Improvements in Buckles for Harness and other Articles.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 16th June, 1894
Complete Specification Left, 9th July, 1894-Accepted, 11th Aug., 1894.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buckles for Harness and other Articles.
We, CHARLES ARTHUR CONGER, and ANDREW SPAULDING, of No. 405 Castro
Street, in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, United States
of America, Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as
follows:-
Our invention relates to improvements made in buckles for horse hitching straps
and other articles that require a strong and firmly holding buckle; but the
improvements are as well applicable to the production of buckles of lighter
description, such as those manufactured for skate-straps and shawl straps and other
light leather straps.
These improvements and the manner in which I proceed to construct and apply
the same in the manufacture of buckles for straps and harness are hereinafter
described.
The buckle is composed of a frame having cross-bars that set in alternate order
over and under the strap when the same is passed through the frame, and a
movable pressure-plate arranged between two of the bottom cross-bars to bear
upon the strap from above, and a cam-lever or eccentric lever pivoted in the frame
and adapted to press down and hold the part pressure plate between the cross-
bars that support the strap.
In the case of a buckle intended for a hitching strap or to be used with a snap-
hook, I construct the frame with a hook or turned beak to take a ring. But
where a buckle is designed for use on the end of a strap I substitute for the hook
on the frame a cross-bar across that end to which the strap is secured by passing
its end around the bar in a loop and then fastening the end by stitching
or rivets.
The arrangement of the remaining cross-bars and the construction of the parts
are the same in both forms or styles of buckle-frame described. At the opposite
end, or what may be termed the front end of the buckle, are two bars one at the
top across the end of the frame and the other at the bottom and somewhat to one
side of the top bar and substantially parallel with the top-bar. Between this front
end and the back end of the frame is a second cross-bar also across the bottom or
underside of the frame at a point about one-third the length of the frame distant
from the back end.
This second bar is broader than the other bars before described, and in cross-
section it resembles a wedge with the acute angle lying towards the front end of
the frame.
About midway between the line of this last-mentioned edge of the broad cross-
bar and the line of the other bottom cross-bar at the front, there are open sockets
on the inner faces of the side-bars of the frame with circular recesses and slots
opening from them or to the inside of the frame downward.
The part which I have termed the pressure-plate is formed with a curved cradle-
piece of suitable breadth to set loosely into the open space between the two cross-
bars with a convex bottom face next the strap and a concave top-face having a
groove or depression along the lowest part of the concavity and ridges or raised
portions along the edges of the depression. The body of this plate from the curved
portion, or cradle, before mentioned, to the front end is substantially straight, and.
at that end it is turned up and stands about perpendicular, so that when the cradle
is in place with the straight portion of the plate resting in the opening between the

page_text: bars of the frame and upon the bottom cross-bars this turned-up end of the plate
will set against the top cross-bar from the outside.
The third one of the parts composing this buckle which I have termed the
eccentric lever is set in the frame above the pressure plate already described, and
is retained in place principally by the open sockets on the sides of the frame, but
also by the end of the lever engaging with the hook or part on the end of
the frame.
This part is a lever with pivots or journal portions on the broad end fitted loosely
into the sockets on the frame and an eccentric portion on the underside projecting
downwardly from the pivot-bearing end into the concavity of the cradle beneath
and setting towards the front slightly out of the direct perpendicular under the
pivots. The lever is of proper length to rest at the end against the hook or part
and an open slot or rectangular notch is made in the end to take over that part, so
that the lever when turned down cannot move sidewise. =
.
On the back of the lever or that end which is presented to the front of the
buckle when the lever is in place, there is a projecting rib or fin of suitable length
to fit loosely between two lips or stops on the top of the pressure-plate.
The office of these stops is to confine this broader end of the lever in like manner
as the hook or projection confines the lever at the outer end. A lug or stop on the
top-face of the plate behind the upwardly turned end sets against the back of the
top cross-bar when the pressure-plate is in place, and between these standing parts
or projections the cross-bar is confined, so that the plate is kept from moving
longitudinally from between the two cross-bars.
The parts of the buckle are put together by setting the pressure-plate between
the two cross-bars from the front end of the frame and dropping the curved cradle
under the sockets into the opening between the bottom-bars or cross-pieces. After
this, the pivots of the lever are inserted from below into the sockets and the end of
the lever is thrown back towards the front end of the frame against the top cross-bar.
In this position the buckle is ready to receive the strap.
