US3043037A - Belt and belt-buckle assembly - Google Patents

Description

July 10, 1962 J. LESSER ETAL BELT AND BELT-BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Filed July 27, 1961 INVENTO g JACK LESSER LEON H. HALBER BY Z AiTORNEY United States att 3,043,037 BELT AND BELT-BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Jack Lesser, Wyucote, and Leon H. Halber, Philadelphia,

Pa., assignors to Atlas Novelty Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed July 27, 1961, Ser. No. 127,285 3 Claims. (Cl. 40-21) This invention relates to a belt and belt-buckle assembly wherein the engagement means comprises a hook and hole arrangement, and it particularly relates to an assembly of the aforesaid type wherein the buckle is also a receptacle for releasably holding identification data.

Belt buckles have heretofore been made with many different types of engagement means for engaging the free end of the belt to which the buckle is attached. Such engagement means have included the use of camming arrangements such as pins held in diagonal slots, clips and pivoted clamps either with or 'without teeth. None of these aforementioned locking devices, however, is even remotely as effective as the locking means comprising a finger or lever on the buckle selectively engageable in any one of a series of holes in the belt. The cams, clips,

clamps, etc. all tend to loosen under varying pressure of' the wearers body and are, therefore, never sufiiciently trustworthy. In addition, the constant engagement and disengagement between the belt and the fastening means, necessary during ordinary usage, causes cutting and fraying of the belt, especially when the fastening means utilizes teeth or the like.

Buckles having receptacle means have also heretofore been known. However, when it was attempted to use such buckles on belts, it was always in combination with a fastening means of the aforesaid cam, clip or clamp type and never with the hook type. The reason for this was that in the ordinary hook type arrangement, the buckle must be of open-frame construction to permit the belt to pass through. As the belt passes under the leading edge of the buckle frame, a pivoted finger or hook extending from the opposite end of the frame is selectively passed through one of the belt holes and then rests on the leading edge of the buckle. However, since the buckle must be .of open-frame construction, it cannot include a receptacle. Because of this, prior receptacle-type buckles never achieved any real degree of commercial success.

Another disadvantage of prior receptacle-type buckles was that they were not capable of securely holding a strip of paper or the like containing identification or other data in such a manner that the paper would be immediately and easily removable when the receptacle was opened but would not inadvertently tumble out. For the most part, these prior devices provided no retaining means at all so that when opened, the contents did tend to tumble out. Those that did provide retaining means usually did so in such a manner that a large portion of the periphery or at least two ends of the paper or other contents were positively held. This made it difiicult to easily insert ones fingers and remove the paper without danger of tearing. Furthermore, the retaining means were usually spring clips or the like which not only tended to crush and crease the paper but also tended to stick under relatively extreme conditions of cold and to rust in place when exposed to bodily perspiration in hot weather.

A further disadvantage of the prior receptacle-type buckles was the fact that the latch means usually provided was either not sufi'iciently secure so that the receptacle often inadvertently opened or was so tight and diflicult to open that the contents could not be easily obtained under emergency conditions. The latch means also often became broken under conditions of use and thereby made the entire device unutilizable for its complete purpose.

It is, therefore, one object of the present invention to overcome the aforementioned difficulties and disadvantages of prior devices of this general category by providing a belt and buckle assembly wherein the buckle is not only securely engageable with the free end of the belt but also serves as an effective receptacle for identification data and the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a belt and buckle assembly wherein the buckle serves as a. receptacle and is also engageable with the free end ofthe belt by means of a hook and hole engagement.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle-type belt buckle which is capable of securely retaining the contents thereof in uncreased and uncrushed condition when the receptacle is open but which nevertheless permits easy and rapid removal of such contents when desired.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle-type belt buckle which includes a securely locked, easily openable, sturdy latch means.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a belt and buckle assembly embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the assembly of FIGS. 1 and 2, showing the receptacle open and the identification data sheet outside the receptacle casing.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified form of buckle embodying the present invention.

Referring now in greater detail to the drawing wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts, there is shown a belt and buckle assembly, generally designated 10, which includes a belt 12 and a buckle 14. One end of the belt 12, which may be of leather, plastic or any other desired material, is secured to an open bracket or loop 16 which extends in an inclined plane outwardly and rearwardly from one edge of the housing or casing 18 forming part of the receptacle comprising the buckle 14. The securement of the belt to the bracket 16 is by means of overlapping the belt end around the outer edge ofthe loop and then securing, as by sewing, stapling, riveting, etc., indicated at 20.

