Improvements in Buckles for Braces or Suspenders and the like.
Year: 1889

page_text: Date of Application, 31st Dec., 1889
Complete Specification Left, 30th Sept., 1890-Accepted, 22nd Nov., 1890
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
[Communicated from abroad by CHARLES HENRY FARMER, of No. 114, West
23rd Street, in the City and State of New York, United States of America,
Manufacturer.]
Improvements in Buckles for Braces or Suspenders and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co., Patent Agents,
Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex do hereby declare the nature
of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to the class of suspender buckles in which the web is passed
between front and rear portions of the buckle which clasp and compress it without
penetrating it by tongues or sharp prongs, the device securing itself frictionally to
the web.
The peculiar feature of my improved buckle consists in a back-frame made of wire
with an intermediate cross-bar fixed horizontally thereon, in combination with a sheet-
metal front plate hinged upon the top bar of said frame, and a wire hook hinged in
the lower edge of said plate so as to fold on its journals and pass behind the bottom
bar of the wire frame which is bent to engage with the lower edge of the front plate
and to form with the other parts a spring lock to hold the buckle firmly in position
No spring snap is required to keep the detachable ring engaged with the
hook when in use, since the position of the journals of the hook, in rear of the bottom
bar of the wire frame, is such as to bring the hook point into substantial contact with
for use.
said bar.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, W.C. Agents for the Applicant..
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Buckles for Braces or Suspenders and the like.
I, HENRY HARRIS LAKE, of the firm of Haseltine, Lake & Co. Patent Agents,
45 Southampton Buildings, in the County of Middlesex 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 the class of suspender-buckles in which the web is passed
between front and rear portions of the buckle, which clasp and compress it without
penetrating it by tongues or sharp prongs, the device securing itself frictionally to
the web.
The peculiar feature of my improved buckle consists in a back frame made of wire
with an intermediate cross-bar fixed horizontally thereon, in combination with a sheet
metal front plate hinged upon the top bar of said frame and a wire hook hinged in the
lower edge of said plate, so as to fold on its journals and pass behind the bottom bar
of the wire frame, which is bent to engage with the lower edge of the front plate and
to form with the other parts a spring-lock to hold the buckle firmly in position for use.
No spring-snap is required to keep the detachable ring engaged with the hook when
in use, since the position of the journals of the hook in rear of the bottom bar of the
wire frame is such as to bring the hook-point into substantial contact with said bar.
In the accompanying drawings
Figures 1 and 2 are front and rear views of the web and connected parts; and
Figures 3 and 4 are vertical sections of the same, showing modifications of the

page_text: Figures 5 and 6 show the buckle thrown, wide open with a representation of the
two forms of cross-bar.
Figures 7 and 8 are perspective views of the same buckles partly folded.
Figure 9 is an edge view.
The front plate A is polished sheet metal rolled backward at its upper edge to
embrace the top bar B of the wire back frame, and also rolled rearwardly at its lower
edge to inclose the journals of and form a hinge for the doubled wire hook E, which
receives the detachable ring F. The ends of the plate A are folded rearwardly to give
a neat appearance and smooth finish.
The wire back-frame is nearly rectangular in form, its lower bar Chaving preferably
two small waves D in it, or being otherwise bent to snap over and engage frictionally
with the lower edge of the front plate when the device is closed upon the web W.
The back frame has a horizontal cross-bar G fixed to its ends about midway
between the bars B and C, the web passing in front of this cross-bar and in rear of
the bars B and C, as shown.
The inner face of the front plate has a horizontal rib H, corresponding to the cross-
bar G, the two forming a gripping device to deflect or compress the web as it passes
between them, (see Figures 3, 4 and 9) 1 prefer to make one of these parts with two
serrated edges and the other as a smooth bar or rib closing between them. In Figures 3, 5
and 7 the serrations are on the edges of the cross-bar, the plain single rib being on the
back of the plate A, while in Figures 4, 6, and 8 the position is reversed. I provide
for holding these parts in efficient contact with the web by bending the ends of the
wire frame, so that its lower bar C may be sprung away from the upper bar sufficiently
to catch in front of the lower edge of the front plate or by giving equivalent elasticity
to the front plate in either case to hold them in place temporarily.
I have adapted the wire hook E as a lever to aid in clamping the hinged parts
together. Its journals J consist of the axially-diverging ends of the wire, which
have bearings in the rolled up lower edge of the plate A, so that the hook has a
swinging movement. In folding or closing the buckle the body of the hook is caused
to pass between the central cross-bar and the lower bar of the wire-frame, as in
Figures 7, 8 and 9. Then by straightening out the hook into a vertical plane that is,
into the plane of the plate A-the hook acts as a lever to spring the bar C just under
the plate A to snap on to its lower edge. The waves or bends D are the points of
contact. This arrangement not only aids in bringing the parts together, but when
the hook receives the ring F, to which the button straps are secured, the downward
strain tends to hold the buckle in place. Again, the tip of the hook comes close to
the lower bar C, so that the ring F will not be accidentally disengaged, although no
snap is employed. However, by swinging the hook slightly to the rear the wearer
may quickly detach the ring with its straps whenever occasion requires.
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 correspondent I declare that what I claim is:
First. In a suspender-buckle or like clasp, the swinging wire hook E and the broad
sheet metal front plate A, having its upper edge rolled rearwardly and hinged upon
the top bar of the back frame and its lower edge similarly rolled and hinged to the
journals of the wire hook, in combination with the back-frame and its cross-bar
co-operating with a stiffening-rib of the front plate, for the purpose set forth.
Second. The front plate A, hinged at its horizontal edges, respectively, to the back
frame and the swinging hook, in combination with such frame and hook made of wire,
the back-frame being bent to give it sufficient elasticity for engagement with the lower
edge of the front plate, substantially as set forth.
Third. The sheet-metal front plate and wire back-frame hinged together at top and
constructed to engage at the bottom, in combination with the wire hook E, journalled
in the lower edge of the front plate and arranged to pass in rear of the lower bar of the
back-frame, the frame ends being bent toward the front for elasticity and to bring
such lower bar forward of the neck or stem of the hook, which serves thus as a
1

page_text: clamping-lever to bring and keep the parts of the buckle into working position upon
the web, substantially as set forth.
Fourth. The front plate, back-frame, and wire hook hinged together, as described,
said plate and frame provided with the clamping-rib and toothed cross-bar, and the
back-frame having waves D D in its lower bar and space between its bars G and C,
and the hinged hook being adapted to pass bodily through the same until the book is
extended and its tip rests in proximity to the bar C, for the purpose set forth.
Dated this 30th day of December 1890.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45, Southampton Buildings, London, Agents for the Applicant.