Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin born - Jul 17, 1920 - HISTORY.com Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin born Share this: Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin born Author Three-point seatbelt inventor Nils Bohlin born URL Publisher A+E Networks Nils Bohlin, the Swedish engineer and inventor responsible for the three-point lap and shoulder seatbelt–considered one of the most important innovations in automobile safety–is born on July 17, 1920 in Härnösand, Sweden. Before 1959, only two-point lap belts were available in automobiles; for the most part, the only people who regularly buckled up were race car drivers. The two-point belts strapped across the body, with a buckle placed over the abdomen, and in high-speed crashes had been known to cause serious internal injuries. In 1958, Volvo Car Corporation hired Bohlin, who had designed ejector seats for Saab fighter airplanes in the 1950s, to be the company’s first chief safety engineer.

(A relative of Volvo CEO Gunnar Engelau had died in a car crash, which helped motivate the company to increase its safety measures.) Bohlin had worked with the more elaborate four-point harnesses in airplanes, and knew that system would be untenable in an automobile. In designing the new seat belt, he concentrated on providing a more effective method of protecting driver and passenger against the impact of the swift deceleration that occurred when a car crashed. Within a year, Bohlin had developed the three-point seat belt, introduced in Volvo cars in 1959. The new belts secured both the upper and lower body; its straps joined at hip level and buckled into what Bohlin called “an immovable anchorage point” below the hip, so that they could hold the body safely in the event of a crash. According to Bohlin (as quoted by The New York Times in his 2002 obituary): “It was just a matter of finding a solution that was simple, effective and could be put on conveniently with one hand.” In the interests of safety, Volvo made the new seat belt design available to other car manufacturers for free; it was required on all new American vehicles from 1968 onward.

Since 1959, engineers have worked to enhance the three-point belt, but the basic design remains Bohlin’s. At the time of Bohlin’s death in September 2002, Volvo estimated that the seat belt had saved more than one million lives in the four decades since it was introduced. In the United States alone, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat belts save more than 11,000 lives each year. Related Videos Why Volvo gave away the patent for their most important invention Why Volvo gave away the patent for their most important invention The life-saving three-point seat belt was too significant not to share, according to Volvo Wednesday 7 August 2013 Share this article on Twitter Volvo opened up the patent for the three-point seatbelt, which has now saved over 35,000 lives. Photo courtesy: Volvo Nils Bohlin, an engineer at Volvo, invented the three-point seat belt in 1959. The 1950s were a time when pilots and racing drivers wore harnesses, but seatbelts – where they were fitted in cars – took the form of a rudimentary two-point waist restraint.

In crashes, sometimes these did more harm than good. The reason the three-point seatbelt is so widely adopted is actually because Volvo opened up the patent so that any car manufacturer could use it in their design. They decided that the invention was so significant, it had more value as a free life saving tool than something to profit from. Volvo’s managing director Alan Dessell is quoted as saying: “The decision to release the three-point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety.” The man who saved a million lives Nils Bohlin, inventor of the three-point seatbelt, received a gold medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Science in 1995 and, in 1999, was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame . Bohlin, a former aviation engineer at Saab who worked on ejector seats, knew an effective belt must absorb force across the body yet be so easy to use even a child could buckle up. His ingenious solution took the form of a combined lap belt with a diagonal belt across the chest. He anchored the straps low beside the seat so the geometry of the belts formed a “V” with the point directed at the floor.

That design meant the belt would remain in place and not shift under a load. According to the latest figures released as part of celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of the invention of the three-point seatbelt, it has saved a million lives across the world and prevented even more serious injuries. Reducing your chance of injury or death by at least 50 percent in the event of a collision, it remains the most successful contribution to safety in the history of motoring. Seat belts became compulsory in the UK 1983 , and since then they have saved between 35,000 and 50,000 lives. Every car manufactured today uses three-point seat belts... and it all started with a Volvo PV544 delivered to a dealership in the town of Kristianstad , Sweden. Strapping Success: The 3-Point Seatbelt Turns 50 | WIRED Strapping Success: The 3-Point Seatbelt Turns 50 subscribe 6 months for $5 - plus a FREE Portable Phone Charger. On Twitter 7 hours A comedy about the apocalypse—penned by @neilhimself —is slated for 2018.

So there's that to look forward to at least bit.ly/2jcWNvp Author: Tony Borroz. Tony Borroz Gear Date of Publication: 08.13.09. Time of Publication: 2:23 pm. 2:23 pm Strapping Success: The 3-Point Seatbelt Turns 50 Volvo made history — and the world a far safer place — 50 years ago today when it delivered the world’s first car with standard three-point safety belts. We take them for granted nowadays, but the three-point belt was revolutionary when it appeared on Aug. 13, 1959. In the years since, the V-shaped safety belt has saved well over a million lives. It has been called one of the most significant inventions of the 20th century, and it remains the most widely used safety innovation in automotive history. Every single car sold today uses three-point belts. And it all started with a Volvo PV544 delivered to a dealership in the town of Kristianstad, Sweden. Nils Bohlin The three-point belt was invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin, who was looking for a better way of keeping people secure in a collision.

Lots of cars had two-point lap belts, and there were a couple of versions of three-point belts but they weren’t very effective, especially at high speed. Bohlin and Volvo — a company fanatical about safety — knew there had to be a better way. Bohlin, a former aviation engineer at Saab who worked on airplane catapult seats, knew an effective belt must absorb force across the pelvis and chest yet be so easy to use even a child could buckle up. He came up with an ingenious solution that combined a lap belt with a diagonal belt across the chest. He anchored the straps low beside the seat so the geometry of the belts formed a “V” with the point directed at the floor. That design meant the belt would stay put and not shift under a load. The design couldn’t be easier to use: Feed out, stretch, click and pull taut. It’s just that simple. It’s also remarkably effective. Buckle up, and your risk of fatality or serious injury is, according to Volvo, cut by more than 50 percent. Britain’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents says the three-point belt has saved more than 1 million lives worldwide, according to the BBC.

