US3175266A - Fastener - Google Patents

Description

March 30, 1965 J. McMUgLEN FASTENER Filed April 23, 1963 viii H INVENTOR LOU/.5 J. McMULLE/V B 9 AT RNEY United States Patent 3,175,266 FASTENER Louis J. McMullen, 1230 Ave. C, Apt. 3, Billings, Mont. Filed Apr. 23, 1963, Ser. No. 274,993 Claims. (Cl. 24181) This invention relates to a fastening device and particularly relates to an improved buckle for adjustably securing overlapping leather strap ends.

A principal objective of this invention is to provide an improved buckle requiring substantially less material and 3,175,266 Patented Mar. 30,1965

pairs of holes in the. billet end is, quite variable. The

fewer manufacturing operations in the making thereof as compared with comparable buckles of the prior art.

Another important objective of the invention is to provide a strap fastening device having no loose pieces which can be lost or misplaced and having a main body section which is easily and quickly mounted to a strap end.

.A still further objective of the invention is to provide a strap securing buckle wherein one or more securing pins are juxtaposed at right angles to the straps being secured which effectively eliminates many of the destructive stresses developed in buckles known heretofore.

A still another objective of the invention is to provide a buckle wherein all major stresses are taken by the strap itself rather than by the buckle. Further, the buckle secures the overlapping strap ends together without any undesirable buckling.

More particularly, and as described herein, the invention relates to a buckle for joining saddle stirrup strapsan environment where simplicity of design, ease of mounting, and ease of adjustment are of primary importance.

These and other important objectives and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood upon a reading of the following specifications taken in view of the attached drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a buckle blank prior to bending operations;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective of the buckle after bending and mounted on a strap end;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view diagrammatically indicating the strap position just prior to securement;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing another pin securing means; and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional View showing a still further pin securing means.

Referring now with more particularity to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts, the numeral 10 indicates a metallic blank from which the housing of the buckle may be formed. The housing after proper bending operations is indicated by the numeral 12 and is comprised basically of a bottom 14 and a top portion 16. The bottom 14 and top 16 are joined by a pair of side members 18 and 20 which are formed with securing tabs 22 at either end thereof. The buckle body is secured to the end of a strap 24 by folding the tabs inwardly and downwardly in the known manner. Extending upwardly from a medial portion of side members 13 and 20 are a pair of side walls 18 and 20'. The extensions run beyond the upper edge of strap 24 and are connected to one another via top portion 16. It should be noted that the top portion 16, after bending, has substantially one-half the length of the bottom 14. The buckle body forms a loop 21 defined principally of the bottom 14, the side walls 18' and 20', and top portion 16. The loop height is approximately two belt thicknesses.

The strap end 24 is formed with a pair of longitudinal slots 30 and 32 which run lengthwise of the strap and have a portion underlying the top portion 16. A pair of pins 34 and 36 are slidably received in the slots and are necks or narrowest portions of slots 46 and 48 are spaced a distance permitting pins 34 and 36 to pass therethrough after a slight force has been exerted. After the pins have passed through the neck portions, they are trapped between abutment fold 42 and the relatively steep tapers S of the pin receiving recesses. Therefore, the gradual after pins 34 and 36 have been inserted into the slots.

tapers T facilitate pin entrance and the steep tapers S hinder pin withdrawal.

In summary, the strap 24 is formed with slots 30 and 32 and-the buckle body 12 is secured thereto via tabs 22, It should be noted that pin length is just slightly less than the distance between theinner surface of bottom 14 and top 16 but longer than thedistance between the inner surface of bottom 14 and the inner surface of the inward folds 42 and 44. The billet end 58 of the strap is formed with a plurality of pairs of pin receiving apertures 60 along its longitudinal length which are adapted to receive the pins 34 and 36. In their first position the pins are at the ends of their respective slots removed from top portion 16. When the billet end 58 is inserted within the buckle loop 21 it is arranged parallel to the bottom strap 24 after the desired pair of apertures is opposing the securing pins. When the billet is arranged parallel with strap 24, and the apertures 60 receive the selected pins, a further insertion movement of the billet (to the right as depicted in the drawings) carries the pins into recesses 46 and 48 where they are secured. Further movement to the right is prevented by the abutment ledge of inward fold 42. The pins are positively held between tapers S and the ledge due to the natural resiliency in fingers 50, 52, 54 and 56.

