US3653100A

US3653100A - Belt

Info

Publication number: US3653100A
Application number: US57542A
Authority: US
Inventors: Charles E Dolan
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1970-07-23
Filing date: 1970-07-23
Publication date: 1972-04-04
Anticipated expiration: 1989-04-04

Abstract

Herein described is a belt including a unitary buckle which is used to connect the ends of the belt together around the user''s waist. The buckle includes a relatively flat member having a pair of openings therein which forms a center cross member between the openings. One end of the belt is coupled to the cross member. An inwardly extending tab protrudes from one side of the flat member towards the cross member. The other end of the belt has a plurality of locking apertures which are formed to match the shape of the tab. The belt is encircled around the wearer''s waist and is inserted into the opening in the buckle having the locking tab. The tab is then inserted into a suitable opening in the belt and the remainder thereof is inserted through the opening.

Description

I United States Patent [151 Dolan 1 Apr. 4, 1972 [54] BELT 1,397,673 ll/l92l Buchsbaum ..24/l86 Inventor: Charles E. Dolan, 13234 Chase Street, 102,076 4/1870 Adair ..24/l76 Panorama City, Calif. 91402 Primary Examiner Bobby Gay [22] Filed: July 23, 1970 Assistant Examiner-Garry Moore Attorney-Victor Sepulveda [21] Appl. No.: 57,542

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S. Cl ..24/l98, 2/351, 24/77, Herein described is a belt including a unitary buckle which is 24/ 1 86 used to connect the ends of the belt together around the users [51] Int. Cl. ..A44b 11/00 waist. The buckle includes a relatively flat member having a [58] Field of Search ...24/l98, 176, 186, 180, 174, pair of openings therein which forms a center cross member 24/177, 187, 77; 2/321 between the openings. One end of the belt is coupled to the cross member. An inwardly extending tab protrudes from one 5 References Ci side of the flat member towards the cross member. The other end of the belt has a plurality of locking apertures which are UNITED STATES PATENTS formed to match the shape of the tab. The belt is encircled around the wearers waist and is inserted into the opening in 900,774 10/1908 Pearl ..24/l76 the buckle having the locking The tabis then inserted into 2076925 4/ I937 stemberg' a suitable opening in the belt and the remainder thereof is in- 764,999 7/1904 Gallert..... .2/321 Sened through the opening 1,357,483 ll/1920 Tabler ...2/32l 2,667,677 2/1954 Ganz .24/l76 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures BELT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to belts and belt buckles and more particularly relates to a novel and improved fastening arrangement for securing the ends of the belt together.

2. Discussion of the Prior Art Heretofore many devices have been devised to secure the separable ends of a belt together. Yet, no single device has, until now, been discovered which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture yet pleasing to the eye. Further, the prior art belt buckles are complicated in nature and even sometimes difficult to interlock the ends of the belt.

Also, prior art buckles have heretofore been made of metal which is not always desirable. This is because these metallic buckles require the use of a metal finger which is attached to the cross member. This finger is used to lock the ends of the belt together. It may be that this metal buckle and finger is either not pleasing in appearance or may be harmful because of its sharp edges.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention overcomes the difficulties of the prior art by providing a belt having a unitary buckle attached to one end thereof which has a pair of openings therein defining a cross member thereacross. A wedge-shaped locking tab extends inwardly with one of said opening towards said cross member. The locking tab is substantially tapered on the bottom thereof. The separable end of the belt has a plurality of oblong slots spaced thereon which are adapted to receive the locking tab when inserted into the opening thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other features and advantages will become more apparent to those skilled in the art when taken into consideration with the following detailed description wherein like reference numerals indicate like and corresponding parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the belt incorporating the principles of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the buckle used in the belt;

FIG. 3 is a section view taken along the lines 3-3 ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the buckle with the belt coupled thereto;

FIG. 5 is a top view ofthe separable end ofthe belt; and

FIG. 6 is a top view of another embodiment of the buckle incorporating the principles of this invention with the belt end coupled thereto.

DESCRIPTION OF ONE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a single preferred embodiment of a belt incorporating the principles of this invention and is referred to generally by the numeral 10. A buckle 12 is secured to the belt 10 on one end thereof in the manner shown specifically in FIG. 3.

The exterior periphery shape of the buckle 12 may be of a variety of shapes such as oval as shown in FIG. 2, or rectangular as shown in FIG. 6. Further, this shape may be round or square (not shown) or in any desirable shape.

