Patent GB-1133854-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in and relating to a buckle device
IPC: A44B11/25
Filed: 1966-04-12
Abstract: 1,133,854. Buckles. T. TAKADA. 12 April, 1966 [12 April, 1965; 19 Nov., 1965; 30 Not., 1965], No, 15998/66. Heading E2A. A buckle device for a safety belt comprises a belt inserter 4 and a buckle assembly, the inserter having an opening 5 for fastening engagement with the buckle assembly and a second opening 9 for engaging one end portion of the belt, and the buckle assembly comprising a base member, 1 having a protrusion 3 serving- to engage with the first opening 5 of the inserter, the base member being further provided with an opening 6 and side channels there being a rod member 7 positioned just above the opening of the base member and constituting a means for engaging the other end portion of the belt. and a guide member 11 being engaged with the channels and received in the base member. and in which a handle lever 15 is pivotally connected with the guide member by a pin 18 there being a spring member 26 having side wings 27 positioned .between the guide member and the handle lever so as normally to urge the tip end of the inserter towards the base member and roller 23 extending through cam holes 20 in the handle lever and urged downwardly by the side wings of the spring member so as normally to hold the belt inserter from being released from the base member, the buckle assembly further having a .second pin 22 secured to the handle lever and adapted to lift the tip end of the belt inserter when the handle lever is raised and positioning means 24 adapted to retain the whole assembly in place. In the construction shown the positioning means is a block 24 which has a projection 24' which engages the hole 25 in the base member; the block also engages the pivot pin 18 by which the handle lever is secured to the guide member. The end portions of the roller 23 engage the guide channels of the base member ,after passing through the cam holes 20 in the handle lever and the side wings 27 of the spring member press the roller downwardly into recesses of the guide member. The spring member also has a central tongue 28 which engages the tip end portion of the inserter when it is in the buckle assembly. The inserter is engaged with the buckle assembly by passing it between the base member and the guide member with the handle lever in its fastening position, the roller 23 being pushed forward by the tip end portion of the inserter and when the engagement is complete the roller comes back in place just above the tip end portion of the inserter in the fastening position of the inserter, the roller being positioned on one side of the tip end portion and the pin 22 on the other side. When the handle lever is raised to release the inserter from the buckle assembly the engagement of the end portions of the roller with the cam holes 20 of the handle lever and the recesses of the guide member cause the roller to move lengthwise of the guide member out of the path of the tip end portion which is raised by the pin 22 until the opening 5 is clear of the projection 3, after which the inserter can be withdrawn. The buckle assembly has a cover member 29 which engages the sides of the channels of the base member and which has a portion 30 engaging a downwardly bent lip 31 of the handle lever 15. The roller 23 has a rotatably mounted nylon sleeve. In a modification the pivot pin for the handle lever is positioned further from the roller 23 so that a smaller angular movement of the handle lever than in the previous construction is necessary to move the roller; and the roller has a plurality of sleeves instead of a single sleeve so .that it moves more easily. The cover 29 is omitted and instead of a block 24 to hold the guide member in engagement with the base member, spring loaded catch is provided. In a modification of this construction the handle lever instead of being formed from sheet material is made from wire.