Year: 1887

page_text: Date of Application, 19th July, 1887.
Specification Accepted, 19th Aug., 1887.
I, WARREN MONTGOMERY BRINKERhoff, of Auburn, in the State of New York,
United States of America, Merchant, do hereby declare the nature of this invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement:-
My invention relates to the class of devices known as picture hangers and consists
in certain peculiarities of construction whereby the picture supporting cord or wire is
held from slipping upon its support and the accidental displacement of the picture
prevented.
It is a fact well known to house-keepers, that pictures in a dwelling house are
constantly getting awry upon the walls or out of true perpendicular. There being
nothing to prevent the cord or wire from slipping upon its support, any inconsiderate
handling in dusting the room causes the cords to move upon the nails or hooks,
resulting in a displacement of the pictures. In case the pictures are not balanced
upon their supporting hooks or nails, any sudden jar or vibration of the walls will
also cause a slipping of the cord or wire on its support with like results.
My improved hanger is designed to avoid this difficulty and to provide a support
for a picture cord or wire which will not permit such cord to slip upon the same and
which will therefore tend to keep the pictures in place upon the walls.
In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated several modes in which 1 have
contemplated applying my invention and such invention is fully disclosed in the
following Specification and claims.
In the drawings figures 1, 2, 2, 3, and 4, are perspective views of different forms
of a picture hanger for attachment to a cornice; figure 5 is a front view of another
form of cornice hanger; figure 6 is an edge view of the same; figure 7 is a view of a
form of hanger which can be attached to the wall by a nail or screw; figure 8 is a
like view of a hook formed entirely of wire; figure 9 is a like view of a modified
form of simpler construction.
The hanger consists of a main body A of any suitable material and when designed
for attachment to a cornice it is provided at its upper end with the large cornice
hook a.
The cord or wire supporting hook is located beneath the hook a, and below
this I form one or two hooks or projections and the cord is made to engage these in

page_text: the manner shown or any equivalent way. The cord is held by this means at such an
angle either in respect to the cord or wire hook or to such hooks themselves, that it
is prevented from all slipping upon its support. In all the figures except the 8th, the
picture hanger is shown made from a piece of plate metal and in figures 1 and 3, the
cord hook b, is shown as made by a tongue of metal cut from the central part of
the plate and bent outward and then upward to form the hook. Below this hook the
lower corners of the plate are bent to form the hooks b1, b¹, which I denominate the
retaining hooks. In hanging a picture the cord or wire e, is first placed upon
the hook b, and the picture adjusted to the proper position; the cord or wire is.then
grasped and placed in engagement with the retaining construction by inwardly
ueflecting the same, in which position it will be held against accidental displacement.
It will be seen that when the picture is suspended upon the cord or picture support
and its whole weight hanging thereon, the picture can be adjusted to its desired
position with little difficulty, as there is nothing to prevent the cord from moving
easily upon its support, but when the cord is placed within or in engagement with the
retaining devices, it is locked thereby and securely held in position.
In figure 2 the cord or wire support is formed of two hooks 62, 63, also integral
with the plate consisting of two pieces cut from the sides of the plate and turned
upward. The retaining hooks 63, 63, are formed of like portions of the plate turned
from the sides toward the centre of the plate, or the retaining hooks may be cut from
the sides in a similar manner to the cord supporting hooks and turned downward as
shewn in figure 2ª.
In figure 4 the main body of the plate is bent or folded transversely so as to form
a hook or support 64, for the cord and the retaining hooks are formed by providing
the lower end of the plate with a dove tail slot and bending such lower portion
of the plate outward a right angles with the main body of the hook or hanger.
In the form of the device shown in figures 5 and 6, I have dispensed with the
hooks for supporting the cord or wires. The plate is provided with the retaining
hooks b¹, b¹, as in figures 1 and 3, and for a cord support I provide a separate piece C,
having a pointed or wedge shaped lower portion fitting within the retaining
hooks b, This piece C, may be made of a solid piece of metal or it may be made
of plate material having its edges bent at right angles to its face, to give it the
necessary bearing upon the cord, and its upper side may be curved or straight as
preferred. The sides or edges are preferably grooved or hollowed to receive the cord
and this grooved or hollowed portion may have transverse corrugations to give it a
greater hold upon the cord. When this form of hook or hanger is employed, the
cord or wire is placed around the piece C, within the retaining hooks b', 6'. The cord
is adjusted without allowing the weight of the picture to come upon it until the
proper position of the cord is secured when the weight is allowed to come upon the
cord and the piece C, is drawn downward between the retaining hooks, firmly
clamping the cord.
In figure 7 I show the same form of cord and retaining hooks as in figure 2. The
plate A in this instance is not provided with the cornice hook but has near its upper
end an opening to engage a nail or screw by which it is held in position on the
wall. A like form of hook is shewn in figure 8, made from wire instead of a
plate.
Instead of the opening in the hook or hanger to receive a screw or nail, I may attach
a spur, nail or screw to the rear side of the upper part of the plate and secure the hook
to the wall therewith. But when designed for attachment to a plain surface the
ordinary picture nail or similar engagement may be used. In such cases it is not
necessary that any other support for the cord be provided other than the nail or similar
devices. The depending portion below the nail may simply consist of a body of any
suitable material provided with means for engaging its support and with the herein
described constructions for confining the cord or wire below the cord support. In
figure 9 I have shown such a form of cord retaining hooks as in figures 2 and 7 but
the cord supporting hook in this case consists of the wall engaging device, usually a
nail or screw, which answers the double purpose of forming a support for sustaining

