RESTRAINING BELT BUCKLE WITH LOCK

• US 3,592,028 A
• Filed: 10/06/1969
• Issued: 07/13/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Monica Joseph B La
• Original Assignee: Monica Joseph B La
• Inventors: MONICA JOSEPH B LA
• Application Number:
  US04/863,918
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• US Class Current: 70/57
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/12 turnable clamp
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4072 Pivoted lever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/409 Shackles
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 70/50 Special application

Abstract

A buckle at the end of a belt has a clasp that pivots open with respect to a base to allow the belt to be drawn through the buckle. When the clasp is closed, a bladelike clamp on the underside of the clasp cooperates with a closely spaced, upwardly projecting belt-retaining member in the base of the buckle to tightly crimp the belt. A catch from a lock on the underside of the clasp abuts against the underside of a retaining member in the buckle when the clasp is closed to prevent the clasp from opening and to maintain the belt in its crimped condition. A key inserted in a keyhole in the clasp retracts the catch to open the clasp.

Claims

1. A buckle for a restraining belt comprising:

a. belt guide means secured to an end of the belt and including a pair of longitudinal sidewalls and a belt support base having an upwardly projecting belt-retaining member between the sidewalls;

b. a clasp pivotally secured to the belt guide means;

c. an elongated belt-clamping member projecting down from the underside of the clasp;

d. a lock secured to the underside of the clasp and having a movable catch, the belt-clamping member being disposed adjacent to the lock and having an aperture arranged to register with the catch; and

e. a catch-retaining member secured to the belt guide means, the clasp pivoting open to permit the belt to be drawn through the guide means and pivoting closed to lock the belt against further movement relative to the belt guide means, the beltclamping member being closely spaced from the belt-retaining member when the clasp is closed so the belt is tightly secured between said membErs, the catch being operative to abut against the underside of the catch-retaining member when the clasp is closed to prevent opening of the clasp and to maintain the belt secured between the belt-clamping member and the belt-retaining member.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the belt-retaining member has a slotted upper edge for tightly gripping the belt when the clasp is closed.

3. A buckle for a restraining belt comprising:

a. belt guide means secured to an end of the belt and including a pair of longitudinal sidewalls and a belt support base having an upwardly projecting belt-retaining member between the sidewalls;

b. a clasp pivotally secured to he end of the belt guide means opposite the end where the belt is secured, the sidewalls, the end of the clasp, and the end of the belt support base defining an aperture at the end of the belt guide means through which the belt is drawn when the clasp pivots open;

c. an elongated belt-clamping member projecting down from the underside of the clasp;

d. a lock secured to the underside of the clasp having a movable catch; and

e. a catch-retaining member secured to the guide means, the clasp pivoting closed to lock the belt against movement relative to the guide means, the belt-clamping member being closely spaced from the belt-retaining member when the clasp is closed so the belt is tightly secured between said members, the catch from the lock being operative to abut against the underside of the catch-retaining member when the clasp is closed to prevent opening of the clasp and to maintain the belt secured between the belt-clamping member and the belt-retaining member.

4. A buckle for a restraining belt comprising:

a. belt guide means secured to the end of the belt and including a pair of longitudinal sidewalls and a belt support base having a first upwardly projecting belt-retaining member between the sidewalls and a second upwardly projecting belt-retaining member between the sidewalls and spaced from the first belt-retaining member;

b. a clasp pivotally secured to the belt guide means;

c. an elongated first belt-clamping member projecting down from the underside of the clasp, and an elongated second belt-clamping member spaced from the first belt-clamping member and projecting down from the underside of the clasp;

d. a lock secured to the underside of the clasp and having a movable catch; and

e. a catch-retaining member secured to the belt guide means, the clasp pivoting open to permit the belt to be drawn through the guide means and pivoting closed to lock the belt against further movement relative to the belt guide means, the first and second belt-clamping members being closely spaced from the first and second belt-retaining members, respectively, when the clasp is closed so the belt is tightly secured at one point between the first of said members and at another point between the second of said members, the catch from the lock being operative to abut against the underside of the catch-retaining member when the clasp is closed to prevent opening of the clasp and to maintain the belt secured between the belt-clamping members and the belt-retaining members.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the first and second belt-retaining members are elongated ribs spaced to define a pair of substantially parallel elongated openings in the belt support base extending between the sidewalls of the belt guide means, each opening being located directly below a respective belt-clamping member to provide means for crimping the belt when the clasp is closed.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said belt-retaining member defines an elongated edge surface adjacent to its respective belt-clamping member when the clasp is closed, and wherein each belt-clamping member is an elongated blade constructed to extend below the edge surface of its respective belt-retaining member when the clasp is closed to provide means for crimping the belt.

7. Apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the first belt-clamping member is disposed adjacent to the lock and has an aperture arranged to register with the catch so the catch extends through the aperture toward the second belt-clamping member when it abuts against the underside of the catch-retaining member.

8. A buckle for a restraining belt comprising:

a. belt guide means secured to an end of the belt and including a pair of longitudinal sidewalls and a belt support base having an upwardly projecting elongated belt-retaining blade between the sidewalls;

b. a clasp pivotally secured to the belt guide means, the clasp pivoting open to permit the belt to be drawn through the belt guide means;

c. a catch-retaining member secured to the belt guide means;

d. a lock secured to the underside of the clasp and having a spring biased catch operative to spring into engagement with the catch-retaining member when the clasp pivots closed so as to prevent opening of the clasp; and

e. an elongated belt-clamping member integral with the underside of the clasp and projecting down from the underside of the clasp, the belt-clamping member being arranged to immediately move to a position closely spaced from the belt-retaining blade when the catch springs into engagement with the catch-retaining member to crimp the belt between the belt-clamping member and the belt-retaining blade when the clasp is closed.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the catch is movable in response to rotation of a key inserted through a keyhole extending through the clasp to the lock.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the belt-retaining blade has a convoluted edge for tightly gripping the belt when the clasp is closed.

11. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the belt-retaining blade is an elongated rib spaced from the remainder of the belt support base to define an elongated opening therein between the sidewalls of the belt guide means, the opening being located directly below the belt-clamping member when the clasp is closed to provide means for crimping the belt.

12. Apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the belt-retaining blade has an elongated edge surface adjacent to the belt-clamping member when the clasp is closed, and wherein the belt-clamping member is an elongated blade extending below the edge surface of the belt-retaining blade when the clasp is closed to provide means for crimping the belt.