The buckle 14, comprises the aforementioned casing 18, which may be square, rectangular, round or any other shape desired, and a front cover plate or lid 22 of a shape to conform with the opening 24 in the casing.

The lid 22 is provided with an ear 26 which is provided with a bore to receive a hinge pin 28. The hinge pin 28 extends at opposite ends into journals formed in opposed extensions 30 of the casing 18. The free edge of the lid, opposite the hinge connection, is provided with a ball latch member 32 which is adapted to securely but releasably engage with a similar ball member 34 on the unhinged edge of the casing 18.

On the rear surface of the casing 18 is provided a curved finger or hook 36. This hook 36 is in substantially the same plane as the outer edge of the loop 16 and is adapted to be selectively received in one of the holes 38 in the free end of the belt. When so received, both endsof the belt are in substantially the same plane inwardly of the buckle because of the co-planar arrangement of the loop 16 and hook 36 (as best shown in FIG. 2).

The casing 18 releasably holds a folded strip of paper or the like, indicated at 40', which bears any desired indicia, as forexample, data concerning the name, address, personal description and blood type of the wearer. This folded strip is retained in place by a retaining means which, in the form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 3,

comprises an inwardly-extending lug 42 integral with the Unhinged edge of the casing-1'8 defining the corresponding edge of the opening 24/ The lug 42 extends parallel .with the rear wall of the casing but is sufiiciently spaced time, the lug is sufl'iciently large to hold the folded strip in place even if the lid 22 should inadvertently open. When inside the casing and held by the lug 42, the folded strip is not engaged at its opposite end. It can, therefore,

be easily released fromretention by the lug 42 without the necessity of twisting and crumpling to release its opposite edge. There is also no crushing or crumpling of the paper since it is loosely retained by the lug 42.

V In FIG. 4, there is shown a modified form of the invention wherein the casing 50, which is otherwise identical with the casing 18, is provided with an elongated groove 52 along its unhinged inner edge. This groove 52 takes the place of the lug 42 in providing a retaining means for one edge of the folded strip 40. This elongated groove 52 has a somewhat more positive retaining effect on the V folded strip since it extends the length of the strips edge.

However, it does not provide quite as much free access for the fingers to grasp the edge of the folded strip to release it. It also requires somewhat more care in inserta ing the folded strip into its retained position in the casing.

tween the hook 36 and the selected hole 38. Furthermore, not only is this engagement much more secure than that provided by other types of buckles but there is little wear on the engaged portion of the belt or on the buckle so that the operable life of the belt and buckle assembly is greatly extended. At the same time, the receptacle portion of the buckle is always in easily accessible position and provides aback-ground for any desired form of ornamentation to enhance the appearance and commercial appeal of the assembly.

Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are'possible in the light of the above teachings; It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

The invention claimed is:

l. A belt and belt-buckle assembly comprising a belt having a free end and a buckle end, a series of holes in said belt adjacent said free end, the holes in said series being spaced from each other longitudinally of said belt,

a buckle, a housing on said buckle, said housing having a rear wall defining a closed rear face and a front opening defining an open front face, means connected to said housing to releasably retain a folded data strip within said housing, a front cover plate hinged to said housing and movable into and out of closed position against the open front face of said housing, latch means on said housing and cover plate for releasably holding said cover plate in its closed position against said open front face, an ofiset bracket at one edge of said buckle, said bracket having an opening, said bracket and opening therein extending in a direction rearwardly of said buckle and having its free end situated rearwardly of the rear wall of said housing, the buckle end of said belt being connected to the free end of said bracket, and a hook on the rear wall of said buckle in spacedrelation to said bracket, said hook extending 'rearwardly of said buckle with its free end in a plane substantially commonwith the free end of said bracket, said hook being selectively engageable within the holes 'in said series.

2. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means to releasably retain said folded data strip within said housing comprises a lug extending from one edge of said open front face of. said housing and partially overlying said front opening.

3. The assembly of claim 1 wherein said means to releasably retain said folded data strip within said housing comprises an elongated slot in one portion of a peripheral wall of said housing defining the hollow interior thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,913,794 Ostrower Nov. 24, 1959

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