US2622293A

US2622293A - Safety belt buckle

Info

Publication number: US2622293A
Application number: US184449A
Authority: US
Inventors: Oscar R Wermlinger
Original assignee: AIR ASSOCIATES Inc
Current assignee: AIR ASSOCIATES Inc
Priority date: 1950-09-12
Filing date: 1950-09-12
Publication date: 1952-12-23
Anticipated expiration: 1969-12-23

Description

Dec. 23, 1952 O. R. wl-:RMLINGER SAFETY BELT BUCKLE v Filed Sept. 12, 1950 IN VEN TOR. l 0x44? hle/uz M/ Patented Dec. V23, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Oscar-R. Wermlin'ger, Westwood, N.'J.,assignor to y'Associates Incorporated, Teterboro, N. J., fa lcorporation 'of New Jersey Application 'September 12, 1950, Serial No. 184,449

` Claims.

l This invention vrelates to ysafety belt buckles for securing the `occupants in the seats of aircraft, speed lboats and the like and the invention :has particular reference to :a safety -belt buckle which is secure against accidental or unintentional uncoupling thereof .and which is adapted for quick release.

Another :object .of 'the invention .is to provide asafety belt buckle which will'withstand a lmaximum `pull without subjecting the belt to "icutting action.

.Still fanother object of the invention is to provide asafety :belt Ibuckle which is constructed to receive the free `end .of a belt vbetween the icoacting faces of clamping and abutment members with the plane of the face of the abutment member being located in angular relation to the pull on the belt.

Still .another object of the invention is to provide a safety belt buckle in which means are provided for preventing incorrect threading of the free of the belt between the co-acting faces of the clamping and abutment members.

Still another object `of the invention is to provide a safety belt buckle .in whichthe clamping member has limited tur-ning movement and is disposed in outwardly projecting relation when in released condition.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, reference is now made to the following specification and accompanying drawings in which the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a safety belt buckle constructed in accordance with the invention and showing fragmentary portions of the ends of a safety belt.

Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken approximately on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional View taken approximately on line vll--ll of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged vertical section through the cross-member of the frame showing the abutment provided with a series of parallel ridges forming a gripping face.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary View of the clamping member showing the arcuate arrangement of the teeth which forms the other gripping face.

Referring to the drawings by characters of 'reference, the safety belt buckle includes a frame indicated generally by the reference character A| il having spaced side walls and I2 `which are connected together by a transversely extending cross-bar |3 .located adjacent \one end lof the frame and by a lcross-member .14 located adjacent the opposite `end of the frame and which 'cross-bar and cross-member are formed 'with their bottom faces I5 and 'I6 located iin a .plane coincident with the bottom edges ill of the side walls and |2. Also connecting between the side Walls yand |'2 is a transversely extending upwardly direct intermediate wall 2t which is of irregular -formation and has its Ilower end located between the ycross-bar I3 and the crossmember .Hl providing transversely extending openings 2| and 22 .between the same and said cross-'bar and cross-member respectively.

The cross-member lll is formed with lan upstanding abutment 23 having an inclined forward face 24 and :an arcuate forward .face 25, the inclined forward face -24 being disposed in a plane .located at an -acute angle with the hottom face 'I6 thereof Aand -the -forward arcuate rface 25 being formed as a continuation of the inclined forward face 24 and the bottom face 16. The inclined forward face 24 is formed with a series of transversely extending parallel ridges 26 which are defined by transversely extending vertical faces 21, transversely extending crests 2B at their upper ends and transversely extending arcuate recesses at their lower ends, the transversely extending crests being .located in the plane of the inclined forward .face l22| arid the arcuate recesses 29 merging with the crests 28 of the adjacent lower ridges respectively.

A clamping member 3| is also provided which is mounted for pivotal swinging movement on a cross-shaft 32 extending through a bore 33 inthe cylindrical shaped end 30 thereof with the ends of the lcross-shaft mounted in openings 3d and 35 in the side w-alls and I2 respectively. Arranged on the cross-shaft 32 is a torsion spring 3E having its terminal ends 3l 4and 32 secured in slots 3S and i respectively formed in the headed end of the cross-shaft 32 and in the bore 33, which spring 'tensions the clamping member 3| `for turning movement in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The clamping member is also formed with a plurality of transversely extending teeth 4| formed on the -cylindr-ical shaped `end v39 thereof with the teeth'disposed to project toward the ridges 2S in the inclined forward face 24 'of the abutment V23 when the clamping member 3| is in clamping position, that is with the handle 42 in the full line position shown in Figs. 2 and l3 of the drawings.

