US1852585A - Buckle - Google Patents

Description

April 5, 1932. w MCDONALD 1,852,585

BUCKLE Filed Oct. 14, 1931 A J WHY/11.772 1107100600 J I z I Patented Apr. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES WILLIAM L. MCDONALD, OF GENEVA, NEW YORK BUCKLE Application filed October 14, 1931. Serial No. 568,684.

This invention relates to a novel and improved buckle for belts and the like and consists of the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a buckle designed more particularly for use with belts, but of general application to straps or the like of any kind where its peculiar features make it desirable for use;

The improved buckle has the tongue and operating parts at the rear and concealed from view and includes a guard or shield which alone is presented to view and which is detachable and capable of use with a different set of the other parts of the mechanism which may be discarded with the belt when the latter is worn out. The guard or shield may be made of the more precious metals, as silver or gold, and may be chased or engraved as desired for ornamental purposes.

The improved buckle is of simple and economical construction and it may be readily and easily applied to belts or the like of all kinds.

The advantages of the invention will more clearly appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a perspective view of a belt provided with the improved buckle, showing the belt as it appears when the belt is adjusted and buckled.

Figure 2 is a perspective view representing on a somewhat enlarged scale a rear view of the buckle as applied to one end of the belt with the other end, containing the spaced perforations for engagement by the buckle,

partially inserted into the buckle.

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the belt and buckle from the rear as they appear when the belt has been adjusted and buckled.

Figure 4 is a perspective view (looked at from the rear) of a shield which forms a part of the buckle.

Figure 5 is a perspective view (looked at from the rear) of the tongue and other parts of the buckle.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the buckle attached to one end of the belt as it appears when looked at from the rear. Referring now to that embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings :The

and adapted for engagement with a perfora- 1 tion in the belt; and a guard plate detachably secured to said attaching member and constituting an ornamental shield which is the only part of the buckle visible from the front when the buckle is in use.

8 indicates a belt to which the improved buckle is applied; 9 indicates thebuckle as a whole; 10 indicates the guard plate or. shield; 11, the hinged bail which carries the tongue 11"; and 16 indicates the anchor or attaching member which is secured to one end of the belt 8. The guard plate 10 is made of sheet metal and is of slightly greater depth than the belt to which the buckle is to be attached. It has top and bottom rearwardly extending right angular flanges 13, 13 which are connected together near their ends by vertically extending bars 14, 14 spaced from the rear face of the guard plate, as shown in Figure 4. The construction thus provides an open channel through the guard or shield 10 for the insertion at one end of the other parts of the device to which the guard plate is attached and for the insertion at the other end of the free end of the belt when buckling the ends of the belt together.

The attaching member 16 includes vertically spaced folded gripping wings 12 which engage the end margin of the belt to which they are riveted, as shown at 17, and an intermediate spring locking member 18. The gripping wings 12 have vertically aligned shoulders 19 at their rear ends and the spring locking member 18 presents an opposed shoulder 20 spaced laterally from the line of the shoulders 19. The bar 14 is engaged between the shoulders 19 on the one side and the shoulder 20 on the other side when the bail 11 and attaching member 16 are inserted between said bar and the rear face of the guard plate 10,the spring locking member 18 yielding to permit said bar 14 to come to position for such engagement, as shown in Figure 6. By this construction the guard plate is detachably connected to the rest of the buckle mechanism.

The spring locking member 18 extends into the neighborhood of the buckle tongue 11 which normally engages it when said buckle tongue has passed through one of the belt perforations. 1

As shown and preferably, the attaching member 16 is cut and formed from a single blank of metal which is split lengthwise, leaving a backing strip adapted to extend across one marginal face of the belt and three severed extensions, two of which are folded upon themselves to form the gripping wings l2,'and the other of which is folded back upon a line beyond the fold line of the first two to form the spring locking member 18.

To provide ample space for the yielding of the locking member 18 to permit the passage of the bar 14, either when attaching or detaching the guard plate,the marginal end of the belt between the gripping wings 12 is cut away to leave a pocket 21 (see Figure 5) between said wings into which pocket said spring locking member may be depressed until the shoulder 20 comes into a plane back of the bar 14.

The operation of the buckle is as follows With the buckle including the guard plate attached to the belt end, as shown in Figure 6, the belt is placed about the body and the free end 8 thereof is inserted through the space between the bar 14 and the guard plate and then through the bail 11 and between the tongue 11 and the locking member 18. It is drawn through to adjust the belt as tightly as may be desired upon the body, whereupon the tongue 11 is permitted to engage the nearest perforation 8 in the belt. It will be noted, as shown in Figure 1, that in the adjustment and buckling of the belt the free end 8 of the belt is next the person and at the rear of the main part of the belt, so as to be entirely concealed. The only thing visible from the front is the guard or shield 10. To unbuckle the belt the tongue 11 is lifted from the perforation 8 with which it is engaged and the belt end slipped out of the buckle by the reverse movement to that above described.

It will be obvious from the foregoing description that a belt and buckle of finished appearance is presented to view, with the free end of the belt as well as the other buckle parts entirely concealed.

While in describing my invention I have referred to several details of mechanical construction and arrangement, it is to be understood'that it is in no way limited thereto, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention 1. A buckle comprising an attaching member, a bail provided with a tongue, said bail being inseparably hinged to said attaching member, and a guard plate detachably' connected to said attaching member and shielding said attaching member and bail from view.

2. A buckle comprising an attaching member, a bail provided with a tongue, said bail being inseparably hinged to said attaching member, and a guard plate detachably con-. nected to said attaching member embracing and shielding said attaching member and hail from view.

3. A buckle comprising an attaching member consisting of vertically spaced gripping devices for attachment to a belt and an intermediate yielding locking member, said gripping members and locking member being formed to present opposed shoulders, a bail hinged to said gripping members and provided with a tongue adapted for engagement with said locking member, and a guard consisting of a channel adapted to embrace said attaching member and bail, said guard having a bar at one end for engagement between said locking shoulders, and a bar at the other end spaced from said guard to provide a passageway for the free end of a belt.

4. A buckle comprising a guard consisting of a flanged plate with vertical bars connecting the ends of said flanges, an attaching member consisting of vertically spaced gripping devices and an intermediate yielding locking member, said gripping devices and locking member being formed to present opposed shoulders for engagement with one of the bars of said guard, a bail hinged to said attaching member and provided with a tongue adapted to engage the end of said locking member, said bail and attaching member be ing capable of insertion in the space between one of said bars and said guard plate, said locking member being adapted to yield to per mit said bar to come into locking position between said shoulders.

5. A buckle comprising an attaching member, a yielding locking member carried thereby, a bail hinged to said attaching member and provided with a tongue, a guard consisting of a channel plate adapted to embrace said attaching member and bail, and means on said guard adapted to be engaged between said yielding locking member and said attaching member.

6. A buckle comprising a guard consisting of a flanged plate, an attaching member, a bail hinged to said attaching member and provided with a tongue, a yielding locking member on said attaching member, a vertical bar on said flanged guard plate, and said locking member and attaching member be ing provided with opposed shoulders adapted for engagement with said bar on said guard.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix my signature this 8th day of October, A. D. 1931.

WILLIAM L. MCDONALD.

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