US2876516A

US2876516A - Buckle

Info

Publication number: US2876516A
Authority: US
Inventors: Louis F Cummings
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1956-04-20
Filing date: 1956-04-20
Publication date: 1959-03-10
Anticipated expiration: 1976-03-10

Description

March 10, 1959 BUCKLE Filed April 20, 1956 FIG. l.

2s 25 27 si 2 Sheets-Sheet l mvENToR LOUIS F. CUMMINGS lffww,

vATTORNEYS March 10, 1959 F, CUMMINGS 2,876,516

BUCKLE Filed April 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheetv 2 FIG. e.

INVENTOR LOUIS F. CUMMINGS ATTORN EYS BUCKLE Louis F. Cummings, Los Angeles, Calif. Application April 20, 1956, Serial No. 579,537 4 Claims. (Cl. 24 75) This invention has to do generally with belt buckles and more particularly with buckles of the type used to releasably secure the ends of safety belts or straps of the type commonly used in airplanes and automobiles to restrain the occupants in the event of a crash or accident.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved buckle of the type indicated wherein one end of a belt or strap is adjustably secured to the buckle and the other end of the belt or strap carries an apertured tongue plate for insertion in the buckle to be releasably secured by the buckle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved buckle construction which will withstand a load or pull of several thousand pounds and which can be readily opened with a minimum of eifort when it is under a relatively lighter pull or load. In this connection safety regulations provide that under test the buckles must withstand a pull of 1500 or more pounds and subsequently must be capable of being opened by a pull of not more than 45 pounds upon the lever or handle when straps and buckle are subjected to a pull of 125 pounds. It, therefore, is a particular object of the invention to provide a buckle which more than meets these requirements.

A further object is to `provide Vimproved means for securing the strap to the buckle so that it will be securely held when subjected to any load and yet permit of the strap being readily adjusted relative to the buckle by manipulation of the buckle when there is no load or pull upon the strap. In this connection it is a further object to provide strap-securing means which prevents the strap from coming loose if the buckle is tilted to a considerable` angle with the strap, as in opening the buckle and the like.

Another object is to provide a buckle Iof the type indicated in which the moving parts are so balanced that the buckle will not open under the inuence of inertia.

These and other objects will be apparent from the drawings and the following description. Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a buckle embodying the invention shown securing two belt or strap sections;

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, but with the strap sections omitted;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View on line 4 4 of 2;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line 5 5 of Fig. 2, but with the strap sections omitted;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View similar to Fig. 3, but showing the parts in a different position;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. l, but with the strap sections omitted; and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view in the same plane as Fig. 3 but showing the parts in a diterent position.

More particularly describing the invention, numeral 11 r`ice `generally indicates a buckle which is shown as securing two strap or belt sections, designated 12 and 13. The section 13 is shown provided with a tongue plate 15 which is inserted into the buckle 11 and secured in place therein. Buckle 11 is adjustably mounted upon the strap section 12 which is shown threaded through the buckle in a manner subsequently to be described.

The buckle comprises a base, designated generally 18, having a plate-like main portion 19 and a pair of lateral anges or sides 20.

The base has a Wide transverse slot or opening 22 adjacent one end and at one side of this opening an upwardly extending transverse wall 23 which may be formed as a continuation of the main portion of the base. In the region above the slot 22 there is provided a transverse strap bar 25 which preferably has a knurled or roughened surface as indicated on the drawings. This bar has reduced and attened end portions 26 which are slidably received in inclined slots 27 in the sides 20 of the buckle base. This construction permits limited movement of the bar in a direction longitudinally of the slots 27. The strap section 12 is threaded through slot 22 around the bar 25 and between it and the upright wall 23 and then out again through slot 22. With this construction the strap may be readily adjusted in the buckle whileat the same time whenever any vpull is placed upon the strap the bar 25 is pulled over toward the end of the ybuckle wedging and clamping a portion of the strap against wall 23.

The buckle sides 20 support a transversely extending pin 30 upon which a handle 31 is pivotally mounted. The handle and base deline a space therebetween to freely receive the tongue plate. Pin 30 is shown as having a hexagonal head 32 received in a similar shaped opening 33 in one side of the base. The other end of the pin 30 extends through the other side of the base and is secured by a split ring 34 in a groove 35.

A torsion spring 37 is provided about the pin 30 and has one end'received in a groove 38 in the head of the pin 30 and the other end received in a bore 39 at the end of a cavity 40 in the handle, the spring serving to yieldably urge the handle 31 toward the base to the position in which itis shown in Fig. 1.

In a central cavity portion 41 of the handle 31 I moun a latch member 42. This member is pivotally mounted upon the pin 30, being provided with an elongated hole 42 for this purpose. A at spring 44 of V-shape is mounted between the upper or outer edge 45 of the latch member 41 and the inner surface of the handle 31, serving to yieldably urge the latch member toward the base. For the purpose of operating the latch member I provide a latch-operating pin 46 in the handle and this extends through a bore 47. The pin 46 is of considerably smaller diameter than bore 47 so that a lost motion connection exists permitting limited movement of the latch member independently of the handle.

The base of the buckle is provided with an aperture 50 to receive the end portion 51 of the latch member. The tongue plate 15 is also apertured having a slot 52 through which the latch member projects when the plate is secured by the buckle as shown in Fig. 3. At its end the latch member is provided with a bevel surface 55 and opposite this on its other side is a step-like recess 56, the latter accommodating the forward edge portion 50' of the slot 50.

In the operation of the buckle in order to secure the strap sections together the tongue plate 15 is inserted from the left'side of the buckle in the manner shown in Fig. 6. Upon entering, the forward edge of the tongue plate deiiects the latch member 42 out of the `way permitting entrance of the tongue plate. The tongue plate then snaps into the position shown in Fig. 3 under the iniluence of spring 44.

In order to release the tongue plate, the handle is pivoted away from the base as shown in Fig. 8. During this operation the latch member is pulled upwardly and out of the opening 50 in the base. `It is a particular feature of my invention that I form the opening 42 in the latch member which receives pin 30 so that it is elongated in a direction normal to the plane of the plate portion 19 ofthe base. rIhus, during the early stages of the movement of the latch member, it is pulled vertically out of the aperture 50 in the base member. This action makes it easy to open the buckle even though there is considerable pull upon the straps. Further movement of the handle in the direction of the arrow of Fig. 8 serves to pivot the latch 'member out of engagement with the tongue plate. -During this movement the beveled surface 55 on the latch member serves to make this operation require but little effort.

One of the features of the invention is the disposition of the slots 27 in which the strap bar 25 is mounted. The slots are inclined downwardly toward the adjacent end of the buckle. Consequently, the bar readily moves toward the wall 23 in position to clamp the strap which passes around the bar. Also, with this construction, the buckle can be tilted far forward as it might accidently be by a person wearing a safety strap and the strap will not come loose.

Still another feature of the buckle construction is the fact that the handle is so designed as to have nearly suicient stock at the left of its pivotal axis (as viewed in Fig. l) to balance the end portion of the handle on the other side of the pivotal axis. This, in conjunction with the spring mounting of the handle, enables the buckle to withstand high inertia loads tending to pivot the handle away from the base.

Although I have illustrated and described a preferred form of my invention, I contemplate that various changes and modifications can be made therein without departing from the invention, the scope of which is indicated by the following claims.

I claim:

l. A buckle comprising a plate-like base having a latch member-receiving aperture, a handle pivotally mounted at one end of said base upon an axis parallel to the general plane of the base, said handle overlying said base, spring means between the base and handle urging said handle toward the base, said base and handle providing a space therebetween for the reception of an apertured tongue plate to be releasably secured, a latch member mounted on said base for pivotal movement about the pivotal axis of said handle, means connecting said handle and latch member permitting limited movement of the latch member relative to the handle, said latch member having a tongue-plate-engaging portion normally projecting toward said base for extension through the aperture of the tongue plate and into the aperture in the base, spring means urging said latch member toward said base, said handle being pivotally movable away from the base whereby to carry said latch member and release the tongue plate, said latch member being mounted for limited movement vertically relative to said pivotal axis of the handle whereby initial movement of said latch member is normal to the plane of the base upon pivotal movement of the handle away from the base.

2. A buckle as dened in claim l in which said base has an upright ange at each side and is provided with a pin mounted in the flanges and in which said handle and said latch member are each mounted on said pin, said latch member having an elongated slot receiving said pin.

3. In a buckle, a base plate having a latch memberreceiving aperture, a handle pivotally mounted on anaxis parallel to said base plate at one end to overlie said base plate, defining therewith a space for the reception ot' an apertured tongue plate to be secured, spring means urging said handle toward said base plate, a latch member mounted on the base plate for pivotal movement about the pivotal axis of said handle, said latch member being loosely mounted to permit of limited lateral movement relative to said pivotal axis, a lostmotion connection between said latch member and said handle, said latch member being adapted to project through the aperture in said tongue plate into the aperture in said base plate, and spring means urging said latch member toward said base plate.

4. A buckle as set forth in claim 3 in which said latch member and said base plate are connected by a pin and slot connection.

Beazley Iune 23, 1942 Davis June 2 1, 1955