US2460228A - Buckle - Google Patents

Description

Jan. 25, 1949. H'QFFMAN 2,460,228

BUCKLE Filed March 5, .1947

Patented Jan, 25, 1949 J ITED smrss BUKLE Mas: Hoffman, ltoxbury, Mass.

Application March 5, 1947, Serial No. 732,467

(Cl. 2i-73l 2 Glaims. I

This invention pertains to buckles such as are commonly employed for adjusting the effective length of a strap, for instance strap forming a part of .or as'sociatedwith agarmen't. More especially' it relates to a buckle'having a loop designed detachably to engage a button or equivalent fastener, and having penetrating prongs operative positively to holdia strap. adjusted tothe desired effective length; Such a" buckle is useful, for example, for releasably attaching the forward end of a. shoulder strap of a bib-overall'to the upper part off the 'bib.

The shoulder straps employed in work garments are frequently of substantial width-for instance a width of one-and one'-quarter inches or more is'not'unc'oinrnon; The textile materialuse'd in making such garments is customarily closewoven, thick'and rather stiff and'the buckle must be of sufiicient dimensions to accommodate the strapa-nd strong enough to carry 'the'load. When made of the" sizeand of a material heavy'enough forpractical use, andparticularly whenth'eistraphas been threaded through the buckle and securedther-eto, thebuckle and adjacent parts make asubst'anti'al area which isalmostrigid' and which tends to cause discomfort to the wearer and in some cases to interfere with his freedom of move ment;

One object ofv the invention is. to provide a buckle which is very flexible, as compared with usualprior'bucklesof thesarne. general type and which thus concluces to the comforter: the wearer. A further object is to. provide a-buckle which, although flexible, has suliiclen't strength, and which isreadily manipulable by the wearer oi the'lgarment inattaching-it to and detaching it from thegarment button. A further object is to? provide a buckle having penetrating prongs for" positive engagement with th'e'garment' strap and which also I has a button-engaging loopor equiyalentielement which is movable relativel yto the body oii'the buckle so as thereby to facilitate itsengagementwith. ordetachment from" a butt'orn. A3further.objectistoproridea buclzle'liaw lhgfthe'. abotve characteristics, iwhich is simple in constrnctioniandeasy to make. and of relatively low cost. Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description wherein Fig. J. is a plan view of a buckle embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the buckle of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a garment provided with a shoulder strap and an 2 attaching button, and showing the buckle of the present invention applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings, the in proved buckle ef'th-o present invention is illustrated as comprising the yoke. member 1 which is preferably made by bending a length of wire and flattening it by pressure, although it may be made by stamping from sheet metal'or equivalent procedure. However, the yoke may be of other material, for instance, moulded plastic. This yoke is substantially rigid'and comprises the straight cross bar 2 which constitutes a stop for the penetrating prongs and which integrally merges with spaced limbs 55 and i which, together with the cross bar, define a transversely elongate strap-receiving slot ii. Preferably the cross bar is provided with shallow recesses tand l for the reception of the pointed ends of the strap penetratlng prongs, althoughthese recesses are not essential, and the forward surface at least of the yoke may be finished in any desired way, for instance by tiny ribs, knurling, or the like to provide an ornamental or pleasing appearance.

The free" ends of the limbs 3 and of the yoke are shaped; to constitute bearing portions 8 and 5 which may be formed, for example by bending the material of the yoke; If the yoke be formed of other material than. metal, for example a moulded plastic; the bearings and 3 will be formed in a way appropriate to such material.

The bucklecomprises two independent lengths of wire of appropriate stiffness and size for the intendeduse, each length of wire comprising the prong portions hi and ii respectively, which terminate in pointed ends which, when the buckle is in use, are disposed within the recesses 5 and 'i of the cross bar, each length of wire also comprising a pintle portion 52' and i3 respectively, sub

stantially perpendicular to the corresponding prong and which turns freely in one of the 112-" spective bear ngs ll. A

.tle portions 22 and 53 are su' tantially longer than the bearings 3 and 3 so that these pintle portions are free to move axially in bearings aswell as tc-turn in the bearings. Each length of wire alsonomprisesa U-shaped bend and i5 respectively, joining the plntle portions 2 and 53 to substantially horizontal, aligned portions l6 and I! respectively, the pintle portions, the U- shaped bends and these horizontal portions i6 and l! collectively defining a transversely elongate strap-retaining slot it.