“What makes the three-point belt unique is that it improves safety for all types of occupants, in all types of accidents,” says Hans Nyth, head of the Volvo Cars Safety Center. “In both the front and the rear seats. One often talks about the protective effect in head-on collisions, but the belt also helps prevent the car’s occupants from being thrown out of the car in a rollover, for instance.” Bohlin and Volvo saw the significance of what they’d created, but they didn’t keep it to themselves. Volvo patented the design under what was called an “open patent,” meaning it was available to anyone. Within five years, three-point belts appeared in cars throughout Europe and the U.S. Bohlin’s invention has saved hundreds of thousands of lives and prevented or reduced the severity of injuries for countless people. That makes the three-point safety belt the single most important safety device in the 120-year history of the automobile. And that’s not just Volvo that’s saying that. Bohlin’s invention has been singled out by German patent registrars as one of the eight patents to have the greatest significance for humanity during the hundred years from 1885 to 1985.

Bohlin shares this honor with patent-holders such as Benz, Edison and Diesel. Take that, laws of physics. Photos: Volvo VW 3 Point Seat Belt How-to VW 3 Point Seat Belt How-to Juliano's VW 3 Point Seat Belt How-to Makin' Points by Ed Kania Making points with your mate ranks right up there with making brownie points with your boss. You get a few "at-a-boys", and you feel as if you've gained some points so that the next time you screw-up, they won't come down on you so hard. All in all it's a good thing; a short term good thing, but, still its a good thing. Now if you want to score some really big points with the people you care about, let's start talking about "safety points". This article is directly aimed at you people out there that are driving around day after day in some of the coolest looking older "Beetles" we've ever seen. You know who you are. We're talking about you "Volksters" who spend weekend after weekend makin' em shine. But you're still buckling up with a two-point lap belt system before you go out crusin'.

Now, don't get us wrong. It's a lot better than nothing. Its just that adding that all important third point (shoulder pivot bracket) is so easy, and looks so cool, we can't figure out why you haven't installed them yet! Oh! No one's showed you how! Well read on me'bucko. You're about to get a step by step. Many auto manufacturers first offered lap belts as an option back in 1955. But it wasn't until 1959 that the general public would see a car roll off the assembly line with a three-point shoulder safety harness factory installed. That claim to fame belongs to the "safety first" people at Volvo. Ever since that day, auto manufacturers have been redesigning that system to make it more comfortable and more eye appealing. Some manufacturers went to great lengths to make sure the device was used by installing a track along the roof line for the shoulder belt to automatically strap you in (you know, the one that would scare the *!#* out of you as soon as you closed the door). But the one thing the manufacturers have not changed in all these years is the basic three point anchoring design.

This is definitely an area where more is better, and if you peek into most of the competition vehicles out there you'll see a six point anchoring system. But let's face it. If you had to put that contraption on every time you climbed in, it would never get used. Before we start the installation, there are two things we cannot stress enough. Number one: a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If even one of the three mounting points is bolted to a weak, rusted, or thin area, the system will never hold in place on impact. Make sure the metal is strong and use anchor plates instead of a washer/nut combination in these areas. Number two: keep comfort in mind. If the shoulder strap is cutting into your neck, you won't want to use it, and the installation will be for nothing. OK, lets get going; it's time to "modernize"! - NOTE - Click to view larger image of photos bellow. What you see pictured here is Juliano's 3-point retractable safety belt, including all the hardware needed to securely anchor one person in place. Keep this in mind when placing your order.

Also, in this photo the buckle strap is what's known as a "soft arm". It's typically used with a bench seat or any other tight quarter's installation. In this article we'll be using a "stiff arm", which you'll see during the installation of the final mounting point. But keep in mind the soft arm is available, and it comes in different lengths. Although there is only one location for the pivot brackets anchor plate, there's a couple of ways to get to it. During a restoration, this install is done before the interior goes back in. But if the interior is in place, the easiest way to get it out of the way is to just take out the side glass. Just push the inner part of the rubber weather-strip to the outside of the pinch-weld (keep one hand on the outside of the glass). Once the glass weather strip is out of the way, you can expose the inner sheet metal without cutting or tearing the interior. An auto glass shop can easily reinstall your glass if you're not familiar with the old "rope and glass cleaner" method. The pivot brackets anchor plate has to be mounted to the inside of the "B" pillar.

To keep it there you can use self-tapping sheet metal screws, or tack-weld it in place. Because of possible spark damage to the interior, we decided to tack-weld two nuts to the backside of the anchor plate. The pivot brackets anchor plate comes with two threaded pivot bolt nuts welded to it. You can use either one to get the job done. Place the anchor plate on the center of the pillar, about an inch and a half below the roofline, and make 4 marks: one for the pivot bolt, two for the retaining screws, and one to mark the bottom of the anchor plate (do not include the anchor plate tab in this measurement). Then using a uni-bit, or a deep well socket over a conventional drill bit to prevent damage to the outside panel, go ahead and drill out the mounting holes. The large inch and five-eighths access hole was drilled just under the mark we made to locate the bottom of the anchor plate. We'll slide the anchor plate through it to get to the inside of the pillar. Using a ball-peen hammer set the lower half of the access hole in about a quarter of an inch. This will make it a little easier to slide the anchor plate through.

