Apparatus for fastening items on a mantle or shelf
An apparatus is disclosed for securing decorative items such as figurines, lights, garland and Christmas stockings on top of or hanging over the front edge of a shelf or mantel. The apparatus has a retainer that is secured to the wall or the rear of a mantel or shelf, a fastener that is fixed to the decorative item, and an adjustable length tether connecting the two. The retainer is preferably a flat piece that inserts between the rear edge of the shelf or mantel but may be a U shaped clip mounted on the back edge of a shelf. The apparatus prevents the decorative items from being accidentally knocked off or pulled off the shelf or mantel.
This invention relates in general to fastening devices and more particularly to a fastening device for preventing decorative items, including Christmas stocking holders from falling of a mantle or shelf.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONMany people place decorative holder accessories on the edge of fireplace mantels. These decorative accessories support Christmas stockings, Christmas lights, figurines and other decorative items such as garland or strings of mistletoe. Typically, the holder accessory takes the form of a weighted figurine with an attached hanger that extends over the front edge of the mantel. The figurine is weighted heavily to keep not only itself in place, but also to keep it from slipping off the mantle despite the weight of decorations hanging from it hanger. This weighted figurine technique applies well to all mantle surface types, including harder surfaces such as marble or granite. However, weighted figurines have limited weight holding capability. The weighted figurines can be accidentally pulled off a mantel by a child and damage the figurine or flooring beneath the mantle. More importantly, the falling weighted figurine can cause personal injury. This is particularly the case when a curious small child may pull at a stocking, dislodging the figurine and directing the falling object toward the child's face or head. With a typical mantle height a weighted figurine could be traveling between 6 and 10 mph when it strikes a small child. The weighted figurine can cause serious personal injury to the child.
Most of the currently available Christmas stocking holders are designed for a single purpose, hanging Christmas stockings. Stringing lights, garland or other decorations between stocking holders is not a realistic option for two reasons. First, the hooks are often too small or too awkward to use for anything other than hanging stockings. In addition, the vast majority of these products cannot support the weight of lights or garland. Even the heaviest products tend to slide out of place when items are strung from adjacent stocking holders since they frequently slide on the mantel surface.
One prior art Christmas stocking holder is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,642,819 issued Jul. 1, 1997 to Ernesto Ronia. The stocking holder taught in this patent consists of a plurality of C type clamps that clamp onto the front edge of a mantel or shelf. The clamps are spaced from each other and have a rod passing underneath, and being supported by, the C clamps. Affixed permanently to the top of each of the C clamps is a candle holder. Christmas stockings or other decorations are suspended from the rod that passes underneath and is supported by the C clamps.
Another prior art means for supporting articles from a mantel, shelf or other planar surface is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 6,378,827 issued Apr. 30, 2002 to Jeffrey Kacines. This means for supporting articles is a one piece metal clip that has a general C shape with decorative additions and a point for hanging items such as Christmas stockings. When the clip is slid onto the edge of a mantel or shelf, the opening of the clip is expanded creating a spring pressure to hold the clip on the edge of the mantel or shelf.
The above cited prior art teaches a rather complex stocking holder and one that can be too easily pulled from the edge of a mantel or shelf. Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved device for securing decorative accessories and other items on the front, top edge of a mantel, or hanging from the front edge of a mantel.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe foregoing need in the prior art is satisfied by the present invention. A strong, but simple and inexpensive fastening device is taught which can safely hold decorative accessories hanging from the front edge of fireplace mantels or shelves, and at the same time other decorative accessories on the top of the front edge of mantels and shelves. The decorative accessories cannot be inadvertently knocked off or pulled off the mantel or shelf and injure a person such as a child, damage a floor or furniture, and/or break the decorative accessories. Such decorative accessories include, but are not limited to, strings of lights, garland, Christmas stockings, strings of mistletoe, figurines and other decorations.
The novel fastening device consists of three parts. There is a retainer that attaches to either the rear of the mantle or to a wall behind the mantle. There is a fastener that attaches to an item to be secured or is part of the item. Finally, there is a tether in the form a string or wire that connects the retainer to the fastener. The retainer can take the form of a thin strip of material that can easily be inserted into the space between a mantel or shelf and the wall at the back edge of the mantel or shelf. The fastener attaches to a figurine or other item on top of the mantel or shelf, or to a stocking holder or other item hanging in front of the hangar or shelf, when these items are to be prevented from falling from the mantel or shelf. The tether is a strong line, string or wire that is attached between the retainer and the fastener. The tether prevents a figurine or other item from falling off or being pulled from the front edge of the mantel, including anything else hanging there from or being attached thereto.
For applications where a weighted stocking holder is not weighted sufficiently, the tether should be used between the retainer and the fastener. This will allow for lighter weight, less expensive, figurine stocking holders. In the case of weighted stocking holders, the tether need not be taught, but short enough to prevent the item from gaining significant velocity should it be pulled from the shelf or mantel. In this case, a single retainer can accommodate several fasteners or items.
As mantels come in many widths a way is provide for adjusting the length of the tether so that the weighted stockholding or other item will always remain in the proper position at the front edge of the mantel or shelf.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGThe invention will be better understood upon reading the following Detailed Description in conjunction with the drawing in which:
The subject invention is a novel, simple and inexpensive, yet safe fastening apparatus for securing decorative items, including Christmas stocking holders, to the front edge of a mantle or shelf, and/or retaining other decorative items on top of the mantel or shelf.