The torsion spring 36 tensions the clamping r member to normally maintain the 'same with the teeth 4I in adjacent relation to the ridges 26 and for this purpose the cross-shaft 32 is secured against turning movement by the hexagonal shaped head 44 thereof fittingly engaging in the hexagonal shaped opening 35 in the side wall |2 of the frame and with the opposite end of the cross-shaft protruding through the circular opening 34 and secured in position by the pin 45.

The safety belt buckle is axed to the end A of a safety belt B which end is trained downwardly through the opening 2| and looped about the cross-bar |3 with the end A extending over and secured to the body of the belt B. The opposite free end C of the belt B is trained upwardly through the opening 22 and over the inclined forward face 24 of the abutment 23 and between the abutment and the cylindrical shaped end 30 of the clamping member 3| and thence over the upper end of the abutment member. This provides means by which the free end C of the belt B may be releasably connected with the buckle and the belt may be tightened as desired against accidental or unintentional uncoupling thereof by pulling the free end C upwardly over the inclined forward face 24 of the abutment member and swinging the clamping member 3| from the broken line position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to the full line position shown therein. In this position the belt is securely held between the ridges 26 of the abutment member 23 and the teeth 4| of the clamping member and it will be understood that the greater the tension on the belt B, the greater will be the tension against the teeth 4| to retain the clamping member 3| in clamping position. It will also be understood that the portion of the free end C of the belt between the ridges 26 and the teeth 4| is located in a plane disposed at an acute angle to the plane defined by the bottom face |6 of the cross-member |4. The pull of the belt B against the buckle is therefore transmitted about the curved portion of the belt engaging the forward arcuate face 25 of the abutment and on the portion of the belt engaged by the ridges 26 and teeth 4| in angular relation to the direct pull on the belt whereby the pull on the portion of the belt engaged by said ridges and teeth is only the angular component of the direct pull on the belt. This functions to reduce the cutting action of the teeth and ridges against the belt and lprovides a more secure gripping engagement against the belt and eliminates the possibility of accidental or unintentional loosening or release of the belt.

The intermediate wall 20 extends upwardly to one side of the cylindrical shaped end 30 of the clamping member 3| so as to form a stop to limit the swinging movement thereof and to maintain the handle 42 in outwardly projecting position when in released condition. The said wall is also formed with a transversely extending recess 46 which is so located that the terminal of the free end C of the belt will engage in said recess 46 in the event that the free end C of the belt is incorrectly threaded downwardly between the inclined forward face 24 of the abutment 23 and cylindrical shaped end 36 of the clamping member. This prevents the positioning of the free end C of the belt incorrectly between the abutment member 23 and the clamping member 3|.

The clamping action on the end C of the belt is effected by downward swinging movement of the clamping member 3| to rotate the same in the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 3 of `the drawings. This produces an impingement of the '4 teeth 4I against the end of the belt since the teeth are formed on a cam face 4l which is defined by an arc having a center at 48 and which center is located above and to one side of the center of the shaft 32 as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. By this construction, the lowermost tooth is closest to the center of said shaft and the teeth above the lowermost tooth progressively increase in distance from the center of the shaft. The impinging action therefore increases as the handle is swung downwardly.

In the embodiment illustrated, the inclined forward face 24 of the cross-member I4 is disposed atan angle of 55" with the bottom face I6 thereof. It is to be understood however, that the inclined face 24 may be disposed in any angle with the bottom face I6 so as to direct the end of the belt around the curved forward face of the crossmember and over the upper face thereof. The tension on the belt between the coacting clamping faces of the cross-member and clamping member is thus only a component part of the direct pull on the belt beneath the cross-member. This lessening of the tension on the belt between the said coacting faces provides agreaer Safety factor in the safety belt and lessens the tendency of the belt to tear at the area of engagement between the said coacting clamping faces.

