Safety belt buckle construction

Claim 2

A safety belt buckle comprising: a connector member including a plate member, a slide composed of a first element attached to said plate member and a second element having a recess therein attached to said first element, the width of said second element exceeding that of said first element; a case member having walls defining a slot therein for passage of said second element therethrough, said slot bounded on its non-walled side by a closure including an elongated passageway therein, said passageway being sufficiently wide to permit slidable movement of said first element therealong but insufficiently wide to permit said second element to pass therethrough; a slidable locking element in said case member biased by resilient means to positively engage the recess in said second element when said second element is seated in said slot, and a releasing means adapted to move said locking element to a nonengaging position by the application of a force opposing the bias of said resilient means; and means for adjustably securing an end of a belt to said case member.

Claim 3

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slide is T-shaped in cross-section having an elongated shank constituting said first element and a generally rectangular bar constituting said second element.

Claim 4

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said passageway is defined by two spaced apart plates.

Claim 5

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said slidable element is a cylindrical plunger and said recess is a cylindrical bore through said second element.

Claim 6

A safety belt buckle comprising: a connector member including a plate member, an elongated, T-shaped cross-sectional slide composed of an elongated shank attached to said plate member and a generally rectangular bar having a cylindrical bore therethrough attached to said shank, the width of said bar exceeding that of said shank; a case member having interior walls defining a slot therein for passage of said bar therethrough, said interior walls together with side walls, end walls and a bottom wall defining two compartments in said case member separated by said slot, two spaced apart plates closing said compartments and extending beyond said interior walls to partially enclose said slot and to define an elongated passageway, said passageway being sufficiently wide to permit slidable movement of said shank therealong but insufficiently wide to permit said bar to pass therethrough; a locking mechanism in each compartment including a cylindrical plunger slidable in said case member, resilient means biasing said plunger to positively engage the recess in said bar when said bar is seated in said slot, and releasing means adapted to move said plunger to a non-engaging position by the application of a force thereto opposing the bias of said resilient means; and means for adjustably securing an end of a belt to said case member.

Claim 7

A safety belt buckle comprising: a connector member including a plate member, an elongated, T-shaped cross-sectional slide composed of an elongated shank attached to said plate member and a generally rectangular bar having a cylindrical bore therethrough attached to said shank, the width of said bar exceeding that of said shank; a case member having interior walls defining a slot therein for passage of said bar therethrough, said interior walls together with side walls, end walls and a bottom wall defining two compartments in said case member separated by said slot, two spaced apart plates closing said compartments and extending beyond said interior walls to partially enclose said slot and to define an elongated passageway, said passageway being sufficiently wide to permit slidable movement of said shank therealong but insufficiently wide to permit said bar to pass therethrough; a locking mechanism in each compartment including a cylindrical plunger slidable in said case member, resilient means biasing said plunger to positively engage the recess in said bar when said bar is seated in said slot, and releasing means adapted to move said plunger to a non-engaging position by the application of a force thereto opposing the bias of said resilient means; and means for adjustably securing an end of a belt to said case member.

Claim 8

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 5, wherein said releasing means comprises a release button mounted on a shaft; said plunger Connects to one end and said shaft connects to the other end of a longitudinally extending, elongated member; said resilient means extends into said compartment from a side wall thereof and contacts said member at a point intermediate its ends; and, including pivotal means extending into said compartment from an interior wall thereof and contacting said member at a point intermediate said shaft and said resilient means, whereby the application of a force to said release button causes said member to rotate about said pivotal means and to remove said plunger from engagement with said recess.

Claim 9

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 5, wherein one end of said bar is tapered and the lead-in section of said slot is outwardly flared.

Claim 10

A safety belt buckle, as claimed in claim 7 wherein the end of said plunger adapted to engage said recess is beveled to cooperate with the tapered end of said bar as said bar slides in said slot.