US2720689A - Buckle attachment to prevent belt slippage - Google Patents

Description

Oct. 18, 1955 M. v. MAHER 2,720,689

BUCKLE ATTACHMENT TO PREVENT BELT SLIPPAGE Filed July l, 1952 BY M. my Ziff@ A ORNEY United States Patent O BUCKLE ATTAEHMENT TO PREVENT BELT SLIPPAGE Mildred V. Maher, Jamaica, N. Y. Application July 1, 1952,. Serial No. 296,560

8 Claims. (Cl. Zit-163) This invention relates to a buckle attachment to prevent belatslippage.

Reference is here made to belt buckles which frictionally engage the Vbelt to hold the same in any selected position'. It is the type of buckle which is frequently applied to womens and childrens dresses. 'I'he invention does not .apply to belt buckles which are provided with a tongue for engagement with an eye or series of eyes in the belt. v

The belt buckle to which the present invention relates comprises in its conventional form a frame which has two end pieces, an intermediate bar which is spaced from the two end pieces and a pair of side members which are spaced from each other and which hold the end piecesy arid intermediate bar in spaced relation to each other. One end ofthe belt is secured to the intermediate bar and the belt is then brought around the person of the wearer and the opposite endV is then inserted into the space between one of the end pieces and the inter- Ymediate bar andv it is-then drawn around said intermediate bar and into and through the space between said 'intermediate bar andthe other Vof the two end pieces.

There is -frictional engagement between the belt on the one handvand the end pieces and intermediate bar of the buckle onthe other hand andv it Vis this frictional engagement which is intended to prevent Vthe belt' from slipping relative toV the buckle. It willV be apparent from this description of' the buckl'econstruction and its relationship to the vbeltl Vthat such frictional .engagement Will not be eliectual for the-purpose for which it is intended.

The buckle attachment which is hereindescribed and claimed is a spring clip which engages ythe intermediate bar of the buckle and which applies spring pressure to the end pieces of the buckle. Stated differently, the buckle attachmentfhereinclaimed hooks onto the intermediate bar of thebuckle'and 'it' is provided with a pair of wings which tensionally bear against the two end pieces of the buckle. attachmentl is applied to the buckle only after the belt iSv-drawn therethrough. Consequently, its two wings rest not against the buckle proper but rather against the belt and the belt is thereby held in ltensioned engagement between said wings and the two end pieces of the buckle.

The buckle attachment constituting the present invention maybe made in various forms. For example, its hook portion which is disposed intermediate its "-twowings -may be formed by simply bending .the .intermediate portion thereof to hook shape. Another possibility is to Aweld errivet or otherwise secure a hook portion to the buckle Vattachment intermediate the wings of said attachment.

Still another possibility is to strike out an intermediate portion of the buckle attachment andY to bend it to hook There are other variations which the present invention contemplates, including the following. The buckle attachment herein claimed may be made of bare metal, suitably nished, as by means of a lacquer coating or a rustresistant metal plating. If, however, bare metal is found 2,720,689 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 to provide an inadequate frictional coeiflcient, it may be found desirable to roughen its surface by applying thereto a rubber or plastic coating whose coelicient of friction is considerably higher than that of bare metal. Another possibility is to provide a plurality of pointed projections 0r the like on said belt buckle attachment for a more positive engagement with the belt. A further possibility is to make the entire attachment of spring plastics having a high frictional coeicient.

Preferred forms of this invention are shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a belt which is in engagement with a buckle of the character above described, showing a buckle attachment made in accordance with one form of this invention mounted on said buckle and engaging the belt' against said buckle to prevent the belt from slipping through said buckle.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of said Vbuckle attachment, showing the side which engages the belt.

Fig. 3 is a side edge view thereof with the buckle in longitudinal section, showing the pointed projections which engage the belt to prevent slippage.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2 of a buckle attachment made in accordance with a second form of this invention, wherein a rubber coating is applied' to provide a relatively high frictional coefcient between the buckle attachment and the belt.

