US3208124A

US3208124A - Spring buckle

Info

Publication number: US3208124A
Application number: US50342A
Authority: US
Inventors: Rossi Anacleto
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1960-08-18
Filing date: 1960-08-18
Publication date: 1965-09-28
Anticipated expiration: 1982-09-28

Description

A. ROSS] SPRING BUCKLE Sept. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 18, 1960 fi WE M 6 n 6 Av B F 4 w w w a F WM 277% 4770E/VEV5' A. ROSS] SPRING BUCKLE Sept. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed Aug. 18, 1960 I I N V EN TOR. A/zac/ew 1905.96

WM) m United States Patent 3,298,124 SPRING BUCKLE Anacleto Rossi, Via Landino 14, Florence, Italy Filed Aug. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 50,342 16 Claims. (Cl. 24-181) This invention relates generally to the class of buckles and clasps and is directed particularly to improvements in buckles or fastening devices designed for use with waist belts for supporting trousers and similar garments.

Belt buckles are known which have in the construction thereof a body portion constituting a slide guide, which is adapted to be secured to one end of a waist belt and having another portion which is connected to the body portion for sliding movement thereon against the resistance of a yieldable connector between the parts and which other part is designed to be adjustably connected to the other end of the waist belt.

An unsatisfactory feature of this known buckle construction resides in the fact that the slide guide or body portion which comes in contact with the garment is checked in its movements by the garment itself and accordingly restricts the ease of sliding or movement relative to the garment or, in other words, such body portion which is secured permanently to the one end of the belt does not have all of the freedom of play with respect to the garment which is desirable.

It is a particular object, in view of the foregoing, to provide an improved belt buckle structure for use particularly in connection with belts for supporting trousers and similar garments wherein a means is provided for permitting elastic or yieldable movement between the parts which are connected to the two ends of the garment belt and relative to the base or body part of the buckle which, in use, remains substantially stationary with respect to the garment. Accordingly a greater degree of movement or play is had between the connected ends of the garment belt than in the previously known type of buckle, hereinbefore referred to, without having the garment itself involved in any way as a restricting means to such movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel belt buckle structure wherein there is provided a body portion designed to function as a slide guide, and a pair of relatively slidable elements mounted upon said body portion and resiliently connected together and adapted for connection with the two ends of a belt and wherein such structure is of a design which facilitates the quick and easy attachment of the belt ends to the relatively movable and resiliently connected parts of the buckle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a buckle structure of the type described, which is designed in a novel manner whereby the parts thereof can be easily and economically formed and readily assembled for use. A further and general object of the invention is to provide a new and novel belt buckle which, when attached to the two ends of a Waist belt, will permit such ends to have relative free play independently of the part of the buckle upon which they are mounted.

Broadly, the present invention embodies an improved buckle structure having an elongate body portion constituting a slide carrying and guide structure, and a pair of sliding components mounted upon the guide structure independently of one another but connected together by an elastic means. One of such slide components is designed to be fixedly secured to an end of a waist belt, while the other component is constructed so that it may be adjustably attached to the other end of the waist belt, as for example, by means of the conventional longitudinally spaced apertures in the body of the belt and which apertures provide the usual means of adjusting the size 3,208,124 Patented Sept. 28, 1965 of the belt or adjusting the belt to the size of the wearers waist. More specifically the belt structure comprises an elongate flat body portion constituting the slide guide forming structure, which body portion is of slightly longitudinally arcuate form and is made up of a front and back wall, which front and back walls are flanged along their longitudinal edges and which flanges are recessed so that when the front and back walls are fixed together in parallel relation there will be provided longitudinal edge slots. A first or bridging slide spans the outer side of the front wall and has edge lips which extend into the longitudinal slots for sliding engagement therein. Associated with this bridging slide is an inner or covered slide which carries a headed stud projecting through a longitudinal slot in the front wall of the body portion for adjustable connection with an end of a waist belt and the body portion of the buckle forms a casing or housing enclosing a pair of springs which resiliently connect the slides together, and means is provided for fixedly or nonadjustably securing the other end of the waist belt to the bridging slide. Thus, when the slides of the buckle are connected to the ends of the Waist belt with the arcuate body portion between the connected ends and the garment or the body of the wearer, both slides may have movement relative to the guide forming body and they may also have relative movement one to the other to permit the waist belt size to change in accordance with changes in the waist measurements of the wearer while the belt is being worn.

The invention will best be understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a belt buckle constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of the buckle of FIG. 1 looking at the front thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view in edge elevation of the buckle shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a view in edge elevation of the form of the buckle shown in FIG. 1 showing the same connected to the overlapped ends of a waist belt and showing a portion of the bridging slide, the attached end of the belt and the locking means in section.

FIG. 5 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section taken in the plane of line 6-6 on FIG. 3 looking in the direction of the arrows but showing the attaching stud in end elevation and showing the position of the slot of the body front wall in dotted outline.

FIG. 7 is an edge elevational view showing the front and back walls of the body portion prior to bringing the same together in the assembling of the buckle structure.

FIG. 8 is a view in perspective of the slides and the coupling springs therebetween, the parts being in exploded relation.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the blank from which the body portion is formed.

FIG. 10 is a view in perspective of a locking element for securing one end of a waist belt in the bridging slide.

FIG. 11 is a view in plan of a second embodiment of the invention showing the same connected with the fixed end of a waist belt and showing portions of the embodiment such as the bridging slide and the front wall of the body respectively in section but broken away.

FIG. 12 is a view in edge elevation of the structure shown in FIG. 11 and showing the second or adjustable end of the waist belt attached thereto.

FIG. 13 is a view in plan of the bridging slide and belt end attaching yoke, a portion of the bridging slide being broken away.

FIG. 14 is a view in edge elevation of the attaching yoke and the bridging slide with which it is connected, the latter being partially in section.

FIG. 15 is a view in front elevation of another or third embodiment of the buckle structure.

FIG. 16 is a view in edge elevation of the third embodiment.

FIG. 17 is a view partly in elevation of the third embodiment showing the bridging slide in one extreme position of movement relative to the body and the inner slide, the bridging slide being partly in section and the front wall of the body portion being broken away.

FIG. 18 is a front elevational view corresponding to FIG. 17 but showing the slides in the extreme positions of separation one from the other, the body at the slotted end of the front wall being in section and the location of the slot being shown in dotted outline.

FIG. 19 is a partial longitudinal section taken substantially in the plane of line 19-19 of FIG. 16 looking in the direction of the arrows.

FIG. 20 is a view in transverse section taken approximately on the line 20-20 of FIG. 15.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, reference will first be made to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 10 inclusive.

In FIG. 1 the numeral 10 generally designates a belt buckle constructed in accordance with one or a first embodiment of the invention. The buckle structure comprises a slide guide body which is generally designated 12 with which are associated a pair of slide members one of which is generally designated 14 and which constitutes What will be termed the bridging slide, while the other slide is generally designated 16 and may be generally termed the inner or covered slide, which

slides

14 and 16 are resiliently coupled together in a manner hereinafter described.

The guide body, as shown in FIG. 9, is formed of two long wall parts. This figure illustrates the blank from which the wall parts are constructed and comprises the front wall section 18 and the back wall section 20 which, as shown, are in the form of long rectangular members joined along the end front line 22 to be brought into juxtaposed cooperative relationship forming the guide body 12 hereinbefore referred to.

The

wall portions

18 and 20 in FIG. 9 are shown as having edge fold lines 24 which provide in the shaping of the rectangular wall parts the longitudinal and

end flanges

25 and 26 respectively for the front and back walls. Each of these longitudinal flanges has a recessed portion extending through the larger part of the length thereof and intermediate their ends, which recessed portions of the front and back walls are designated respectively 27 and 28.

The front and back wall portions are folded together whereby to bring the edge flanges thereof into opposing and joined relation and when so folded together the

recessed edges

27 and 28 of the two wall portions provide the guide body with the long longitudinal slots 29 for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

After the

wall parts

18 and 20 are brought together to form the slotted guide body the free ends of the wall parts are coupled together by the tongues 30' which form initially integral portions of the blank wall part 18. Thus, by means of the tongues 30, when the

wall parts

18 and 20 are folded into superposed or juxtaposed relation there is provided the guide body which is generally designated 12, forming the chamber 31.

The slide guide body is also formed with a slight longitudinal curvature as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1, 3, 4 and 7, the back wall 20 being on the concave side of the body.

The bridge slide 14 comprises a front or face plate portion 32 which is of a materially greater width than the front Wall 18 before which it is positioned and across which it extends. At opposite sides the plate 32 carries the side walls 33 which extend across the longitudinal edges of the body front wall 18 and these side walls of the bridge slide join inturned flanges 34 which extend through the guide slots 29 as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 5.

Each of the flanges 34 is pressed or otherwise formed to have a longitudinal rib 35 and these ribs engage the outer sides of the flanges of the back wall 20 in the slotted portion of such flanges. In other words, the flanges of the back wall are confined between the ribs 35 so as to hold the bridging slide against movement transversely of the guide body.

As will be readily apparent upon reference to FIGS. 7 and 9, the side tongues 30 on the front wall 18 are at the ends of the recessed portions 27 and accordingly it will be seen that these tongues 31 will limit the sliding movement of the bridge guide toward the end of the guide body where the tongues 30 are located.

At the front end of the body 12 the front wall 18 is provided with a slot 36 which is located on the longitudinal center of the wall and this slot receives the hereinafter described belt connecting or belt attaching stud carried by the inner or covered slide 16.

The flanges 34 carry the hooks 37 which are aligned transversely of the bridging slide as shown in FIG. 6, the function of which hooks will be hereinafter described.

The inner slide 16 comprises a plate 38 which is positioned entirely within the chamber 31. The plate 38 carries the two spaced arms 39 which extend longitudinally within the chamber 31 each adjacent to a side flange 26 and these arms are directed toward the ends of the flanges 34 of the bridge slide and are adapted to contact the flange to limit the movement of the plate 38 toward the bridge slide.

The plate 33 carries a post 40 which extends through and is adapted to slide in the slot 36 and upon its outer end the post carries a head or top 41.

The plate 38 also has means, here shown as being in the form of openings or apertures 42, for the connection therewith of springs 43. Each spring has one end connected by the hook 44 in an opening 42 and the opposite end of each spring is connected by a corresponding hook 45 with a bridge slide hook 37 as illustrated in FIG. 6. These springs 43 are under constant tension even when the two slides are drawn together as closely as is permitted by the arms 39 and when the slides are separated they are, of course, under greater tension so as to function in the desired manner to draw an attached waist belt relatively tightly around the waist of the wearer.

In this first embodiment of the invention a locking means is provided for securing one end of a waist belt to the bridge slide element of the buckle. Such locking means is illustrated in FIG. 10 and is generally designated 46 and comprises a metal plate 47 having a transverse width approximately equalling the distance between the inner surfaces of the side walls 33 of the bridge slide within which bridge slide the plate and an end of the belt are secured.

One end edge of the plate 47 has a right angularly turned flange 48 therealong and adjacent to the opposite end edge of the plate 47 from the flange 48 the plate carries several upstanding spurs or prongs 49 in a row paralleling the adjacent plate edge and these spurs extend upwardly from the same side of the flange as shown in FIG. 10.

Each of the side walls 33 of the bridge slide carries upon its inner surface or has projecting from its inner side a longitudinally extending ridge 50, which ridge may be formed by pressing the wall material inwardly and the ridge is spaced midway between the face plate 32 and the flange 34 and is designed to form a supporting track for an edge of the plate 47. The end of each ridge 50 nearest to the slide 16 is tapered or sloped slightly as indicated at 51 and at the opposite end the ridge bends or is directed obliquely outwardly toward the face plate 32 as indicated at 52.

In FIG. 4 there are illustrated the fixed and adjustable end portions of a waist belt, such fixed and adjustable portions being respectively indicated by the

reference numerals

53 and 54. In the employment of the locking means or locking element 46 for securing the end portion 53 of the waist belt to the bridge slide, such end portions of the belt is extended through the bridge slide from the end thereof remote from the post 49 and is placed upon the plate 47 over the points of the spurs 49 and with its end edge against the flange as. The plate 47 with the end of the belt located thereon is then inserted into the bridge slide along the underface or inner face of the plate 32, the opposite or lateral edges 47:: of the plate resting upon the ridges 50. The tapered or sloping end portions of the ridges 5t) facilitate the guiding of the plate edges 47a onto the ridges and when the ends of the edges 47a nearest to the spurs reach the opposite ends of the ridges they will ride up on the angled end portions 52, thereby binding the belt between the plate 47 and the inner face of the plate 31 of the bridge slide. The length of the plate 47, which is the distance between the transverse edge adjacent to the spurs 49 and the flange 48, is such that when the plate is stopped in its movement by the angled portions 52 of the ridges, the edge of the flange 48 will be engaged against the inner face of the plate 32 as shown in FIG. 4. Also the squeezing or pressing of the material at the end portion of the belt between the plate 47 and the bridge slide face plate 32 will force the spurs or rongs 49 into the material so as to firmly secure the same into place.

Means is also provided whereby the fixed or secured end portion of a belt may be permanently attached to the belt buckle by sewing or stitching in place of using the locking element or locking plate 46. The means whereby this manner of attaching the belt at one end permanently to the buckle is illustrated in FIGS. 11 to 14 inclusive.

