Gallery frame

Claim 1

A unit for displaying artwork comprising (a) four mitered molding sections connected to form a rectangular frame; (b) each of said molding sections formed of clear acrylic material and having a solid cross-sectional configuration defining a planar outer side wall, a planar front wall and a planar rear wall generally perpendicular to said side wall, a planar inner side wall, and independent lip, retaining, and assembly flanges projecting inwardly from said inner side wall; (c) at least one of said side walls of said molding sections is frosted; (d) said lip flange is co-planar with said front wall; (e) said assembly flange is spaced from said rear wall; (f) said retaining flange being disposed between said lip and assembly flanges; (g) said retaining flange and said assembly flange defining a hardware groove adapted to receive frame-hanging means; (h) said retaining flange including a recessed portion terminating in an abutment shoulder spaced inwardly of said inner side wall; (i) corner joining means associated with consecutive end portions of said assembly flanges; (j) said corner joining means comprising spaced pairs of generally L-shaped connecting plates, each of which pairs of plates straddles said assembly flange; (k) screw means fastening said plates to one another and rigidly clamping said assembly flange therebetween; (l) said front and rear walls being polished, whereby said sections are tranparent from said front to said rear walls; (m) a plurality of biasing springs are being disposed along said abutment shoulder for urging artwork forwardly of said retaining flange toward said lip flange; and (n) a clear planar protecting means being disposed against said lip flange and being resiliently biased by said springs.