Then, with the shanked pivot bolt (provided in the kit) in one hand, grab a hold of the anchor plate tab with the flat side of the plate facing you, and slide it up into place. Being very careful so as to not drop the plate (help from a friend might be a good idea), temporarily screw the pivot bolt in to hold the plate, while you permanently screw in the retaining screws. Then remove the pivot bolt, glue the interior back in place, and cut a small hole in it for the pivot bolt to pass through. With the flat side of the pivot bracket against the interior, bolt it to the anchor plate using the shanked pivot bolt supplied. The hole in the bracket must ride on the shank portion of the pivot bolt. If installed properly, with the pivot bolt tight, the belt should move freely. Next we move to the second mounting point, this is where we'll mount the retractor assembly. Take out one of the "L" brackets that are supplied in the kit. You'll notice that there are two holes in it. In order to get the anchor plate to fit flat in the valley under the floor pan, we had to relocate one of those mounting holes.

Drill a new anchor plate bolt hole to the inside of the original one as shown in the photo above. Next we bolted the "L" bracket to the back of the retractor with the opposite end (the slotted belt bracket) of the belt sandwiched in between. Keep both strips of webbing flat (no twist in the webbing) and make sure the new hole you drilled in the "L" bracket ends up directly under the center of the retractor. Now, with the complete assembly hanging vertically, and making sure the two strips of webbing are flat (no twists) and running almost parallel, we placed the retractor down ("L" bracket first) just under the rear seat frame. Keep the belt away from the seat as much as possible and the "L" bracket centered on the flat step of the floor pan as shown. We marked the location of the new mounting hole we drilled on the floor, and drilled a 7/16-inch hole. Keeping the flat side of the anchor plate (supplied in the kit) against the underside of the floor, we ran the grade-eight fine thread 7/16-inch bolt though the "L" bracket and floor hole, and bolted it to the anchor plate.

With everything socked up tight the final assembly should look like this, all the webbing straight, flat and moving freely. The final or third mounting point in this installation was simple. In order to mount Juliano's "stiff arm" buckle we were able to use the original mounting location (at the center of the floor pan) and hardware. The only modification needed was to file out the mounting hole in the buckle arm, to the diameter of the shank portion of the original VW seat belt bolt. If your particular installation has no original hardware in this area, Juliano's anchor plate system will be necessary. Just make sure you have the seat bolted in place to find the exact location of the mounting point.

<center><p><font color="#ff0000" size="+1"><i>Juliano's</i></font> <br> <font color="#ff0000" size="+2">VW 3 Point Seat Belt How-to</font> </p> <p><font color="#ff0000" size="+4"><i>Makin'</i></font> <font size="+4"><i>Points</i></font> <br> by Ed Kania </p> <p> <table border="0" width="85%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle"> Making points with your mate ranks right up there with making brownie points with your boss. You get a few "at-a-boys", and you feel as if you've gained some points so that the next time you screw-up, they won't come down on you so hard. All in all it's a good thing; a short term good thing, but, still its a good thing. Now if you want to score some really big points with the people you care about, let's start talking about "safety points".

<br> This article is directly aimed at you people out there that are driving around day after day in some of the coolest looking older "Beetles" we've ever seen. You know who you are. We're talking about you "Volksters" who spend weekend after weekend makin' em shine. But you're still buckling up with a two-point lap belt system before you go out crusin'. Now, don't get us wrong. It's a lot better than nothing. Its just that adding that all important third point (shoulder pivot bracket) is so easy, and looks so cool, we can't figure out why you haven't installed them yet! Oh! No one's showed you how! Well read on me'bucko. You're about to get a step by step. <br> Many auto manufacturers first offered lap belts as an option back in 1955. But it wasn't until 1959 that the general public would see a car roll off the assembly line with a three-point shoulder safety harness factory installed. That claim to fame belongs to the "safety first" people at Volvo. Ever since that day, auto manufacturers have been redesigning that system to make it more comfortable and more eye appealing.

Some manufacturers went to great lengths to make sure the device was used by installing a track along the roof line for the shoulder belt to automatically strap you in (you know, the one that would scare the *!#* out of you as soon as you closed the door). But the one thing the manufacturers have not changed in all these years is the basic three point anchoring design. This is definitely an area where more is better, and if you peek into most of the competition vehicles out there you'll see a six point anchoring system. But let's face it. If you had to put that contraption on every time you climbed in, it would never get used. <br> Before we start the installation, there are two things we cannot stress enough. Number one: a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. If even one of the three mounting points is bolted to a weak, rusted, or thin area, the system will never hold in place on impact. Make sure the metal is strong and use anchor plates instead of a washer/nut combination in these areas. Number two: keep comfort in mind. If the shoulder strap is cutting into your neck, you won't want to use it, and the installation will be for nothing.

<center> <p><font size="+1">OK, lets get going; it's time to "modernize"!</font> </p> </center> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </p> <p></p> <center><font color="#ff0000" size="+1"><i>- NOTE -</i></font> <br> <font color="#ff0000" size="+1">Click to view larger<br> image of photos bellow. </font></center> <p> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="90%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_1l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_1.jpg" alt="Juliano's - VW 3 Point Seat Belt How-to" align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a></td> <td valign="middle"> What you see pictured here is Juliano's 3-point retractable safety belt, including all the hardware needed to securely anchor one person in place.

Keep this in mind when placing your order. Also, in this photo the buckle strap is what's known as a "soft arm". It's typically used with a bench seat or any other tight quarter's installation. In this article we'll be using a "stiff arm", which you'll see during the installation of the final mounting point. But keep in mind the soft arm is available, and it comes in different lengths.

