not leave a mark on the wall hanging to which it is attached. In a preferred embodiment membrane  12  is clear to facilitate alignment of the device on the wall hanging.  
         [0010]     A marking member, generally indicated as  20  extends from membrane  12  from a second surface of membrane  12  opposed to a surface upon which adhesive  14  is applied. Member  20  includes a base portion  22  and an ink reservoir portion  24  disposed thereon. Marking member  20  is preferably formed at least in part, of a compressible material which is sufficiently absorbent to retain ink in an ink reservoir portion  24 . By way of example, member  20  includes a portion formed of a soft rubber, foam or sponge material, or the like, all of which are capable of absorbing and releasing ink and of slight compression. In a preferred embodiment, the ink is washable so that the mark can be erased if necessary.  
         [0011]     In a preferred embodiment, the shape of marking member  20  is a diamond to be received by saw-toothed and triangular shaped support members while also replicating, at an end  26  the position of a support screw or nail, when used with wire support members. However, it should be noted that circular or semi-circular shapes may also be used for use with a semi-circular shaped support members. However, the invention is not limited to shape as any shape which can be received, as a nail, screw or picture hook can be received, in a support member, yet provides sufficient surface to provide an ink reservoir for marking a wall is within the scope of the invention.  
         [0012]     During use, backing  18  is peeled from adhesive  14 . Device  12  is affixed to a wall hanging to be hung so that membrane  12  is affixed to the back of the wall hanging by adhesive  14  such that point  26  is received by the wall hanging support member at the position at which the nail or screw anchor is received by the support member. It should be noted, that the height of member  20  is sufficiently great so that when membrane  12  is affixed to the picture/mirror, reservoir  24  extends beyond the support member.  
         [0013]     The wall hanging is then placed against the wall at the position at which it is to be hung. A pressure is applied to the wall hanging so that ink reservoir  24  comes in contact with the wall and leaves a diamond shaped mark. The picture is then removed from the wall and the anchor is placed on the wall where the marking point  26  is provided. In this way, the mark position from ink reservoir  24  on the wall corresponds to the position at which the anchor should be applied to hang the wall hanging at the desired location. Membrane  12  is then peeled away from the wall hanging and can be reused.  
         [0014]     In the preferred embodiment, the dimensions of device  10  are substantially small enough to fit behind a wall hanging into and extending from the wall hanging support structure. Therefore, in a preferred non-limiting exemplary embodiment, the overall height of marking member  20  is a ½ of an inch to   1/2  an inch. Dimensions of tab  16  are 1/2 inch in width by ¼ inch in length while the remaining portion of membrane  12  is ¾ inch in width by   1/2  inch in length. Each side of the diamond of ink reservoir portion  24  is about ¼ inch in length.  
         [0015]     It should be noted, that the device  10  can also be used to mark the object being hung. By way of example, the problem arises when hanging paneling or such, that openings must be cut in the paneling, prior to it being mounted on the wall, to facilitate electrical outlets, telephone outlets, computer/tv outlets and the like. Again, accurate measuring must be done to determine where to cut the holes. If the holes are cut improperly and do not correspond to the actual outlets on the wall, the panel must be thrown out.  
         [0016]     Device  10  can be utilized by applying device  10  at each corner of an outlet to be exposed so that marking member  20  corresponds to each corner of the outlet. Device  10  now is affixed to the wall and faces away therefrom. The paneling is then placed against the wall to come in contact with ink reservoir  24  of the respective corners of the outlet. As the paneling comes in contact with the respective devices  10 , ink reservoirs  24  will mark the corners of the outlet on the reverse side of the paneling.  
         [0017]     The paneling is then removed and, the markings define the opening required for the outlet. Devices  10  are then peeled from the wall and the process can be repeated at another outlet or the devices  10  may be used to hang wall hangings as discussed above.