US2514047A - Picture holder - Google Patents

Description

Patented July 4, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT mice PICTURE HOLDER Edward E. Goforth, Morristown, Tenn.

Application August 8, 1946, Serial No. 689,218

2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to improvements in picture holders, such as may be used to hold a picture or other sheet of material, and to form a protective cover therefor.

It has been customary heretofore to enclose pictures, drawings, certificates and the like Within a picture frame whereby these may be supported on the wall and provided with a protective cover such as a sheet of glass. Such frames are expensive and often add a detracting effect to the picture itself.

The object of this invention is to improve holders for this purpose, to dispense with the usual picture frame required heretofore, and yet to provide an effective and secure support for the picture.

This object is accomplished, according to one embodiment of the invention, by supporting the object or securing it to a support by means of a split ring which has sufficient resiliency to hold the picture or other sheet in proper position on the support. The picture or other sheet may be covered with a sheet of glass for protecting purposes and a series of split spring rings used to secure the parts together in an effective manner. These rings preferably are initially flat and the sides thereof are twisted or displaced transversely in embracing relation with the glass and picture, so as to clamp these parts in effective secure relationship that Will serve to hold them in place.

This embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a picture holder of the character provided by this invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detailed horizontal section therethrough showing a slight modification.

While the invention is described as useful for the supporting of pictures, it is contemplated that various other objects may be supported in like manner, such as certificates, special papers and sheets of various kinds which may be placed on display and protected in use.

A backing sheet is shown at I over which a sheet of glass or other transparent covering material extends as indicated at 2, preferably throughout the area of the backing sheet. The picture may be printed or otherwise depicted directly on the front face of the sheet I, or this may be another type of display sheet adapted for exposure in a display position. If it is desired, however, the display material may be interposed between the sheets I and 2, as for instance, by inserting a photograph, certificate or picture 2 therebetween, and be retained in place by these sheets.

The parts are held in their proper relations by a series of fastenings 3, which are spaced at intervals around the edges of the sheets I and 2. Each of the fastenings 3 is in the form of an initially fiat spring ring split at one side, and the ends thereof deflected laterally in opposite directions in embracing relation over the sheets as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The yieldability of this ring will apply transverse clamping pressure on the edge of the sheets to confine these in secure relationship with respect to each other and hold them effectively in their proper positions. A suitable number of rings may be used for this purpose according to the size of the sheets.

Two of the rings at one end of the sheet are shown as forming a support for the holder by being connected together through a strand 4 which will serve as a hanging support and by means of which the holder may be suspended on a wall.

It will be evident that a holder may be connected with any of the rings 3, either to provide a hanging support for the picture or other display matter, or to provide a stand to hold it in display position.

If it is desired to seal the edges of the sheets, this may be done by a sealing material as indicated at 5 in Fig. 3. This sealing material may be a plastic that extends over the adjacent edges of the sheets I and 2, or it may be formed by a strip or tape of sealing material that may be applied readily to the edges of the sheets.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is appreciated that modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention, except as specified in the claims.

I claim:

1. A sheet holder of the character described comprising an arcuate split fiat spring ring of rectangular cross section having the ends of said ring spaced apart in a vertical plane and offset in a transverse plane constructed so that the flat end portions of said ring embrace the edge portion of said sheet.

2. A sheet holder of the character described comprising arcuate flat split spring rings, each ring being of rectangular cross section having the ends of said ring spaced apart and offset in a transverse plane and provided with fiat surfaces adjacent the ends thereof, said rings being constructed so that the flat end surfaces thereof embrace therebetween the flat surfaces of said sheet and surround the edge of said sheet, said rings being adapted to be spaced apart about 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date the edges of sa1d sheet for holdlng the sheet about 266,814 Harris Oct-h 31, 1382 the edges thereofl 907,615 Manning Dec. 22, 1908 EDWARD GOFQRTK 5 1,066,495 Helvig et a1 July 8, 1913 2,268,529 Stiles Dec. 30, 1941 REFERENCES CITED 2,403,491 Bogia, July 9, 1946 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

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