Year: 1888

page_text: [Communicated from abroad by EARL ALBERT SMITH and DWIGHT LYNAN SMITH,
both of Waterbury, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.]
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake, & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare tho nature of
this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly
described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
.This invention relates to that class of buckles for braces or suspenders and like
purposes, in which the frame is made of tubular form, that is, with a front and back
parallel with each other, leaving a space between the front and back through which
the suspender or strap may pass the said frame having combined therewith a hinged
lever, the jaw of which swings between the back and front of the frame, so as to
impinge upon the strap within the frame.
In the more general construction of this class of buckles, the front and back are of
the same depth.
The object of the first part of this invention is to reduce the depth of the back,
thereby greatly reducing the amount of metal in the frame, but yet make the buckle
as strong, if not stronger, than the usual construction.
In the usual construction of this class of buckle, the front and back of the tubular
frame are made in planes parallel with each other, and distant from each other con-
siderably more than the thickness of the strap or suspender, in order to permit the
jaw of the lever to work within the frame upon the suspender; the result of this is
that the upper edge of the back portion of the frame, being a considerable distance
inside of the inner surface of the suspender, offers a wearing edge to the garments, so
as to create a serious objection to this otherwise desirable class of buckles. Again,
the same difficulty occurs from the arm of the lever below, this being usually upon
the inner surface of the frame, and generally parallel with the plane of the back, its
lower edge offers a like wearing surface or obstruction to the easy movement of the
buckle upon the garments, and the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter
described.

page_text: Figure 1 represents a front view of the buckle completo.
Figure 2 is a rear view of the same.
Figure 3a sido view.
Figure 4 a top view.
Figure 5 is a vertical central section showing the strap or suspender in place and
engaged.
Figure 6 represents the front plate A as prepared for assembling and also illustrating
the method of uniting the two plates.
Figure 7 represents the blank for the back or plate B.
Figure 8 is an edge view of the back B detached.
Figure 9 is a vertical section cutting through one of the ears h.
Figure 10 is a top view of the frame, the lever being removed.
Figure 11 is a rear view of the lever removed.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of the lever detached.
Figures 13, 14, 15, and 16 show modifications.
The frame
A represents the front plate and B the rear plate of the frame. The front plate,
as seen in Figure 6. is constructed with ontwardly projecting cars a, a, two nt each
end, distant from each other substantially the width of the back plate B.
is provided at its lower edge with a look or other suitable nieans for nitachment
common in this class of buckles. The back-plate B is of a length corresponding to
the length of the front plate, as seen in Figure 7. with an extension at each end, equal
to the portion which is in length equal to the distanco which the plate B is to stand
from the plate A, and with a further projection d at each end, these projections & being
wider than the plate B, so as to form lateral projections or ears eat each side. These
projections e of the plate 1 correspond to the ears a of the platu A. The end portions
of the plate B are bent from the plate at right angles, to form the two ends b, b, as
seen in Figure 8, and the projections d are turned inward into a plane parallel with
the plate B, as seen in Figure 8.
In ense the two plates A B of the frame are to be parallel, then the turned in
portions will be turned inward in planes parallel with the plate B, but if the
inclination of the hack, hereinafter described, is required, then the ends dare bent
upon an angle, as indicated in Figuro 7, corresponding to the inclination required for
the plate B, as seen in Figures 3 and 5.
The plate B is set in its proper place upon the plate A, that is, in a position so that
the body of the plate stands in line between the ears a, a on the plate, and so that the
projections e e stand in line with the ears a, a, as indicated at the left Figure 6 then
the ears a, a at each end of the plate A, are turned inward over the projections e e,
as indicated in broken lines Figure 6 and also seen in Figure 9 and 10).
This interlocking of the ears a, a, of the plate A over the projections or corre
sponding cars e, ‹ of the plate B, firmly secures the two together, and in their proper
relation to each other. This forms a tubular frame for the buckle, but with the buck
plate of very much less depth than the front, the depth of the front plate being
desirable for the ornamental appearance which it gives to the buckle.
The lever C is best hung in the plate B, and so as to stand upon the rear side of the
buckle. This levor is made from sheet metal, and has its edge D turned from the
body of the lever, as represented in Figure 12, and as usual in this class of levers.
The lever may be hung in various ways; as represented in iho illustrations thus
far referred to, it is hung upon a wire-barf, supported in the plate B, and to thus
support the wire-bar f the plate B is constructed with a recess g upon its under edge,
less in length than the length of the frame, and at each end of the recess, curs h
project from tlunt edge, and so as to be closed around each end of the wire-har fas
seen in Figures 9, 10, and 11, and so that the bar extends across the recess y, parallel
with the edge of the plato B, as seen in Figure 11. The length of the lever corre-
sponds to the length of the recess y in the plate B, and the lever is constructed with!
cars which are Lent around the wire bar, as seen in Figure 2, so as to form a hinge

