Patent GB-1103516-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in couplings
Inventor: HATFIELD JOHN EDWARD
IPC: A44B11/25
Filed: 1965-11-11
Abstract: 1,103,516. Buckles. IRVING AIR CHUTE OF GREAT BRITAIN Ltd. 17, Oct., 1966 [11, Nov., 1965: 6, April, 1966], Nos. 47984/ 65 and 15288/66. Heading E2A. A coupling for a belt or harness includes a first and second part 1, 2 releasably conneotable with one another, at least one part being adapted to be connected with. a strap of a belt or harness, said parts having surfaces which overlap when the coupling parts are connected, the first part 1 having a projection 6 upstanding from the said surface thereof and the second part having a hole 20 in the said surface 'thereof to receive said projection upon said parts being brought into overlapping relationship by relative movement of the parts in, the direction of insertion of said projection through said hole, the arrangement being such that when in use said belt or harness is placed in tension, the force tending to separate the parts is largely taken in shear by said projection said second part including a spring biassed latching member 18 adapted to move in a plane generally at right angles to said direction of insertion of said projection through said hole to engage in a recess 10 in the projection to prevent removal of the projection from the hole unless the latching member is displaced against the bias, the arrangement of the projection and latching member being such that the latching member is displaced against the bias by the projection as it engages the hole and springs back to engage the recess when the projection is fully inserted, manually operable means 19 being provided for displacing the latching member to release the coupling, and the surface of the projection which in use transmits the force between the two parts being so inclined that when the latching member is displaced to release the coupling, when said coupling is placed in tension, the said force acting between the parts tends to move the projection out of the hole. In the construction shown those parts 1 and 2 are constructed for securement to a respective strap, the coupling part 1 having a slot 4 at one, end through which a strap 5 is passed the end being turned back and stitched on itself and the coupling part 2 having a slot 30 and a slidable bar 32 around which a strap portion 31 is looped, the strap portion being trapped between the bar 32 and the edge of the slot but the arrangement allowing for adjustment by pulling the free end 34 of the strap portion 31. One or other of the parts however can be rigidly secured to or form part of a fixed part of the vehicle for example the arm rest of a vehicle seat. The part 2 consists of a housing formed from two steel stampings 13, 14 between which the latching member 18 is disposed, the latching member having a portion projecting out of a gap between the parts 13, 14 and the end being upturned to provide the manually operable means. The part 14 provides the hole 20 and the part 13 has a hole 21 which also receives the projection 6. The latching member has an aperture therein through which the projection 6 passes and a straight edge on the side of the aperture remote from the manually operable means 19 engages in the recess 10. In a modification the projection 6 receives a third coupling part which is connected to a diagonal strap of a lap and diagonal harness; this is placed over the projection 6 before it is engaged with the coupling part 2. In another modification the stamping 13 is replaced by a pant made of plastics material and the slot in the part 14 through which the strap portion 31 passes is provided with a guard to prevent abrasion between the strap portion 31 and any sharp edge of the housing part 14. The manually operable means is provided with a plastics button and the part 1 has the strap 5 held in the slot 4 by a resilient U shaped clip instead of the strap being stitched. In a further modification the latching member instead of being provided with a bentup portion forming the manually operable means is operated by means of two bell crank levers pivoted between the housing parts.