Fig. 5 is a side view of a buckle attachment made in accordance with a third form of this invention, wherein the hook portion is struck out of the body of said attachment.

Fig. 6 is a plan View of said buckle attachment.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing and to the rst form of this invention, it will be seen that buckle attachment 10 herein claimed may be applied to a buckle 12 and abelt 14 on said buckle. As has above been indicated, this buckle has a pair of end pieces 16, an intermediate bar I8 which is parallel to the two end pieces and maintained in spaced relation thereto, and a pair of parallel side members 2'0 which support the end pieces and the intermediate bar in spaced relation to each other. It will be seen that one end 14a of belt 14 is secured to intermediate bar 18. When the belt is worn lon the person, it is brought around the waist and then its opposite end 14b is inserted into and through space or opening 22 and then around intermediate bar 18 and then through space or opening 24. These two spaces 22 and 24 are formed in the buckle between its end pieces 16 and its intermediate bar 18 and between its two side members 20.

The buckle attachment 10 consists of the following component parts which maybe and preferably are integral witheach other: a hook-shaped member 26 and a pair of wings 28 and 3.0 respectively. Hook-shaped member 26 is adapted to hook around intermediate bar 18 of the buckle and the two wings 2.8V and 30 are thereby brought into positionV for engagement'with end pieces 16 of the buckle. Actually, however, ythis buckle attachment never really directly touches the buckle but instead it rests against the be'lt on said buckle. More specifically, hookshaped element 26 engages the inner end 14a of the belt which is Asecured to `intermediate bar V18 ofthe buckle. Wing 30 -of the buckle attachment engages the opposite vend 14'b of the belt in the area in which that end of the belt rests against the right endpiece 1'6. The two ends ofthe belt are superimposed one above lthe other in the area of the left .end .piece 16 .of the buckle and wing 28 of the 'buckle attachment .engages that portion of the inner end 14a of the belt which lies opposite said left end piece 16 of the buckle.

It will be seen that buckle attachment 10 is made of a strip of metal which is bent upon itself in its center portion and bent in the general shape of a hook Vto form the hook-shapedportion 26 above mentioned. Its end Y portions are bowed to form to somewhat arcuate wings 28 and 30 also above ,mentioned The exact, curvature both Vof thel hook portion 4and the vwing portions is (not critical and lmuch depends'upon the shape of the buckle to which the buckle attachment herein claimed is intended to be applied. Actually, however, a buckle attachment'V whose wingsY are moderately curved will have a virtually universal application to'buckles of practically every size and shape. The metal of which this attachment is made should be resilient and spring steel or other spring metalv {would be well suited for the purposes ofthis invention. VIt will be Yunderstood that when the hook-shaped intermediate portion of the buckle attachment is brought into engagement with the intermediate bar of the buckle, the wings of said attachment are required to ex out of their frelaxed state in order to adapt themselves positionally to Vthe kend pieces-of lthe buckle.'A In other words, the wings of theV attachment bearresiliently against theend pieces of the buckle when the hook of said attachment is in engagement with the intermediate bar of theV buckle. When the beltis interposed between the wings of the buckle attachment andthe end pieces` of the buckle, the spring pressure of said wings tends to clamp the belt .against the buckle andthereby .tends to prevent the belt from slipping out of the buckle.

The buckle attachment thus described may be Vmarde f of spring wire, rather than metal stripping, if desired.

Similarly, it may be madeof spring plastics or any other material which could be made tohook onto the intermediate bar of the buckle and to bear resiliently against the end pieces of the buckle. f Y Y It may be found that springvpressure alone will not adequately clamp the belt against the buckle. Of course,

Van excessively strong spring cannot be used because it would then be difficult to mount the buckle Vattachment on theY buckle or to remove it therefrom. It may therefore be found desirable to add to the frictional coecient vof the buckle attachment andthis may be done in several ways, two ofwhich are shown in the drawing. Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be seen that a plurality of pointed projections 32 are applied to Vor formed on one of the Y wings 30 of thebuckle-attachment tovprovide a relatively roughened or studded effect. These pointed projections tend todig into the belt and help anchor it in place relative to the buckle. These pointed projections may be Y formedin wing by simply pressing them into the metal of which said Wing is made.