The invention also has a retainer 22 that wedges in between mantel 10 and wall 29 into which the brick fireplace 11 is built. In
Hangar 13 has a small tab 15 at its rear edge that angles up and away from the top surface of mantel 10. Tab 15 has a hole there through (not shown in
A number of hangars 13 (not shown), as described in the previous paragraph, may be spaced along the front edge of mantel 10 and garland or a string of lights may be strung along the top of the J hook 14 of each hangar 13. In addition, while a stocking 19 is shown hung from hangar 13, anything else may be hung there from within its weight limitations.
As briefly mentioned above, the retainer 22 of
In the following paragraphs an alternative way of attaching a hangar to a retainer is described. With this alternative no tying of a tether is required. While the following description is with reference to tab 25 of hangar 23 in
When using the beaded tether 26 as part of the invention, retainer 22 is first inserted between wall 29 and the rear edge of shelf 20 or a mantel 10. Tab 22a has a keyhole shaped hole 30 through it, alike that shown in
In this embodiment of the invention there would be no hangar with J hook because it is already part of the prior art weighted stocking holder 33. Instead the hangar 13 of
As previously described with reference to
This embodiment of the invention may alternatively also be used for retaining only a figurine 33 or other decorative item sitting near the front edge of a shelf or mantel 10. The J hook 14 does not exist in this application. Figurine 33 preferably has made as part thereof base 34 that has a tab 15 to which tether 18 is tied or otherwise attached. However, base 10 may be adhesively attached to the bottom of separate figurine 33 by a purchaser of the invention. The retainer 12 is as previously described, and the alternative retaining means shown in and described with reference to
While what has been described herein is the preferred embodiment of the invention it will be understood by those skilled in the art that numerous changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, when the invention is used on a shelf 20, retainer 22a can alternatively be a U shaped piece of material that is inserted onto the back edge of the shelf with one portion underneath the shelf, a second portion at the rear of the shelf, and a third portion on top of the shelf. Tether 26 is attached to the first portion that extends on top of the shelf. This alternative embodiment is practical because shelving material is generally of a common thickness.
Claims
1. Apparatus for holding items on and/or hanging items from a shelf or mantel that is adjacent to a wall with the shelf or mantel having a top, a front edge furthest from the wall and a rear edge nearest the wall that define the width of the shelf or mantel, so the items are not easily pulled off or knocked off the shelf or mantel, the apparatus comprising:
- a first element positioned on top of the shelf or mantel near its front edge and an item is fastened to the first element;
- a second element that is held to the wall; and
- adjustable means for connecting the first and second elements to span shelves or mantels of different widths so that any force applied to the item fastened to the first element will not cause the item to fall from the shelf or mantel.
2. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first element comprises first hangar means that extend over the front edge of the shelf or mantel, said first hangar means permitting the item to be hung in front of the shelf or mantel planar surface.
3. The apparatus in accordance with claim 2 wherein the first element comprises a first fastening means that permits the item to be fastened to the first element on top of the shelf or mantel.
4. The apparatus in accordance with claim 3 wherein the adjustable connecting means has a first end and a second end and the first element comprises first means for holding the first end of the adjustable connecting means.
5. The apparatus in accordance with claim 4 wherein the second element comprises second means for holding the second end of the adjustable connecting means.
6. (deleted)
7. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the first element comprises a first fastening means that permits the item to be fastened to the first element on top of the shelf or mantel.
8. The apparatus in accordance with claim 7 wherein the first element comprises first hangar means that extend over the front edge of the shelf or mantel, said first hangar means permitting the item to be hung in front of the shelf or mantel.
9. (deleted)
10. The apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein the adjustable connecting means has a first end and a second end and the first element comprises first means for holding the first end of the adjustable connecting means.
11. The apparatus in accordance with claim 10 wherein the second element comprises second means for holding the second end of the adjustable connecting means.
12. (deleted)
13. (deleted)
14. Apparatus for holding items set on a shelf or mantel that is adjacent to a wall, with the shelf or mantel having a top, a front edge furthest from the wall and a rear edge nearest the wall, so that items pulled off or knocked off the shelf or mantel will not fall very far, the apparatus comprising:
- a first element positioned on top of the shelf or mantel near its front edge and an item is fastened to the first element;
- a second element held to the wall; and
- means for connecting the first and second elements and if a force is applied to the item fastened to the first element that causes it to fall from the shelf or mantel the item will not fall very far and will held by the connecting means.
15. (deleted)
16. The apparatus in accordance with claim 14 wherein the first element comprises a first fastening means that permits the item to be fastened to the first element on top of the shelf or mantel.
17. The apparatus in accordance with claim 16 wherein the connecting means has a first end and a second end and the first element comprises first means for holding the first end of the connecting means.
18. The apparatus in accordance with claim 17 wherein the second element comprises second means for holding the second end of the connecting means.
19. Apparatus for holding an item set on a shelf or mantel that is adjacent to a wall, with the shelf or mantel having a top, a front edge furthest from the wall and a rear edge nearest the wall, so that if the item is pulled off or knocked off the shelf or mantel it will not fall very far, the apparatus comprising:
- a fastening element held to the wall; and
- A tether having a first end that is attached to the fastening element and a second end that is attached to the item on the shelf or mantel, and if a force is applied to the item fastened to the tether that causes it to fall from the shelf or mantel the item will not fall very far and will held by the tether.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 16, 2003
Publication Date: Jan 6, 2005
Inventors: John Waszak (Westford, MA), Angela Waszak (Westford, MA)
Application Number: 10/460,964