IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES
Year: 1853

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to James Willis, of Wallingford, in the County
of Berks, Harness Maker, for the Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS
IN BUCKLES."
Sealed the 27th January 1854, and dated the 11th November 1853.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said James Willis at
the Office of the Commissioners of Patents, with his Petition, on
the 11th November 1853.
I, JAMES WILLIS, of Wallingford, in the County of Berks, Harness
Maker, do hereby declare the nature of the said Invention for
"IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES" to be as follows:-
My improvements in buckles consists, firstly, in making the tongue
of the buckle so that it will slide through the cross bar, or that part to
which the tongue is usually jointed or hinged. I also bend the tongue
at right angles to the strain, or that part that receives the strain from
the trace or other strap. The point of the tongue rests upon the
frame in the usual way, but instead of raising the tongue to relieve
the strap the tongue is pushed back through the cross bar, when

page_text: the strap may be removed. Another of my improvements in buckles
consists in forming the tongue so as to slide through the bar as
before, but instead of fastening the tug to the frame of the buckle,
or to the fixed cross bar, I form a cross bar on the back end
of the tongue behind the fixed cross bar through which the tongue
passes; to this cross bar on the tongue I attach the tug. The
buckle frame is thus free to slip back and forth on the tongue and
connected straps for the purpose of engaging or disengaging the trace
from the tug or other connected straps. The strap or trace is freed
as before explained with regard to the first-mentioned buckle.
SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent,
filed by the said James Willis in the Great Seal Patent Office on
the 11th May 1854.
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME, I,
JAMES WILLIS, of Wallingford, in the County of Berks, Harness
Maker, send greeting.
WHEREAS Her most Excellent Majesty Queen Victoria, by Her
Letters Patent, bearing date the Eleventh day of November, in the
year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, in the
seventeenth year of Her reign, did, for Herself, Her heirs and succes-
sors, give and grant unto me, the said James Willis, Her special
licence that I, the said James Willis, my executors, administrators,
and assigns, or such others as I, the said James Willis, my executors,
administrators, and assigns, should at any time agree with, and no
others, from time to time and at all times thereafter during the term
therein expressed, should and lawfully might make, use, exercise, and
vend, within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
Channel Islands, and Isle of Man, an Invention for "IMPROVEMENTS IN
BUCKLES," upon the condition (amongst others) that I, the said James
Willis, by an instrument in writing under my hand and seal, should
particularly describe and ascertain the nature of the said Invention,
and in what manner the same was to be performed, and cause the same

page_text: to be filed in the Great Seal Patent Office within six calendar months
next and immediately after the date of the said Letters Patent.
NOW KNOW YE, that I, the said James Willis, do hereby declare
the nature of my said Invention, and in what manner the same is to be
performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the
following statement, reference being had to the. Sheet of Drawings
hereunto annexed, and to the letters and figures marked thereon (that
is to say):
My Invention of improvements in buckles consists, firstly, in making
the tongue of the buckle so that it will slide through the cross bar or
that part to which the tongue is usually jointed or hinged. I also bend
the tongue at right angles to the strain at that part which receives the
strain from the trace or other strap. The point of the tongue rests
upon the frame in the usual way, but instead of raising the tongue to
relieve the strap the tongue is pushed back through the cross bar, when
the strap may be removed. Another of my improvements in buckles
consists in forming the tongue so as to slide through the bar as before,
but instead of fastening the tug to the frame of the buckle, or to the
fixed cross bar, I form a cross bar on the back end of the tongue
behind the fixed cross bar through which it passes; to this cross bar on
the tongue I attach the tug. The buckle frame is thus free to slip
back and forth on the tongue or connected straps for the purpose of
engaging or disengaging the trace from the tug or other connected
strap. The strap or trace is freed as before explained with regard to
the first-mentioned buckle.
Fig. 1, represents in plan a buckle constructed according to my
Invention, and adapted for any ordinary purpose; Fig. 2, is a side view,
and Fig. 3, a transverse section thereof. c, c, is the frame of the
buckle; a, the tongue; and d, the cross bar by which the buckle is
permanently secured to any object required. The tongue of this
buckle, instead of being jointed to the cross bar d as in the ordinary
buckle, is fitted so as to slide freely therein to the positions shown in
Fig. 2. The part of the tongue that receives the strain from the
strap is placed at right angles to the strap, preventing any injury
thereto from straining out of the direct line as in other buckles.

page_text: and
Fig. 4, represents a plan of this same buckle connecting two straps'f,
9. The strap g is secured in the ordinary way to the cross bard,
a recess being cut in the middle of this strap for the traverse of the
tongue, as seen dotted in Fig. 1. It will be observed that the part b
of the tongue passes straight through the strap, the point being curved
so as to rest on the frame, and to prevent the strap coming off. The
tongue a, bearing at b, directly against the frame c, the strain is
transferred thereto. To prevent excess of strain on frame c, the back
end of tongue a has an enlarged head e, which when drawn close up
'comes in 'contact with cross bar d, transferring the strain thereto
direct from the tongue a. The tongue being rectangular at a, a, and
sliding through a suitable opening in cross 'bar d, always keeps the
tongue in its correct position. To disengage the strap. f the tongue
must be pushed back to the position shown dotted in Fig. 5, and. the
free end of fat the same time drawn backwards (that is in an opposite
direction to the movement of the tongue), when the strap will rise as
seen dotted in Fig. 5, and slip off the tongue, or the free end may be
raised entirely up for the purpose. The opposite movement serves. to
buckle the straps together. There is no liability of the strap f to
become disconnected from slackening of the tension, as the strap is kept
straight while in tension, and the peculiar form of tongue prevents
deflection during any back thrust.
The other Drawings represent buckles of this construction adapted
for the different parts of harness. The same letters of reference denote
the same parts where they recur in the several Figures. Fig. 6,
represents a front, and Fig. 7, a side view of a buckle for a back-band
tug. The construction is very similar to the buckle described; it has
an additional cross bar d', which forms a better support for the tongue
to slide in. h, is the loop to receive the end of the strap, and l, a joint
piece to connect the buckle to the shaft. Fig. 8, is a front view, and
Fig. 9, a side view of a buckle for a trace tug to match the preceeding.
It is similar in all its parts except i, the cross bar by which to connect
the buckle with the tug; this cross bar may be substituted for joint
piece 7, in Figs. 6 and 7. Figs. 10 and 11, show a modification of
Fig. 1, with double cross bar d, and d. These Figures also represent

page_text: in dotted lines the mode of connecting the strap g to a cross bar on
the back end of the tongue instead of to the cross bar of the buckle
frame. The whole strain on the connection is thus transmitted through
the tongue, the frame c, c, being free to slide for the purposes of con-
necting or disengaging the straps.
Fig. 12, represents a plan of a buckle constructed according to my
Invention, the frame c, c, having a double end, and with the cross bar d
in the middle; Fig. 13, is a side view, and Fig. 14, is an end view
of the same. Fig. 15, shows a plan, and Fig. 16, a side view of this
buckle with the straps connected, which will be readily understood on
examination.
Having described the nature of my Invention of improvements in
buckles, and the manner of performing. the same, I would have it
understood that I claim constructing buckles with sliding tongues
formed and arranged substantially as herein-before described.
In witness whereof, I, the said James Willis, have hereunto set
my hand and seal, this Eleventh day of May, in the year of
our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-four.
o Witness,
W. CLARK,
Patent Agent,
53, Chancery Lane,
London.
JAMES WILLIS. (L.S.)