Locking device for vehicle safety belts

Claim 1

A safety belt locking mechanism for vehicles of the type in which a safety belt band is automatically wound onto a reel when not in use, which is characterized by: a. a rotatable shaft, b. a locking wheel located on said rotatable shaft, c. a locking member mounted adjacent said locking wheel so that one end of said locking member can move into and out of engagement with said locking wheel, d. a tiltable member located in supporting relationship to the lower end of said locking member, e. said tiltable member having a top surface and a base surface, f. said tiltable member having a first stable position and a second stable position, said tiltable member in said first position having its said base surface resting upon a supporting surface and in said second position resting against a stop member, g. said tiltable member being movable from its first position to its second position only responsive to force, caused by a change of direction or velocity of the vehicle, beyond a certain limit and being returned to its first position when said force ceases, h. the lower end of said locking member resting on the top surface of said tiltable member and the upper end of said locking member being out of engagement with said locking wheel when said tiltable member is in its first position and engaging with said locking wheel so as to prevent rotation of said shaft when said tiltable member is in its second position.