US635331A - Buckle. - Google Patents

Description

NITED STATES ARTHUR T. P. MALINS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,331, dated October 24, 1899.

Application filed July 16, 1898. Serial No. 686,095. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. P. MALINs, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Clasps, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 is a top view. Fig. 2 is a side view. Fig. 3 is a View, on an enlarged scale, showing the corrugated face of the pinch-bar and the parts immediately appurtenant thereto.

The object of the improvement is the production of an automatically-closing clasp into which a strap or the like (to be secured thereby) may be introduced at the side and without the trouble of introducing such strap into the strap-eye endwise. While this device may be useful in harnesses and the like, it is primarily intended for application to suspenders or other similar purpose on garments.

In the accompanying drawings the letter a denotes what may be termed the strapeye of the clasp, made in substantially rectangular form, with its longer axis transverse to the body, and one end of which, near its inner longer side, is open, as at b, so as to permit the edgewise introduction of the strap into the strap-eye. The upper face of the end arm of the eye adjacent said opening is beveled toward it, and the lower face of the pinch-bar hereinafter described is correspondingly beveled to cooperate therewith.

The letter 0 denotes the body of the clasp connected with the strap-eye in which the thumb-lever d is pivotally hung.

The letter 6 denotes a spring which has a tendency to constantly press the thumb-lever, so as to carry the pinch-bar (described below) into its closed position, which is of course the position it has when it is gripping a strap or the like.

The letter f denotes the pinch-bar, which is carried on the thumb-lever preferably and practically integral with it and extends laterally each side thereof. This pinch-bar is of a contour corresponding with the interior shape of the strap-eye and smaller than such eye on all sides save one, Where its extension 9 (hereinafter described) overlaps the same and rests thereon, so as to prevent the pinch-bar from passing entirely through the eye, while at the same time permitting its front transverse edge to cooperate with the inner wall of the eye to clamp the strap firmly between them.

It will of course be understood that the pinch-bar is. raised when one is about to introduce a strap edgewise into the strap-eye, and the pinch-bar is then permitted to fall in order to grip the strap in place. The 0perative face of this pinch-bar is preferably corrugated obliquely, as shown in Fig. 3, and the function and advantage of such corrugations are that they serve to prevent the dis placement of the strap longitudinally and laterally.

The letter 9 denotes the extension on the pinch-bar which bars the opening I) in the side of the strap-eye when the pinch-bar is in the closed position, and thereby prevents the strap from accidentally escaping edgewise out of the strap-eye.

- The letter h denotes a loop at the other end of the clasp-bod y c for the permanent attachment of a strap or the'like after the usual fashion. Preferably the strap-eye a,the claspbody 0, and the loop h are all of one piece of metal, and practically and preferably the thumb-lever, the pinch-bar, and the extension borne on the pinch-bar are all of one piece of metal.

What is claimed as new is In a clasp, the combination with the body of the clasp provided with a strap-loop at one end and a rectangular strap-eye at its other end having a side opening at one corner, the end arm of the eye being beveled on its upper side toward said opening; of a pinch-bar adapted to close the eye and having a lateral extension beveled on its lower face to contact with the beveled portion of said arm and bar the opening in the eye, as and for the purpose set forth.

ARTHUR W. P. MALINS.

Witnesses:

W. E. SIMONDs, ANITA LOOMIS.

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