US2203270A

US2203270A - Belt buckle

Info

Publication number: US2203270A
Application number: US208002A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frederick J O'brien
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1938-05-14
Filing date: 1938-05-14
Publication date: 1940-06-04
Anticipated expiration: 1957-06-04

Description

F, J. o'BmEN BELT BUCKLE Jun@ 4, 1940.

Filed May 14, 1938 Patented June r4, `1940 PATENT OFFECE.

BELT BUCKLE l Frederick J. OBren, Nutley, N. J. Applicaciqn May 14, 193s, serial No. 208,002

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to buckles and more particularly to certain new and useful improvements in belt buckles.

It has for one of. its objects to provide a buckle of this character which is so designed and constructed as to automatically permit the expansion and contraction of the belt while being worn and to be adaptable to self-adjustment in response to like movements of the waist of the wearer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-adjusting belt buckle which is simple, compact and inexpensive in construction and which affords extreme comfort to the wearer.

A still further object is the provision of. a belt buckle of this character wherein its adjustable parts are eectually enclosed and danger of such parts catching on the clothing of the wearer is eliminated.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a belt showing my improved buckle associated therewith. Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken substantially in the plane of line 2 2, Figure 1. Figure 3 is` a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 3 3, Figure 2. Figures 4 and 5 are cross sections taken on the correspondingly-numbered lines in Figure 2.

Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the drawing, the improved buckle consists of, a base member or body plate I0 and a swinging cover or retaining plate II, the former having an ear or extension I2 at one end to which one end of the belt I3 is attached in any suitable manner, the opposite or free end of the belt being adapted to be adjustably fastened between such plates and being provided with the usual row of apertures I4 for adjusting the belt to the buckle.

The body plate I!! is shaped to provide a sub-- stantially hollow or box-like structure to provide a guide-way or chamber I5 for a belt-engaging slide bar I6 having a stud or projection I 1 thereon with which one or another of the belt-perforations I4 is adapted to engage. While the boxlike structure or chamber I5 of. the body plate I0 for supporting and guiding the slide bar may be constructed in any appropriate manner, I form it by providing such plate with upper and lower side ilanges I8, I8 which terminate short of their opposing inner edges to provide a longitudinal passage or slot I9 for the passage of the beltengaging stud I'I during the fore and aft movements of the slide bar I6 relative to the plate,

while the lends of the plate-chamber may be closed by end or abutment-flanges 2li and 2l projecting from the plate Il) and side flanges IS, respectively, as shown in Figure 2.

The slide bar is slidably mounted within the 5 plate chamber I5 and also housed within this chamber is a spring 22, one end of, which abuts the plate-flange 20 while the other end abuts against the inner edge of the slide bar and normally functions to retain the slide bar in its exl0 treme extended condition against the opposing end flanges 2|, as seen in Figure 2. When the waist of the wearer is expanded by bending of the body or otherwise, the slide bar is free to slide in a direction against the tension of the spring 15 22 and thereby adjust the belt to the expanding movements of the waist, and upon the contraction of the waist to normal the spring automatically urges the slide bar to its initial position.

The cover plate II, which serves to hold the 20 free or perforated end of. the belt in coupled engagement with the slide bar stud I'l, is hinged to swing vertically toward and from the body plate I0', and for this purpose it has side flanges 23 projecting rearwardly from its top and bottom edges 25 which overlap the corresponding edges of the main body plate in the closed-position of the cover and which terminate at one end in opposing hinge lugs 24 which are adapted to engage companion openings 25 in the adjoining top and 30 bottom portions of the side flanges I8 of -the body plate I0. The free end portions of the coverflanges 23 have teats 26 formed thereon which are adapted to interlock with companion recesses 2l formed in the opposing portions of the body- 35 plate, whereby to retain the cover plate frictionally in its closed position.

In applying the belt, the cover plate l I is swung open, the free end of the belt is passed between the resulting gap formed between the hinge portion of the cover plate and the body plate I0 and the proper belt-perforation III is engaged with the stud II of. the slide bar I5, after which the cover plate is closed. Upon the expanding and contracting movements of the waist of the wearer, the belt is permittedto expand and contract by reason of the tensioned belt-engaging slide bar I6, the spring 22 contracting in response to eX- panding movements of the waist to permit a movement of the slide bar in one direction, and upon the waist being restored to normal the spring tension urges the slide bar in the opposite direction or to its initial position.l

I claim as my invention:

1. A belt buckle, comprising` relatively displaceable body and cover plates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastened and to one of which plates the opposite end of the belt is connected, the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly from the upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and said flanges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide a longitudinal guide passage, a slide bar `guided in the chamber of said body plate, a belt-'engaging stud on said bar projecting through said guide passage, and a spring arranged in said guide chamber and in operative engagement with said slide bar for yieldingly resisting its movement in one direction.

2. A belt buckle, comprising relatively displaceable body and cover plates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastened and to one of which plates the opposite end of the belt is connected, the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly from the upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and said flanges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide a longitudinal guide passage and being provided at their opposite ends with laterally-bent abutments forming end closures for the guide chamber, a slide bar guided in the chamber of said body plate, a beltengaging stud on said bar projecting through said guide passage, and a spring arranged in said guide chamber and bearing at one end against the companion flange-abutments and at its other end against said slide bar, the latter normally abutting the flange-abutments at the other end of said body plate.

3. A belt buckle, comprising relatively displaceable body and cover plates between which the free end of a belt is adapted to be fastened and to one of which plates the oppositeV end of the belt is connected, the body plate having upper and lower side flanges bent inwardly from the upper and lower edges thereof to provide a guide chamber and said iianges terminating short of their opposing edges to provide a longitudinal guide passage, a slide bar guided in the chamber of said body plate, a belt-engaging stud on said bar projecting through said guide passage, and a spring arranged in said guide chamber and in operative engagement with said slide bar` for yieldingly resisting its movement in one direction, said cover plate being pivoted to said body plate and movable to and from a latched position overlying the latter to retain the free end of the belt in connected relation to said slide bar andto permit its release therefrom, respectively.

FREDERICK J. OBRIEN.