Strap buckle

Nov. 10, 1070 _D. j. _Ford 3,538,554

STRAP BUCKLE

Filed Jan. 16, 1969

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INVENTOR

ATTORNEY

United States Patent Office

3,538,554

Patented Nov. 10, 1970

3,538,554 ^?STRAP BUCKLE David Julian Ford, Stapleford, England, assignor to United-Carr Incorporated, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware

Filed Jan. 16, 1969, Ser. No. 791,735

Claims priority, application Great Britain, Jan. 19, 1968, 3,003/68 Int. Cl. A44b 11/25

U.S. CI. 24—77 5 Claims

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A strap buckle formed of synthetic plastics has a flexible arm and two rigid arms through which the strap is threaded to overlie a stud-receiving aperture in the buckle so that the stud, when inserted forces the overlying portion of the strap into frictional engagement with said rigid arms.

This invention relates to a buckle for attachment to a strap, for example, the strap of a shoe or sandal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, the buckle is formed as a one-piece moulding of synthetic plastics comprising a base formed with a stud-receiving aperature, a flexible arm being disposed in laterally spaced relation to the base and two rigid arms being provided spaced from the base and flexible arm, the rigid arms defining a slot-like opening aligned with the stud-receiving aperture in the base, the arrangement being such that when a strap is threaded over the flexible arm and under both rigid arms so as to extend across the stud-receiving aperature, the stud, when inserted into the said aperture, will abut the overlying portion of the strap and deflect the same into the slotlike opening so that the said portion of the strap will be frictionally gripped by portions of the stub and portions of the rigid arms.

To enable the invention to be fully understood, it will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a strap buckle according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the buckle;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view on the line 3—3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the buckle; and

FIG. 5 is a part sectional view of an assembly of the buckle as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 and a co-operating stud.

As illustrated in the drawings, the strap buckle is formed as a one-piece moulding of synthetic plastics and comprises a base 1 formed with a stud-receiving aperature including a central opening 2 of circular shape and radial communicating slots 3. The base extends between opposed side walls 4.

A flexible arm 5 also extends between the side walls 4 in laterally spaced relation to one side edge of the base, the arm being curved as more particularly illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, and the opposite ends of the arm being integral with one of the longitudinal side edges of the walls.

Substantially rigid arms 6 and 7 extend between the walls 4 and have their opposite ends integrally connected with the opposite longitudinal side edges of the walls to that of the flexible arm 5. As shown, the arms 6 and 7 are in spaced relation to one another and to the arm 5 and base 1 and the said arms 6 and 7 define a slot-like opening 8 aligned with the stud-receiving aperture in the base. The arm 7 is formed with an angularly-shaped recess ,

7a on its underside which is directed towards the base 1. The buckle is adapted to be assembled with the end of the strap which, as illustrated in FIG. 5, is threaded through the buckle so as to overlie the flexible ami 5 and extend transversely of the stud-receiving aperature in the base in underlying relation to the rigid arms 6 and 7.

In FIG. 5 the buckle is shown attached to the strap of a shoe or sandal and is adapted to be secured in fastening position by a stud formed of synthetic plastics and comprising a base 9 secured, as by welding, to a part 10 of the shoe or sandal. The stud also includes a tapered nose 11 spaced from the base 9 by a neck 12 so as to define an annular shoulder 13.

It will be understood that when initially threaded through the buckle a portion of the strap will extend flatwise across the base 1 and overlie the stud-receiving aperture and the buckle can be readily adjusted lengthwise of the strap by a sliding movement so that the buckle can be adjusted to the correct position according to the size of the foot of the wearer of the shoe or sandal. The threaded strap makes light frictional engagement with the base 1 and arms 5, 6 and 7 to retain the buckle in adjusted position.

To fasten the buckle the stud-receiving opening is presented to the nose of the stud and pressure is applied to force the buckle over the nose 11 of the stud until the annular shoulder 13 snaps over the edges of the circular portion 2 of the stud-receiving opening. The provision of the offset slots 3 is to make the stud-receiving opening more flexible and thereby facilitate the insertion of the stud.

When the stud is snapped into position, the portion of the strap initially overlying the base will be displaced by the nose 11 of the stud into the position indicated in broken lines in FIG. 5 so that the said portion of the strap is pushed by the nose of the stud into the slot-like opening 8 where it is gripped between the nose of the stud and portions of the rigid arms 6 and 7.

An important advantage of the flexible arm 5 is that if a strap having a greater thickness than that illustrated is used, the arm will flex thus enabling the buckle to be used with straps having a fairly wide range of thicknesses.

The angularly-shaped recess 9 on the underside of the arm 7 facilitates the threading of the strap through the buckle as the free end of the strap will be deflected under the arm 7 when it strikes the angularly disposed wall of the said recess.