Cinch buckle and method of use

• US 6,688,086 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Weaver Leather, LLC (Weaver Leather Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Weaver Leather Goods, Inc.
• Inventors: Foerderer, Gerald R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jordan, Charles T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAW, ELIZABETH ANNE
• Application Number:
  US10/096,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20030000183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 54/23, 54/27, 54/461, 54/792, D30/139, D11/200, D11/201, 243/07, 243/25
• US Class Current: 54/23
• CPC Class Codes: B68C 1/14 Belts or straps for saddles; Tighteners therefor B68C1/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 24/4002 Harness

Abstract

A cinch and a buckle therefore and a method for tightening and securing the cinch about the body of a horse to secure a saddle on the horse. The buckle has a rigid frame with a base bar, an intermediate bar and an outer bar extending between a pair of side frame members. The intermediate bar forms a pair of intervening apertures with the outer and base bars for receiving a free end of a cinch strap looped therethrough. The intermediate and outer bars have roller sleeves mounted thereon to reduce the sliding friction of the strap moving about the bars when tightening the cinch about the horse. A locking tongue is attached to the base bar and extends through a selected hole in the strap and lays against the intermediate bar to secure the cinch and strap in an adjusted tightened position.

Claims

1. A cinch and strap combination for securing a saddle on a horse comprising:

first and second elongated flexible straps;

a cinch including a flexible strip of material with a pair of buckles attached at opposite ends of said strip, one of said buckles being connected to the first strap;

the other of said buckles including a rigid frame having a base bar, an intermediate bar and an outer bar connected by sloped side frame members, said bars being generally parallel to each other and defining a pair of respective strap-receiving apertures between said intermediate bar and the base bar and outer bar, and a fastening tongue movably attached to the base bar and extending to the intermediate bar for extending through a hole in the second strap; and

said second strap forming a first loop about the outer bar and a second loop about the intermediate bar.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which a roller sleeve is rotatably mounted on each of the intermediate and outer bars.

3. The combination defined in claim 2 in which each of the roller sleeves is a metallic cylinder loosely mounted concentrically about the intermediate and outer bars.

4. The combination of claim 1 in which both buckles have a fastener tongue selectively engaged in respective holes formed respectively in the first and second straps.

5. The combination defined in claim 1 in which a protective pad is secured to the flexible strip of material and extends beyond both buckles.

6. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the outer bar has a length, the intermediate bar has a length greater than the length of the outer bar, and the base bar has a length greater than the length of the intermediate bar.

7. The combination defined in claim 1 in which the frame has a trapezoidal configuration defined by the side frame members, the base bar and the outer bar.

8. The combination defined in claim 7 in which the outer bar has a length, the intermediate bar has a length greater than the length of the outer bar, and the base bar has a length greater than the length of the intermediate bar.

9. A method of securing a saddle on the body of a horse comprising the steps of:

a) providing a cinch having a buckle formed by a rigid frame having at least a base bar, an intermediate bar and an outer end bar forming first and second apertures within the frame on opposite sides of said intermediate bar;

b) providing a first flexible strap extending between and connected to the saddle and cinch;

c) providing a second flexible strap having first and second ends wherein said first end is secured to the saddle;

d) looping the second end of the second strap through the first aperture and around the outer end bar and back around through an opening on the saddle;

then

e) looping said second end of the second strap through the second aperture in the buckle frame and around the intermediate bar; and

then

f) pulling upwardly on said second end of the second strap to tighten the cinch about the body of the horse to secure the saddle thereon.

10. The method defined in claim 9 including the step of providing rollers on the intermediate and outer end bars of the buckle frame.

11. The method defined in claim 10 including the step of rotating the rollers when pulling on the second end of the second strap.

12. The method defined in claim 9 including the steps of providing a locking tongue on the base bar of the buckle frame and inserting said tongue through a hole formed in the second strap.

