US69669A - Improved buckle - Google Patents

Description

UNITED STATES PATENT CDEEIGE.

A. H. HOPKINS, OF GOSHEN, INDIANA.

IMPRovED BUCKLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 69,669, dated OctoberI 8, 1867.

vw vf.'

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I, A. E. HOPKINS, of Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have `invented a new and -useful Improvement in Buckles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, which will en able others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved double buckle, taken in the line ee se,

Fig. 2, showing also the manner of connecting the ends of two straps. Fig. 2 is a view of one of the flat sides.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to an improved plan of construction in metal buckles for harnessleathers or straps of any kind and consists iu forming a rectangular buckle with two tongues,

one at each end,hun g upon a center bar on opposite sides in opposite directions,and each tongue provided with a tuck-loop for the end of the strap. The advantage of this double buckle is that the ends of two straps may be fastened together with it by passing them through the buckle in opposite directions and securing the straps by the tongues on the opposite sides and ends of the buckle, instead of being fastened to the end of one of the straps,like a single buckle, or instead of `sewing' the buckle on the strap in the usual Way, as shown in Fig. 1.

A further advantage of a buckle of my improved construction consists in forming a loop on the end of a strap to which it is attached by turning the strap back upon itself and passing it through the buckle in reverseposition, as shown in Fig. 3, thus, by means of a single buckle, and without sewing on eXtra straps, allowing bridle-reins or driving-lines to be connected with the bits of the harness and with each other. Thus, indeed, all parts of harness can be connected, taken up, or lengthv ened by a movable buckle, without sewing and extra Hap-straps, and disposing also entirely with leather loops employed, whereby great economy is effected in the cost of the harness, and great convenience inhandlingit is secured.

The buckle A is made in oblong shape, like' two ordinary buckles, united on a common cross-bar, a, in the middle, to form a double buckle. The tongues b bare both hung on the center cross-bar a, either upon separate pivots or on the same pivot, so that their points shall lift and catch upon the opposite ends and sides ofthe buckle against the crossbars d d, and thus be reversed in their position and operation.

0n each side are tuck-loops c e, for receiving and holding down the ends of the straps, in the manner of ordinary leather loops on the strap itself when single buckles are used.

It will be seen that the ends of two straps may be introduced in the opposite ends of my improved double buckle, and thus be fastened together securely, without sewing either the buckle itself or the loop, and it may be adjusted at any distance from the ends of a strap, as shown in Fig. 1, and that the end of a strap to which the buckle has been attached may be turned back and passed through the outer end of the buckle to form a loop and be held by the tongue on the opposite side, and thence passed under the tuck-loops c on the same side of the buckle. The loop thus formedvwill connect bridle-reins and drivinglines with the rings of bits, lengths may be changed and adjusted to t as desired very readily, and the position of the buckle may be shifted to change the point ot' wear of the loop, and thus save the strap where it commonly fails first.

It will be observed, therefore, that the buckle thus formed, with tongues and tuck-loops on opposite sides, performs the double oflice of connecting two straps and of forming a loop on the end of one strap, to which it is attached, fitting it for service on every strap connection of a harness, so as to dispense with sewing for the purpose, and effecting a great saving ot' leather.

H aving described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-.-

A harness-buckle, formed lwith two tongues, b b, hung in' the middle in opposite directions, to lift and catch on the opposite flat sides ot' the frame against the cross-bars d d, and provided with tuck-loop's c c on each side, substantially as and for the purposes herein described.

A. H. HOPKINS.

Witnesses:

J. B. CARROLL, JACOB J. SMITH.

Images