Another possibility is to apply a rubber coating 34 Vto said wing 30 and this maybe done by simply dipping said wing into liquid rubber. Since rubber has a relatively high frictional coefcient, this will help clamp the belt ,and hold it against slippage A plastic coating may Vbe applied in place of therubber coating and, if desired,

the engaging surface of the plastic coating may be roughened Vor ridged or corrugated to enhance its frictional engagement with the belt.

Thus far, the invention has been'discussed in relation Vto the embodiment which is shown in the irst four figuresV ofthe drawing where it appears that the buckle attachment is made of a single piece of material which is bent intermediate its ends to form the hook-shaped member 26. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 show a variation of this construction Where 'a hook-shaped member 36 is provided in the place and stead of hook-shaped member 26. Hookg shapedmember 36 maybe described as a hook-shaped tongue which is struck y.out of the body of buckle attachment 38. This forrnof the invention makes for a saving in material over the .formi of invention shown in the rst four ,gures of the drawing. It is however immathereof, anda pair of siderails to which said intermediate crossbar and said end cross pieces are kall connected,V

said intermediate crossbar and said end cross pieces having a front side and a back side, said attachment comprising an intermediate clip member and a pair of endV wings connected thereto on opposite sides thereof, the Y end wings occupying a substantiallycommon plane Vand the clip member being `offset therefrom, said clip mem- Vber being engageable ywith the front of` said intermediate bar of the buckle andsaid end wings being engageable .with the back of the end cross pieces of Asaid buckle, whereby the clip memberV prevents rearward dislodgment ofthe attachment from, the buckle and the end wings'prevent forward dislodgment of said attachment-from said buckle.

2. An attachment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the clip and wings are made of springmaterial so that the wings will bear against the end pieces of the buckle when the clip is in engagement with the intermediate bar ofthe buckle.

3; An attachment in accordance with claim 1, wherein' Y the clip member is hook-shaped forVK hooking engagement with the intermediate bar of the buckle.

Y4. An attachment in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wings are arcuate in shape, their convex sides being `engageable with the end pieces of the buckle.

5. An attachment inaccordance with claim 1, whereinV one of the wings is provided witha pluralityrof pointed projections pointingin the direction of that Vend piece of the buckle lwith which said wingis engageable. .Y

6. An attachment in accordance .with claim 1, wherein one of the wings is coated with a rubber coating on that surface which is engageable with theV end piece ofthe buckle which lies opposite said wing.

7. An attachment in accordance with claim; 1, which is made of a single strip of spring metal, said strip being bent upon itself, intermediate its ends, torform a hookshaped portion, its ends being arcuately curved Vto provide Y Y the wings which are engag able with the end pieces ofthe buckle. Y ,y

8. An attachment in accordance `with claim; 1` which is made of a single strip, of spring metal, a tongue being struck out of said strip of'metal, intermediate its ends and being bent to hook shape to form the sliprwhich is engageable with the intermediate bar of the buckle,` theV ends of said strip of metal being arcuately curved to provide the wings which are engageable with the Vend pieces of the buckle.

1 References Citedrintheile of this patent a UNITED STATESYPATENTS 110,115 Corwin Dec.'13, 1870 179,174V Eager V June 27,1876 749,589 Smith c Jan. 12, 1904 1,027,979 Bienenzucht May 28, 1912 1,111,184 Ruhmann Sept. 22, 1914 1,398,126 Cochrane Nov. 22, 1921 Y FOREIGN P Afrnrusv Y 128,584 Germany Mar. 3,1902

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