Buckle

Claim 2

A buckle for seat belts and the like comprising: a cast wrap-around integral housing having two elongate slots, one slot entering one end of said housing and the other slot entering the other end of said housing and said slots passing through a transverse cavity which includes butresses adjacent said slots, a spring recess and a ledge shoulder; a pair of similar tongue plates having webbing receiving openings at one end and having registering latch openings intermediate the ends thereof and in registry upon selected insertion of said plates in each of said slots in said housing and one of said plates upon insertion being fixedly secured against withdrawal; a spring in said spring recess of said housing; a latch against which said spring bears and resting against said ledge shoulder and the latch lug thereof extending through said latch opening in said fixed of said plates and through the registering opening of the other of said plates; and a straddle type push plate in the transverse cavity of said housing and operably engaging said latch whereby said latch is depressible against said spring and thereby releases one of said tongue plates for removal from said housing.

Claim 3

In the safety buckle as set forth in claim 1, the combination including projections in the face of one of said tongue plates and guidably supporting the other of said tongue plates in slidable registry.

Claim 4

A buckle for safety belts and the like comprising: a wrap-around housing; a pair of tongue plates in said housing in journalled overlap sliding relation and both having a registering opening therethrough, and at least one of said plates being selectively releasable; a hinged push button accessible through said housing and including straddle legs spanning said tongue plates; and a depressible latch element in said housing biased toward and through said tongue plates in said housing and connected to said hinged push button and upon depression freeing one of said tongue plates.

Claim 5

A buckle for safety belts and the like comprising: a wrap-around housing; a pair of tongue plates in said housing in journalled overlap sliding relation and both having a registering opening therethrough, and at least one of said plates being selectively releasable; a hinged push button accessible through said housing and including straddle legs spanning said tongue plates; and a depressible latch element in said housing biased toward and through said tongue plates in said housing and connected to said hinged push button and upon depression freeing one of said tongue plates.

Claim 6

A buckle for safety belts and the like compressing: an integral housing having internal recessing including a central cavity and connecting longitudinal overlaying slots; a pair of tongue plates, one insertable in one slot and the other insertable in the other of said slots so that both overlay each other in said housing and the one of said tongue plates being fixed against removal and the other of said tongue plates being selectively removable from said housing; and a latch element depressible in said housing biased toward and through said tongue plates and depressible to release at least one of said tongue plates from said housing.

Claim 7

A buckle for safety belts and the like compressing: an integral housing having internal recessing including a central cavity and connecting longitudinal overlaying slots; a pair of tongue plates, one insertable in one slot and the other insertable in the other of said slots so that both overlay each other in said housing and the one of said tongue plates being fixed against removal and the other of said tongue plates being selectively removable from said housing; and a latch element depressible in said housing biased toward and through said tongue plates and depressible to release at least one of said tongue plates from said housing.

Claim 8

A buckle for safety belts and the like for securing webbing together at a connection comprising: a housing having recesses and slots therein and including a cavity transverse to said slots; a pair of oppositely oriented tongue plates, one fixed in said housing in one of said slots upon insertion against withdrawal and the other releasably secured in said housing in the other of said slots and both tongue plates having registering latch openings therethrough and one plate resting on the other in said housing. a latch element pivotal in said housing and biased toward and through said tongue plate releasably securing said other of said tongue plates against withdrawal; and means for selectively depressing said latch plate whereby said other of said tongue plates is released from said latch.

Claim 9

A buckle for safety belts and the like for securing webbing together at a connection comprising: a housing having recesses and slots therein and including a cavity transverse to said slots; a pair of oppositely oriented tongue plates, one fixed in said housing in one of said slots upon insertion against withdrawal and the other releasably secured in said housing in the other of said slots and both tongue plates having registering latch openings therethrough and one plate resting on the other in said housing. a latch element pivotal in said housing and biased toward and through said tongue plate releasably securing said other of said tongue plates against withdrawal; and means for selectively depressing said latch plate whereby said other of said tongue plates is released from said latch.

Claim 10

A buckle for safety belts and the like comprising: a housing having longitudinal slots in each end thereof and internal recesses transverse of and connecting said slots and said housing having a spring receiver portion and latch pivot pedestal; a first tongue plate insertable in one of said slots and secure against withdrawal; a second removable tongue plate in the other of said slots and resting on said first tongue plate; a latch plate, the lock lug thereof extending upwardly through both of said plates and resting at one end on said pivot pedestal; a spring in said spring receiver portion of said housing and urging said latch plate upward against said first tongue plate; and latch depressing means secured in said housing whereby said latch plate is movable against said spring and pivoting on said pedestal releasing said second tongue plate.

Claim 11

A buckle for safety belts and the like comprising: a housing having longitudinal slots in each end thereof and internal recesses transverse of and connecting said slots and said housing having a spring receiver portion and latch pivot pedestal; a first tongue plate insertable in one of said slots and secure against withdrawal; a second removable tongue plate in the other of said slots and resting on said first tongue plate; a latch plate, the lock lug thereof extending upwardly through both of said plates and resting at one end on said pivot pedestal; a spring in said spring receiver portion of said housing and urging said latch plate upward against said first tongue plate; and latch depressing means secured in said housing whereby said latch plate is movable against said spring and pivoting on said pedestal releasing said second tongue plate.