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_2l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_2.jpg" alt="The easiest way to get it out of the way is to just take out the side glass." align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_3l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_3.jpg" alt="Once the glass weather strip is out of the way, you can expose the inner sheet metal without cutting or tearing the interior." align="bottom" border="0" height="150" width="225"></a></p> </td> <td valign="middle"> Although there is only one location for the pivot brackets anchor plate, there's a couple of ways to get to it.

During a restoration, this install is done before the interior goes back in. But if the interior is in place, the easiest way to get it out of the way is to just take out the side glass. Just push the inner part of the rubber weather-strip to the outside of the pinch-weld (keep one hand on the outside of the glass). Once the glass weather strip is out of the way, you can expose the inner sheet metal without cutting or tearing the interior. An auto glass shop can easily reinstall your glass if you're not familiar with the old "rope and glass cleaner" method. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle"> The pivot brackets anchor plate has to be mounted to the inside of the "B" pillar. To keep it there you can use self-tapping sheet metal screws, or tack-weld it in place. Because of possible spark damage to the interior, we decided to tack-weld two nuts to the backside of the anchor plate.

</td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_4l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_4.jpg" alt="The pivot brackets anchor plate has to be mounted to the inside of the B pillar." align="bottom" border="0" height="151" width="225"></a> <!-- <P><A HREF="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_5l.jpg"><IMG SRC="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_5.jpg" ALT="Because of possible spark damage to the interior, we decided to tack-weld two nuts to the backside of the anchor plate.

" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH=225 HEIGHT=147 BORDER=0></A> --></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="80%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_6l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_6.jpg" alt="The pivot brackets anchor plate comes with two threaded pivot bolt nuts welded to it." align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_7l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_7.jpg" alt="The large inch and five-eighths access hole was drilled just under the mark we made to locate the bottom of the anchor plate." align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a></p> </td> <td valign="middle"> The pivot brackets anchor plate comes with two threaded pivot bolt nuts welded

 to it.

You can use either one to get the job done. Place the anchor plate on the center of the pillar, about an inch and a half below the roofline, and make 4 marks: one for the pivot bolt, two for the retaining screws, and one to mark the bottom of the anchor plate (do not include the anchor plate tab in this measurement). Then using a uni-bit, or a deep well socket over a conventional drill bit to prevent damage to the outside panel, go ahead and drill out the mounting holes. The large inch and five-eighths access hole was drilled just under the mark we made to locate the bottom of the anchor plate. We'll slide the anchor plate through it to get to the inside of the pillar. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle"> Using a ball-peen hammer set the lower half of the access hole in about a quarter of an inch. This will make it a little easier to slide the anchor plate through.

Then, with the shanked pivot bolt (provided in the kit) in one hand, grab a hold of the anchor plate tab with the flat side of the plate facing you, and slide it up into place. </td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_8l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_8.jpg" alt="Using a ball-peen hammer set the lower half of the access hole in about a quarter of an inch." align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_9l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_9.jpg" alt="Then, with the shanked pivot bolt in one hand, grab a hold of the anchor plate tab with the flat side of the plate facing you, and slide it up into place.

" align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_10l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_10.jpg" alt="Being very careful so as to not drop the plate temporarily screw the pivot bolt in to hold the plate" align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_11l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_11.jpg" alt="Then remove the pivot bolt, glue the interior back in place, and cut a small hole in it for the pivot bolt to pass through." align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a></p> </td> <td valign="middle">

 Being very careful so as to not drop the plate (help from a friend might be a good idea), temporarily screw the pivot bolt in to hold the plate, while you permanently screw in the retaining screws.

Then remove the pivot bolt, glue the interior back in place, and cut a small hole in it for the pivot bolt to pass through. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle"> With the flat side of the pivot bracket against the interior, bolt it to the anchor plate using the shanked pivot bolt supplied. The hole in the bracket must ride on the shank portion of the pivot bolt. If installed properly, with the pivot bolt tight, the belt should move freely.

</td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_12l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_12.jpg" alt="With the flat side of the pivot bracket against the interior, bolt it to the anchor plate using the shanked pivot bolt supplied." align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_13l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_13.jpg" alt="If installed properly, with the pivot bolt tight, the belt should move freely." align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_14l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2

_vw3point_14.jpg" alt="Next we move to the second mounting point, this is where we'll mount the retractor assembly." align="bottom" border="0" height="149" width="225"></a></td> <td valign="middle"> Next we move to the second mounting point, this is where we'll mount the retractor assembly.

Take out one of the "L" brackets that are supplied in the kit. You'll notice that there are two holes in it. In order to get the anchor plate to fit flat in the valley under the floor pan, we had to relocate one of those mounting holes. Drill a new anchor plate bolt hole to the inside of the original one as shown in the photo above. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle"> Next we bolted the "L" bracket to the back of the retractor with the opposite end (the slotted belt bracket) of the belt sandwiched in between. Keep both strips of webbing flat (no twist in the webbing) and make sure the new hole you drilled in the "L" bracket ends up directly under the center of the retractor.

</td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_15l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_15.jpg" alt="Next we bolted the L bracket to the back of the retractor with the opposite end of the belt sandwiched in between." align="bottom" border="0" height="145" width="225"></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_16l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_16.jpg" alt="Now, with the complete assembly hanging vertically, and making sure the two strips of webbing are flat and running almost parallel, we placed the retractor down just under the rear seat frame." align="bottom" border="0" height="147" width="225"></a></td> <td valign="middle"> Now, with the

 complete assembly hanging vertically, and making sure the two strips of webbing are flat (no twists) and running almost parallel, we placed the retractor down ("L" bracket first) just under the rear seat frame.

