Picture hanging system

A picture hanger system for mounting a picture on a wall and for facilitating the locating a picture strand during mounting, the mounting and the locating being done in a safe, convenient and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination:

• a plastic base plate having a central section, a lower section, an upper section and similarly configured side sections, the base plate having a forward face and a rearward face, the base plate being vertically oriented during use;
• the central section having a generally rectangular configuration with a top and a bottom separated by a height of 1.50 inches, the central section having sides separated by a width of 0.75 inches, the central section being vertically oriented during use, the central section having a vertical centerline and a horizontal centerline, a small nail hole formed in the central section on the vertical centerline above the horizontal centerline, a large screw hole formed in the central section on the vertical centerline above the bottom of the central section;
• the lower section having inwardly angled side edges and a top, the lower section having a bottom edge separated from the top by a height of 0.75 inches, the inwardly angled sides edges are separated by a width of 0.50 inches at the bottom edge, the lower section being vertically oriented during use, the lower section having a vertical centerline coextensive with the vertical centerline of the central section;
• the upper section having a generally rectangular configuration with a bottom, the upper section having a top edge separated from the bottom by a height of 0.75 inches, the upper section having parallel side edges separated by a width of 0.50 inches adjacent to the top edge, the upper section having a vertical centerline coextensive with the vertical centerline of the central section, the upper section having a small nail hole on the vertical centerline adjacent to the top edge, an upper triangular head formed at the upper section, an outer face of the triangular head extending forwardly to form an angle of from 15 degrees to 60 degrees with respect to the central section, the triangular head being molded to the side sections such that there are no gaps between the head and the side sections;
• each side section having a generally semi-circular configuration with an interior, the side sections each having an exterior edge separated from the interior by a maximum width of 1.5 inches and a maximum height of 1.5 inches, the side sections having a horizontal centerline coextensive with the horizontal centerline of the central section, each side section having a pivot hole on the horizontal centerline adjacent to the interiors of the side sections, the pivot holes being in axial alignment and spaced apart by 0.75 inches after the forming of the bends in the side sections, the side sections having lower edges that terminate at the lower section;
• a support wire, the support wire being shaped to form a central region and a lower region and an upper region, the central region having converging legs with widely spaced interior ends and narrowly spaced exterior ends, the lower region having an upwardly extending J-shaped hook for receiving the support strand of the picture to be hanged, the J-shaped hook being located at an elevation above the bottom edge of the base plate, axial pivot fingers received in the pivot holes, the fingers and the small nail hole being substantially elevationally co-planar, the support wire being fabricated of 0.090 inch spring steel, the support wire having a raised orientation prior to use generally perpendicular to the central section to facilitate locating the J-shaped hook when hanging picture, the support wire having a lowered orientation during use generally parallel with the central section to facilitate supporting the picture while hanging, the support wire during use being out of contact with the wall upon which the support wire is attached due to the lower section of the base plate.