13. The method defined in claim 9 including the step of providing a D-hook on the saddle to form the saddle opening.

14. The method defined in claim 9 including the step of providing the cinch with a protective pad.

15. The method defined in claim 14 including the step of placing the protective pad between the body of the horse and the cinch and buckle to protect the body of the horse.

16. The method of claim 9 further including the step of passing the second end of the second strap around the first end of the second strap after looping the second strap through the first aperture and before looping the second strap through the second aperture.

17. The combination of claim 16 in which the frame is formed of metal.

18. A cinch and strap combination for securing a saddle on a horse comprising:

a first elongated flexible strap having first and second ends;

a cinch with a buckle attached at one end thereof;

the buckle having first and second sides and including a rigid frame having a base bar, an intermediate bar and an outer bar, said bars being generally parallel to each other and defining a first strap-receiving aperture between the intermediate bar and the outer bar and a second strap-receiving aperture between the intermediate bar and the base bar;

the first strap forming a first loop about the outer bar by inserting the second end of the first strap from the first side of the buckle through the first aperture and forming a second loop about the intermediate bar by inserting the second end of the first strap from the first side of the buckle through the second aperture; and

a fastening means to selectively secure the first strap to maintain the first and second loops.

19. The combination of claim 18 further including a second strap connected to the other end of the cinch.

20. The combination of claim 19 further including a second buckle which connects the cinch and the second strap.

21. The combination of claim 18 wherein the first strap loops around the first end of the first strap.

22. The combination of claim 18 wherein the fastening means is a fastening tongue movably attached to the base bar and extending to the intermediate bar for extending through a hole in the second strap.

23. The combination of claim 18 wherein the second strap is tied off in a locking loop to provide the fastening means.

24. The combination of claim 18 in which a roller sleeve is rotatably mounted on each of the intermediate and outer bars.

25. The combination of claim 24 in which each of the roller sleeves is a metallic cylinder loosely mounted concentrically about the intermediate and outer bars.

26. The combination of claim 18 in which both buckles have a fastener tongue selectively engaged in respective holes formed respectively in the first and second straps.

27. The combination of claim 18 wherein the bars of the buckle are connected by frame members.

28. The combination of claim 27 wherein the side frame members are sloped.

29. The combination of claim 28 in which the frame has a trapezoidal configuration defined by the frame members, the base bar and the outer bar.

30. The combination defined in claim 29 in which the outer bar has a length, the intermediate bar has a length greater than the length of the outer bar, and the base bar has a length greater than the length of the intermediate bar.

31. A buckle and strap combination for securing a saddle on a horse, the combination comprising:

first and second elongated flexible straps;

the second strap having first and second ends;

a buckle connected to one of the saddle and the first strap;

the buckle having first and second sides and including a rigid frame having a base bar, an intermediate bar and an outer bar, said bars being generally parallel to each other and defining a first strap-receiving aperture between the intermediate bar and the outer bar and a second strap-receiving aperture between the intermediate bar and the base bar;

the second strap forming a first loop about the outer bar by inserting the second end of the second strap from the first side of the buckle through the first aperture and forming a second loop about the intermediate bar by inserting the second end of the second strap from the first side of the buckle through the second aperture; and

a fastening means to selectively secure the strap to maintain the first and second loops.

32. The combination of claim 31 wherein the fastening means is a fastening tongue movably attached to the base bar and extending to the intermediate bar for extending through a hole in the strap.

33. The combination of claim 31 wherein the second strap is tied off in a locking loop to provide the fastening means.

34. The combination of claim 31 wherein the first strap is connected to the saddle.

35. The combination of claim 31 wherein the first end of the second strap is connected to the other of the saddle and the first strap.

36. The combination of claim 31 further including an additional strap and wherein the first strap is a cinch connected to the additional strap.

37. The combination of claim 36 wherein the additional strap is connected to the saddle.

38. The combination of claim 36 wherein the cinch and the additional strap are connected by a second buckle.

39. The combination of claim 31 wherein the second strap loops around the first end of the second strap.