Belt buckle

Claim 1

IN AN ASSEMBLY OF THE TYPE UTILIZED TO RELEASABLY CONNECT SEPARATE SECTIONS OF A BELT WHEREIN AN APERTURED TONGUE MEMBER IS ATTACHED TO ONE BELT SECTION AND A BUCKLE TO THE OTHER BELT SECTION, A BUCKLE COMPRISING (A) A BODY PORTION, SAID BODY PORTION INCLUDING A BASE PORTION HAVING A SHALLOW LATCH-RECEIVING WELL FORMED THEREIN AND SPACED, UPWARDLY-EXTENDING SIDES, PORTIONS OF WHICH OVERLIE SAID BASE PORTION AND CO-OPERATE THEREWITH TO PROVIDE A CHANNEL FOR RECEIPT OF THE TONGUE MEMBER IN SAID BODY PORTION, THE UPPER EDGES OF SAID SIDE PORTIONS BEING ARCED TO PROVIDE A PIVOTAL SUPPORT FOR A COVER MEMBER; (B) A ROD, FIXED TO AND EXTENDING BETWEEN THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID BODY IN SPACED PARALLEL RELATION TO SAID BASE; (C) A LATCH PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ROD, SAID LATCH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY-EXTENDING, SPACED SIDE FLANGES CONNECTED BY A CROSS MEMBER, AND A HOOK PORTION EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM SAID CROSS MEMBER IN THE DIRECTION OF SAID SIDE FLANGES, PORTIONS OF SAID FLANGES BEING NOTCHED TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF LATCH DOGS AND THE EDGES OF SAID FLANGES BEING CONTOURED TO ACT AS CAMMING SURFACES FOR INDEPENDENT PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH RESPONSIVE TO INSERTION OF THE TONGUE MEMBER INTO SAID CHANNEL; (D) MEANS NORMALLY URGING SAID LATCH MEMBER TOWARD SAID BASE WHEREBY SAID HOOK IS DISPOSED IN THE SHALLOW WELL IN SAID BASE PORTION TO LOCK THE TONGUE MEMBER IN SAID BUCKLE; AND (E) A COVER MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID BODY PORTION IN SPACED RELATION TO SAID BASE, SAID COVER MEMBER INCLUDING A TOP PORTION, AN ARCED FLANGE PIVOTALLY SUPPORTED BY THE ARCED EDGES OF THE SIDE PORTIONS OF SAID BODY MEMBER, SAID FLANGE EXTENDING TOWARD SAID BASE AND HAVING PORTIONS OF AN EDGE THEREOF ENGAGING SAID LATCH DOGS, AND AN INTEGRAL SPRING CLIP IN SNAPPED ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID ROD TO SECURE SAID COVER TO SAID BODY PORTION; WHEREBY PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER AWAY FROM SAID BODY PORTION CAUSES A CORRESPONDING PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID LATCH AWAY FROM SAID BASE TO PERMIT RETRACTION OF THE TONGUE MEMBER FROM SAID BUCLKE.