US2758351A - Adjustable fastening devices - Google Patents

Description

Aug. 14, 1956 G. s. HAW IE ADJUSTABLE FASTENING DEVICES Filed NOV. 8, 1951 INVENTOR.

GABRIEL S. HAWIE.

ATTORNEYS.

pawl-02mm United States Patent ADJUSTABLE FASTENING DEVICES Gabriel S. Hawie, Bridgeport, Conn., assignor to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application November 8, 1951, Serial .No. 255,452

'3 Claims. '(Cl. 24-245) This invention relates to adjustable and readily disengageable fastening devices. The invention is primarily intended for and serves a particularly useful purpose in conjunction with garments having one or more relatively thin, rubber latex or the like straps, such for example as those used to support hose.

While highly resilient or readily stretchable garters are usually desired for girdles and the like wearing apparel, it is particularly desirable that garters of this type be utilized in connection with girdles made from relatively thin rubber latex and provided with depending garter tabs or straps of the same material, examples of girdles of the latter type being disclosed in U. S.

Patent No. 2,360,736. When such highly resilient garters, having stretch characteristics comparable to those of the material from which rubber latex girdles are made, have been employed in the past, .it has been 'difiicult to provide means for readily adjusting :the garter length which at the same time maintains the adjusted length during use of the garter and which is readily removable when not in use.

For example, with certain buckle arrangements heretofore known, a garter comprising an adjustable length strap made of relatively thin rubber latex or the like sheet material would not maintain its desired adjusted length under repeated intermittent stress or stretch because such highly elastic and readily stretchable strap material is greatly reduced in its cross-sectional dimensions when elongated under stress. In many arrange ments heretofore proposed for adjustable devices, this reduction in cross-sectional dimensions caused slipping of the strap with respect to the buckle or the like holding means. A problem encountered in solving this 'difiiculty is that any positive clamping of the rubber strap by a member having a sharp edge or any piercing 'of the same by a prong is detrimental 'to the strap itself, causing it to break or tear.

-As described .in the copending application of Alfred Batzdorfi, Serial-No. 228,217, filed May 25, 1951, and entitled Adjustable Fastening Devices, the abovementioned difiiculties may be overcome by providing a buckle which has a pivotally and slidably mounted wedging member preferably in the form of a bail which wedges the suspending or suspended strap between the wedging member and a stop provided on the body of the buckle when the strap is pulled. The present invention is in the nature of an improvement of the adjustable fastening devices set forth in the above-mentioned copending application.

The adjustable fastening devices of the present invention is more compact, can be manufactured readily with less intricate buckle-manufacturing machines and the parts of the adjustable fastening devices of the present invention may be simply and economically manufactured and assembled. In addition, because of the manner in which the fastening means is attached .to the remainder of the fastening device of my invention, the

2,758,351 Patented Aug. 14, 1956 ice 2 tastening device is more flexible and hence is more comtortable for the wearer.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide adjustable fastening devices which overcome the above-mentioned difficulties and which are simple and economical to manufacture and assemble.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description setting forth the manner in which I now "prefer to practice the invention and from the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of an adjustable garter constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the garter shown in Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are top and bottom views, respectively, of the adjustable buckle employed in connection with the garter shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, cross-sectional view of the garter shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and taken along the line 5-5 indicatedin Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of two of the members (forming part of the buckle shown in Figs. 1-5;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a further member form ing part of the buckle-shown in Figs. 1-5;

Fig. '8 is an end view of the buckle member shown in the lower portion of Fig. 6; and

Fig. 9 :is an enlarged, cross-sectional, end elevation view of the garter shown in 'Figs. .1, 2 and 5 and taken along the lines 9-9 indicated .in Figs. .1 and 5.

