GB2079359A

GB2079359A - Improvements in buckles

Info

Publication number: GB2079359A
Application number: GB8020722A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: REGENT AUTOCAR CO Ltd
Current assignee: REGENT AUTOCAR CO Ltd
Priority date: 1980-06-25
Filing date: 1980-06-25
Publication date: 1982-01-20
Also published as: GB2079359B

Abstract

A harness buckle has two parts 10, 16 which are laterally (only) separable and has catch pawls 24 to prevent inadvertent separation. Two of the pawls are provided and they are urged apart by spring 28 so as to engage in opposite recesses provided in one of the main buckle components 16, and they can be manually closed together against the spring to enable the lateral movement to take place. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in buckles This invention relates to buckles for use with safety harness.

British Standard Specification No. 1397 of 1979 relates to safety harness for use in industrial situations and requires the use of a buckle for fastening the harness which is unlikely to be released inadvertently. The object of the present invention is to provide such a buckle.

In accordance with the invention, a buckle comprises first and second components adapted to be attached to respective harness parts and which, when said parts are co-linear, are relatively displaceable in a lateral direction for connection or release of the components one from the other, and has means for preventing or permitting said lateral displacement comprising a pair of pawls which are spring loaded apart to project to opposite sides of one of the parts and engage in recesses in the other of the parts, whereby both pawls need to be moved against the spring loading out of the respective recesses before the lateral movement can take place.

One presently preferred embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure lisa perspective view of the assembled buckle; Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded and perspective view showing one of the buckle components; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the assembled component of Figure 2 in a normal condition; Figure 4 is an end view of the component shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of the component of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the component in a condition for release; and Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the components in the Figure 6 condition.

Turning now to the drawings and particularly Figure 1 thereof, the buckle comprises a first component in the form of a plate 10 which extends generally radially from a rod 12. The plate 10 has a slot 14 to receive one of the harness parts. The ends of the rod 12 are rounded as seen for example in Figure 3, to facilitate entry of the rod into a corresponding bore formed in the second buckle part, when the two are moved relative to one another in a lateral direction, after being appropriately positioned.

The second buckle part comprises a barrel 16 formed with a radially projecting flange 18 which also has a slot 20 to receive the second harness part.

The barrel 16 is slit radially to enable the flange 10 to extend through the slitwhen the parts are assembled, and opposite ends of the slit have divergent portions 22, again for the purpose of facilitating the connection of the parts together.

Generally midway along the length the barrel has a pair of recesses opening from opposite sides of the slit, and these recesses receive pawls 24 mounted on the first buckle part, and hence relative lateral movement is prevented as long as either pawl is received in its recess. To free the buckle for separation of the first and second components, both of the pawls have to be displaced towards the web 10 so as to take them out of the recesses. However, when the separated buckle components are reassembled, the divergent portions at one or other end of the slit will serve to close the pawls together during the first part of the lateral movement, until the pawls are realigned with the recesses, when they will be spring driven to the Figure 1 illustrated position automatically.

Turning now to Figure 2, the first buckle component is there illustrated in exploded condition. It will be seen that a gap 26 is provided to accommodate the assembly of the pawls and their operating spring 28.

The two pawls are identical, and each comprises a substantially L section limb 30 projecting radially from a hub 32. The two hubs fit together end to end and define a chamber between them to house the spring, which is a torsion spring having tails 34, 36 projecting tangentially from each end of the spring barrel. One portion of the chamber 38 provided in one of the pawls is visible in Figure 2, and it will be seen that this chamber communicates via a tangential slot 40 with the exterior of the hub 32, so that the tail 34 can extend through that slot and lie along the length of the limb 30.

The pawls are pivoted on a common pin 42 in the component part 12. Each of the pawls is provided with a projection 44, and as best seen by comparison of Figures 5 and 6, these projections abut so as to limit spring driven movement of the pawl in a direction which increases the angle between the parts, so that the maximum angle between the pawls is as shown in Figure 4 (and Figure 1 also). When the pawls are displaced towards one another for buckle separation, their outer faces are coplanar with the part 10 as seen in Figure 7, and the abutments 44 are separated as seen in Figure 6.

Although as described above the pawls are separately spring-loaded, in a modification they may be for example in the form of leaf springs thereby avoiding the need for separate spring loading.

1. A buckle comprising first and second components adapted to be attached to respective harness parts and which are relatively displaceable in a lateral direction for connection or release of the components one from the other, and having means for preventing or permitting said lateral displacement comprising a pair of pawls which are spring loaded apart to project to opposite sides of one of the parts and engage in recesses in the other of the parts, whereby both pawls need to be moved against the spring loading out of the respective recesses before the lateral movement can take place.

2. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein one of the parts is a barrel with a radial slot and the other of the parts is a rod with a radial plate, the rod being slidable into the barrel and the plate then extending out of the slot.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **.

SPECIFICATION Improvements in buckles This invention relates to buckles for use with safety harness.

British Standard Specification No. 1397 of 1979 relates to safety harness for use in industrial situations and requires the use of a buckle for fastening the harness which is unlikely to be released inadvertently. The object of the present invention is to provide such a buckle.

