Wedge-lock corner for picture frames

An apparatus for joining two frame members of the type having longitudinal channels having a predetermined height and being disposed at a predetermined angle to form a frame corner, the apparatus comprising:

• first and second legs, each leg being receivable in a corresponding frame member channel;
• first and second wedge pieces, each corresponding to said first and second legs, each piece having a sliding surface adapted to contact and linearly slide against a respective leg and a supporting surface adapted to contact one of the frame members, said sliding surface being located opposite said supporting surface and in oblique relationship thereto;
• the first and second legs including:
• a bottom surface adapted to contact one of the frame members;
• and
• a top surface, said top surface being in nonparallel relationship to said bottom surface thereby forming a high end of said leg, such that the supporting surface of the wedge piece is adapted to be in increasing frictional engagement with the corresponding channel as the wedge piece sliding surface, in sliding engagement with the top surface of the corresponding leg, is moved up to the high end of the leg when the leg is inserted in the corresponding channel,
• wherein the frame channel is of a type having a longitudinal opening defined on a back end of the channel for exposure of substantially all of a leg surface when the leg is inserted in the corresponding channel, further including:
• a raised fillet surface defined on the bottom surface of the first and second legs and sized to substantially fill the longitudinal opening of the frame channel along the inserted length of the leg when the leg is inserted face-down within the channel.

An apparatus for fixing two frame members at a predetermined angle, said frame members being of the type having a generally C-shaped cross sectional channel, said apparatus comprising:

• a central body;
• a pair of legs extending from said central body, said legs each having a longitudinal axis which are at said predetermined angle relative to one another;
• a base surface formed on each of said legs and being parallel to the longitudinal axis associated therewith;
• an elongate ramp surface formed on each of said legs and being nonparallel to the longitudinal axis associated therewith;
• and
• a pair of wedge pieces each having a sliding surface adapted for sliding linearly along the ramp surface, each of said wedge pieces further having a support surface oblique to said sliding surface which is adapted to contact one of the frame members urged against said frame channel when the leg is received in the channel and the wedge piece is slid along the ramp surface, the base surface being substantially parallel with the support surface of the corresponding wedge piece when the sliding surface of the wedge piece is in sliding engagement with the ramp surface.

A picture frame corner for display comprising:

• first and second frame members, each frame member having a a tubular member with a longitudinal channel formed therein, the longitudinal channel having a predetermined height and being adapted to receive a joining means, the tubular member further including a longitudinal opening to provide access to the joining means when the joining means is received in the longitudinal channel, at least one end of the frame members being mitred to dispose the frame members at a predetermined angle when the mitred ends of the frame members are placed in abutting relation;
• and
• joining means for joining the first and second frame members in abutting relation at the predetermined angle, the joining means including:
• first and second legs, each leg being received in a corresponding frame member longitudinal channel;
• means for disposing the first and second legs at the predetermined angle relative to each other;
• the first and second legs including:
• a bottom adapted to contact one of the frame members;
• a top;
• first and second sidewalls connected to opposing lateral sides of the bottom and the top and substantially corresponding in height to the predetermined height of the longitudinal channel;
• a leg surface having first and second elongate slots of a nonuniform depth defined on the corresponding first and second legs;
• and
• first and second wedge pieces, having tabular projections along a bottom surface, said wedge pieces being slidably received linearly along a portion of the length of the slots and defining a corresponding raised planar surface of variable distance above the leg surface, said distance responsive to the placement of the wedge pieces within a particular portion of the nonuniformly deep slots.