Referring to Figs. 1- 8 of the drawings, the preferred embodiments of the adjustable garter and adjustable "buckle of .my invention comprise a hat, relatively thin member .1 which may be formed from sheet metal and which has a .pair of t-spaced side bars 2 and 3 connected together by a .pair of spaced, substantially parallel cross bars '4 and 5, the crossbar 5 serving as a stop as will be described hereinafter. The member .1 preferably also includes a third cross bar 6 which has its upper face below the upper :faces of the side bars 2 and 3., as is :best :shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 8. The cross bar 6 is provided for strengthening purposes and assists in preventing bowing 'of an elastic strap to which the buckle may be attached as the tension on the strap is relieved. Such bowing is undesirable because of the slipping it may cause, but if the strap is confined, such as by the wearers body, the cross bar 6 may, if desired, be omitted.

The cross bar 4 may be a continuous piece as shown in the drawings but it may also be separated along the length thereof, i. e., in the middle or to one side of lugs 7 and 8,, .so as to form. two arms which extend inwardly from the ' side bars 2 and 3. Preferably, :however, the cross bar 4 is continuous along its length so as toprovide a more-rigid structure.

The ,pair of spaced lugs 7 and 8 are mounted on the cross bar 4 for the purpose of pivotally and slidably receiving a wedging member or :bail 9. The bail 9 may be formed from a single piece of wire bent to the shape indicated in the drawings or it may be formed in any other desired manner. The bail 9 has a cross bar 14 and a pivot portion provided by the wire end portions 10 and 11 which together form a cross bar between the pair of spaced side bars 12 :and 13. The side bars 12 and 13 have outwardly extending portions adjacent the cross bar '14, these portions being adapted to engage the upper surfaces of the side bars 2 and 3 for purposes hereinafter described.

When the bail 9 is assembled with the member .1, the pivot portions 10 and 11 .of the bail 9 are "at least partly surrounded by a securing means :15 having a tubular portion comprising the .bentstrips 16 and -17. The securing means 15 also has an aperture .l'gtherein for receiving a garter tab 19, and the tubular portion has an aperture 20 therein which permits the lugs 7 and 8 to extend therethrongh and which permits rotational movement of the member 1 with respect to the securing means 15. The securing means 15 also has a pair of cars 21 and 22' which engage fastening means 23, and in conjunction with the tubular portion the ears 21 and 22 piyotally secure the fastening means 23 to the member 1 and the wedging member or bail 9.

The garter shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 includes the garter tab 19 having a button 24 at one end thereof and a bead 25 at the other end thereof. The button 2% cooperates in the usual manner with the aperture 26 in the fastening means 23 to receive and hold the end of a stocking, for example.

The garter preferably includes a strap designated generally by the numeral 27 which is, for example, made of rubber latex or the like highly elastic sheet material having a thickness of the order of .025 of an inch and which may be provided as an integral part of a girdle of the type referred to above. The strap 27 is looped over the cross bar 14 of the bail 9 and has an end portion 28 which overlies a load-carrying portion 29. Both portions 28 and 29 pass underneath the cross bar 5, the upper surface of the portion 23 preferably being in contact with the under side of the cross bar 5 and the upper portion 28 being wedged between the cross bar 14 and the cross bar 5 when the load-carrying portion 29 is under tension.

The inner face of the lug 7, the inner face being the one which faces inwardlyv of the member 1 and which faces the lug 8, is spaced from the inner or nearest side of the cross bar 5 a distance such that when the bail 9 is received between the lugs 7 and 8 the bail 9 may be pivoted from a horizontal position, such as the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5,- to a vertical position; Thus, the distance between the inner face of the lug 7 and the inner side of the cross bar 5 may be at least equal to the distance between the outer sides of the cross bar formed by arms 10, 11 and cross bar 14 of the bail 9. The width of the cross bar 4 preferably is greater than the width of the arms 10 and 11 of the bail 9, and the spacing between the inner face of the lug 7 and the face of the lug 8 which faces the lug 7 is greater than the width of the arms 10 and 11. Such a spacing of the faces of the lugs 7 and 8 is provided so that the bail 9 may slide or be permitted a certain degree of movement away from and toward the cross bar 5, as the bail 9 is moved by the strap 27 toward the cross bar 5 so as to wedge the portion 28 of the strap 27 between the cross bar 14 of the bail 9 and the cross bar 5 of the member I.