In accordance with the invention, a buckle comprises first and second components adapted to be attached to respective harness parts and which, when said parts are co-linear, are relatively displaceable in a lateral direction for connection or release of the components one from the other, and has means for preventing or permitting said lateral displacement comprising a pair of pawls which are spring loaded apart to project to opposite sides of one of the parts and engage in recesses in the other of the parts, whereby both pawls need to be moved against the spring loading out of the respective recesses before the lateral movement can take place.

One presently preferred embodiment of the invention is now more particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure lisa perspective view of the assembled buckle; Figure 2 is a fragmentary exploded and perspective view showing one of the buckle components; Figure 3 is a top plan view of the assembled component of Figure 2 in a normal condition; Figure 4 is an end view of the component shown in Figure 3; Figure 5 is an underneath plan view of the component of Figure 3; Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the component in a condition for release; and Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the components in the Figure 6 condition.

Turning now to the drawings and particularly Figure 1 thereof, the buckle comprises a first component in the form of a plate 10 which extends generally radially from a rod 12. The plate 10 has a slot 14 to receive one of the harness parts. The ends of the rod 12 are rounded as seen for example in Figure 3, to facilitate entry of the rod into a corresponding bore formed in the second buckle part, when the two are moved relative to one another in a lateral direction, after being appropriately positioned.

The second buckle part comprises a barrel 16 formed with a radially projecting flange 18 which also has a slot 20 to receive the second harness part.

The barrel 16 is slit radially to enable the flange 10 to extend through the slitwhen the parts are assembled, and opposite ends of the slit have divergent portions 22, again for the purpose of facilitating the connection of the parts together.

Generally midway along the length the barrel has a pair of recesses opening from opposite sides of the slit, and these recesses receive pawls 24 mounted on the first buckle part, and hence relative lateral movement is prevented as long as either pawl is received in its recess. To free the buckle for separation of the first and second components, both of the pawls have to be displaced towards the web 10 so as to take them out of the recesses. However, when the separated buckle components are reassembled, the divergent portions at one or other end of the slit will serve to close the pawls together during the first part of the lateral movement, until the pawls are realigned with the recesses, when they will be spring driven to the Figure 1 illustrated position automatically.

Turning now to Figure 2, the first buckle component is there illustrated in exploded condition. It will be seen that a gap 26 is provided to accommodate the assembly of the pawls and their operating spring 28.

The two pawls are identical, and each comprises a substantially L section limb 30 projecting radially from a hub 32. The two hubs fit together end to end and define a chamber between them to house the spring, which is a torsion spring having tails 34, 36 projecting tangentially from each end of the spring barrel. One portion of the chamber 38 provided in one of the pawls is visible in Figure 2, and it will be seen that this chamber communicates via a tangential slot 40 with the exterior of the hub 32, so that the tail 34 can extend through that slot and lie along the length of the limb 30.

The pawls are pivoted on a common pin 42 in the component part 12. Each of the pawls is provided with a projection 44, and as best seen by comparison of Figures 5 and 6, these projections abut so as to limit spring driven movement of the pawl in a direction which increases the angle between the parts, so that the maximum angle between the pawls is as shown in Figure 4 (and Figure 1 also). When the pawls are displaced towards one another for buckle separation, their outer faces are coplanar with the part 10 as seen in Figure 7, and the abutments 44 are separated as seen in Figure 6.

Although as described above the pawls are separately spring-loaded, in a modification they may be for example in the form of leaf springs thereby avoiding the need for separate spring loading.

1. A buckle comprising first and second components adapted to be attached to respective harness parts and which are relatively displaceable in a lateral direction for connection or release of the components one from the other, and having means for preventing or permitting said lateral displacement comprising a pair of pawls which are spring loaded apart to project to opposite sides of one of the parts and engage in recesses in the other of the parts, whereby both pawls need to be moved against the spring loading out of the respective recesses before the lateral movement can take place.

2. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein one of the parts is a barrel with a radial slot and the other of the parts is a rod with a radial plate, the rod being slidable into the barrel and the plate then extending out of the slot.

3. A buckle'as claimed in Claim 2 wherein the slot has divergent end portions and the rod has rounded ends, to facilitate entry of the rod into the barrel bore.

4. A buckle as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the said recesses open from the said slot, and the pawls are mounted in a gap in the rod and plate.

5. A buckle as claimed in Claim 4wherein two identical pawls are loacted in mirror image positions, and are pivoted on a common pin, and spring means are provided for urging the pawls apart and into said recesses.

6. A buckle as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the pawls are pivoted on the axis of the rod, and project beyond the slot so that the free ends of the pawls lie accessible on the respective faces of the said plate.

7. A buckle substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

New claims or amendments to claims filed on 11/6/81 Superseded claims 1,2 New or amended Claims:- 1

1. A buckle comprising first and second components adapted to be attached to respective harness parts and which are relatively displaceable in a lateral direction for connection or release of the components one from another, and having means for preventing or permitting said lateral displacement comprising a pair of pawls which are spring loaded apartto project to opposite sides of one of the parts and engage in recesses in the other of the parts, whereby both pawls need to be moved against the spring loading out of the respective recesses before the lateral movement can take place, wherein one of the parts is a barrel with a radial slot and the other of the parts is a rod with a radial plate, the rod being slidable into the barrel and the plate then extending out of the slot.