Monkey hook, a singl, "self-locking" metal picture hook

Abstract

This metal picture hook is made of lightweight, spring steel, shaped in a unique, single-wire design that simulates the curvature of a monkey's tail. A simple solution is provided for mounting a picture on drywall. The front end of the hook is pointed orthogonal to the wall and the pointed “self-boring” tip penetrates through drywall while turning it to lock in an upright position. After the final ¼″ is pushed through, the hook flexes to provide tension and lock it in a stable position. This “self-locking” mechanism secures the object to commercial drywall and prevents rotation. The tail of the hook remains visible on the wall so that an object may be hung. This product maintains integrity with objects up to 50 pounds. The new extended “tilt-back” tip on the tail is designed to prevent damage to the backing of an object. No tools or studs are required.

Description

[0001] This Non-Provisional Application for patent is based upon Provisional Application #60559563 Filed on Apr. 5, 2004 and claims priority thereto.CROSS REFERENCE [0002] This product is a significant modification and improvement of a previous Utility U.S. Pat. No. 4,509,713, by James W. Hogg that was filed on Aug. 24, 1984 and has since expired. [0003] There is no federally sponsored research or development on this product. [0004] Also, there are no tables, computer listings, etc., included or necessary. DESCRIPTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0005] 1. Field of the Invention [0006] This product relates to a steel picture hook or wall hanger of a single-wire design that can penetrate standard or commercial drywall (i.e. ½″ or ⅝″ thickness) and produce a stable support for mounting pictures or objects without requiring any tools. [0007] 2. Prior Art Description [0008] A review of the prior art reveals many varying types of hangers and hooks which can be used to hang a picture or ob...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016] The picture hanger of the subject invention is a “self-locking” steel picture hook made of lightweight, spring steel that has a zinc anti-corrosive coating, shaped in a unique, single-wire design that is similar to the curvature of a monkey's tail; hence the name, The Monkey Hook™. This design has important features in the curvature dimensions, and with respect to both ends of the universal, single-wire design. One end penetrates the wall and is invisible to the user once the product is installed. This “self-boring” tip terminates in a sharp point and easily penetrates standard (½″ thick), or commercial drywall (⅝″ thick) by exerting a push of the wrist in a back and forth twisting motion.

[0017] As stated above, the current design has a vitally adjusted parabolic curvature that differs from the Hogg and Lewis designs and creates a “self-locking” mechanism as the final ¼″ of the hook is pushed through the drywall. The adjusted curvature of the design enables the hook to flex as it abuts and remains flush with the drywall. This creates important tension on the backside of the drywall that is invisible to the user. Once the hook is in place, it is in a locked and secure position to enable a picture or object to be mounted on the drywall without rotation. This hook maintains integrity with objects up to 50 pounds. The unique design of the Monkey Hook™ is engineered to transfer object weight from the hole to the wall itself.

[0018] The opposite end of the wire is the tail of the hook and remains visible on the wall so that a picture or object may be attached. The new extended “tilt-back” tip on the tail of the hook improves and modifies the Hogg patent and varies from the Lewis patent as it is designed to prevent damage to the backing of a picture or object that needs to be hung. No tools are required to use The Monkey Hook™ to attach an object on any standard or commercial drywall and studs are not required. This product makes a single small hole in the wall that is less than ⅛th inch in diameter. By using The Monkey Hook™ for hanging pictures, excess wall damage can be eliminated and no excessively large holes remain requiring repair after the picture is removed. The Monkey Hook™ may also be used in pre-existing holes since the “self-locking” mechanism described earlier will secure the hook in position whether an object is hung on it or not.

Problems solved by technology

The wall-penetrating hangers or single-wire metal picture hooks discussed here and known in today's prior art, display characteristics that are undesirable and after using for a period of time the hangers may fail.

For example, the hangers may not hold the object securely to the wall, or may cause damage to the article being hung on the wall.

An inherent design flaw in such hangers may cause this instability and consequently, such hangers may slip or rotate.

In the past, secure attachment of wall-penetrating hangers to wallboard, or plaster walls, has been made difficult by the nature of the wall materials and the weight and movements to which the hangers are subjected.

For example, wallboard (also known as sheet rock or dry wall) typically comprises a relatively thick layer of gypsum sandwiched between paper layers, and exhibits relatively soft composition, while plaster walls generally comprise substantially homogeneous construction, but suffer from a tendency to crumble or otherwise break down, when penetrated.

The Jones '783 patent, however, has not proven to be entirely satisfactory.

This results in an installation that is not fully secure in the wall, allowing for unintended movement.

Such movement leads to an eventual enlargement of the hole and possible failure of the hanger, damage to the wall, and damage to the article hung on the wall.

However, the near right angle shape of semicircular portion causes enlargement of the hole made through the wall by the point and in addition, the right angle between the vertical portion and the horizontal portion further enlarges the hole in the wall.

The patent speaks of a snap-in action; however, the enlargement of the hole formed by the point and the insertion of the hanger through the hole contribute very little resistance to keeping the hanger in a stable position.

When an upward force is applied to the threaded or hook portion of the Smith hanger, it may become unstable.

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