Improvements in the Metallic Fittings or Furniture of Waist Belts, Braces, Suspenders, and other Articles of Dress.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 25th Jan., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 12th Oct., 1895-Accepted, 23rd Nov., 1895
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in the Metallic Fittings or Furniture of Waist Belts,
Braces, Suspenders, and other Articles of Dress.
I, WALTER MARTIN HARRIS of the Firm of D. B. Harris and Sons, of
Newhall Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, do hereby declare the
nature of this invention to be as follows:-
My invention relates to improvements in the metallic fittings or metallic furniture
of waist belts, braces, suspenders, garters, and other articles of dress, and has for
one of its objects, a simple means of attaching the fittings upon an end or both
ends of a band without stitching, and for another object, to save the webbing.
In ordinary bands, the same have an adjustable end and a fixed end, and the
adjustable end is made by taking up the web into the form of a loop, to the return
end of which loop, one half of a two-part metallic fitting is connected whilst the
end of the loop is connected to the body of the band by a runner or loop. There
is a considerable waste of material in forming this loop, as well as an extra metallic
fitting in the form of a slide.
The end of the band carrying the fixed part of the furniture has in many cases
the webbing extended so as to form a tab back.
One form of fitting constructed according to my invention consists of a long and
narrow loop, having an inside length a little greater than the breadth of the band,
and having jointedly attached to the upper and lower parts of the inside bar, a
clamping or lever bar, the outer edge of which, when in its normal and gripping
position, comes approximate to the inner edge of the outside loop bar and nips the
webbing between itself and the said inner edge. The upper and jointed ends of
the clamping or lever bar may be cranked out of its general plane, so that when
the hinged bar is closed, its gripping edge, being set forward by the said cranking,
lies snugly and laterally in a mid-way position between the bars of the loop.
On the webbing being passed over the gripping bar and through the loop, the
pull on the webbing tightens the grip by the forcing of the edge of the lever closer
to the inner edge of the back bar of the loop.
The fastening of the one part of the belt to the other may be of any known or
desired form.
The adjustment of the length of the band is made by raising the bar and
allowing the tab part to be extended or drawn in.
In another form of my invention, I joint the gripping bar at one end only, and
make the said jointed end in the form of an eye, which passes around the bar at
the returned end of the frame, whilst the free end of the gripping bar extends to
and overlaps the other returned end of the loop.
The material is placed over this gripping bar and through the loop, so that
when pull is put upon the webbing and the band drawn taut, the bar is made to
nip the material between its opposite sides and adjacent edges of the sides of the
frame.
As a modification of this last arrangement, I make the gripping bar double, or
of a spring construction, that is, the same is made from a length of wire folded
upon itself, leaving a slit through the middle, so that the sides slightly yield on
the nipping of the material between itself and the sides of the bar.
As a further arrangement, I make the gripping bar of a double or compound

page_text: order, with opposite outer ends of the respective bars jointed to opposite ends of
the loops, whilst the opposite other ends of the respective bars are free and their
middles are coupled together by a sliding ferrule or ring and form a double lever
member alike unto a pair of jointed levers in a lazy-tong arrangement.
In use, the webbing is passed over the compound bar and under the sides of the
loop, so that when pull is put upon the band, it becomes nipped between the bars
and the frame wherein they lie.
As a still further form. I make the nipping bar in the form of a long closure
plate or block, hinged to one side of the frame, and with the inner side of the said
closure plate or bar having a rib or long block, of nearly the inside shape and
dimensions as the frame, which rib or bar is pierced horizontally nearly from end
to end, through which piercing the webbing of the band passes.
When in use, the webbing passes through the horizontal slit or long eye and
then through the frame, so that when the hinged closure plate is closed, the
material of the band is nipped between itself and the inside edges of the frame.
In carrying out still another form of my improvements in connection with a
two-part clasp or buckle, I provide the outer back part of each half of the
fastening with a long loop or narrow frame, made up of two or more bar members
and mounted at or near its ends upon branched or cranked pivots or axes, whose
ends are preferably enlarged or made bulbous with the necks, inwards of the ends
working within set-back bearings or clawed bearings, so arranged that when the
cranked frame, wherethrough the length of band to be held is passed, lies flat upon
or adjacent to the back of the buckle frame, the line of pull of the band comes
preferably inwards of the axes of the pivot ends, or in other words, between the
pivot ends and the buckle frame.
The crank-mounted loop lies down from the outer back edge of the buckle, so
that assuming that the loose end of the band be first threaded or laced under the
branches of the pivot ends and then forward, over the outside bar of, and back.
through the middle of, the loop and under the pivots ends as aforesaid, thus
making the said loose end take a circuitous course, on pull being put upon the
band, the tendency of the pivoted frame is to come tight against the back of the
buckle frame and secure the loose end to it without swing.
In this arrangement, the loose ends of the band are returned upon the body part.
If necessary, a spike or protuberance or protuberances may be formed upon one,
or the inner, bar of the crank-mounted loop or nipping frame.
Each of the buckle frames may be connected together to form a clasp by
infibulating hooks, hooks and eyes, or other suitable means.
In carrying out a further arrangement, I make the nipping bar or frame in the
form of an excentric, which, when partly rotated nips the material to be held
between itself and the frame, or in the case of a three-barred buckle frame,
between the edges of the bars and the opposed face of the excentric grip. That is,
I take a bar and provide the ends, which work within bearings carried by the
buckle frame, with excentrically disposed pivots, so that by throwing the bar out
of centre relative to the pivots, the nip is brought excentric to the axial line of the
pivots, and is so disposed that the tighter the band is drawn the tighter becomes
the nip by the nipping face being brought closer to the bearing part of the buckle.
Or instead of the nip coming between the opposed bearing surface of the buckle
frame, it may come opposite a longitudinal clearance in the frame, so that the
material to be nipped is forced into the clearance and made to take a curved
figure.
When an attachment is employed on a buckle for holding down a scarf tie
principally for ladies wear, I may employ for the purpose the holding or gripping
means herein described.
The nipping bar if
may, necessary, be provided with a spring or springs for the
purpose of imparting thereto the requisite pressure. Or the nipping bar may be
made in the form of a spring, which normally presses upon the material to be
gripped and held to the buckle frame.