Each length of wire is bent at the points is and 25 respectively and from these points continues downwardly to form one of the elongate legs 2i illustrated, the

prises a substantially U-shaped button-receiving 100p 2'5, which may be of wire of the same size and material as that which forms the prongs, the free ends of the arms 28 and 29 of this loop being bent to form hooks 39 (Fig. 2) which loosely receive the straight sides 23 and 24 of the respec-.

tive eyes 25 and 26. The button-receiving loop 2'! is free to swing about the axis defined by the parts 2?. and this axis being normally parallel to the axis defined by the bearings 8 and 9 of the yoke. hook members 3% are also free to move axially to a small distance along the straight sides 23 and 24 of the eyes.

In using this improved buckle it is applied, as illustrated in Fig. 3. The lower end portion of the shoulder strap S of the garment G is passed through the strap-receiving slot 5 of the buckle from back to front and after being adjusted to the desired length the prongs l0 and II are caused to penetrate the strap so as positively to retain it at its adjusted length. The free end portion of the strap is then preferably passed through the strap-retaining slot 18 from front to rear, its tip usually being concealed behind the bib of the garment.

The garment here illustrated, by way of example, but without limitation, is a bib-overall provided with buttons B near the upper edge of the bib for engagement with the shoulder straps. In accordance with the present invention the button-receiving loop 21 of the buckle is engaged with the button B, thus releasably anchoring the shoulder strap to the bib of the garment.

Since the lengths of wire which form the two prongs l0 and H are independent of each other, and may be moved independently axially of the bearings 8 and 9, and since the lower ends of the legs 2| and 22 are loosely connected to the buttonreceiving loop 27, the prong members, with their legs 2| and 22, are free for substantial, independent movement both toward and away from each other, and in swinging about the axis defined by the bearings 8 and 9. Moreover, as the button-receiving loop 21 is pivotally connected to the prong members, the button-receiving loop may swing relatively to the yoke in a front-torear direction. This freedom of the various parts to move relatively to each other provides great flexibility and avoids the stiffness and rigidity which is characteristic of most prior buckles employed for this or similar purposes. With this arrangement it is readily possible to adjust the length of the strap S to the desired length and with the assurance that it will remain at this adjusted length as long as may be desired. On the other hand it is very easy to disengage the strap from the bib of the garment so that the garment may readily be doffed without changing the adjustment of the shoulder strap and as readily donned and secured in position without readjustment.

While one desirable embodiment of the invention has herein been illustrated by way of example, it is to be understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any and all modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A buckle comprising a. yoke having a rigid cross bar and spaced limbs arranged .to define a strap-receiving slot, each limb having a bearing at its free end, the bearings being axially aligned, a pair of strap-penetrating prongs each having a sharp end designed to contact the cross bar of the yoke, each prong having a pintle portion arranged to turn and to slide axially in one of the yoke bearings respectively, the prongs with their pintle portions being independent of each other, each pintle portion integrally joining an elongate leg member, each leg member having an eye at its free end, each eye having a substantially straight side, the straight sides of the two eyes being in alignment, and a button-engaging loop comprising spaced arms whose free ends are hooked over the straight sides of the respective eye and movable longitudinally of said straight sides.

2. A buckle comprising a yoke having a rigid cross bar and spaced limbs arranged to define a strap-receiving slot, each limb having a bearing at its free end, the bearings being axially aligned, two independent lengths of wire each having a portion which constitutes a strap-penetrating prong sharp at its free end and engageable with the cross bar of the yoke, each length of wire also comprising a pintle portion perpendicular to the prong and turning and being axially movable in one of the respective bearings of the yoke, each length or wire also comprising a U-shaped bend, said bends being opposed and collectively constituting a strap-retaining slot, each length of wire also comprising an elongate leg portion terminating in an eye having a substantially straight side, said straight sides being aligned, and a U-shaped button-receiving loop having hooks at the ends of its legs which are slidable along the straight sides of the respective eyes.

MAX HOFFMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

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