US1613444A

US1613444A - Belt buckle

Info

Publication number: US1613444A
Application number: US104338A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank P Daughaday
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1926-04-24
Filing date: 1926-04-24
Publication date: 1927-01-04
Anticipated expiration: 1944-01-04

Description

Jan. 4 1927. v 1,613,444

F.P.DAUGHADAY BELT BUCKLE VFiled April 24, 1926 Patented Jan. 4, 1922.7.

retain if F ice.

FRANK r. DAUGHADAY, or noR'roN, raassnei-rnsnrrs.

BELT' BUCKLE. l

Application filed April 24, 1926. Serial No. 104,333.

This invention relates to belt buckles and is intended to provide a construction for an ornamental front which will permitV the use of an ornamenal front or escutcheon plate of thin precious metal mechanically attached to a buckle body of stronger and more durable material in a simple, inexpensive and reliable manner, and further to permit the use oi' a panel of ornamental material, such as pearl, onyx, Celluloid or the like, which is positioned `and held in place by means of the escutcheon plate itself.

Heretofore when using ornamental panels of pearl or other like material it has been the practice to attach such panel by filling a counter-sunk oriiice, bored inthe back tace ot the panel, with soft metal and soldering that to the metallic buckle body. It it were desired to further ornament the panel by superimposing ornamental strips or stripes of precious metal the front tace otl the pearl was grooved or channeled slightly, the grooves terminating in notches inthe edges of the panel, and narrow strips of gold or silver were inserted in suchchannel, their end portions being bent into said notches and folded back against the rear face of the panel so as to lock them in place. This method is not only very expensive, but it permits the use only of straight line strips or bands since the channels themselves are cut by means of a small grinder.

The present invention overcomes theseobjections by providing an escutcheon plate which may enter into the ornamentation of the buckle bodyto any desired extent to present any desired pattern, and at the same time serves as a simple and effective means lor anchoring or securing a panel of ornamental material to the buckle body, while exposing any desired portions of the panel in any desired pattern to view.

In general the invention comprises "a buckle body-or plate combined with an escutcheon plate, the front of the buckle body being depressed between its side edges -to leave shallow lateral ledges between which the escutcheon plate is inserted, the 4escutcheon plate having its opposite end edges inturned and folded around the corresponding end edges ot' the body to interlock these two parts together in a convenient and expeditious mannen'the escutcheon plate being` held againstlavteral displacement by lateral shoulders or ledges of the buckle body. This construction permits the use of ornamental sheets or lpanels ot' any desired material of any desired thickness which may be held firmly interposed between the outer escutcheon plate and the underneath buckle body, as will be hereinafter explained.

Tn the accompanying 'drawings I have illustrated somev buckle constructions embodying the principles of this invention, in which:

`Figure l is a plan view of a bucklevbody exposing an inset-pearl panel-with a curvilinear over-stripe or band. f 4

Figure 2 is a plan view ofthe' buckle bodv construction formed to-receive the pearl panel. v

Figure 3 is a central cross section 'of the buckle construction of Figure l. j

Figure 4 is a side elevationot the same V,with the belt-attaching clamping lever `applied thereto.

Figure 5 is a cross section at right angles i to the section of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a transverse section showing a moditied construction for panel.

Figure 7 is a front view showing the cut-out pattern in the escutcheoii plate with an underneath sheet of celluloid or the like.

FigureS is a longitudinal section of the form of buckle shown in Figure 7.

rThe type of buckle to which the invention is shown applied in the accompanying receiving lthe drawings is what is known asthe lever Ytype of lbuckle whse `body member embraces a front portion or member Land side flanges Qwhich are sometimeslfiu'ther bent inwardly, as shown atQa, to make a guard for the belt passing through. The side flanges are pierced with openings to carry bearing pins or pintles 3 on which is mounted the clamping bail lever e, through which the anchored end oil the belt or strap is looped, while the tree or tongue end the belt is pinched against the iront by the clamping arm Aof the lever, according to well known practice.

Such buckles readily lend themselves to various'styles or ornamentation and there is a decided advantage in having the body of the bucklemade ot durable alloys strong enough to resist the strains and wear vto which the body is subjected, while `provid- *ing such body with an ornamental front of precious metalv securely attached to the buckle body in a sightly and convenient manner so-that, at aminimum lexpense for material and labor, 'a strong and durable buckle,

having the finished appearance of a gold or silverbuekle, may be produced.

In the present instance the greater por tion of the front member of the buckle body is depressed slightly below the side edge portions to leave slightly projecting shoulders or ledges la, these side portions also being projected slightly beyond the two end edges ot the iront, as shown at lb, to form additional shoulders. rlhe central area of the iront, when intended for the reception oi' a relatively thick panel of pearl or the like, is further depressed, as shown at le, to form a shallow matrix for the reception ol' a pearl liront or panel 5, which is dinienw sioned to iit inside 'this 'recess when laid therein.

