Improvements in Harness Buckles.
Year: 1899

page_text: Date of Application, 19th June, 1899
Complete Specification Left, 10th Mar., 1900-Accepted, 5th May, 1900...
Improvements in Harness Buckles.
We, JAMES ALEXANDER GAVITT, Harness Maker, of Waitsburg, and WILLIAM
HENRY CANTRIL, Merchant, and ROBERT WARREN CANTRIL, Engineer, both of
Pomeroy, both in the State of Washington, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
1235
This invention relates to harness buckles particularly trace buckles, the object
being mainly facility of fastening and unfastening a secure connection between
the parts, lightness and strength.
The side members of the buckle frame are preferably of approximately S or such
other shape as to permit of the trace passing between the upper and lower cross-
bars of the frame and being secured therein as hereinafter described.
The side members of the frame are connected by two upper cross bars the one
at the front end and the other towards the rear of the buckle and by a lower cross-
bar intermediate of the two upper bars, the space between the upper and lower
bars being just sufficient to give passage to the thickness of the trace. In addi-
tion to the said upper and lower bars the frame has a chape bar at the rear end
by which the buckle is connected by the loop or chape to the collar or hame strap.
The tongue of the buckle is formed of a longitudinal sliding body bar or plate
having a stud projecting rearwards at right angles thereto so as to pass through
anyone of the row of holes in the trace, the body bar of the tongue having a flat
under face and being fitted to slide in the longitudinal direction of the buckle
in recesses in the under sides of the upper cross-bars of the buckle frame, its
motion in the direction of the line of draft being limited by shoulders abutting
against said cross-bars and by the end of the pin or stud of the tongue, which
projects at the underside of the trace entering a slot in and abutting against the
lower cross bar.
In fastening the trace the latter is slipped between the upper and lower cross-
bars of the buckle frame, the stud of the tongue is passed through a hole in the
trace so that the body bar of the tongue lies longitudinally upon the face of the
trace and the trace is then pulled until the body bar of the tongue enters the
recesses in, and abuts against the upper cross-bars, and the stud of the tongue
enters the slot of, and abuts against the lower cross-bar, the pin or stud being
thus supported against the draft strain by abutments both above and below. In
order to lengthen or shorten the trace, the latter is drawn forward until the tongue
is withdrawn from the buckle frame and after readjustment in another hole is
secured as before.
The frame of the buckle is provided with side loops and with a double loop at
the front end for attachment of other parts of the harness.

page_text: "
improvements in Harness Buскiеs.
We, JAMES ALEXANDER GAVITT, Harness, Maker, of Waitsburg, and WILLIAM
HENRY CANTRIL, Merchant, and ROBERT WARREN CANTRIL, Engineer, both of
Pomeroy, both in the State of Washington, United States of America, do hereby
declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be per-
formed to be particularly described and ascertatired Cinand by the following
statement:
This invention relates to harness buckles, and particularly trace buckles which
may be used with equally good effect upon light or heavy harness, the object being
mainly facility of fastening and unfastening, a secure connection between the
parts, lightness and strength.
The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several
parts,, as will be hereinafter fully set forth and pointed out in the claims.
Reference is to be had. to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this
specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts
in all the figures.
Figure 1 is a plan view of the buckle applied-to a trace; and
11
Figure 2 is a longitudinal section. through a portion of the buckle and a por-
tion of the trace.
A represents the body of the buckle and B-the tongue thereof. The body of
the buckle consists of two side bars 10 that are bent to substantially an S-form,
one end of the buckle curving-rearward or downward and the other end forward
or upward. These side bars are connected at their upwardly or forwardly curved
ends by a cross-bar 11 located at the outer face of the buckle, a second cross
bar 12 which connects the side bars at their lower ends, and an intermediate
cross bar 13 that is located at the top or outer face of the buckle between the
counter plate 16 and the cross bar 12.
1
A. loop 14 is formed on each side bar, which loops extend in opposite directions,
as shown in Figure 1, while a double loop 15 is formed adjacent to the upper or
outer cross bar 11, said loops being intended for the attachment of other parts
of the harness. A, central plate 16 connects the side pieces 10 at their bottom
or inner edges, and a slot 17 is made in the said plate 16 at or near its centre,
the. said slot facing in direction-of. the line of draft. The tongue B consists of a
plate or bar 18 having a flat under face, and a pin 19 is projected 'from the flat or
under face of said plate or bar about centrally between its ends! This pin is
adapted to enter any one of the usual eyelets 20 made in a trace 1); the free end
of which trace is passed through a loop or strap 21 secured upon a collar or hame
strap C, said collar or hame strap being provided with a loop to receive the cross
bar 12 of the buckle frame, as is clearly shown in Figure 2.1
..
One end of the body bar 18 of the tongue B is reduced, as shown at 22.in
Figure 2, while at the other end of said body bar of the tongue a head 25 is
formed, and the under surface of the reduced portion 22 of the body bar of 'the
tongue. B and likewise the under surface of the head 25 of the tongue, are flat-
tened and are in the same plane as the flattened under, surface of the body bar,
as is also shown in Figure 2.
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in the
In operation, the pin 19 of the tongue is passed through an eyelet 20 in
trace D, and the trace is then drawn through the collar or hame strap until the
pin 19 fully enters the slot 17 in the bottom or inner plate 16 of the buckle
frame, and at that time the reduced portion 22 will have entered a recess 23
formed in the under. face of the cross bar11,-a similar recess 24 being made in

page_text: the intermediate cross bar 13, through which the body portion of said tongue
slides. When the reduced portion of the tongue is beneath the cross bar 11; the
head 25 of the tongue will be in engagement with the front face of the inter-
mediate cross bar 13, as shown in Figure 2. Thus it will be observed that when
the trace is subjected to tension considerable strain is removed from
the pin 19, which has bearing against the end wall of the slot 17 by reason of
the head 25 having bearing directly against the intermediate cross bar 13.
When the straps are to be adjusted upon one another, the trace is carried for-
ward upon the collar or hame strap until the tongue B. is entirely removed from
the frame of the buckle, whereupon the pin of said tongue may be introduced
into any proper eyelet in the trace.
The buckle is entirely free from springs and is simply and durably constructed,
and it is evident that it can be manipulated as readily with a gloved hand as with
an ungloved hand. It is also obvious that the buckle may be made extremely
light and may be adapted to any style of harness.
-
When the trace or tug fills the space or throat of the buckle, it is almost
impossible for the trace or tug to drop away from the tongue of the buckle, since
the plate 16 through which the pin 19 of the tongue B passes, holds the strap
or tug firmly to its place.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said
invention, and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declare that what
we claim is:.
:―
1. A harness buckle the tongue of which has longitudinal sliding movement
upon the frame, substantially as described.
2. A harness buckle the frame of which receives a sliding tongue which tongue
carries means for locking a strap to the frame, substantially as set forth.
3. A harness buckle the frame of which is provided with slideways and a cross
bar above the slideways having an opening therein and a tongue fitted to the slide-
way and carrying a projection which enters the opening in the cross bar, substan-
tially as specified.
Dated this 10th day of March 1000
A. M. & WM. CLARK,
Chartered Patent Agents, 53, Chancery Lane, London.