Keep the belt away from the seat as much as possible and the "L" bracket centered on the flat step of the floor pan as shown. We marked the location of the new mounting hole we drilled on the floor, and drilled a 7/16-inch hole.

</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle">Keeping the flat side of the anchor plate (supplied in the kit) against the underside of the floor, we ran the grade-eight fine thread 7/16-inch bolt though the "L" bracket and floor hole, and bolted it to the anchor plate.</td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_17l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_17.jpg" alt="Volks Wagon 3 Point Seat Belt How-to" align="bottom" border="0" height="146" width="225"></a> <p><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_18l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_18.jpg" alt="Keeping the flat side of the anchor plate (supplied in the kit) against the underside of the floor, we ran the grade-eight fine thread 7/

16-inch bolt though the L bracket and floor hole, and bolted it to the anchor plate." align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a></p> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_19l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_19.jpg" alt="With everything socked up tight the final assembly should look like this, all the webbing straight, flat and moving freely." align="bottom" border="0" height="225" width="147"></a></td> <td valign="middle"> With everything socked up tight the final assembly should look like this, all the webbing straight, flat and moving freely.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="65%"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="middle">The final or third mounting

 point in this installation was simple.

In order to mount Juliano's "stiff arm" buckle we were able to use the original mounting location (at the center of the floor pan) and hardware.</td> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_20l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_20.jpg" alt="In order to mount Juliano's stiff arm buckle we were able to use the original mounting location (at the center of the floor pan) and hardware." align="bottom" border="0" height="148" width="225"></a></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <br> <table border="0" cellpadding="5" width="75%"> <tbody> <tr> <td align="center" valign="middle"><a href="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_21l.jpg"><img src="v/howtoimages/how2_vw3point_21.jpg" alt="The only modification needed was to file out the mounting hole in the buckle arm, to the diameter of the shank portion of the original VW seat belt bolt." align="

bottom" border="0" height="148" width="224"></a></td> <td valign="middle"> The only modification needed was to file out the mounting hole in the buckle arm, to the diameter of the shank portion of the original VW seat belt bolt.

If your particular installation has no original hardware in this area, Juliano's anchor plate system will be necessary. Just make sure you have the seat bolted in place to find the exact location of the mounting point. </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> Company Volvo's Three-Point Safety Belt Celebrates 50 Years of Saving Lives Volvo's Three-Point Safety Belt Celebrates 50 Years of Saving Lives SEE ALSO: Volvo Three Point Seatbelt Story Library (2386 Annotations) NORTH RYDE, AUSTRALIA – August 11, 2009: Thursday 13 August marks the 50th anniversary of the life-saving V-shaped three-point seat belt, invented by Volvo Engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959, and Volvo’s visionary open patent which granted free use of the design to all other car manufacturers. The design is as obvious as it is intelligent. Easily fastened with one hand, it secures the seat’s occupant in place with a belt across the chest and another across the hips - a vast improvement on the previous two-point waist restraint.

Today, the simple ‘click-clack front-and-back’ has been recognised worldwide as the most widely used and significant safety innovation in the automobile's more than 120 year long history. It is estimated that more than a million people owe their lives[1] to the seat belt, and it has saved many times that number of people from serious injury. It is also recognised as one of the eight patents to have the greatest significance for humanity during the hundred years from 1885 to 1985[2]. “The decision to release the three point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety,” says Alan Desselss, managing director of Volvo Car Australia. "It's why we like to say there's a little bit of Volvo in every car." Research indicates that vehicle occupants have a 50 per cent better chance of surviving a crash, if they are wearing a seat belt, reducing the risk of fatalities and serious injuries from collisions. Most countries have now legalised the use of seatbelts for all drivers, although seat belt use in some areas is as low as 3.8 per cent[3].

The real breakthrough in legislation actually came from Victoria, which was the first state worldwide to draw up legislation in 1970 requiring not just the fitting of seat belts, but also their actual use. In the first year of law, traffic fatalities in the state dropped by 18 per cent. New South Wales followed with similar legislation a year later and today, everyone but taxi drivers are legally required across Australia to wear seatbelts front and back. “The seat belt was the first really effective step in tackling car safety," says Robert McDonald, Head of the NRMA Insurance Research Centre. "The compulsory adoption by Australia in the 1970s and subsequent high usage rate has saved thousands of lives on our roads." Volvo's Three-Point Safety Belt Volvo shared patent with all car manufacturers Estimated to have saved over one million lives globally Victoria the first state worldwide to legislate seat belt fitment and usage Thursday 13 August marks the 50th anniversary of the life-saving V-shaped three-point seat belt, invented by Volvo Engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959, and Volvo’s visionary open patent which granted free use of the design to all other car manufacturers. The design is as obvious as it is intelligent.

Easily fastened with one hand, it secures the seat’s occupant in place with a belt across the chest and another across the hips - a vast improvement on the previous two-point waist restraint. Today, the simple ‘click-clack front-and-back’ has been recognized worldwide as the most widely used and significant safety innovation in the automobile's more than 120 year long history. It is estimated that more than a million people owe their lives to the seat belt, and it has saved many times that number of people from serious injury. It is also recognized as one of the eight patents to have the greatest significance for humanity during the hundred years from 1885 to 1985[2]. “The decision to release the three point seat belt patent was visionary and in line with Volvo’s guiding principle of safety,” says Alan Desselss, managing director of Volvo Car Australia. "It's why we like to say there's a little bit of Volvo in every car." Research indicates that vehicle occupants have a 50 per cent better chance of surviving a crash, if they are wearing a seat belt, reducing the risk of fatalities and serious injuries from collisions.

