Patent ID: 6895701

Claim:
A strainer frame for supporting and tensioning a sheet of material such as art canvas, comprising: two pairs of frame members, each member being having a cross-sectional shape defined by an extrusion pattern configured with a planar outside edge, a front side configured with a planar portion and a forward raised rim for canvas support adjacent the outside edge, a rear side configured with a planar portion and a longitudinal channel for retaining a canvas-anchoring filler, an inner edge configured with a parallel pair of longitudinal flanges extending inwardly and providing there between a brace-mounting channel, and both ends angled at 45 degrees, the ends being joined together so as to form a rectangular frame with four mitred corners, and at least one brace member made and arranged to brace at least one corresponding attached frame member against deformation inwardly toward each other due to canvas strain, wherein the brace member is configured with flange regions that overlap and interface the flanges of the corresponding frame member, the brace member being attached to the corresponding frame member in the overlapping flange regions by attachment means for joining together the overlapping flange regions.