The side bars 12 and 13 of the bail 9 are provided with outwardly extending portions which engage with the upper surfaces of the side bars 2 and 3 so as to maintain the bail 9 in such a position that the portion 28 of the strap 27 is wedged between the cross bar 14 and the cross bar 5. Thus, as the portion 29 of the strap is pulled, the bail 9 is limited in its rotation by the upper surfaces of the side bars 2 and 3 and then moves toward the cross bar 5 so that the portion 28 is wedged between the cross bars 5 and 14 even though the direction in which the portion 29 is pulled is not parallel with the upper surfaces of the side bars 2 and 3.

The tubular portion comprising strips 16, 17 of the securing means 15 has a bore which is greater than the width of the arms 10 and 11 so that when the fastening means 23 is pulled in one direction by a garment and the bail 9 is pulled in the opposite direction by the strap 27, the bail 9 may slide within the tubular portion toward the cross bar 5. The strips 16, 17 which form the tubular portion may be bent completely around the arms 1%) and 11, the cross bar 4 and the end bar 30 of the fastening means 23 or it may be bent around the arms 10 and 11 and the cross bar 4 and only partly around the end bar 30, as is shown more clearly in Figs. 1 and 5. In this specification and appended claims, the word tubular is intended to include not only a completely closed cylin- H drical tube but also tubes of other cross sections and sibility of tearing the strap during use or adjustment.

These beads may also aid in preventing the buckle from slipping with respect to the strap 27.

As indicated above, the spacing of the lugs 7 and 8 with respect to the cross bar 5 is related to the length of the bail 9 from the outside of the arms 10 and 11 to the outside of the cross bar 14 in such a manner that the bail 9 may be rotated so as to loosen the strap 27 and so that the cross bar 14 may wedge the portion 28 of the strap 27 between the cross bar 14 and the cross bar 5. Thus, the distance between the outside of the arms 10 and 11 and the outside of the cross bar 14 may be no greater than the distance between the inner face of the lug 7 and the inner side of the cross bar 5, and preferably the former distance is not less than the distance of the inner face of the lug 7 from the inner side of the cross bar 5 less the thickness of the strap 27 In addition, when the bail 9 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the spacing between the uppermost portion of the cross bar 14 and the lower face of the cross bar 5 should be less than the thickness of the strap 27. Thus, the lower face of the cross bar 5 may be raised above the upper surface of the side bars 2 and'3 which engage the bail 9 a distance no greater than the. distance between. the surface .of the bail 9 which engages the upper surfaces of the side bars 2 and 3 and the upper surface of the cross bar 14 when the bail 9 is in a horizontal position, as seen inFigs. l and 5, plus a portion of the thickness of the strap 27, and preferably thedistance between the lower face of the cross bar 5 and said upper surfaces of said side bars 2 and 3 is approximately equal to the thickness of the crossbar 14 assuming that substantially all parts ofthe bail 9 lie in a single plane, i. e., as shown in the drawings.

It is to be understood that the. invention is not limited to buckles combined with means for attachment to hose, such as the button 24 and cooperating loop provided by the member 23 (Fig. 2). For example, the hose fastening means 23, 24 and 25 could be replaced by a simple loop for receiving a strap to be secured to the buckle, or in the alternative the hose fastening means could be omitted and a strap could be secured directly to the member 15 (Fig. 7) by passing it through the opening 18.

