IMPROVEMENTS IN SEAMLESS BUCKLES
Year: 1879

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Roderic Gellhorn, of Gonzales, in the County of Gonzales
and State of Texas, in the United States of America, for the Invention of
"IMPROVEMENTS IN SEAMLESS BUCKLES." A communication from .William
James Carnes, of Gonzales, in the County of Gonzales, and State of Texas, in
the United States of America.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION filed by the said Roderick Gellhorn at the Office
of the Commissioners of Patents on the 25th August 1879.
RODERICK GELLHORN, of Gonzales, in the County of Gonzales, and State of
Texas, in the United States of America. "IMPROVEMENTS IN SEAMLESS BUCKLES."
A communication from William James Carnes, of Gonzales, in the County of
Gonzales, and State of Texas, in the United States of America.
This Invention has relation to improvements in buckles and it consists of a three
tongue buckle having a central transverse bar provided with separated lugs formed
on said bar between the seats for the eyes of the tongues keeping the latter in
proper relative position, as hereinafter described.
In the accompanying Drawings, a represents the body of the buckle, the same
being an oblong rectangular frame, baving a central cross bar 6 dividing the
opening of the frame into two equal parts, or practically so. This bar b is provided
with spaced projections or lugs i, between which are arranged the tongues c and c¹,
the object of the said projections being to keep the said tongues properly spaced or
set at a normal distance apart. These tongues play upon the same side of the
buckle frame and are secured upon the bar b by bending or looping pieces of wire
of suitable thickness around the interspaces between the lugs, projections, or
collars aforesaid.
The effect of this construction is that I avoid the spreading out of the metal of the
tongues at one end, thereby thinning or weakening the same in order to form
laterally extended sleeves, which being folded around the pivot bar side by side
hold the tongues in place upon said bar. The tongue c bears upon the end bar d
of the buckle frame, and the tongues c¹ upon the opposite end bar d', as shown in

page_text: Figures 1, 2, 3, 4. e represents a raised loop forming with the end bar da slot,
the object of which will be described hereinafter. At each side of the frame a and
usually in the same plane therewith are other loops g, g, forming with the side bars of
the body or frame a slot 8. These slots are designed to receive the ends of the hip
straps which support the breeching or traces where no breeching is used, but there
are many other purposes to which they may be applied in harness, not herein
requiring enumeration; this form of buckle is plainly shown in Fig. 4.
By means of this improved buckle an entire set of harness or any part thereof
may be put together without a single stitch. Bridles, headstalls for halters,
military accoutrements, and many other like constructions may be in like manner
put together without stitching and. by comparatively unskilled labor. Should a
trace, rein, or knapsack strap give way on a march or journey the damage may be
repaired by passing one of the ends of said trace, rein, or strap under bar di and
engaging the tongues c¹ in the perforations of the same, and then passing the other
end under bar d, drawing up any slack and engaging the tongue c with a perfora-
tion of that end thereof, any excess of length being passed through the raised loop.
This may be accomplished in a few moments. This construction of buckle may be
modified, as shown, according to the use made of it, and, instead of three tongues,
four such tongues may be applied.
Having now described my Invention, and the manner in which the same may
be performed, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is,-
A buckle, substantially as herein before described, adapted for use without sewing
it to the object upon which it is intended to be used, substantially as shown and
described.
In witness that I claim the foregoing, I, the said Roderick Gellhorn, have
hereunto set my hand and seal, this Twenty fifth day of August, in
the year of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and seventy nine.