In setting the strap through the buckle its end is inserted through the slit or
opening between the two cross-bars at the front of the frame and beneath the
pressure-plate and is passed over the broad cross-piece and finally under the cross-
bar at the back end of the frame. The cradle-piece at this time lies loosely on the
strap without pressure, but as the outer end of the lever is turned on the pivot and
brought down into position towards the rear of the frame, the cradle is pressed
down between the two cross-bars and the strap is seized and held with a firm grip
and a continuous pressure..
In this position the end of the eccentric portion of the lever below the pivots
rest in the groove or depression in the. cradle and is so confined by the ridges or
raised parts in front of and behind the groove that it cannot move to one side or to
the other until the lever is raised and thrown over by hand; therefore the cradle is
held down and securely. locked into position.
It will be noticed that no rivets or fastenings are used in this buckle to attach
the parts together; they are confined however by virtue of their peculiar
arrangement of the stops and projections engaging the bars of the frame.
Dated this 16th day of June 1894.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicante.

page_text: Improvements in Buckles for Harness and other Articles.
We CHARLES ARTHUR CONGER and ANDREW SPAULDING of No. 405 Castro
Street in the City and County of San Francisco, State of California, Gentlemen, do
hereby declare the nature of our invention and in what manner the same is to be
performed to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
Specification
Our invention relates to improvements made in buckles for horse hitching-straps,
and other articles that require a strong and firmly holding buckle; but the
improvements are as well applicable to the production of buckles of lighter
description, such as those manufactured for skate-straps and shawl-straps and other
light leather straps.
These improvements and the manner in which we proceed to construct and apply
the same in the manufacture of buckles for straps and harness, are fully explained
in the following description, in which reference is had to the accompanying drawing
that forms part of this Specification.
In the said drawings
:-
Figure 1 is a plan or top view of a buckle for a horse hitching-strap embodying
our improvements.
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of Figure 1 taken through the line x-x with
the "grip" closed on the strap.
Figure 3 is a similar section showing the position of the parts when the "grip "
is off.
Figure 4 represents in perspective the buckle frame and the parts composing the
grip separated from one another.
Figure 5 is a plan or top view of a buckle-frame in which provision is made for
sewing or otherwise permanently securing it on the end of a strap.
Figure 6 is a longitudinal section through Figure 5 on the line y-y.
Referring to the drawings it will be seen that the buckle is composed of a frame A
having cross-bars that set in alternate order over and under the strap when the
same is passed through the frame, and a movable pressure-plate B arranged
between two of the bottom cross-bars to bear upon the strap from above, and a
cam-lever or eccentric lever C pivoted in the frame and adapted to press down and
hold the part B between the cross-bars that support the strap.
In the case of a buckle intended for a hitching-strap or to be used with a snap-
hook, we construct the frame A as shown in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 with a hook or
turned beak A' to take a ring D. But where a buckle is designed for use on the
end of a strap I substitute for the book on the frame a cross-bar 5 across that end
to which the strap is secured by passing its end around the bar in a loop ¹ and
then fastening the end by stitching or rivets. This last described construction is
shown in Figures 5 and 6.
The arrangement of the remaining cross-bars and the construction of the parts B
and C are the same in both forms or styles of buckle-frame described. At the
opposite end, or what may be termed the front end of the buckle, are two bars 1 2
one at the top across the end of the frame and the other 2 at the bottom and
somewhat to one side of the top bar 1 when looking at the side of the frame as in
Figures 23 and substantially parallel with the top-bar. Between this front end
and the back end of the frame is a second cross-bar 3 also across the bottom or the
underside of the frame at a point about oue third the length of the frame distant
from the back end.
This second bar 3 is broader than the other bars before described, as will be seen in
Figures 14 and 5, and in cross-section it resembles a wedge with the acute angle
lying towards the front end of the frame.

page_text: About midway between the line of this last-mentioned edge of the broad cross-
bar and the line of the other cross-bar 2 at the front, there are open sockets 44 on the
inner faces of the side-bars of the frame with circular recesses and slots opening
from them or to the inside of the frame downward, Fig. 6.
The part B which we have termed the pressure plate is formed with a curved
cradle-piece 7 of suitable breadth to set loosely into the open space between the
two cross-bars 2 3 with a convex bottom face next the strap and a concave top-face
having a groove or depression 8 along the lowest part of the.concavity and ridges
or raised portions 99 along the edges of the depression. The body of this plate
from the curved portion, or cradle, before mentioned, to the front end is substantially
straight, and at that end it is turned up and stands about perpendicular, so that
when the cradle is in place with the straight portion of the plate resting in the
opening between the bars of the frame and upon the bottom cross-bars 2 this
turned-up end of the plate will set against the top cross-bar 1 from the outside.
