IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR BUCKLES
Year: 1875

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by Christopher John Weldon at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 8th January 1875.
I, CHRISTOPHER JOHN WELDON, of San Jose, in the County of Santa
Clara, and State of California, one of the United States of America,
Gentleman, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN CLASPS OR BUCKLES," to be as follows:—
My Invention relates, first, to a suspension buckle consisting
essentially of three pieces, a buckle top, a tongue, and a body piece, so
arranged dependent and connected with one another, that when a
suspender is threaded into such buckle top so as to rest against the top
of the tongue, and the material or article to be suspended is placed in
position to be caught between the bent bottom end of this tongue and
body piece, any tension that may be brought to bear on the suspender
together with the weight of the article suspended shall draw and hold
them tighter together, and form by its compression without injury to
the materials thus connected a most effective suspension buckle.

page_text: My Invention relates, secondly, to an adjustable tab fitted to the end
of the suspender thus caught, so as to prevent such suspender from
being withdrawn during any subsequent readjustment of the suspension
buckle for tightening or loosening purposes.
The buckle top consists of a bent piece of sheet metal provided with
teeth at the top of a central opening, a slot immediately beneath this
opening, and on each side small holes for the top projections of the body
piece to fit into to allow of its pivoting thercon.
The body piece consists also of a piece of sheet metal which is mado
narrow at the top to fit the aforesaid buckle top and broad at the bottom,
where it is pinched forward in the form of a U to admit the bent end of
the tongue. Over this bent portion or catch an opening is provided for
this tongue to fit into, and pivot on the ears of the body piece by means
of corresponding ears and a pin. At the bottom bent end portion of this
tongue, where it is made considerably broader, teeth are provided to:
obtain a better gripe of any material placed between it and the body
piece, and at the top it is slightly bent forward into a lip to catch any
suspender that may be placed between it and the buckle top teeth, but
without in any way piercing such material or suspender, as both these
upper and lower teeth have flattened edges.
The tab consists of a small bent piece of sheet metal wherein another
bent piece is pivoted to form a kind of box, in such manner that after
having been opened by swinging the lid backward and passing the end
of a suspender into it, the closing of the said lid will cause the portion
from its bent shape to press tighter on this suspender, and thus secure it i
the more perfectly the more it is pressed home.
In applying this suspension buckle the spring tongue is pressed back
against the body picce, the buckle top pivoted round at right angles to
the said body piece and the tongue thus disengaged brought forward.
A suspender is now threaded through the opening next to the teeth, a
then passed. over the top of the body piece, then back through this
opening, and again threaded through the aforesaid slot to rest on the top
of the depressed bar of the buckle top, where the end is secured to tho
tab so as to prevent its being withdrawn during any subsequent
adjustment.

page_text: the body piece, and the tongue is immediately brought back to its
original position with reference to the buckle top and body piece.
The suspender, the article to be suspended, and the connecting buckle
will now be found all firmly bound together, and the greater the tension
brought to bear in opposite directions on such suspender and suspended
article to draw them apart, the more firmly will they be held together.
One of the principal advantages of this buckle is that it secures by
compression only, since both the upper and lower teeth respectively
have flat edges so as not to puncture and consequently injure the
suspender or article suspended. It is evident however that the holding
device can be employed without the teeth.