Claim 12

A buckle for safety belting and the like comprising: an integral defining a central mechanism cavity, there being a first longitudinal slot through one side of said housing and into said cavity, there being a second longitudinal slot through the other side of said housing and into said cavity over said first slot, a latch pivot pedestal, a plruality of support buttresses, and there being a top opening transverse to said longitudinal slots and registrably over said mechanism cavity, one edge thereof being a hinge element; a spring resting on said housing at the bottom of said mechanism cavity; a latch, the upstanding lock lug thereof being ramped in one direction and resting on said spring and at one end on said pivot pedestal and having integral flanges extending outwardly therefrom; a push button having legs astraddle said latch and positionally securing therebetween the latch flanges and said push button including a hinge portion operably engagable, upon assembly, with the hinge element of said housing; a first tongue plate fixed in said housing and having a detent projection and inserted in said first slot over said latch lug and said detent projection impinging against said housing in prevention of withdrawal and said first tongue plate including an opening registrable with said latch lug and through which said latch lug projects and said first tongue plate secures against lateral movement against said buttresses in said housing; and a second tongue plate insertable and removable in said second slot and having a lock opening therethrough registering with said latch lug, said second tongue plate having a smaller width than said first tongue plate and resting on said first tongue plate and depressing said latch against said spring by way of said ramp and securable against said butresses in said housing against lateral movement, and releasable by depression of said push button depressing said latch downwardly against said spring.

Claim 13

A buckle for safety belting and the like comprising: an integral defining a central mechanism cavity, there being a first longitudinal slot through one side of said housing and into said cavity, there being a second longitudinal slot through the other side of said housing and into said cavity over said first slot, a latch pivot pedestal, a plruality of support buttresses, and there being a top opening transverse to said longitudinal slots and registrably over said mechanism cavity, one edge thereof being a hinge element; a spring resting on said housing at the bottom of said mechanism cavity; a latch, the upstanding lock lug thereof being ramped in one direction and resting on said spring and at one end on said pivot pedestal and having integral flanges extending outwardly therefrom; a push button having legs astraddle said latch and positionally securing therebetween the latch flanges and said push button including a hinge portion operably engagable, upon assembly, with the hinge element of said housing; a first tongue plate fixed in said housing and having a detent projection and inserted in said first slot over said latch lug and said detent projection impinging against said housing in prevention of withdrawal and said first tongue plate including an opening registrable with said latch lug and through which said latch lug projects and said first tongue plate secures against lateral movement against said buttresses in said housing; and a second tongue plate insertable and removable in said second slot and having a lock opening therethrough registering with said latch lug, said second tongue plate having a smaller width than said first tongue plate and resting on said first tongue plate and depressing said latch against said spring by way of said ramp and securable against said butresses in said housing against lateral movement, and releasable by depression of said push button depressing said latch downwardly against said spring.

Claim 14

A push button release for latch elements for seat belt buckles comprising: a channel shaped element, the web portion providing an upper surface for manual contact; a housing having an opening therethrough and said web portion of said channel shaped element depressible through said opening; a spring biased latch element in said housing and beneath said web portion of said channel shaped element; and legs depending from said web portion and each having plate retention grooves in facing juxtaposed relation whereby said latch element is connected therebetween for raising or depressing movement of said latch in accord with motion of said web and the grip on said latch element is slidable.

Claim 15

A push button release for latch elements for seat belt buckles comprising: a channel shaped element, the web portion providing an upper surface for manual contact; a housing having an opening therethrough and said web portion of said channel shaped element depressible through said opening; a spring biased latch element in said housing and beneath said web portion of said channel shaped element; and legs depending from said web portion and each having plate retention grooves in facing juxtaposed relation whereby said latch element is connected therebetween for raising or depressing movement of said latch in accord with motion of said web and the grip on said latch element is slidable.

Claim 16

A push button release in accord with claim 8 and including a hinge element on one edge of said web transverse between said legs whereby movement of said push button is a hinged movement.

Claim 17

A push button release for seat belt buckles and the like comprising: a housing having an opening partially therethrough; a channel shaped push button element, the legs of which extend into said opening and said legs including gripping grooves; a pair of tongue plates in overlap relation in said housing, one of said tongue plates being releasable and each having a registering opening therethrough forming lock abutments and said legs flanking said tongue plates; and a latch plate beneath said plates straddled by said legs and gripped by said grooves whereby said latch plate is movable in accord with movement of said push button element and upon depression releases one of said tongue plates.

Claim 18

A push button release for seat belt buckles and the like comprising: a housing having an opening partially therethrough; a channel shaped push button element, the legs of which extend into said opening and said legs including gripping grooves; a pair of tongue plates in overlap relation in said housing, one of said tongue plates being releasable and each having a registering opening therethrough forming lock abutments and said legs flanking said tongue plates; and a latch plate beneath said plates straddled by said legs and gripped by said grooves whereby said latch plate is movable in accord with movement of said push button element and upon depression releases one of said tongue plates.