Most countries have now legalized the use of seat-belts for all drivers, although seat belt use in some areas is as low as 3.8 per cent[3]. The real breakthrough in legislation actually came from Victoria, which was the first state worldwide to draw up legislation in 1970 requiring not just the fitting of seat belts, but also their actual use. In the first year of law, traffic fatalities in the state dropped by 18 per cent. New South Wales followed with similar legislation a year later and today, everyone but taxi drivers are legally required across Australia to wear seat belts front and back. The future of the seat belt is constantly evolving. Volvo is exploring ways to improve their design and make the process of wearing a seat belt easier and even safer. A four point attachment is under discussion as is a motorized belt that tightens the belt and places the driver in the right position in potentially hazardous situations. Note to Editors [1] Estimate by Volvo based on general and in-house statistics on accidents and belt usage. [2] According to German patent registrars.

This honor is shared with patent-holders such as Benz, Edison and Diesel [3] In the US today, only 83 percent of front-seat passengers use their seat belt even thought seat belt legislation is enforced in all states except for New Hampshire. On the island of Sakhalin in Russia, safety belt use is as low as 3.8 per cent, and only 23 per cent of Costa Rican and South Korean drivers used seat belts up until legislation enforcements in the mid 2000’s. Volvo Cars’ work to ensure the very highest occupant protection Based on a relatively simple but highly effective mechanical design, the three-point safety belt, Volvo Cars has developed a high-tech safety system that provides the best possible protection for the car’s occupants. The examples in the list below show the journey – so far – from that groundbreaking innovation in 1959 onward: 1959 U.S. Patent issued for three-point seatbelt - Jul 10, 1962 - HISTORY.com U.S. Patent issued for three-point seatbelt Share this: U.S. Patent issued for three-point seatbelt Author U.S.

Patent issued for three-point seatbelt URL Publisher A+E Networks The United States Patent Office issues the Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin a patent for his three-point automobile safety belt “for use in vehicles, especially road vehicles” on this day in 1962. Four years earlier, Sweden’s Volvo Car Corporation had hired Bohlin, who had previously worked in the Swedish aviation industry, as the company’s first chief safety engineer. At the time, safety-belt use in automobiles was limited mostly to race car drivers; the traditional two-point belt, which fastened in a buckle over the abdomen, had been known to cause severe internal injuries in the event of a high-speed crash. Bohlin designed his three-point system in less than a year, and Volvo introduced it on its cars in 1959. Consisting of two straps that joined at the hip level and fastened into a single anchor point, the three-point belt significantly reduced injuries by effectively holding both the upper and lower body and reducing the impact of the swift deceleration that occurred in a crash. On August 17, 1959, Bohlin filed for a patent in the United States for his safety belt design. The U.S.

Patent Office issued Patent No. 3,043,625 to “Nils Ivar Bohlin, Goteborg, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget Volvo” on July 10, 1962. In the patent, Bohlin explained his invention: “The object… is to provide a safety belt which independently of the strength of the seat and its connection with the vehicle in an effective and physiologically favorable manner retains the upper as well as the lower part of the body of the strapped person against the action of substantially forwardly directed forces and which is easy to fasten and unfasten and even in other respects satisfies rigid requirements.” Volvo released the new seat belt design to other car manufacturers, and it quickly became standard worldwide. The National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966 made seat belts a required feature on all new American vehicles from the 1968 model year onward. Though engineers have improved on seat belt design over the years, the basic structure is still Bohlin’s. The use of seat belts has been estimated to reduce the risk of fatalities and serious injuries from collisions by about 50 percent.

In 2008, an all-time high 83 percent of front-seat occupants in the United States buckled their seat belts. Related Videos How Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt | The New Economy How Nils Bohlin invented the three-point safety belt Tweet Inventor of the three-point safety belt, the late Nils Bohlin, came up with the design for Volvo in 1959 The three-point safety belt, created by Nils Bohlin while Head of Safety at Volvo, is now fitted in every production-line car. It has saved millions of lives Towards the middle of the last century, advances in automotive engineering meant cars were being produced with faster engines and becoming more accessible to the masses. The potential for death or serious injury increased as the roads became ever busier with ever-faster vehicles. Few people may be aware of who Nils Bohlin was, but anyone who has sat in a car since the early 1960s will have used his most famous innovation, widely believed to be one of the most important inventions of late modernity: the three-point seatbelt.

The simple yet innovative device – taken for granted by most and perhaps used only for fear of fines by many – is estimated to have saved over one million lives since it was introduced. The three-point seatbelt has been referred to by the German patent registrar as one of the eight most important patents to have benefited humanity from 1885 to 1985. American automobile manufacturers such as Ford and Nash had been offering an optional, basic safety belt since as early as the mid-1940s, but, due to a lack of public interest, they were not made standard. When violent accidents happened, the strap around the waist would often cause serious internal abdominal injury as well as head injuries from the wearer being thrown forwards. The basic diagonal belt was better than no safety belt, but an improvement was desperately needed.

