Picture frame assembly components

Components for constructing a back-loading picture frame comprising:

• a plurality of frame sections, any two of which sections are adapted to be oriented at an angle to form a corner of said frame at the adjacent ends of the two sections, each frame section having at each end a sidewall defining a first channel for facing inwardly when the section is assembled with the other sections to form a frame, said first channel at each frame section end extending along the frame section for at least a portion of the length of the frame section, each frame section further having a pair of spaced-apart flanges extending from opposite sides of said first channel to define an opening to said first channel, each said frame section further including a second channel opening toward the back of the frame assembled from said frame sections, said channel being defined by spaced-apart first and second parallel walls integral with said frame section sidewall, said second wall being spaced inwardly of said first wall and defining an undercut groove extending generally parallel with said second channel and opening thereto, each said frame section including an inwardly extending retaining shoulder oriented so that it is generally parallel with the plane of the picture when the picture is mounted in a frame assembled from said plurality of frame sections;
• a bracket having a first leg and a second leg disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle formed by two of said frame sections at a frame corner, said legs each having dimensions of length, width, and thickness whereby said bracket can be disposed within the first channels of said two frame sections, the width of said legs being greater than the opening defined by said flanges at said first channel thereby to retain the bracket within said first channels of said two frame sections, at least said first leg defining a slanting engagement surface;
• locking means associated with at least one of said two frame sections and with said bracket first leg for engaging simultaneously said bracket engagement surface and said one frame section when said bracket first leg is disposed within said first channel of said one frame section and when said bracket second leg is disposed within said first channel of the other of said two frame sections forming said corner whereby operation of said locking means causes relative movement between said bracket first leg and said one frame section in the direction parallel to the length of said one frame section to draw the facing regions of said two frame sections together at the corner;
• and
• a strip of material having at least a first end portion reversely curved for being received within said second channel with the distal end of said reversely curved first end portion being received within said undercut groove whereby the other end of said strip may press against a generally flat sheet mounted within a frame formed by the assembly of said frame sections so as to maintain said flat sheet within said frame and biased toward said frame section retaining shoulders.

Components for constructing a back-loading picture frame comprising:

• a plurality of frame sections, any two of which sections are adapted to be oriented at an angle to form a corner of said frame at the adjacent ends of the two sections, each frame section having at each end a sidewall defining a first channel for facing inwardly wnen the section is assembled with the other sections to form a frame, said first channel at each frame section end extending along the frame section for at least a portion of the length of the frame section, each frame section further having a pair of spaced-apart flanges extending from opposite sides of said first channel to define an opening to said first channel, each said frame section further including a second channel opening toward the back of the frame assembled from said frame sections, said second channel being defined by spaced-apart first and second parallel walls integral with said frame section sidewall, said second wall being spaced inwardly of said first wall;
• a bracket having a first leg and a second leg disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle formed by two of said frame sections at a frame corner, said legs each having dimensions of length, width, and thickness whereby said bracket can be disposed within the first channels of said two frame sections, the width of said legs being greater than the opening defined by said flanges at said first channel thereby to retain the bracket within said first channels of said two frame sections, at least said first leg defining a slanting engagement surface;
• locking means associated with at least one of said two frame sections and with said bracket first leg for engaging simultaneously said bracket engagement surface and said one frame section when said bracket first leg is disposed within said first channel of said one frame section and when said bracket second leg is disposed within said first channel of the other of said two frame sections forming said corner whereby operation of said locking means causes relative movement between said bracket first leg and said one frame section in the direction parallel to the length of said one frame section to draw the facing regions of said two frame sections together at the corner;
• and
• a clip comprising a member having two legs which merge to define a picture frame hanging wire receiving notch, the distal ends of said legs being angled and formed to define a pair of spaced-apart, opposing end portions substantially aligned on a common axis, each said end portion having a substantially rectangular cross section whereby one said end portion may be inserted into said first channel adjacent one of said flanges and whereby the other of said end portions may be inserted into said second channel after which said clip can be rotated about said axis so that said clip end portions engage the sides of the first and second channels to restrain the clip against movement along the channels.

Components for constructing a back-loading picture frame comprising:

• a plurality of frame sections, any two of which sections are adapted to be oriented at an angle to form a corner of said frame at the adjacent ends of the two sections, each frame section having at each end a sidewall defining a first channel for facing inwardly when the section is assembled with the other sections to form a frame, said first channel at each frame section end extending along the frame section for at least a portion of the length of the frame section, each frame section further having a pair of spaced-apart flanges extending from opposite sides of said first channel to define an opening to said first channel, each said frame section further including a second channel opening toward the back of the frame assembled from said frame sections, said second channel being defined by spaced-apart first and second parallel walls integral with said frame section sidewall, said second wall being spaced inwardly of said first wall;
• a bracket having a first leg and a second leg disposed at an angle substantially identical to the angle formed by two of said frame sections at a frame corner, said legs each having dimensions of length, width, and thickness whereby said bracket can be disposed within the first channels of said two frame sections, the width of said legs being greater than the opening defined by said flanges at said first channel thereby to retain the bracket within said first channels of said two frame sections, at least said first leg defining a slanting engagement surface;
• locking means associated with at least one of said two frame sections and with said bracket first leg for engaging simultaneously said bracket engagement surface and said one frame section when said bracket first leg is disposed within said first channel of said one frame section and when said bracket second leg is disposed within said first channel of the other of said two frame sections forming said corner whereby operation of said locking means causes relative movement between said bracket first leg and said one frame section in the direction parallel to the length of said one frame section to draw the facing regions of said two frame sections together at the corner;
• and
• an elongate base member defining a third channel across the base member adjacent one end, said third channel being undercut along each side of the third channel whereby said base member may be slidably carried on one of said frame sections with one of said first channel flanges and with said second wall each being received within a different one of said undercut regions of said third channel so that a picture frame assembled from said plurality of frame sections with said base member carried on said one frame section may be supported by said base member at an angle with respect to a substantially horizontal supporting surface on which said base member and said engaged one frame section are placed.