page_text: upon which the lever may turn, the lover operating in the usual manner for levers in
this class of buckles.
Instead of introducing a hinge bar fupon which to hang the lever, the plate B may
be constructed with a longitudinal slot 7. see Figure 15, through which the lever will
be introduced; this is a common expedient for hanging the lever, the jaw of the lever
being longer than the length of the lever, and the length of the slot corresponding to
the length of the lever, and so that the ends of the jaw will extend upon the inside of
the plate B beyond each end of the slot, as seen in Figure 16 and in the usual manner
of hanging the lever through a slot in the tubular frame.
As before stated, the tubular frame may be made with its two sides in parallel
planes, but the back B is represented as inclined toward the front, the upper edge of
the back B being distant from the front only sufficient for the convenient introduction
of the suspender or strap to the frame, the lever C hung in the frame so that its
jaw is in line where the back is most distant from the front. The lever inclines
downward and forward toward the front, and so as to lie upon the suspender or
strap, and present an oblique surface substantially like that of the back above, and
so that as the suspender or strap is introduced through the frame, as represented in
Figure 5, there is sufficiont room within the frame for the oporation of the jaw,
but yet the exposed edge of the back is brought into substantially close contact
with that side of the suspender or strap, and the lever in a like position, so that the
usual wearing points of the buckle are avoided.
The central projecting line of the back forms a smooth rounded surface, and { servos
as a guard for the bucklo to prevent wear upon the garments.
As represented, the lever is hung in the lower edge of the back, but the frame may
be made with a double inclined back, as seen in Figure 13, with a longitudinal slot,
through which the lever is introduced, as in many buckles of this class.
In some cases in tubular buckles, the lover is arranged upon the front, so as to clamp
the suspender against the back, as in Figure 13.
Again, in some cases the lever is arranged in the upper part of the frame, so that
the lever turns upward in grasping instead of downward, this being a common and
well known construction, it is to be understood therefore, that the terms "upward,"
" downward," rearward," front,"
," "back," and similar terms are used only as a
convenience in illustrating the invention and not as indicating a necessary position of
the parts.
The double inclined back of a tubular frame buckle, while peculiarly adapted to the
construction of frame described, may be embodied in tubular frames in which the
back is united to the front by other devices, say by soldering, it is therefore to
be understood that the invention of the double inclined back is not to be limited
to the particular construction of frame described, it only being essential to this part of
the invention that the frame shall be of a tubular character with its back presenting
the double inclined surface, with the lever hung in one side, so that its jaw may
impinge upon the strap within the tubular frame, and clamp it upon the opposite sido
of the frame.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed as communicated to me by my
foreign correspondents I declare that what I claim is:
First. In a buckle, the frame of which consists of front and rear plates A. B,
forming substantially a tubular frame, the said plate B constructed with projections d
at each end, the said projections forming laterally projecting ears e, e, the said pro-
jections turned inside the plate B, and parallel therewith, distant from the plate B
corresponding substantially to the distance required between the plates A and B, and
the plate A constructed with ears a a at each end, corresponding to the said ears e e
on the plate B, and the said ears a a closed over the cars e e as a means for uniting
the two plates A and B to form the buckle frame, substantially as described.
Second. The herein described buckle, the frame composed of the front A and the
back B, the front and back united at their ends to form a tubular frame, through

page_text: which the strap passes, combined with an L shaped lover hinged to one of the snid
parts, and so that its jaw will extend toward the opposite part, and with the said
opposite part form a clamp within the tubular frame to engage the strap, the plane of
the said back being inclined upward and toward the front, so as to contract the
opening through the tubular frame at its upper edge, substantially as described.
Third. The herein described Inuckle, the frame composed of a front A and back B,
united at their ends to form a tubular frame, through which the strap passes, the back
inclined upward and toward the front of the frame, so as to contract the opening
through the frame toward the top, combined with an ↳ shaped lover hinged to the
back, and so that its jaw will extend toward the front and with the said front form a
clamp within the tubular frame to engage the strap, the arm of said lever inclined
downward and forward toward the front, substantially as described, and so that tho
rear of the buckle presents a double inclined surface toward the front.
Fourth. In a buckle frame which consists of front and rear plates A B forming
substantially a tubular frame, the said plates united at their ends by ears formed on
the one part closed over corresponding cars or projections on the other part, combined
with a lover lung in the one plate, and adapted to clamp the strap which passes
through the tubular frame against the other plate, substantially as described.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London,
Agents for the Applicant.
8587 ATIS &