>1m Lives saved by the three-point seatbelt 90% Reduction in injuries due to the seatbelt 2002 Year Bohlin was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame The Volvo Amazon, one of the first cars fitted with the three point safety belt Getting them out, keeping them in Born in Härnösand, Sweden on July 17 1920, Bohlin gained a BSc in Mechanical Engineering, graduating in 1939. He went on to work for Svenska Aeroplan Aktiebolaget (SAAB) in 1942. While he was at SAAB, he worked on various safety features for its aeroplanes: there is a patent crediting him as the inventor of the rocket-launched ejection seat. He also designed and patented a safety harness described as a “device to protect an occupant against bodily injury during emergency escape from an aircraft”. Without such a harness, the explosive force below the seat during an ejection would have severely injured the pilot. After establishing himself as an expert in aeronautical safety engineering, Bohlin was recruited by the head of Volvo, Gunnar Engellau, to become a Volvo safety engineer in Gothenburg.

Engellau is said to have lost a relative in a car accident due to the failure of a diagonal waist belt. He therefore presented Bohlin with the task of producing something better and safer. After a year, Bohlin developed the modern three-point seatbelt and Volvo introduced the design in its cars. It might be worth noting that Bohlin doesn’t necessarily deserve all the credit for coming up with the idea for a safety belt that covers the shoulder and waist. In 1951, when Bohlin was still at SAAB, US Patent No 2,710,649 was submitted by Roger W Griswold and Hugh DeHaven for a “combination shoulder and lap safety belt”. This became known as the ‘CIR-Griswold restraint’. The patent application described it as being suitable for various situations where restraint of the human body was required. The safety belt was also intended for use in vehicles where occupants risked being thrown from their seats. Bohlin improved on this concept and came up with a more effective version that could be pulled across the chest and waist with one hand in one swift movement.

He said: “I realised that both the upper torso and the lower part of the body had to be held securely in place, with one belt across the chest and another across the hips.” This would distribute the force of the impact evenly. Taking it to market Bohlin’s engineering background and his experience working with high-velocity mechanics meant he had developed an astute understanding of the laws of motion. Designing a safer car interior for the commercial market was challenging because whatever was designed would need to be easily utilised by anyone capable of driving. “It needed a non-moving attachment point for the buckle, placed far down beside the occupant’s hip so that the belt is pulled taut across the body throughout the collision sequence. It was a matter of finding a solution that was both simple and efficient,” said Bohlin. The effectiveness of the three-point design was analysed in a research project carried out by Bohlin: A Statistical Analysis of 28,000 Accident Cases with Emphasis on Occupant Restraint Value.

Of the unbelted and belted front-seat occupants, it was found that “the average injury-reducing effect of the harness proved to vary between 0 and 90 percent, depending on the speed at which the accident occurred or the type of injury”. The report concluded: “Unbelted occupants sustained fatal injuries throughout the whole speed scale, whereas none of the belted occupants was fatally injured at accident speeds below 60mph.” Volvo was so confident about the importance of the three-point design it made the patent available to all other car manufacturers in a benevolent act of magnanimity But the industry and the public didn’t initially accept the seatbelt. Rumours spread that, with the belt so close to the neck, there was a danger of decapitation in the event of a crash. Thomas Broberg, a senior technical advisor at the Volvo Cars Safety Centre , explains: “They did a world tour demonstrating it – they did stunts.

They did all these tests, showed all this data, but it took a number of years before the general public and also the different governments around the world were persuaded that this was really a good technology and this is something that we should enforce, which happened during the 70s and 80s.” Once the effectiveness of the design had been proven, a patent application was submitted and US Patent Number 3,043,625 was granted to Volvo crediting Bohlin as the inventor. The first cars to have the belt installed were the Volvo Amazon and PV544: also the first cars in the world to have safety belts installed as a standard feature. Volvo was so confident about the importance of the three-point design it made the patent available to all other car manufacturers in a benevolent act of magnanimity. After designing and implementing the three-point seatbelt, Bohlin went on to invent the Side Impact Protection System for Volvo. The patent was issued to Bohlin and Goran Carnbring for “side-collision protection in automotive vehicles”. He also designed and patented the buckle used in the three-point seatbelt.

After he retired as Head of Safety at Volvo in 1985, he continued to act as a safety consultant. False sense of security Iain Knight, Crash and Safety Research Manager at Thatcham Research , emphasises the significance of the three-point seatbelt: “Vehicles are now safer than they have ever been, with manufacturers having made fantastic improvements through the strengthening of the occupant safety cell and the addition of an array of air bags. However, all of this protective technology is designed around a belted occupant, such that there is no doubting the role of the seatbelt as the single most important factor to date in reducing the risk of death and serious injury for motorists.” The advantages of wearing a seatbelt in an accident are obvious, but several academics have argued that wearing seatbelts actually makes people drive faster, causing a greater number of pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities. The study of ‘risk compensation’ suggests seatbelts give drivers a false sense of security. Researcher John Adams of University College London says: “Reiterated publicity for the life-saving effect of seat belt laws helps to explain why they don’t save lives. The risk compensation effect works through perception.

If you perceive that something will make you safer, you will modify your behaviour.” In spite of the risk compensation arguments, Bohlin’s contribution to engineering won him various awards in Europe and the US. He was inducted into the Health and Safety Hall of Fame in 1989, the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999 as well as the Inventors Hall of Fame in 2002. The list of awards and the various patents issued to Bohlin during his career tell a story of a man who contributed a great deal towards modern vehicle safety – even if those contributions are taken for granted by most. So, next time you get into your car and comfortably and effortlessly clip your seatbelt into place, remember your debt of gratitude to this accomplished Swedish engineer. The Hotly Contested History of the Seat Belt The Hotly Contested History of the Seat Belt Google+ Print Whats App Tumblr LinkedIn Pocket Delicious Digg Schematic for the first patented American seatbelt. In honor of the 2011 Click It or Ticket campaign (May 23–June 5), we decided to research the fascinating subject of seat belt history.