The third one of the parts composing this buckle which I have termed the
eccentric lever is set in the frame above the pressure-plate B already described,
and is retained in place principally by the open sockets 44 on the sides of the
frame, but also by the end of the lever engaging with the hook or part A' on the
end of the frame.
This part C is a lever with pivots or journal portions 10 10 on the broad end
fitted loosely into the sockets 44 on the frame and an eccentric portion 12 on the
underside projecting downwardly from the pivot-bearing end into the coucavity of
the cradle beneath and setting towards the front slightly out of the direct
perpendicular under the pivots. The lever is of proper length to rest at the end
against the hook or part A' and an open slot or, rectangular notch 14 is made in
the end to take over that part, so that the lever when turned down cannot move
sidewise, Fig 4.
On the back of the lever C or that end which is presented to the front of the
buckle when the lever is in place, there is a projecting rib or fin 14¹ of suitable
length to fit loosely between two lips or stops 15 15 on the top of the piece B.
The office of these stops is to confine this broader end of the lever in like
manner as the hook or projection A' confines the lever at the outer end. A lug
or stop 16 on the top-face of the plate behind the upwardly turned end sets
against the back of the top cross-bar 1 when the plate B is in place, and between
these standing parts or projections 11 and 16 the cross-bar is confined, so that the
plate is kept from moving longitudinally from between the two cross-bars 1 2.
The parts of the buckle are put together by setting the plate B between the
cross-bars 12 from the front end of the frame and dropping the curved cradle
under the sockets 4 4 into the opening between the bottom-bars or cross-
pieces 3 4. After this, the pivots of the lever are inserted from below into the
sockets 4 4 and the end of the lever is thrown back towards the front end of the
frame against the top-cross bar as represented in Figure 3. In this position
the buckle is ready to receive the strap.
Figures 2 and 3 clearly show the manner of setting the strap through the buckle.
Its end is inserted through the slit or opening between the two cross-bars 12 at
the front of the frame and beneath the plate B B and is passed over the broad
cross-piece 3 and finally under the cross-bar at the back end of the frame. The
cradle-piece at this time lies loosely on the strap without pressure, but as the outer
end of the lever C is turned on the pivot and brought down into position towards
the rear of the frame, the cradle is pressed dowu between the two cross-bars 2 3
and the strap is seized and held with a firm grip and a continuous pressure.
In this position the end of the eccentric portion of the lever below the pivots
rests in the groove or depression in the cradle and is so confined by the ridges or
raised parts in front of and behind the groove that it cannot move to one side or
to the other until the lever is raised and thrown over by hand; therefore, the
cradle is held down and securely locked into position.
It will be noticed that no rivets or fastenings are used in this buckle to attach

page_text: the parts together; they are confined however by virtue of their peculiar arrange-
ment of the stops and projections engaging the bars of the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed we declare that what.
we claim is :-
1. The herein described buckle consisting of the frame A having the cross-
bars 12 at one end, between which the end of the strap is inserted, the bottom
cross-bar 3 between the bar 2 and the opposite end of the frame and the inwardly
turned hook or beak A' on the top of the frame, in combination with the plate B.
having the cradle-piece and the upwardly turned end fitted between the cross-bars
of the frame and the lever C pivoted in the frame and having an eccentric portion
extending below the pivots and resting in the cradle-piece and adapted by the
pivotal movement of the lever to press the cradle piece down between the cross-
bars of the frame, substantially as herein before set forth.
2. The combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the frame having
cross-bars and openings as described, of the loose pressure-plate having a curved
cradle-piece adapted to fit into the opening between two parallel cross-bars on the
frame and provided with a groove or depression in its concave upper-face and the
pivotal lever having an eccentric portion below the line of its pivot adapted to
set in the depression of the cradle and by the pivotal movement of its lever
to press the cradle outward through the opening between the cross-bars of the
frame.
3. The combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a suitable frame,.
a pivoted lever having an eccentric projection on its underside below the line of
the pivot, and a curved cradle-piece fitted loosely into an opening in the frame
between cross-bars thereof on either side of and below the pivotal points of the
lever having a groove or depression in its concave upper face into which the
eccentric portion of the lever rests; the pivotal movements of the lever acting to.
press and hold the said cradle-piece outwardly in the said opening of the frame.
Dated this 9th day of July 1894.
CHARLES ARTHUR CONGER.
ANDREW SPAULDING.
Haseltine, Lake & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants..