US369067A

US369067A - Clasp or buckle

Info

Publication number: US369067A
Authority: US
Publication date: 1887-08-30
Anticipated expiration: 1904-08-30

Description

1 UNITED STVNIEVSj PATENT OFFICE.

V .JAMES aMAoMILLAN, on cIIIoAoo, ILLINOIS.

CLAsPoR BUCKLE..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 369,067, dated August 30, 1887.

Application filed April 25, 1887. l Serial No. 235,972. (No model.) I

` To @ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, J AMES R. MACMILLAN, yf Chicago, in the county of Cook and State Illinois, have invented certain new and Iseful Improvements in Buckles; and I do nereby declare that the following is a full, clear,

' exact description thereof, reference being y i to the accompanying drawings, 'and to the ters of reference marked thereon, which K:I a part of this specilication.

lhis invention relates to a novel snap clasp A) r buckle adapted for 'detaehably connecting 'the ends of straps or ropes with each other, or detachably connecting a strap or rope with si Yieother object.

4 e invention consists in matters hereinattei described, and pointed out in the appen ded claims.

,.ifhe invention may be more readily under- :iwtood by reference to the accompanying drawngs, in which- Y Figure l is a perspective view of a buckl illustrating a preferred embodiment of my in- -ention. Fig. 2 is a face view of the same, showing the parts thereof separate from each other, a portion of the main part or shank of the buckle being shown in section taken upon line :uw of Fig. 3. l Fig..3 is a longitudinal section, taken upon line .s a: of Fig. 2, showing the parts of the buckleconnected with each other. Fig. 4 is a face view of a buckle differing somewhat from the one shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the same, taken upon line a' x of Fig. 4.

As shown in said iigures of the drawings, A is the main body or hook portion of the device, consisting of a shank provided with a hook, a, at one end and having a loop, A', at the other for attachment to a strap, B.

C is the eye 7 portion of the snap, having an open eye or loop, c, for engagement with the hook a, and a closed loop, c', for attachment to a strap, B. .The open eye c is constituted of two inwardly-directed prongs, o2 c2, which engage the hook aby extending around the opposite sides of the latter, as indicated in Fig. 2,.

D is a tongue, stop-piece, or detent, which in this instance is pivoted between its ends to the shank of the hooked part A at a considerable distance back of the hook with its front en d surface normally standing across the opening of theihook a and adjacent to the point or edge of the latter, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3. The pivot or axis d' of the detent D is so arranged that the front end of the detent will swing toward and from the shank A in a direction transverse to the point of the hook a and in a position proximate thereto.

D is a suitable spring arranged between the detent and the shank of the hook to throw the front end of the detent inwardly. Commonly the inward movement of the detent will be arrested by the striking or resting of the detent against the hook-shank, as also indicated in Figs. l and 3; but any other stop may be provided.

The front end of the detent D is in the form of a cross-bar, d, and the neck or body of the detent just back of this cross-bar d is of suitable width to pass between the free ends of the prongs c2 c2 of the eye c. As also shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, illustrating this form of the detent, the under and rear surfaces of the projecting parts of the cross-bar d are beveled forwardly and inwardly, so that by first dropping the prongs c2 c2 of the open eye c behind the cross-bar d and then drawing the eye forwardly or toward the hook et the prongs of the eye will lift the crossebar and pass beneath it into the hook. To release the eye from the hook the rearen'd of the detent will be depressed, thereby raising the front end or the end adjacent to the hook a, and allowing the prongs a? a2 to be moved backwardly beneath the cross-bar and outwardly behind it.

'In either inserting or removing the eye in the construction above described the detent is not lifted beyond the end of the hook a, and the prongs of the eye c do not pass between the detent and said hook.

To give additional stiffnessv and rigidity to the hook a,I have herein shown the middle part of said hook as provided with an integral web or fillet, a', which fills the otherwise unoccupied space between the ends of the prongs c2 c2, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The employment of this filling-piece is not, however, essential to the making of an operative device of the character shown. v

For the purpose of giving a neat and smooth iinish to the parts the main part of the detent D is tted within a recess,A2, in the shank A, with its top surface flush with the adjacent side parts of the said shank, as clearly shown in Fig. l, and the spring D is located within the recess of the shank A beneath the detent in a manner clearly shown in Fig. 3. Such IOO spring D may be arranged in any desired manner; but as herein shown it has the form of a leaf-spring attached at one end to the shank A, and pressing at its opposite or free end upwardly or outwardly against the under surface of the said detent D.