It will be noted that the bridge slide 14 is illustrated as having the inturned flanges 34 thereof provided at the ends which are remote from the inner slide 16, with the apertures 55. In FIGS. 11 to 14 it will be seen that these apertures are designed to be employed for coupling to the bridge slide, a yoke member which is generally designated 56. The yoke member 56 comprises a cross bar 57 having extended from each end an arm 58, each of the arms being slightly inset with respect to the ends of the bar 57, thereby providing a notch or recess at the inner end of each arm at 59 in which a side edge of a belt end may engage. The free ends of the arms 58 are hooked as indicated at 60 and each of these hooks is adapted to be engaged in an opening 55 and the hook may then be forcibly closed so as to prevent it from escaping from the opening.

The numeral 61 designates an end portion of a belt which is reduced and looped or folded over the bar 57 and then turned back and stitched to itself as indicated at 62, whereby to form a permanent fastening between the belt end and the bar of the yoke 56.

By providing the bridge slide initially with the openings 55, it will be seen that either of the two ways of fixing an end of a belt to the buckle may be employed, that is, use may be made of the locking element 46, as

hereinbefore described, or, if preferred, the yoke 56 may be used. It will be understood, however, that the buckle may be constructed so as to leave the bridge slide free of the openings 55 if desired.

It will be seen from the preceding description that when the locking means 46 is employed for securing the belt end portion 53 to the buckle, the opposite and free or adjustable end portion 54 is connected with the sliding element or component 16 by engaging the headed end of the post 46 through an opening in the free end of the belt. With this arrangement it will be seen, also, that the free end of the belt portion 54 will then be slid through the bridging slide 14 to lie between the end portion 53 and the body 12 of the buckle and each end portion will be completely hidden.

When use is made of the yoke 56 for attaching the end portion 61 of a belt to the buckle, then it will be seen upon reference to FIG. 12 that when the opposite or free end portion 63 is attached by means of the post 40, such portion will extend through the bridging slide over the outer side of the belt portion 61.

As previously stated the movement of the buckle bridging slide 14- in the direction away from the inner or covered slide 16, on the body 12, will be limited by the tongues 30. However, in the embodiment of the structure illustrated in FIGS. 15 to 20, a slightly different slide guide body construction is illustrated which allows a greater extent of separatory movement between the bridging slide and the inner or covered slide. In this latter embodiment the slide guide body is generally designated 75, the bridging slide is generally designated 76, and the inner or covered slide is generally designated 77.

The body '75 is longitudinally arcuate as in the previously described construction and as is shown in FIG. 16 and it comprises the front wall section 78 and the back wall 79, which sections are preferably initially cut or formed as a blank in the manner illustrated in FIG. 10, being joined together at the end 80 of the body by a portion of the metal which is bent in bringing the wall sections into parallel relation.

The two wall sections are flanged along their longitudinal edges as indicated at 81 and across the end of a body where the walls are joined at 80 but this flange does not extend across the opposite ends of the wall sections there being only a connection between the front and back wall sections on the longitudinal center of the walls at 32, which connection is shown in section in FIG. 19.

The front wall section 78 is provided with a longitudinal slot 83 at the end remote from the connection 82 and the flanges 81 are recessed as at 84 from locations adjacent to the inner end of the slot 83 to the opposite ends of the walls so that when the walls are brought into the juxtaposed relation there will be provided the edge slots 85, each of which extends partway across the end of the body toward the connection 82.

The bridging slide 76 is substantially of the same form or construction as the slide 14 except that the face plate portion 84 not only has the longitudinal and substantially vertical or perpendicularly related side walls 85, but such side walls merge with the inwardly converging lower wall portions 85. These converging wall portions 36 join one side of a longitudinal rib 87, the opposite side of which rib is continued inwardly in the very narrow flange 88 which corresponds to the flanges 34 of the first described structure.

As in the previously described construction the flanges, here designated 88, carry the hooks 89 with which the springs 90 are connected, the other ends of the springs being connected to the inner slide 77 which, as shown, is of substantially the same construction as the hereinbefore described slide 16. The other features of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 15 to 20 are in correspondence with the features of the first described construction.