page_text: the weight of the picture on the wall and a support for the cord. While this form
may be employed and is within the spirit of my invention, it is not my preferred form
of construction.
It will be understood that either of the forms shown may have a cornice hook
or it may be attached to the wall as hereinbefore indicated or in any other preferred
manner.
The position of the retaining hooks may be considerably varied but they should be
so located as cause the cord or wire to be deflected considerably from its usual
straight line from the cord support to the picture frame. I prefer to place them in a
vertical line below the outer edges of the cord support or within these positions and
nearer the centre of the hook, in either of which positions, the cord, previous to its
being secured by the retaining devices, will not ordinarily come in contact with the
operative surfaces of the same.
↓
It will also be observed that in the instances in which the cornice hook is used, the
extended bearing of the same upon the cornice tends to prevent the vibration of the
hook or hanger, and also that the locking of the cord to the hook or hanger at another
point giving the cord two bearings in different horizontal planes upon the hook, has
a strong tendency to prevent the lateral vibration of the picture when once secured in
position. This feature of my invention I regard as an important one as it constitutes
an almost sure safeguard against the accidental displacement of the picture.
I may sometimes employ but a single retaining hook as I have found that when
placed in the position shown in the drawing, a single retaining hook will prevent the
slipping of the cord as the bend of the cord inward beneath the cord support will prevent
its slipping in one direction and the outward bend of the cord below the retaining hook
will prevent its moving in the opposite direction.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention
and in what manner the same is to be performed I declare that what I claim is :-
1. A picture hanger consisting of a picture cord support and a retaining device or
devices below the cord support for holding the cord in an inwardly deflected position,
the construction and arrangement of parts being such that the picture can be
suspended upon the cord support and while so suspended adjusted to its proper
position and the cord can then be removably secured by the retaining device or
devices by inwardly deflecting and engaging the same therewith, as and for the purpose
setforth.
2. The herein described picture hanger consisting of a main body provided with
means for engaging a support for the same, the said body being also provided with a cord
support and a projection or projections below the same for holding the cord in an
inwardly deflected position, whereby the picture can be suspended upon the cord
support and while so suspended adjusted to its proper position without the cords bearing
against the operative surfaces of the said projection or projections and the cord can
then be removably engaged with the said projection or projections and held, as and for
the purposes specified.
3. The herein described picture hanger consisting of a plate provided with means
for engaging a support for the same, the said plate having a cord support and also
provided below the cord support with a projection or projections separate from the
cord support for holding the cord in an inwardly deflected position, whereby the picture
can be suspended from the cord support and while the weight is upon the cord and its
support, the picture can be adjusted to the proper position and the cord then be
removably secured by the projection or projections by inwardly deflecting and engaging
the same therewith, for the purposes setforth.
4. The herein described picture hanger consisting of a plate provided with means
for engaging a support for the same, a cord support and two hooks below and separate
from the cord support for removably engaging both of the descending portions of the
picture cord for the purposes specified.
5. The herein described picture hanger consisting of a main body provided with
means for engaging a support for the same, a support for the picture cord and

page_text: two cord engaging projections below the cord support, separate therefrom and
within vertical lines from the outer edges of such cord support, for the purposes
setforth.
6. The herein described picture hanger consisting of a plate provided with means
for engaging a support for the same, a support for the picture cord having its outer
lateral edges extending nearly or quite to the edges of the said plate, the said plate
having below the said cord support a centrally depending portion of less width than
the cord support, the said depending portion being provided with two hooks for
removably engaging the cord below the cord support, for the purposes specified.
7. In combination with the support for a picture cord of a construction below the
cord support having two bearings for removably engaging the portions of the picture
cord below the cord support and lying within the lines of the cord when passing
directly from the said support to the picture, substantially as described.
8. A picture hanger consisting of a main body provided with means for engaging a
support for the same tending to hold it from lateral vibration upon the said support, a
cord support and a projection or projections in a different horizonal plane from the cord
support for holding the cord in a deflected position, whereby the picture can be
suspended on the cord support and while so suspended adjusted to its proper position
without the cord bearing against the operative surfaces of the said projection or
projections, and the cord can then be placed in removeable engagement with the
said projection or projections and restrained from lateral vibration and from
movement upon the cord support, substantially as described.
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