The Vinvention is illustrated in its application to the preferred embodiment thereof, but it is to be understood that the same is toV cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for the purpose of disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A buckle for a safety belt comprising a frame having spaced side walls connected together by transversely extending cross-bar and cross-member located adjacent the opposite ends of the frame respectively, said cross-bar being adapted to having one end of the belt affixed thereto, said cross-member having a rounded inner end terminating in an upstanding abutment provided with a serrated face disposed in a plane located above and at an acute angle with the under side of said cross-member, a clamping member having an enlarged end and a handle aiixed thereto, a cross shaft extending through the enlarged end of said clamping member pivoting the said clamping member for swinging movement between said side walls, said clamping member having a serrated portion on the periphery of the enlarged end thereof disposed in confronting relation with the serrated portion on said abutment when the clamping member is in clamping position, and said clamping member being disposed in spaced relation from said abutment to permit of the free end of the belt extending therebetween and in overlying relation with the serrated portion on said abutment for securing the 'freeend of the belt between the said abutment and the clamping member when the clamping member is disposed in clamping position. Y Y

2. A buckle for a safety belt comprising a frame having spaced side walls connected together by transversely extending cross-bar and cross-member located adjacent the opposite ends of the frame respectively, said cross-bar being adapted to having one end of the belt amxed thereto, said cross-member having a rounded inner end terminating in an upstanding abutment provided with a serrated face disposed in a plane located aboveand at an angle with the under side of saidv cross-member, a clamping member having an enf larged end and a handle affixed thereto, a cross shaft extending through the enlarged end of said clamping member pivoting the said clamping member for swinging movement between said side walls, said clamping member having a serrated portion on the periphery of the enlarged end thereof disposed in confronting relation with the serrated portion on said abutment when the clamping member is in clamping position, a coil spring engaging about said cross shaft tensioning said clamping member for movement toward clamping position, and said clamping member being disposed in spaced relation from said abutment to permit of the free end of the belt extending upwardly therebetween and in overlying relation with the serrated portion on said abutment for securing the free end of the belt between the said abutment and the clamping member when the clamping member is disposed in clamping position.

3. A buckle for a safety belt comprising a frame having spaced side walls connected together by transversely extending cross-bar and cross-member located adjacent the opposite side of the frame respectively, said cross-bar being adapted to having one end of the belt aflixed thereto, said cross-member having a rounded inner end terminating in an upstanding abutment provided with a serrated face disposed in a plane located above and at an angle with the under side of said cross-member, a clamping member having an enlarged end and a handle affixed thereto, a cross shaft extending through the enlarged end of said clamping member pivoting the said clamping member for swinging movement between said side walls, said clamping member having a serrated portion on the periphery of the enlarged end thereof disposed in confronting relation with the serrated portion on said abutment when the clamping member is in clamping position, and said clamping member being disposed in spaced relation from said abutment to permit of the free end of the belt extending therebetween and in overlying relation with the serrated portion on said abutment for securing the free end of the belt between the said abutment and the clamping member when the clamping member is disposed in clamping position.

4. A buckle for a safety belt comprising a frame having spaced side walls connected together by transversely extending cross-bar and cross-member located adjacent the opposite side of the frame respectively, said cross-bar being adapted to having one end of the belt affixed thereto, said cross-member having a rounded inner end terminating in an upstanding abutment provided with a serrated face disposed in a plane located above and at an angle with the under side of said cross-member, a clamping member having an enlarged end and a handle aflixed thereto, a cross shaft extendnig through the enlarged end of said clamping member pivoting the said clamping member for swinging movement between said side walls, said clamping member having a serrated portion on the periphery of the enlarged end thereof disposed in confronting relation with the serrated portion on said abutment when the clamping member is in clamping position, and said clamping member being disposed in spaced relation from said abutment to permit of the free end of the belt extending therebetween and in overlying relation with the serrated portion on said abutment for securing the free end of the belt between the said abutment and the clamping member when the clamping member is disposed in clamping position, and an intermediate partition secured between said side walls and having a transversely extending recess disposed substantially in alignment with the space between the clamping member and the abutment for engagement by the terminal of the free end of the belt to prevent incorrect downward threading of the free end between the abutment and the clamping member and permitting of correct threading of the free end upwardly between said abutment and clamping member.

5. A buckle for a safety belt including a frame having side walls and a cross-member connected therebetween about which one end of the belt is trained, said cross-member including a rounded inner end terminating in an upstanding abutment provided with a serrated face extending at an acute angle to the direction of pull on the portion of the belt disposed against the under side of said cross member, a clamping member pivoted for swinging movement between said side walls and having a handle and a serrated portion disposed in confronting relation with the serrated face of said cross-member when the clamping member is in clamping position, and said clamping member being disposed with the serrated portion thereof disposed in spaced relation from said abutment to permit of said end of the belt extending upwardly therebetween for securing said end of the belt between said abutment and the clamping member when the clamping member is disposed in clamping position.

OSCAR R. WERMLINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 913,469 Cleaveland Feb. 23, 1909 1,257,028 Ryther Feb. 19, 1918 2,442,266 Davis May 25, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 97,645 Germany June 9, 1898