Having thus described my invention with particularity, with reference to the preferred embodiment of the same, and having referred to certain modifications thereof, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that other changes andrnodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover such changes and modifications as are within the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a stocking support comprising a stocking-securing device adapted for use with a thin sheet-like rubber garter strap, the combination therewith of first and second members and a bail having a cross bar smoothly curved in cross section and adapted to engage, without cutting, a loop of said strap, said first member comprising side bars and upper and lower strap-engaging cross bars fixedly spaced to provide a narrow elongated throat hav-' ing a width approximately equal to the thickness of said cross bar of the bail, a positioning cross bar spaced a substantial distance from said strap-engaging cross bars by a pair of side bars, said positioning cross bar and said side bars lying in a single plane spaced below said upper cross bar, and upstanding lugs positioned on said positioning cross bar and bounding a slot parallel to said strap-engaging cross bars; said bail also comprising a pivoting cross bar positioned in said slot and side portions extending laterally beyond the side bars of the first member and fixedly spacing the cross bars of the bail at a distance such that, when said bail is rotated to a position where its side portions engage the side bars of the first member, the far side of the loop engaging bar is contiguous to the near side of the lower surface of the upper strap engaging cross bar of the first member; and said second member comprising means for securing said stocking-securing device thereto and a portion bent into a tube encompassing both the pivoting cross bar of the bail and the positioning cross bar of the first member, said tube being apertured for free rotation of said lugs so that said stocking-securing device can rotate independently of the position of said bail.

2. In a stocking support comprising a thin, sheet-like rubber garter strap and a stocking-securing device, the combination therewith of first and second members and a wire bail having a cross bar engaging a loop of said strap, said first member comprising side bars and a pair of strap-engaging cross bars fixedly spaced to provide a narrow elongated throat having a width approximately equal to the thickness of said cross bar of the bail, a positioning cross bar fixedly spaced a substantial distance from said strap-engaging cross bars by side portions, and upstanding lugs positioned on said positioning cross bar and bounding a slot parallel to said strap-engaging cross bars; said wire bail also comprising a piv oting cross bar pivoted in said slot and side portions fixedly spacing the cross bars of the bail and extending laterally so that the loop of the strap around said loop engaging cross bar is clamped in said throat with said side portions of the bail engaged by the side portions of said first member when said strap is subjected to tension; and said second member comprising means for securing said stocking-securing device thereto and a portion bent into a tube encompassing both the pivoting cross bar of the bail and the positioning cross bar of the first member, said tube being apertured for free rotation of said lugs so that said stocking-securing device can rotate independently of the position of said bail.

3. In a stocking support comprising a stocking-securing device adapted for use with a thin sheet-like rubber garter strap, the combination therewith of first and second members and a bail having a cross bar smoothly curved in cross section and adapted to engage, without cutting, a loop of said strap, said first member comprising a pair of upper and lower strap-engaging cross bars fixedly spaced to provide a narrow elongated throat having a width approximately equal to the thickness of said cross bar, said upper cross bar having a lower surface that is concave with respect to the axis of rotation of said bail, a positioning cross bar spaced a substantial distance from said strap-engaging crossbars by a pair of side bars, said positioning cross bar and said side bars lying in a single plane spaced below said upper cross bar, and upstanding lugs positioned on said positioning cross bar and bounding a slot parallel to said strapengaging cross bars; said bail also comprising a pivoting cross bar positioned in said slot and side portions spacing the cross bars of the bail at a distance such that the far side of said loop engaging cross bar is rotatable to a position contiguous to the near side of the lower surface of said upper strap-engaging cross bar; and said second member comprising means for securing said stocking-securing device thereto and a tubular portion encompassing both the pivoting cross bar of the bail and the positioning cross bar first member and apertured for free rotation of said lugs so that said stocking-securing device can rotate independently of the position of said bail.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 79,626 Bannister July 7, 1868 252,092 Fluck Jan. 10, 1882 409,779 Ferris Aug. 27, 1889 565,868 Washburne Aug. 11, 1896 566,227 Rosenkranz Aug. 18, 1896 724,585 Kerngood Apr. 7, 1903 724,586 Kerngood Apr. 7, 1903 1,409,355 Austin Mar. 14, 1922 1,917,150 Perrine July 4, 1935 1,997,654 Reiter Apr. 16, 1935 2,005,622 Hawie June 18, 1935 2,006,535 Broadwell July 2, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS 516,212 Great Britain Dec. 27, 1939 571,828 France Feb. 9, 1924 704,547 France Feb. 23, 1931

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