page_text: The bar members of the nipping frame may be connected together. at top and
bottom by liuks forming a toggle joint arrangement and the band is gripped
between the opposed edges of the buckle frame on the links of the nipping frame
straightening out.
Dated this 24th day of Tonery 1905
Improvements in the Metallic Fittings or Furniture of Waist Belts,.
Braces, Suspenders, and other Articles of Dress.
I, WALTER MARTIN HARRIS of the Firm of D. B. Harris and Sons, of
Newhall Street, in the City of Birmingham, Manufacturer, 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 :--
My invention relates to improvements in the metallic fittings or metallic
furniture of waist belts, braces, suspenders, garters, and other articles of dress..
My present invention is an improvement upon, or an amplification of the invention
described in the Specification of former Letters Patent granted to me and bearing
date the 12th day of November 1894 No. 21760, and has for one of its objects, a
simple means of attaching the fittings upon an end or both ends of a band without
stitching, and for another object, to save the webbing.
In ordinary bands, the same have an adjustable end and a fixed end, and the
adjustable end is made by taking up the web into the form of a loop, to the
return end of which loop, one half of a two-part metallic fitting is connected,
whilst the end of the loop is connected to the body of the band by a runner or
loop. There is a considerable waste of material in forming this loop, as well as an
extra metallic fitting in the form of a slide.
The end of the band carrying the fixed part of the furniture has in many cases
the webbing extended so as to form a tab back.
A fitting constructed according to my invention consists of a two part clasp or
buckle, provided at the outer back part of each half of the fastening with a long
loop or narrow frame, made up of two or more bar members and mounted at or near
its ends upon branched or cranked pivots or axes, whose ends are preferably
enlarged or made bulbous, with the necks, inwards of the ends working within
set-back bearings or clawed bearings, so arranged that when the cranked frame,
wherethrough the length of baud to be held is passed, lies flat upon or adjacent to
the back of the buckle frame, the line of pull of the band comes preferably
inwards of the axes of the pivot ends, or in other words, between the pivot ends
and the buckle frame.
The crank-mounted loop lies down from the outer back edge of the buckle frame,.
so that assuming the loose end of the band be first threaded or laced under the
branches of the pivot ends and then forward, over the outside bar of, and back
through the middle of the loop and under the pivot ends as aforesaid, thus making
the said loose end take a circuitous course, on pull being put upon the band, the
tendency of the pivoted frame is to come tight against the back of the buckle
frame and secure the loose end to it without sewing.
In this arrangement, the loose ends of the band are returned upon the body
part.
If necessary, a spike or protuberance or protuberances may be formed upon
one, or the inner, bar of the crank-mounted loop or nipping frame.

page_text: Each of the buckle frames may be connected together to form a clasp by
infibulating hooks, hooks and eyes, or other suitable means.
Figure 1 of the accompanying drawing represents a front elevation of a two-part
buckle or clasp attached to the ends of a belt or band without sewing by connection
means constructed in accordance with my invention.
Figure 2 represents a back elevation of the said buckle separately, showing
more clearly the construction of the pivoted and cranked gripping frames or loops
and the method of jointing same to the buckle.
Figure 3 is a horizontal section of the buckle upon the dotted linee Figure 1,
and Figure 4 is an edge view of the same.
Figure 5 is a sectional view of one half of the connection, with the gripping
frame turned into a position to admit of the threading of the end of the band
therethrough.
The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures
of the drawing.
a, bare two part buckle frames, connected together by hooks and eyes a¹, b¹,
and with each of the said parts fitted at the back with flap-mounted gripping bars
or loops c, having middle piercings c', and with the back bar c², (which is separated
from the front bar 3 by the space c',) carrying cranked pivots or axes e, working
within set-back bearings a², 62, respectively located near the back edges a³, 63, of the
buckle frames in such a position that the line of mounting lies further back than
the line of pull of the web.
d are projections formed on the back the gripping bar which pushes the material
of a band into coincident piercings in the frames.
The application of my invention to the metallic fittings of braces, suspenders
and other articles of dress, differs in no essential respect from its application to the
metallic fittings of waist belts other than that a single fitting with an ordinary
frame loop is employed.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
First. In the metallic fittings or furniture of waist belts and the like, providing
the same with flap-mounted gripping bars or loops, pivoted to set-back bearings
carried at the outer side of a buckle or other fitting, substantially as and for the
purpose described and set forth.
Secondly. In metallic fittings or furniture for waist belts and the like as referred
to in the preceding claim, the system of threading the ends of the band through
the gripping bars or loops for effecting the attachment of the same thereto without
sewing, substantially as described and set forth.
Dated this 25th day of January 1895.
WALTER MARTIN HARRIS,
By Henry Skerrett,
24 Temple Row, Birmingham, Agent for Applicant.