Wall Mounted Toggle Hook

Abstract

A convertible anchor comprises a fixture for holding an article to a friable wall and an anchoring mechanism extending from the fixture and adapted when rotated to engagingly extend into the wall for securing the fixture thereto. The fixture is selectively separable via frangible connection elements from the anchoring mechanism for allowing the fixture to be used alone with an appropriate fastener suitable for installing the fixture to a rigid structure, such as wooden components. The frangible elements are typically provided between the fixture and a proximal end of the anchoring mechanism. The nature of the vertical support to which the anchor is to be mounted is thus first determined and then, for a friable wall, the anchor is installed thereto using the anchoring mechanism or, for a more solid support the fixture is separated from the anchoring mechanism and installed to the solid support via an appropriate fastener.

1 . A convertible anchor for friable walls, comprising a fixture for holding an article to a substantially vertical support and anchoring means extending from said fixture, said anchoring means being adapted when rotated to engagingly extend into a friable wall for securing said fixture to the wall, said fixture being selectively separable from said anchoring means for allowing said fixture to be used alone with an appropriate fastener that firmly mounts said fixture to a rigid structure. 
     
     
         2 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein a frangible connection is provided between said fixture and said anchoring means, said frangible connection being sufficiently solid to allow the assembly of said fixture and said anchoring means to be rotatably installed to the friable wall while being adapted to be selectively broken for separating said fixture from said anchoring means. 
     
     
         3 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claims 1  and  2 , wherein said anchoring means comprise a threaded anchor member configured and sized for firmly being engageable in the friable wall. 
     
     
         4 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said anchoring means comprises a toggle support extending from said fixture and being frangibly connected thereto, a toggle bolt pivotally mounted to said toggle support between a first and second position, and a fastener, wherein in said first position said toggle bolt is substantially parallel to said toggle support to allow said anchoring means to be engaged in the friable wall, whereas in said second position said toggle bolt is substantially transversal to said toggle support, said fastener being adapted when introduced along said toggle support to cause said toggle bolt to displace from said first to said second position and to then threadably engage said toggle bolt for drawing said toggle bolt towards said fixture and against a non visible side of the friable wall thereby securing said anchor to the friable wall. 
     
     
         5 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 4 , wherein said fastener can be used to mount said fixture to the rigid structure once said anchoring means including said toggle support and said toggle bolt have been detached from said fixture by rupturing said frangible connection. 
     
     
         6 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claims 4  and  5 , wherein said frangible connection comprises a pair of parallel elements extending parallelly to said toggle support and connecting a proximal end of said toggle support to said fixture. 
     
     
         7 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said parallel elements extend outwardly of said proximal end of said toggle support and are adapted when translationally inserted in the friable wall to set said anchor in a desired position in the friable wall and oppose a rotation of said anchor in the wall friable wall. 
     
     
         8 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claims 6  and  7 , wherein a space is defined between said fixture and said proximal end of said toggle support, said space being bridged by said parallel elements. 
     
     
         9 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said fixture defines an opening adapted to be engaged by a screwdriver bit for mounting said anchor to the friable wall. 
     
     
         10 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claims 4  to  8 , wherein said toggle bolt is provided with a leading screw tip for engaging, when said toggle bolt is in said first position thereof, the friable wall as said anchor being installed thereto. 
     
     
         11 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 3 , wherein a space is defined between said fixture and a proximal end Of said threaded anchor member. 
     
     
         12 . A convertible anchor as defined in  claim 11 , wherein said space is bridged by said frangible connection. 
     
     
         13 . A method for installing a wall anchor into one or the other of a friable wall and a rigid structure, comprising the steps of:
 (a) providing a convertible wall anchor having a fixture adapted to hold an article to a substantially vertical support and anchoring means extending from said fixture and adapted for mounting to a friable wall for securing said fixture to the wall, said fixture being selectively separable from said anchoring means;   (b) determining a nature of the vertical support and proceeding with step (c1) in the event that the vertical support is a friable wall or with step (c2) in the event that the vertical support is a rigid structure unsuited to be penetrated by said anchoring means; and   (c1) mounting said convertible anchor to the friable wall with said fixture being on a visible side of the friable wall, or (c2) separating said fixture from said anchoring means and installing said fixture to the rigid structure via a fastener suitable for insertion into the rigid structure.   
     
     
         14 . A method as defined in  claim 13 , wherein said fastener in step (c2) is a screw.