An Improved Device for Hanging Pictures and other such like Objects.
Year: 1888

page_text: Date of Application, 12th May, 1888
Complete Specification Left, 11th Feb., 1889
Complete Specification Accepted, 16th Mar., 1889
An Improved Device for Hanging Pictures and other such like
Objects.
I WILLIAM SNELGROVE of Bankwood, Church Road Moseley in the County of
Worcester Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention to be as
follows:-
My invention has for its object an improved device for hanging pictures and other
such like objects such for instance as mirrors etc. and is for the purpose of enabling
the angle of tilt or inclination and the elevation of the picture or other object to be very
quickly varied without altering any fixed parts upon the picture with the further
advantage that the picture can be instantly removed without taking down the cord by
which it is hung, which I accomplish in the following manner.
My device is composed of a rack plate secured to the centre of the back of the
picture by two or more screws at its upper end the said plate being cranked or other-
wise formed immediately below the screws so as to well clear the back of the picture
as it extends downwards.
One side of this plate is notched so as to form teeth the square part of which face
downwards. I also make a saddle which is pierced at is inner end so as when held at
a certain angle to slide on to the plate from the bottom end. This saddle is provided
with a projecting tooth corresponding with the teeth upon the rack plate before
mentioned and which tooth is caused to engage with or bite the said rack by upward
pressure against the opposite end of the saddle viz., the end to which the suspending
cords are attached. The actual weight of the picture or other object suspended is
thus utilized to maintain the grip of the teeth the other end of the saddle is provided
with one or two holes through which the cord passes upon which the picture is hung.
This cord may be secured by a knot at the bottom of one hole the other end after
passing over the nail or other mode of support being quite loose so that it may be
drawn through the said saddle until the picture is at the exact elevation required
when it is turned sideways or upwards into a slot or hook or spring hook which is
formed upon or out of the end of the saddle plate itself or a single cord and one holo
Lace Set 3

page_text: in the saddle may be used. By this means the cord is securely held at the loose end
without any knot being tied. To remove the picture it is simply necessary to lift it
slightly so that the saddle may slide off the rack plate the saddle remaining suspended
upon the wall while the picture is changed repaired dusted or examined:
It will be clearly understood that the shape of the rack plate may be greatly varied
in outline as well as the saddle and may be stamped from sheet brass or cast from
any suitable metal and instead of the teeth in the rack holes may be pierced into
which the tooth or projection upon the saddle would enter instead of teeth. I
may also fix a device as herein set forth at each end of the picture instead of the
centrc.
CM 1988
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Device for Hanging Pictures and other such like
Objects.
I WILLIAM SNELGROVE, of Bankwood Church Road Moseley, in the County of
Worcester, Engineer do hereby declare the nature of my said invention and in
what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and ascer-
tained in and by the following statement :-
My invention has for its object improved device for hanging pictures and other
such like objects such for instance as mirrors etc. and is for the purpose of enabling
the angle of tilt or inclination, and the elevation of the picture or other object, to be
very quickly varied without altering any fixed parts upon the picture with the
further advantage that the picture can be instantly removed without taking down the
cord by which it is hung which I accomplish in the following manner.
My device is composed of a rack plate secured to the centre of the back of tho
picture by two or more screws at its upper end the said plate being cranked or other-
wise formed immediately below the screws so as to well clear the back as it extends
downwards. One side of this plate is notched so as to form teeth the square part of
'which face downwards. I also make a saddle which is pierced at its inner end so as
when held at a certain angle to slide on to the plate from the bottom end. This
saddle is provided with a projecting tooth corresponding with the teeth upon the rack
plate before mentioned and which tooth is caused to. engage with or bite the said rack

page_text: by upward pressure against the opposite end of the saddle viz. :-the end to which
the suspending cords are attached. The actual weight of the picture or other object
suspended is thus utilized to maintain the grip of the teeth & the saddle is provided
with one or two holes through which the cord passes upon which the picture is hung.
In the case of ono only being used this cord may be secured by a knot at the bottom
of one bole the other end after passing over the nail or other mode of support being
quite loose so that it may be drawn through the said saddle until the picture is at the
exact elevation required when it is turned sideways or upwards into a slot or hook or
spring hook, which is formed upon or out of the end of the saddle plate itself or a
single cord and one hole in the saddle may be used. By this means the cord is
securely held at the loose end without any knot being tied. To remove the picture it
is simply necessary to lift it slightly so that the saddle may slide off the rack plate
the saddle remaining suspended upon the wall while the picture is changed, repaired,
dusted or examined.
It will be clearly understood that the shape of the rack plate may be greatly varied
in outline as well as the saddle and may be stamped from sheet brass or cast from any
suitable metal and instead of the teeth in the rack holes may be pierced into which
the tooth or projection upon the saddle would enter instead of teeth. I may also fix
a device as herein set forth at each end of the picture instead of the centre.
In order that my invention may be clearly understood and more easily carried into
practice I have appended hereunto a large sized sheet of drawings upon which
I have fully illustrated my improved device the means of attaching the same to a
picture.
Figure 1. is a perspective view of a picture Z having my device attached
thereto.
Figure 2 is a side elevation shewing the device in the position which it occupies.
Figure 3 is an elevation of Figure 2 when the picture is hanging.
Figure is an elevation of a part of the toothed side of the rack A shewing
the saddle B engaging the same.
Figure is a vertical section through the centre of the rack A and saddle B.
Figure 6 is a view of the saddle B separate from rack A.
Figure 7 is an elevation of the back of a picture showing it hanging by means of
two of my hangers.
Figure S is a similar elevation to Figure 7 but shewing the picture hanging by
means of one of my hangers.
My device is composed of the rack plate A secured to the back of the picture Z by
two or more screws a² at its upper end the said plate being cranked or otherwise
formed at a so as to well clear the back of the picture as it extends downwards.
One side of the plate is notched so as to form the teeth a³.
I also provide the saddle B which is pierced at 62 so that when held at right angle
to the plate A it will slide thereon from the bottom end. This saddle is provided with
the projecting tooth for engaging in the aforesaid teeth a³ upon the rack plate A
which tooth is caused to bite the said rack A in the hollows a' by its upward pressure
against the opposite end of the hole in the saddle B and this being at the end to
which the suspending cords C are attached the actual weight of the picture Z the
other object suspended is thus utilized to maintain the grip of the tooth b upon the
teeth a' of the rack B. The top end of the saddle B is provided with one or more
holes through which the cord C passes the one end of the cord being secured in
the case of two hangers being used as shewn by Fig. 7 being drawn through one of
the said holes 3 and then turned upwards and sideways around the hook which is
formed upon or out of the end of the saddle plate the other end after passing over the
ail (or other mode of support is drawn throught the saddle on the other side of the
picture until the picture is at the exact elevation required when it is secured in the
same manner as the other. By these means the cord is securely held at both ends
without any knot being tied. In the case of only one of my hangers being used as
hewn at figure 8 one end of the cord may be secured to one of the holes 63 of the
addle B by means of a knob the other end after passing over the nail being secured

page_text: to one of the other holes in the same saddle B in the manner above described. To
remove the picture it is simply necessary to lift it slightly so that the saddle B
may slide off the rack plate A the saddle remaining suspended upon the wall while
picture is changed, repaired, dusted or examined.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what 1
claim is
An improved device for hanging pictures and other such objects in which the rack A
and saddle B operate in combination substantially as and for the purpose herein set
forth & illustrated upon the drawings.
GEORGE BARKER,
77, Colmore Row, Birmingham,
Agent for Applicant.