As researching history on the Internet usually goes, it turned out to be quite the romp through fields of mis- and disinformation, with a measured dose of contradiction thrown in. Here’s what we’re sure is true: 1849 – seat belts make their debut (sorta) The Internet assures us this is when Volvo offered the first car with built-in seatbelts. If true, it’s interesting that they didn’t introduce the world’s first 3-point front seat belts until 110 years later … 1885 – the first seat belt patent Edward J. Claghorn nabs the first U.S. patent for something like a seat belt , though he himself describes it in the patent application as having nothing whatsoever to do with automobiles. 1885–1920s – cars with seat belts hit the roads Nothing happens. Well, that’s not entirely true. Claghorn’s invention fizzled, but cars with seat belts begin to appear. With little traffic on the roads at the time, these early seat belts undoubtedly helped keep motorists from bouncing around too much during very bumpy rides.

Later, the seat belt emerges in the worlds of flying — where it served to keep pilots in their seats during upside-down maneuvers — and racing, marking the first time racecar drivers managed to be more sane than the rest of the populace. 1930s – lap belts appear Several U.S. physicians install lap belts (aka, 2-point seat belts) in their own cars and begin urging auto manufacturers to include them in all new cars. The auto manufacturers don’t listen until … 1950 – Nash models get the safety belt The now-defunct manufacturer Nash includes seat belts in its Statesman and Ambassador models. The general public isn’t all that excited about the development, however, and seat belts continue to be nonstandard for decades to come. 1954 – racecar drivers love seat belt safety The racecar-driving world continues to outpace safety boards in the Grand Prix du Sanity when the Sports Car Club of America mandates that competing drivers wear lap belts. 1955 – a seat belt committee is formed The Society of Automotive Engineers gets wise and establishes the Motor Vehicle Seat Belt Committee.

1956 – safety restraints become optional Volvo, Ford, and Chrysler each include and actively market seat belts as accessories or options in new models. Numerous Ford ads make their new “Lifeguard” safety features — seat belts included — a central feature. Volvo’s offering anticipates modern seat belts with a diagonal chest strap. 1958 – the 3-point belt saves lives Volvo design engineer Nils Bohlin patents the first 3-point safety belt. In 2002, Volvo estimated that the invention had already saved over one million lives. 1959 – Volvo leads the way Volvo makes the 3-point seat belt standard. In Sweden. 1963 – the first standard seat belts Volvo makes the 3-point belt standard in front seats in the U.S. 1965 – Europe requires front seat belts Front seat belts become a requirement for cars manufactured in Europe. In the U.S., an estimated 50,000 people die in car wrecks. The U.S. Senate passes a 2-year, $320 million highway beautification bill. Less than one percent of those funds go to highway safety studies.

1966 – the NHTSA is born The U.S. Congress passes the Highway Safety Act and the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act authorizing the federal government to set and regulate motor vehicle and highway safety standards. The acts also create the National Highway Safety Bureau, now the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Resulting automobile design improvements include: Head rests Check out: The History of the Car Radio: From Morse Code to Mixtapes 1966–1970 – seat belts become standard With seat belts now present in all American-manufactured cars, seat belt advocates turn to the grim task of convincing Americans to use them. Misconceptions spread like wildfire, convincing some that seat belts will prevent them from escaping their cars underwater or in a fire, and others that it was actually safer to be thrown from a car in an accident. Others assert that drivers compensated for the increased safety by driving more recklessly. 1970 – a hotly contested year A Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard proposes that all vehicles made after January 1, 1973, include an automatic restraint system, i.e., air bags or automatic belts.

The auto industry, knowing that it would have to increase production costs to meet the new standard, balks, leading to a decade of argument and delay. 1981 – seat belt use languishes Worn down by a decade of argument over the automatic restraint system question, the NHTSA finally withdraws their proposal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that only 11 percent of those in cars make use of their seat belts. 1983 – new restraint systems regulation Realizing how much money automatic safety restraint systems would save them, State Farm Insurance Company brings the NHTSA to court over the matter. State Farm wins the case and the NHTSA is ordered to write a new regulation for automatic restraint systems. 1984 – NHTSA proposes seat belt regulations The NHTSA proposes that automatic restraint systems be required in new vehicles unless mandatory seat belt laws covered two-thirds of population by September 1989. Automakers, safety advocates, and the NHTSA join forces to encourage states’ passage of such laws.

1985 – most states warm to seat belt laws In startling contrast to the glacial pace of earlier attempts at seat-belt reform, it takes just one year for mandatory seat belt use propositions to be introduced in all states but Idaho and Nevada. 1989 – seat belt use is mandated By September, 34 states had established seat belt use laws. 1995 – New Hampshire lags On December 27, Maine finally passes a mandatory seat belt use law, leaving only New Hampshire without such legislation on the books. 1997 – a big year for safety The CDC reports that seat belt use has increased to 68 percent. 2010 – seat belt use peaks According to the NHTSA, seat belt use reaches 85 percent, with higher numbers common in the western states. There’s still room for safety belt improvement New Hampshire still has no mandatory seat belt use law for adults, and 16 other states have only implemented secondary enforcement laws. In contrast to primary use laws, under which a police officer can stop and ticket a driver simply for not wearing a seat belt, secondary laws only allow for mandatory seat belt use enforcement if a driver has been stopped for some other reason.

Studies have shown that primary enforcement is far more effective in improving use and lowering fatalities. So do your part to prevent crash fatalities by strapping in every time and encouraging your friends, loved ones, coworkers — everyone! — to do the same all year round. Related links

Question: Which car company patented the 3-point seatbelt system but lets every car company use it?
Answer: VOLVO