IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES AND SIMILAR FASTENING DEVICES
Year: 1883

page_text: LETTERS PATENT to Edwin Powley Alexander of 36 Southampton Buildings
in the County of Middlesex, Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents for an
Invention of "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES AND SIMILAR FASTENING DEVICES."
communicated to him from abroad by William R. Clough and B. Goodinan
of New York City United States of America.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by the said Edwin Powley Alexander
at the Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 16th October 1883.
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES
AND SIMILAR FASTENING DEVICES A communication to me from abroad by
William R. Clough and B. Goodman of New York City United States of
America,
"
This Invention relates to improvements in Buckles and fastening devices and
consists of a novel construction of same, particularly in the holding points or teeth
as to their position by which position in the improved device short blunt points
can be used in substitution for the long and sharp tongues employed in buckles in
common use which are inconvenient and troublesome and liable to tear the clothing
or the material to which they are attached or are contiguous to, whilst being also
liable to cut and scratch the hands of the user or operator, furthermore the con-
struction of buckles now in use embraces the sharp penetrating tongues situate in
Moreover Buckles
an exposed position which aggravates the above objections.
heretofore in use have been constructed from two or more separate pieces of metal
connected or jointed together which circumstance is opposed to strength and
reliability. Now it is the object of this invention to overcome these defects and
produce at once an inexpensive and effective fastening device.
My improved device is formed of a single piece of wire of suitable length pointed
at each end and bent by any well known means first into two bows forming a
loop then by returning the two ends of the wire outwardly a separating bar is
formed, then the two ends of the wire are returned or bent inwardly forming
inwardly projecting arms which constitute the outer side of a second loop then the

page_text: pointed extremities of the said arms are bent outwardly or rearwardly at
substantially right angles to and in the same horizontal plane with the arms
leaving an open space between the said pointed ends. The essential feature and
the one necessary in all cases to maintain is the relation of the pointed extremities
or teeth to the arms. The strap to which the improved buckle fastening is
applied is attached at the separating bar between the front and back loops and the
teeth point rearwardly towards the strap. The free end of the strap is then
inserted from the rear through the front loop over the separating bar and under the
teeth which need not be long enough to protrude through to the under strap thus
leaving the said teeth embedded in the material of the upper strap only but
without their points being exposed. Upon the strap being strained or brought to
a tension the teeth instantly take effect and firmly hold the free end of the strap
between themselves and the under strap. The said under strap may be a part of
a single strap or it may be a separate strap but in any case there are two thick-
nesses of strap under the teeth the under one of which in operation is strained or
pulled away from the centre of the buckle and the upper one towards the centre.
The under strap serves the double purpose of pressing the upper strap onto the
teeth and of guarding or covering the points of the same. The open space between
the teeth will be found very convenient for the introduction of the strap although
it will not be necessary to the good working of the device; as for instance the two
toothed or pointed arms may unite forming a single bar it being necessary however
to provide this bar with teeth such as above described. The strap is readily
adjusted by simply pulling it along under the teeth in either direction taking
care to hold the buckle firmly and in letting out the strap to lift or raise the teeth.
According to a modified form of the said improved device which is also made from
a single piece of suitably bent wire the first mentioned loop and separating bar
are produced as before described but in lieu of bending the pointed free ends of the
piece of wire inwards they are bent outwards and to the front of the first loop
where their pointed or toothed ends are then bent inwards. The same results may
be obtained by other configurations or by stamping the buckle out of flat metal
although I prefer the wire device.