In this embodiment, the material which the belt 10 may be comprised of may be fabric, leather, plastic, or any suitable material which is capable of being extended around the waist of the wearer and yet be flexible enough to conform to the wearers shape. The buckle 12 may be made of a relatively hard material such as plastic, wood, metal or leather. In this embodiment, it is preferred that both the buckle l2 and belt 10 be comprised of leather.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 depicting one shape of the buckle 12, it can be seen that buckle 12 has a pair of openings cut therein. Opening 14 is shown as rectangular in shape.

Opening 16 is substantially rectangular in shape exce t that a locking tab 18 is provide thereon. The openings 1 and 16 define a cross member 20 therebetween.

One end 22 of the belt 10 is connected to the cross member 20 in a suitable manner. In the described and shown embodiment the end 22 is looped around cross member 20 and folded back upon the belt 10. The manner to which the end is secured back to the belt 10 is a matter of choice such as rivets, etc. In the chosen embodiment the securing is accomplished by glue.

The locking tab 18 formed in the opening 18 is shown in a frustum or semi-triangular shaped whereby the

sides

24 and 26 are tapered inwardly to a flat top edge 28. A short distance is left between the top edge 28 and the cross member 20 to facilitate locking the tab 18 in a manner yet to be described. The underside 30 is shown as being tapered upwardly towards the end. This is sometimes referred to in the leather working industry as being skifed. This tapered end is further used to facilitate the locking thereof.

The belt buckle 12 may be made by hand by cutting the desired shape from the material. This, of course, would take a person highly skilled in the leather working craft. On the other hand, it would be more desirable, should mass production be desired, to automatically die stamp the buckles 12.

The end 32 includes a plurality of oblong slots 34 which may extend from the end 32 back a desired distance. The number of slots 34 is an arbitrary number but should be sufficient to facilitate proper adjustment of the encircled belt around the wearer's waist.

Once the belt 10 is encircled around the wearers waist, end 32 is connected to the buckle in a unique and novel manner. Specifically, end 32 is first inserted into opening 16 from the underside thereof, that is, from the side nearest the wearer's body. The belt end 32 is pulled through opening 16 to the desired fit and locking tab 18 is inserted into the nearest slot 34. Thereafter, the remainder of end 32 is inserted into opening 14.

While there has been but a limited number of embodiments shown, as required, it should be understood that many alterations may be made and still remain within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A belt and buckle combination comprising:

a relatively elongated strip adapted to encircle the waist of a wearer, said strip having a first end and a second end;

a relatively fiat member comprised of a relatively flexible material;

a first opening in said flat member for receiving the first end of said elongated strip therein;

a second opening in said flat member adjacent said first opening for further receiving the first end of said elongated strip therein after it has passed through said first opening;

a cross member in said flat member defined between said first and said second openings and having the second end of said strip secured thereto;

a substantially wedge-shaped locking tab integrally formed in said flat member and disposed in said first opening and extending towards said cross member, said tab having continuously uniform edges on the sides thereof extending inwardly towards each other from the bottom ends toward said cross member; and

a plurality of elongated slots spaced along the first end of said strip being substantially normal to the length of said strip, whereby said locking tab being adapted to be inserted into a selected one of said elongated slots to secure the belt around the wearers wrist.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1, wherein said locking tab also being tapered on the bottom thereof whereby said tab becoming thinner towards the cross member.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 wherein said first opening being substantially rectangular.

Claims

1. A belt and buckle combination comprising: a relatively elongated strip adapted to encircle the waist of a wearer, said strip having a first end and a second end; a relatively flat member comprised of a relatively flexible material; a first opening in said flat member for receiving the first end of said elongated strip therein; a second opening in said flat member adjacent said first opening for further receiving the first end of said elongated strip therein after it has passed through said first opening; a cross member in said flat member defined between said first and said second openings and having the second end of said strip secured thereto; a substantially wedge-shaped Locking tab integrally formed in said flat member and disposed in said first opening and extending towards said cross member, said tab having continuously uniform edges on the sides thereof extending inwardly towards each other from the bottom ends toward said cross member; and a plurality of elongated slots spaced along the first end of said strip being substantially normal to the length of said strip, whereby said locking tab being adapted to be inserted into a selected one of said elongated slots to secure the belt around the wearer''s wrist.