It will be seen from the preceding description that the slide guide body 75 is so designed that the bridging slide can be moved so that a substantial portion of it will be extended beyond the end of the body which is remote from the slide 77. In FIG. 17 the bridge slide is extended to the limit of its movement away from the slide 77, such movement being limited by engagement of the hooks 89 against the connecting portion 82, as best shown in FIG. 17. In this figure the inner slide 77 is shown moved to the limit of its movement toward the connecting portion 82 of the body but in FIG. 18 it will be seen that while the bridging slide is in its extreme position toward the left end of the guide body the inner slide 77 may still be moved to the opposite or remote end of the slot 83. Thus, it will be seen that in this construction as in the originally described construction or first embodiment, the two slides may have inserted movement, or one may move away from the other while the other is stationary, as in FIG. 17, or they may both move simultaneously away from one another, as shown in FIG. 18.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that there is here disclosed a new and novel waist belt buckle construction which has many features of advantage not found in prior art buckle structures, a particularly novel feature residing in the arrangement whereby both ends of the Waist belt may have movement with respect to the garment and the body to which they are attached and may also have movement one independently of the other in response to the requirements imposed thereon.

I claim:

1. A buckle of the character described, comprising an elongate flat body having spaced front and back walls forming an elongate chamber, the body having longitudinal edge slots opening into the chamber, a first slide member having a part extending across said front wall, said slide member having other parts extending through said slots into said chamber and slidable in and longitudinal of the slots, a second slide member, the second slide member being housed in the chamber for movement in and longitudinally of the same independently of the first slide member, means for securing one end of a belt to the first slide member, resilient contractile coupling means between said other parts of the first slide member and the second slide member, and means for attaching the other end of a belt to the second slide member.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the first stated means is designed to secure the said one end of the belt to the first named part of the first slide member between said first named part and said front wall of the body.

3. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the last stated means comprises a member carried by the second slide member and extending through a slot formed in and longitudinally of the said front wall of the body.

4. A buckle structure of the character described comprising an elongate, longitudinally arcuate relatively thin chambered slide carrier body having spaced front and back walls and having opposing edge flanges extending lengthwise of the body and recessed through the major extent of their length to provide the body with longitudinal edge slots, a first slide member, said slide member comprising a plate part disposed across said front wall and having side Wall portions extending across the edges of said front wall and joining flanges which extend through said slots into the body chamber, said flanges being slidable in said slots, said first slide member being slidable to a position where it projects a substantial distance beyond one end of the carrier body, a second slide member within said chamber for movement between the said flanges of the first slide member and the other end of the carrier body, means carried by one slide member for maintaining the slide members in spaced relation while permitting both separatory and unitary movements thereof, spring means coupling the slide members and yieldingly urging the same together, and means associated with each slide member for attaching an end of a belt thereto.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the last named means which is associated with the first slide member comprises a locking plate carried by the said plate part of the first slide member, between which locking plate and plate part the belt end is gripped.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the last named means which is associated with the second slide member comprises a post extending through a slot formed in and longitudinally of the body front wall at the end of the latter remote from the first slide member.

7. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the last named means which is associated with the first slide member comprises a substantially U-shaped yoke having a cross bar and having two leg portions each attached at one end to and extending from an end of the cross bar and a movable coupling between the other end of each leg member and a side of the first slide member, the yoke being in straddling relation with the adjacent end of the body.

8. A waist belt buckle, comprising an elongate, longitudinally arcuate thin chambered slide carrier body having spaced front and back walls and having opposing edge flanges extending lengthwise of the body and recessed through the major extent of their length to provide the body with longitudinal edge slots, a first slide member, said slide member comprising a part disposed across said front wall and having side portions extending across the edges of said front wall and joined to flanges which extend through said slots into the body chamber, said flanges being slidable in said slots, a second slide member Within said chamber for movement between said flanges of the first slide member and the other end of the carrier body, spring means within the body chamber and coupling the slide members and yieldingly urging the same toward one another, and means associated with each slide member for attaching an end of a belt thereto.

9. The invention according to claim 8, wherein the last named means which is associated with the second slide member comprises a post extending through a slot formed in and longitudinally of the body front wall.

10. The invention according to claim 8, wherein each of said flanges carries a hook member located within the body chamber to each of which an end of a spring means is connected.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,416,609 5/22 Clausen 2-'339 1,493,684 5/24 Linder 24163.1 1,644,720 10/27 Goldstein 24-163 1,737,492 11/29 Carroll 24163.1 1,752,414 4/30 Burnett 24--163.1 2,388,752 11/45 Loos 24-163 2,854,721 10/58 Stuchko 24-181 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,020,735 11/52 France. 552,869 12/56 Italy.

DONLEY I. STOCKING, Primary Examiner.

ABRAHAM G. STONE, Examiner.