The pearl panel is held in place by means ofan escutcheon plate 4l; which may be ot' any desired pattern or ornamental appearance, preferablyv made of thin precious metal, and dimensioned so that it will lie between the two side ledges la and, by its engagement therewith, be prevented from lateral or transverse movement. The opposite end edge portions of the escutcheon plate 4 are formed into end flanges Lla which are bent around theopposite end edges or' the front member of the body and crimped inwardly behind the body, Vas shown in Figf ure 5. This thin metal can be very easily crimped'in this fashion to form an interlocking connection or vengagement with the end edges of the fronti member, the escutcheon plate being held against lateral displacement by the shoulders 1fL and l which, for appearance sake7 lie substantially liush withthe outer tace oi' the escutcheon plate andserve also to protect its edges against catching upon or engaging external objects. It it is desired togive a banded appearance to the pearl inlaid panel the escutcheon plate l may be stamped out to leave any desired arrangement or form of bands, one of which is illustrated at 4b as an arcuate or curved band integral with the escutcheon plate, and requiring no cutting or grinding ofthe pearl panel itself to produce the desired effect.

Instead of forming a panel-receiving re cess in the front member oli' the buckle body, as above described, the whole interior portion of the front member l, or' the buckle body, between the two side ledges l, may be llat or level, that is, the depression 1 may be omitted and a modified form of esn cutcheon plate 6, having an interior raised flange 6a, overlapping the edges of the panel, may be used, as shown in Figure 6. In short, the recess or bed for the panel may be formed either in the outer escutcheon plate vor in the body front which forms the back, behind the panel. ln casev an ornamental plate oli thin sheet material 7, like celluloid, is used the llat or unrecessed front member l, as shown in Figure 7, will aliord a level backing for such sheet material and the escutcheon plate 4l, with its inturned or interlocking flanges lla, will cover and coniine the interposed thin sheetof material, the plate itself, before stated, being cut out in any desired pattern to expose the Celluloid backing. Mechanically the construction of buckle body and escutcheon plate will be the same, whether a Celluloid backing be interposed or not. For ornamental purposes, however, where no backing or panel is used, the ornamentation may be embossed directly on the escutcheon plate instead ot punching out portions of the plate to expose an interposed backing element or member..

ln practice the escutcheon plate is Yformed with its attaching or interlocking langes projecting at nearly right angles to the body of the plate. The panel or sheet ot ornamental material Visplaced upon thev front member of the body, the escutcheon plate is placed over it with its end flanges engaging the opposite end edges'o' the body l'ront of the buckle and the edge portions of the lianges are then `rolled or pressed down against the back tace ot the body forming, as shown in Figures 5 and 8, a complete and eectve interlocking attachment presenting,

at the same time, a finished edge to the end edges of the buckle.

With this construction it is possible to bend up one ol' the inturned locking flanges 49, remove the escutcheon plate and either replace it with another plate of dierent design or substitute a panel of dierent appearance for the ornamental background. By this construction also the trouble and expense of cutting grooves in the ace of the pearl inlay and of counter-boring the back to permit it to be soldered to the buckle body is avoided.

l/Vhat I claim is:

l. In a belt buckle, the combination with a body element comprising iront and side members, the front being depressed to leave raised lateral edges, a panel of ornamental material laid upon the front, an escutcheon plate whose side et .limensioned to lie between said lodges, said escutcheon plate having its end edges folded around the end edgesV of the front member oi the buckle body t0 interlock therewith, the body front and the escutcheon forming inner and outer panel-supporting and retaining means engaging the back and front faces of the interposed panel.

2. In a belt buckle, the combination with a buckle body embracing a ront member formed with opposite slightly raised side ledges extending from end to end of the buckle, an escutcheon member dimensioned to'lie between said ledgesand having its ends infolded around the respective end edges of the body front member to interlock the parts together, one of said members having its interior portion formed with a shallow recess7 a panel or ornamental material seated in said recess and confined therein by the engagement of said memberswith its front and back faces respectively. c

3. A belt buckle body whose front is formed with raised side ledges and whose interior portion is depressed to form a shallow panel-receiving recess, a panel of ornamental material .seated in said recess, an outer escutcheon plate having its interior portion cut out to expose said panel partly to View, said escutcheon plate being dimensioned to lie between the aforesaid side ledges and having its end edges interlocked with the end edges of the body front.

4. In a belt buckle, the combination with a buckle body front formed with raised side ledges, a-nescutcheon plate dimensioned to lie between said side ledges and having end flanges covering and detachably interlocking with the end edges of the body front, the interior portion of said escutcheon plate being out out in any desiredform, and a removable panel of ornamental material nterposed and conined between the body front and the escutcheon plate to form an ornamental replaceable backing behind the cut out portions of the escutcheon plate.

In witness whereof, I have subscribed the above specification.

FRANK P. DAUGHADAY.