page_text: SPECIFICATION in pursuance of the conditions of the Letters Patent filed
by the said Edwin Powley Alexander in the Patent Office on the 15th April
1884.
"
EDWIN POWLEY ALEXANDER of 36 Southampton Buildings in the County of
Middlesex Fellow of the Institute of Patent Agents "IMPROVEMENTS IN BUCKLES
AND SIMILAR FASTENING DEVICES A communication to me from abroad by
William R. Clough and B. Goodman of New York City, United States of
America
The said invention relates to improvements in buckles and similar fastening
devices and consists of a novel construction of same particularly in the holding
points or teeth as to their position by which position in the improved device short
blunt points can be used in substitution for the long and sharp tongues employed
in buckles in common use which are inconvenient and troublesome and liable to
tear the clothing or the material to which they are attached or are contiguous
whilst being also liable to cut and scratch the hands of the user or operator.
Furthermore the construction of Buckles now in use embraces the sharp penetrating
tongues situate in an exposed position which aggravates the above objections.
Moreover buckles heretofore in use have been constructed from two or more
separate pieces of metal connected or jointed together which circumstance is opposed
to strength and reliability. Now it is the object of this invention to overcome
these defects and produce at once an inexpensive and effective fastening device.
And in order that the said invention may be fully understood I shall now
proceed more particularly to describe the same and for that purpose shall refer to
the several figures on the explanatory sheet of drawings hereunto annexed the
same letters of reference indicating corresponding parts in all the figures.
Figure 1 of the drawings represents a plan view and Figure 2 a corresponding
edge view of one form of the said device which is here shown as constructed of a
single piece of wire of suitable length pointed at each end and bent by any
wellknown or suitable means first into two bows a a forming the loop A then by
returning the two ends of the wire outwardly the separating bar B is formed then
the two ends of the wire are returned or bent inwardly or towards each other
forming the arms b b which constitute the outer side of the second loop C. Then
the pointed extremities cc of the said arms are bent downwards and slightly
outwardly at substantially right angles to the arms bb leaving the open space D
between the said pointed ends. The essential feature and the one necessary in all
cases to maintain is the relation of the pointed extremities or teeth c c to the
arms b b.
Figure 3 represents the buckle with one end of the strap E attached by stitching
or otherwise to the separating bar B the teeth c pointing towards the strap. The
free end of the strap E is then inserted from the rear upwards through the loop A
(as shown in figure 4) over the separating bar B and under the teeth c c which
need not be long enough to protrude through to the under strap thus leaving the
said teeth imbedded in the material of the upper strap E¹ only but without their
points being exposed. Upon the strap being strained or brought to a tension the
teeth instantly take effect and firmly hold the free end E¹ of the strap between
themselves and the under strap. The said understrap may be a part of the strap
of which E¹ (figure 4) is the free end or it may be a separate strap but in any
case there are two thicknesses of strap under the teeth o the under one of which in
operation is strained or pulled away from the centre of the buckle and the upper
one towards the centre. The under strap serves the double purpose of pressing

page_text: the upper strap onto the teeth and of guarding or covering the points of the same.
The open space D between the teeth will be found very convenient for the
introduction of the strap E although it will not be necessary to the good working
of the device as for instance the two toothed or pointed arms bb may unite
forming a single bar it being necessary however to provide this bar with teeth c c
such as above described. The upper part E¹ of the strap is readily adjusted by
simply pulling it along under the teeth in either direction taking care to hold the
buckle firmly and in letting out the strap to lift or raise the teeth.
Figure 5 is a plan and Figure 6 an edge view of a modification of the said
improved device which is also made from a single piece of suitably bent wire, the
mode of bending and forming to produce the loop A the separating bar B arms b b
and teeth cc being clearly illustrated by the drawing. The same results may be
obtained by other configurations or by stamping the buckle out of flat metal
although the bent wire device is preferred.
Having now described and particularly ascertained the nature of the said
invention and the manner in which the same is or may be used or carried
into effect I would observe in conclusion that what I consider to be novel and
original and therefore claim as the invention secured to me by the hereinbefore
in part recited letters patent is :-
A buckle or similar fastening device made in one piece and consisting of the
loop A the separating bar B the inwardly projecting arms b b and the teeth cc
projecting at a proper angle to engage with and hold a strap pressed against them
and strained or pulled towards the separating bar B substantially as and for the
purpose described.
In witness whereof I the said Edwin Powley Alexander have hereunto set my
hand and seal this fifteenth day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight bundred and eighty four.
EDWIN P. ALEXANDER (L.S.)