US36235A - Improved harness-buckle - Google Patents

Description

NITE, STAT S ,ATENT' ()FFICEe MARTIN W. POND, OF ELYRIA, OHIO.

IMPROVED HARNESS-=BUGKLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,235, dated August 19, 1862.

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN W. POND, of Elyria, Lorain county, Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Buckle for Coupling Leather; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in using an eccentric clamp in combination with a straighttongue, thestrap passing between two bars and the clamp in such a manner thatthe clamp and tongue hold it firmly, The tighter the strap or trace is drawn the firmer it is held by the clamp and bar, yet so'distributing the pressure that the leather is not injured or deadened at any point.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my buckle in general appearance something like the common buckle for leather; but instead of using a round tongue passing obliquely through the strap, I use a straight palate-tongue passing through at right angles, and instead of the purchase of the strap being over a short fulcrum and all at one point, I, in fact, have two fulcrums, thereby dividing and distributing the purchase; butto be more particular I would say I construct my buckle with the sidesthrown out about an inch from the plane of the buckle, (see figures 1 1,) to which is hinged at each side(see figures 2 2) the clamp and tongue. (See figures 3 4.)

One inch or more from and on each side of 1 1, I have oval-shaped cross-bars, (see figures 5 6,) over which and under clamp 3 passes the strap to be fastened. It will be seen that as the trace is pulled or tightened it comes directly in contact with the short arm of the lever of the eccentric clamp 3and over bar 5, by which purchase the long arm of the clamp is forced against the trace as it passes over forward bar, 6, where I obtain a press ure which secures a friction confined to no point exclusively, but distributed over the whole face of the plane of the clamp and of the bars, which relieves the tongue of at least three-fourths of the usual strain it has to sustain in the common tongued buckle. To change the trace it is necessary only to push it forward at a point immediately behind the buckle, at once relieving the clamp and throwing the tongue out of its place, which reverses the clamp and completely liberates the trace, so that it can be changed without being removed from the loops on hame-tug, which is a matter-of great convenience in changing heavy traces.

It will alsobe noticed that while other buckles pass the trace bya short crook under the fulcrum, Ipass it bya long curveover the fulcrum, thereby leaving no buckleworn places exposed to sight when the trace is changed.

A loose-tongue can be hinged upon the hame-tug bar and allowed to fall upon the end of the long arm of the clamp; but this I consider too inconvenient and unnecessary.

In all buckles heretofore used with either straight or oblique tongues the strain comes all at one point, and that the weakest in the whole trace, because of the great and direct strain on the straight tongue when that is used, and when the oblique tongue is used the short crook and strain on the under side of the trace, in connection with the constant wear against a thin bar out-he upper side, necessarily requires a large amount of leather to give strength at this point, making it clumsy and expensive, and even then I think at least ninety per cent. of the breakage of traces g is at this point. This trouble is intended to be obviated by my buckle.

I do not claim a fixed or rigid tongue or clamp, as they have both been heretofore used; but

I do claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- As an improved article of manufacture, a buckle having its outside frame thrown out, figures 1 1, with three cross-bars and an eccentric clamp, 3, hinged and arranged as herein described.

M. W. POND.

\Vitnesses:

HENRY B. WEsT, KILBURN H. STONE.

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