I have herein shown the end of thc detent I),upon which the finger is placed for moving the detent, as flush with the adjacent sides of the shank, so that said end of the detent is depressed into the recess A` when the finger is pressed thereon in the manner indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. If preferred, this end of the detent D may be provided with a knob or projection, d3, as indicated in dotted lines in Figs. l and 3, to enable it to be more conveniently actuated by the nger.

It will of course be understood that as far as the main features of constrn ction shown and described are concerned the device may be inodifiedin form and details without depart, ure from my invention-as, for instance, the shank A of the buckle may be provided with any suitable means for attachment to a rope or to an object with which it is desired to.detaehably connect a strap or rope, or the open eye or loop c may be similarly adapted for attachment to a rope or to a stationary object by means other than the loop c.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is shown a snap or buckle generally similar to that illustrated in the preceding figures, and above described, but differing therefrom in certain particulars, which will be here pointed out. First, the eye Chas a continuous cross-bar, c4, in place of the separated prongs c2 cY of the preceding figures, giving a closed loop or eye, c, for engagement with the hook a; second, the fillet or rib a of the preceding figures is omitted, and, third, the detent (here marked E) is not necessarily T-shaped. In this case, in engaging the eye with the hook the end c of the detent is raised beyond the hook a far enough to admit the cross-bar c4 of the eye C between the detent and the end ofthe hook, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5. The construction shown in said Figs. 4 and 5 therefore contains only part of the improvements illustrated by the preceding figures. The principal feature common toall figures of the drawings is a detent having at one end an outward and inward movement with respect to the shank across and adjacent to the point of the hook, said detent, when at the inner extremity of its movement, standing adjacent to the shank and with its end surface across the opening of the hook, so that by said end surface it retains the eye from escape.

In a snap buckle or clasp made as last above described the other parts thereof than those referred to may be made as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3, or otherwise, as desired. I have shown a spring, E', as applied to hold the detent E in its folded or closed position, said spring being arranged like the spring D. (Shown in Fig. 3.)

A snap or buckle comprising a shank having a lateral hook at one end and a detent pivoted to the shank at a point remote from the hook and having its end movable toward and from the shank across the end of the hook and adapted to stand with its endsurfaceacross the hook-opening when closed, so as to thereby confine the eye within the hook, as illustrated in both forms of the device here shown, has the advantage of being much thinner and more compact than such hooks as herotofore constructed, and such improved construction is intended to be embraced in my following claims.

I claim as my invention--` l. A clasp, snap, or buckle constructed substantially as herein set forth, comprising a shank provided at one end with a hook, a detent pivoted to the shank at a point remote from the hook and having one of its ends movable laterally toward and from the shank across and adjacent to the'end of the hook, said end of the detent, when the latter is closed, standing across the hook-opening for the retention of the eye within the hook, substantially as described.

2. A clasp, snap, or buckle constructed substantially as described, comprising a shank provided with a hook, a detent inovably mounted on the shank and having a cross-bar at itsv end which, when at rest, stands across the hook-opening, and an open eye adapted to pass behindY and beneath the said cross-bar into the hook, substantially as set forth.

3. A clasp, snap, or buckle constructed substantially as described, comprising a shank provided with a hook, a detent pivoted to the shank and provided at one end with a crossbar, which, when the snap is closed, stands across the opening of the hook, a spring arranged to hold the detent in position to thus close the hook opening, and an open eye adapted to pass behind and beneath the crossbar into the hook, substantially as described.

4. A snap, clasp, or buckle constructed substantially as herein set forth, comprising a shank provided with a hook, a movable T- shaped detent mounted on the shank and adapted to close the opening of the hook, the transverse part or cross-bar of the said detent being inclined or beveled upon its rear or ICO inner surface, a spring applied to hold the said detent normally in position to close the opening of the hook, and an open eye or loop adapted to pass behind and beneath the crossbar into the loop adapted to pass behind and beneath the cross-bar into the hook, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES It. MACMILLAN.

VVilnesses:

C. CLARENCE PooLn, CHARLus T. LonING.