An Improved Buckle.
Year: 1897

page_text: COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Buckle.
We, JOE IREDALE, of Sea View Villa, Mablethorpe, in the County of Lincolnshire,
Surgeon, and JOHN WILLIAM DAWSON, of Trusthorpe, Mablethorpe, in the County
of Lincolnshire, Gentleman, do hereby declare the 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 an improved buckle designed more particularly for use as
a harness buckle, and so constructed that when it is desired to release the straps of
the harness in an emergency, as for instance when a horse has fallen, such release can
be effected without having to exert a pull on the strap in order to permit the tongue
of the buckle to be opened in the usual way.
For this purpose our improved buckle is so constructed that its yoke or loop can be
slidden or moved outward, or away from the other parts thereof, in a longitudinal
direction sufficiently to permit the tongue to pass through said yoke or loop into such
a position that the latter no longer acts as a check on the strap which can therefore
slip directly off the tongue under the strain to which it is subjected.
And in order that our invention may be fully understood and readily carried into
effect we will proceed to describe the same by aid of the accompanying drawings
in which :-
Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of one form of our improved buckle, showing the
parts in their normal position.
Figure 2 is a side view thereof showing the parts in the position they occupy
when the yoke or loop has moved outward in the manner referred to.
Figure 3 is a plan of the buckle, the straps to which it is usually attached being
removed.
Figure 4 is an underside view of the portion of the buckle to which the yoke
or loop is directly connected.
Figure is a plan of the portion of the buckle by which the tongue is carried.
Figure 6 is a plan of detail hereinafter referred to.
The loop a of the buckle is hinged or pivoted to lugs b formed on a plate or flap c
provided on one side with teeth or serrations c¹ and which is adapted to fit between a
pair of plates and e to the former of which the tongue of the buckle is pivoted
between lugs d', and the latter of which is provided with teeth or serrations e¹ (see
Figures and 6) corresponding to the teeth c. These three plates are normally
clamped together by a countersunk nut working on a screw-threaded pin or stud i,
which is rivetted into the plate e and extends through a slot b' in the plate c and a
countersunk hole d² in the plate d. The pitch of the threads on the pin or stud i is
advantageously such that a single turn of the nut allows the plates d and e to separate
sufficiently for the teeth c¹ and e¹ to clear each other, and the upper end of the screw i
may if desired be enlarged to prevent the nut being completely screwed off it. The
said nut h is provided with a hinged finger-piece or button ¹ for turning it, and on
this button is formed a projection h2 which when the nut is screwed tight and the
finger piece is folded down beneath the end of the strap, abuts against a corre-
sponding projection d³ on the plate d, thus preventing the nut h from turning
accidentally. The ends of the plates d and e are provided with apertures d* and ex
for the insertion of the loop g whereby the buckle is secured to the strap, or harness,
and if necessary a recess is provided in the plate c beneath the tongue f to permit
the same to move downward into the position shown in Figure 2.

page_text: When the parts are in the position shown in Figure 1 the buckle can be used in the
same manner as an ordinary buckle, that is to say, the strap can be unfastened by
drawing the end k partially through the yoke or loop and turning back the
tongue f.
When however from any cause, say from a horse having fallen, the strain on the
end k of the strap is so great that it cannot be drawn through the loop or yoke a in
the direction to permit of the tongue being turned back, it is only necessary to pull
the end of the strap out of the runner g' so as to allow the finger piece /' to be raised
and to screw back the nut h sufficiently by means of the finger pieces h¹ to permit
-the teeth c¹ and e¹ to clear each other. The loop a and the plate b are then free to
slide or move outward into the position shown in Figure 2, which they do under the
influence of the strain on the strap, the slot 6' in the plate permitting the movement
to take place without interference from the screw-threaded pin or stud i. Immediately
the loop a has passed from under the end of the tongue the latter is drawn through
to the underside of the yoke and the strap will, if the strain be sufficient, be drawn
directly off the tongue and clear of the buckle.
When employing our improved buckle on the harness of draught horses that pull
by shoulder chains we prefer to arrange the said buckle on the throat band, but for
carriage horses we prefer to place it on the traces.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:-
1. A buckle having a sliding yoke substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
2. Our improved buckle constructed and operating substantially as hereinbefore
.described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
D
قيمه
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicants.