Buckle

• US 4,171,555 A
• Filed: 05/01/1978
• Issued: 10/23/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1978
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Original Assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
• Inventors: Boyer, David C., Bakker, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelak, Bernard A.
• Application Number:
  US05/901,658
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 24/200, 24/197, 24/169
• US Class Current: 24/200
• CPC Class Codes: A44B 11/04 without movable parts
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4093 Looped strap

Abstract

A plastic buckle adapted to adjustably secure extremities of a web-like material including a frame-like body portion, fastening means at one end of said body portion for fixedly securing the buckle to one extremity of said web-like material and means for adjusting the opposite extremity of said web-like material including at least two transverse parallel bars positioned adjacent the opposite end of said body portion. Said adjusting means including two transverse parallel bars providing edges spaced from one another on opposite sides of a plane a distance not greater than the predetermined thickness of the web and lying in spaced planes perpendicular to said first mentioned plane.

Claims

1. A plastic buckle adapted to adjustably secure the extremities of a length of web-like material having a predetermined thickness, said buckle including a frame-like body portion having sides and ends defining an upper and lower face of said buckle, fastening means at one end of said body portion for fixedly securing the buckle to one extremity of said web-like material, means for adjusting the opposite extremity of said web-like material including at least two transverse parallel bars positioned adjacent the opposite end of said body portion with said bars having web engaging surfaces lying in different planes generally falling on said upper and lower faces of said buckle, a first one of said bars forming the end of said frame-like body portion, said first bar having a substantially flat first surface lying substantially on said lower face and a second acutely disposed adjoining surface, said first and second surfaces of said first bar are joined by a third intermediate surface disposed substantially normal to said first surface and obtusely relative to said second surface thereby forming a generally sharp abrupt corner edge, the second transverse bar being spaced from said first bar and including a substantially flat first surface lying substantially on said upper face and a second adjoining surface forming a corner edge having an included angle not exceeding 90°

, said edges facing in opposed relation and lying on opposite sides of a plane perpendicular to said faces and parallel to said bars, said edges being spaced from each other along a line perpendicular to said last mentioned plane a distance not greater than the predetermined thickness of said web, whereby said web-like material as it extends between said corner edges of said first and second bars is inclined in the direction of said second acutely disposed surface of said first bar to thereby insure high unit pressure at the engagement of said sharp corner of said first bar against said web-like material.

2. A buckle of the type according to claim 1, further including a plurality of spaced groove means on the said substantially flat first surface of said bar, said groove means extending parallel to said sides of said body portion.

3. A buckle according to claim 2 wherein said groove means only extends partially across said bar and terminates short of intersection with said abrupt corner edge.

4. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said second bar includes a third surface obtusely joining said first surface opposite its juncture with said second surface to thereby provide a smooth transition of movement of said web between said first and third surfaces.

5. A buckle according to claim 4 wherein said second bar includes fourth and fifth surfaces that fall abruptly away from and provide relief from their juncture with the second and third surfaces to thereby provide smooth transitional movement of said web in one direction.

6. A buckle according to claims 4 or 5 wherein said first surface includes a plurality of spaced grooves extending between its junctures with said second and third surfaces, said grooves acting to prevent gathering or bunching of said web along said second bar.

7. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said fastening means at one end of said body includes at least one transverse bar around which said web is looped and thence suitable fixed to itself.

8. A buckle according to claims 1 or 7 wherein said buckle is a detachable two-piece buckle with said fastening means attached to one end of one half of the buckle while the means for adjusting including the two transverse bars forms the opposite end of the other half of the buckle.

9. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said body portion includes handle-like engaging means to permit angular movement of said buckle about said fastening means to permit disengagement of said web-like material from the adjusting means.

10. A buckle according to claim 1 wherein said edges of said two bars are spaced from each other a distance less than the predetermined thickness of said web.