초록 ▼

A device for easy positioning, leveling, marking and hanging of all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, and other devices to be mounted on a support surface. It has elongated vertical and horizontal support members attached together, each preferably with resilient legs. The vert

A device for easy positioning, leveling, marking and hanging of all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, and other devices to be mounted on a support surface. It has elongated vertical and horizontal support members attached together, each preferably with resilient legs. The vertical support has a handle at one end, a surface rest at its other end, and a rotatable sliding level. Sliding hook clips are positioned along the horizontal support, each having a front hook for holding an item to be hung while positioning and marking with an opposed marking implement take place. One or more hook clips can be used simultaneously. Flexing or compression of legs, soft pads, vertical support member, and/or horizontal support member reduces the wall stand-off distance of the device and causes the aligned marking implements to contact and mark the wall exactly where the held item should be permanently mounted.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A device for easy positioning, leveling, marking and mounting in a desired position on a targeted surface, all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, and other decorative and functional items intended for hanging and other types of mounting, where each item

What is claimed is: 1. A device for easy positioning, leveling, marking and mounting in a desired position on a targeted surface, all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, and other decorative and functional items intended for hanging and other types of mounting, where each item to be mounted has a back surface and at least one desired location on that back surface from which it is intended for mounting to take place, said device comprising: an elongated vertical support member having opposed ends and an upper portion, with one of said opposed ends being a top end and the other of said opposed ends being a bottom end and further wherein said upper portion is remote from said bottom end; an elongated horizontal support member having opposite ends and being attached to said vertical support member; a plurality of legs attached to said vertical support member and said horizontal support member in association with said opposed and opposite ends; handle means associated with said top end of said vertical support member; a surface rest associated with said bottom end of said vertical support member that is configured for holding the back surface of the item to be mounted; adjustable level means associated with said upper portion of said vertical support member; and sliding hook clip means associated with said horizontal support member and adapted for positioning at any location on said horizontal support member, said sliding hook clip means having aligned hooking means and marking means that face in opposite directions front one another so that when the item to be mounted upon a targeted surface is positioned upon said surface rest and said sliding hook clip means is moved to line up the aligned hooking and marking means with all of the desired locations on the back surface of that item from which it is intended for mounting thereof on the targeted surface to take place, and further when said hooking means temporarily holds the item at the desired mounting locations on its back surface and said adjustable level means is moved along said upper portion of said vertical support member until said level means comes into contact with the item intended for mounting, and after said device is positioned at a stand off distance from the targeted mounting surface by said legs, a user of said device while manipulating said device at least in part by use of said handle visually centers the item relative to the targeted mounting surface and places the item into a level orientation using said adjustable level means, and thereafter applies a wall-ward force to said device that temporarily reduces the stand off distance a sufficient amount to allow said marking means to contact the targeted mounting surface and leave a visible reference mark thereon exactly where mounting hardware for the item should be placed to achieve first-time accurate and level mounting of the item in a desired location on the targeted mounting surface. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said legs each further comprise a distal end, and further wherein structure responsible for reduction of the stand off distance a sufficient amount to allow said marking means to contact the targeted mounting surface and leave a visible reference mark is selected from a group consisting of flexible legs, compressible legs, vertical support members made from flexible material, horizontal support members made from flexible material, foam pads associated with said distal ends, and compressible material associated with distal ends. 3. The device of claim 1 wherein said legs are selected from a group consisting of compressible legs, flexible legs, legs made from at least one type of compressible material, legs made from at least one type of flexible material, legs made from at least one type of elastic material, legs made from spring material, legs made from shock-absorbing material, legs having torsion means, and legs having mechanical compression means. 4. The device of claim 1 wherein said legs each further comprise a distal end configured to prevent injury to, or inadvertent marking of, the targeted mounting surface during contact therewith when positioning, leveling, and reduction of the stand off distance occurs. 5. The device of claim 1 wherein said sliding hook clip means is selected from a group consisting of detachable sliding hook clip means, non-detachable hook clip means, and invertible hook clip means. 