A known form of picture rail apparatus comprises a rail member which is mounted horizontally on the wall, the rail member being formed with a longitudinally-extending slot. The slot is elongated in transverse section, and has a narrow opening at the front of the rail member. The apparatus includes a support member on which the picture or other article can be supported. The support member is formed with a thin tongue, and in use is detachably mounted on the rail member with the tongue slidingly engaged in the slot.
An advantage of this apparatus is that the rail member can be made quite thin and can be inset in the wall, with its slotted face flush with the wall surface. This gives a neat and attractive appearance to the wall, and facilitates decoration of the wall surface, since the apparatus avoids the obtrusive projection from the wall which is encountered with the more conventional projecting picture rails.
In the known form of the apparatus, the slot has been inclined downwardly transversely rearwardly from the opening. This is intended to make the engagement more secure, since it is to be expected that the downward pull of the article being supported would cause the tongue to seat more firmly in the slot. However, the present applicant has found that the support which is obtained is not sufficiently secure in all cases, and, particularly when used with relatively heavy articles, the support members tend to fall out of the slot. Further, the support members can be accidentally disengaged by an inadvertent lateral pull, for example when re-arranging the supported articles.
Applicant is aware of U.S. Pat. No. 46,296, Colburn, which describes a coat and hat hook which has a T-shaped projection lodging in a U-shaped groove in a rail. The Colburn arrangement is, however, designed to be affixed to the exterior of the wall and is not adapted to be inset in a wall surface.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,800,386 to Hoffman and 1,800,387 to Greist show channel-section rails which receive sliding support devices, but these are of considerable vertical thickness and are received in a wide channel which is not easily concealed in a wall surface.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,684,229 to Peter et al and 3,892,739 to Hoes disclose a mountings for specialised metal fittings but the mountings are not directly adaptable for receiving and retaining a thin tongue of a picture hook or like member.