A further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 4 where the pin receiving recesses are elimimatted and pins having a length slightly greater than the distance between the bottom and top portions of the loop are substituted therefor.

As seen in FIGURE 4, this embodiment utilizes a lateral groove 62 across the body having a length approximately the same length as the pin. As the pins are carried into the loop, the bottom and top portions are forced apart until the pins reach the groove 62.

A still further embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGURE 5 where a tongue 63 is formed in bottom 14 having a boss 64 at its free end. The tongue has a normal position shown in FIG. 5 but is biased to the dotted line position to permit the pin or pins to engage return fold 42. After the pin has passed over the tongue, boss 64 maintains it against the return fold. The arrows in FIGURES 4 and 5 indicate the direction of movement of the pin as it approaches its respective stops.

In a general manner, while there has been disclosed an effective and efficient embodiment of the invention, it should be well understood that the invention is not limited to such an embodiment, as there might be changes made in the arrangement, disposition, and form of the parts without departing from the principle of the present invention as comprehended within the scope of the accompanying claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle for adjustably securing a first strap to a second strap, said first strap having an elongated slot formed therein and said second strap having a plurality of spaced apertures throughout the length thereof, comprising a loop defining an opening theret-hrough to receive said first and second straps, said loop having a substantially fiat bottom and a substantially flat top parallel to said bottom,

means securing said first strap to said bottom so that an inner portion of said slot underlies said top and an outer portion of said slot does not underlie said p:

a pin slidably received in said slot and having a base in slidingsengagement with said bottom,

second means maintaining .said pin substantially normal to said top and bottom,

an abutment formed integral with-said top and disposed over said inner portion of said slot whereby, when one of said apertures is placed over said pin and said second strap is pulled through said loop in a first direction, movement of said second strap relative to said first strap is prevented when said pin engages said abutment, and

third means forming a part of said loop restraining movement of said pin in the opposite direction when said pin is in engagement with said abutment.

2. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes a pair of resilient fingers defining a recess for receiving the upper end of said pin.

3. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes a resilient boss formed of said loop and spaced longitudinally from said abutment slightly more than one pin diameter.

4. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said third means includes a first inward fold on said top forming said abutment and said fold extends generally transverse to the longitudinal length of said slot and a second inward fold having a pair of resilient fingers defining a recess for receiving and guiding the upper end of said pin toward said abutment.

5. The buckle described in claim 1 wherein said second means is comprised of a flange at the lower end of said pin between said bottom and said first strap having a diameter greater than the width of said slot.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 429,768 6/90 Merritt 24-181 606,629 6/98 Lawrence 24-l8l 614,179 11/98 Perkins 24l8l DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

Claims (1)

1. A BUCKLE FOR ADJUSTABLY SECURING A FIRST STRAP TO A SECOND STRAP, SAID FIRST HAVING AN ELONGATED SLOT FORMED THEREIN AND SAID SECOND STRAP HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APERTURES THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, COMPRISING A LOOP DEFINING AN OPENING THERETHROUGH TO RECEIVE SAID FIRST AND SECOND STRAPS, SAID LOOP HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BOTTOM AND A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT TOP PARALLEL TO SAID BOTTOM, MEANS SECURING SAID FIRST STRAP TO SAID BOTTOM SO THAT AN INNER PORTION OF SAID SLOT UNDERLIES SAID TOP AND AN OUTER PORTION OF SAID SLOT DOES NOT UNDERLIE SAID TOP, A PIN SLIDABLY RECEIVED IN SAID SLOT AND HAVING A BASE IN SLIDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BOTTOM, SECOND MEANS MAINTAINING SAID PIN SUBSTANTIALLY NORMAL TO SAID TOP AND BOTTOM, AN ABUTMENT FORMED INTEGRAL WITH SAID TOP AND DISPOSED OVER SAID INNER PORTION OF SAID SLOT WHEREBY, WHEN ONE OF SAID APERTURES IS PLACED OVER SAID PIN AND SAID SECOND STRAP IS PULLED THROUGH SAID LOOP IN A FIRST DIRECTION, MOVEMENT OF SAID SECOND STRAP RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST STRAP IS PREVENTED WHEN SAID PIN ENGAGES SAID ABUTMENT, AND THIRD MEANS FORMING A PART OF LOOP RESTRAINING MOVEMENT OF SAID PIN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION WHEN SAID PIN IS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ABUTMENT.

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