6. The device of claim 1 wherein said vertical support member and said horizontal support member are selected from a group consisting of vertical support members having a single rail, vertical support members having multiple rails, horizontal support members having a single rail, and horizontal support members having multiple rails. 7. The device of claim 1 wherein said marking means is selected from a group consisting of marking implements configured for attachment to said hook clip means and marking implements integral to said hook clip means. 8. The device of claim 7 wherein said handle has a compartment configured for holding at least one said marking implement. 9. The device of claim 7 wherein said resurface rest has a compartment configured for holding at least one said marking implement. 10. The device of claim 7 further comprising a holding receptacle associated with said hook clip means, and wherein said holding receptacle is configured to secure said marking implements for use. 11. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustable level means comprises a level indicator, a contact plane, and a rail clip. 12. The device of claim 1 wherein said adjustable level means is selected from a group consisting of detachable level means, non-detachable level means, level means adapted to slide longitudinally along said vertical support means, and level means adapted to rotate relative to said vertical support means. 13. The device of claim 1 wherein attachment of said vertical support member to said horizontal support member is selected from a group consisting of permanent attachment means, non-permanent attachment means, and easily removable attachment means. 14. The device of claim 1 wherein said marking means is selected from a group consisting of marking implements that make a discrete mark within the target surface and marking implements that deposit marking material on the target surface. 15. The device of claim 1 wherein said legs are selected from a group consisting of compressible legs, flexible legs, legs made from at least one type of compressible material, legs made from at least one type of flexible material, legs made from at least one type of elastic material, legs made from spring material, legs made from shock-absorbing material, legs having torsion means, and legs having mechanical compression means. 16. The device of claim 1 wherein said sliding hook clip means and said adjustable level means are selected from a group consisting of detachable means and non-detachable means. 17. The device of claim 1 wherein said vertical support member and said horizontal support member are selected from a group consisting of vertical support members having a single rail, vertical support members having multiple rails, horizontal support members having a single rail, horizontal support members having multiple rails, support members permanently attached to one another, and support members readily detachable from one another. 18. A method for easy positioning, leveling, marking and mounting in a desired position on a targeted surface, all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, and other decorative and functional items intended for hanging and other types of mounting, said method comprising the steps of: providing a targeted mounting surface, a mountable item having a back surface with at least one desired location from which it is intended for mounting against said targeted mounting surface to take place, an elongated vertical support member having opposed ends, an elongated horizontal support member having opposite ends, a plurality of legs attached to said vertical support member and said horizontal support member in association with said opposed and opposite ends, handle means associated with one of said opposing ends of said vertical support member, a surface rest configured for holding the back surface of the mountable item and in a remote position from said handle on said vertical support member, adjustable level means slidably and rotatably associated with said vertical support member, and sliding hook clip means associated with said horizontal support member and able to be positioned anywhere on said horizontal support member between said opposite ends with said hook clip means having aligned hooking means and marking means that face in opposite directions from one another; positioning said item on said support rest; sliding said hook clip means so that said hooking means is moved to line up with and temporarily engage said at least one desired mounting location on said back surface of said item; sliding and rotating said adjustable level means relative to said vertical support member until said level means comes into contact with an adjacent portion of said item; using said legs to position said vertical support member and said horizontal support member at a stand off distance from said targeted mounting surface; visually centering said item in a desired position relative to said targeted mounting surface; using said adjustable level means to place said item into a level orientation; and applying a wall-ward force to said vertical support member and said horizontal su port member that temporarily reduces said stand off distance a sufficient amount to allow said marking means to contact said targeted mounting surface and leave a visible reference mark thereon exactly where mounting hardware for said item should be placed to achieve first time accurate and level mounting of said item in a desired location on said targeted mounting surface. 19. The method of claim 18 wherein said step of using said legs also includes simultaneous manipulation of said vertical support member at least in part by use of said handle. 20. The method of claim 18 wherein said legs each further comprise a distal end, and further wherein structure responsible for reduction of the stand off distance a sufficient amount to allow said marking means to contact the targeted mounting surface and leave a visible reference mark is selected from a group consisting of flexible legs, compressible legs, vertical support members made from flexible material, horizontal support members made from flexible material, foam pads associated with said distal ends, and compressible material associated with distal ends.