U.S. patent application number 14/451780 was filed with the patent office on 2015-02-19 for buckle bender tool.
This patent application is currently assigned to PANDUIT CORP.. The applicant listed for this patent is PANDUIT CORP.. Invention is credited to Scott K. Benedict, Lawrence A. Hillegonds.
Application Number | 20150047161 14/451780 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52465732 |
Filed Date | 2015-02-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150047161 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hillegonds; Lawrence A. ; et
al. |
February 19, 2015 |
Buckle Bender Tool
Abstract
The present invention is directed to a buckle bender tool that
secures a strap in a metal buckle. The buckle bender tool has a
main body with a first end and a second end. The tool has a bent
edge at a distal end of the first end of the main body. The bent
edge forms an acute angle with respect to the main body of the
tool. The tool has straight edge at a distal end of the second end
of the main body. The buckle bender tool positions a cut-off strap
end within a buckle and deforms the buckle to secure the strap
therein.
Inventors: |
Hillegonds; Lawrence A.;
(New Lenox, IL) ; Benedict; Scott K.; (New Lenox,
IL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
PANDUIT CORP. |
Tinley Park |
IL |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
PANDUIT CORP.
Tinley Park
IL
|
Family ID: |
52465732 |
Appl. No.: |
14/451780 |
Filed: |
August 5, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61865163 |
Aug 13, 2013 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
29/3 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A44B 11/006 20130101;
B65D 63/16 20130101; B65D 63/08 20130101; Y10T 29/12 20150115; B25C
11/00 20130101; B65B 13/025 20130101; B65B 13/185 20130101; B65B
13/345 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
29/3 |
International
Class: |
A44B 11/00 20060101
A44B011/00 |
Claims
1. A tool for securing a strap in a metal buckle, wherein the metal
buckle having a strap entrance end, a strap exit end, and a
deformable retainer with a tab at a distal end and an opening
adjacent the tab, the tool comprising: a main body having a first
end and a second end; a bent edge at a distal end of the first end
of the main body, wherein the bent edge forms an acute angle with
respect to the main body of the tool; and a straight edge at a
distal end of the second end of the main body.
2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the bent edge of the tool bends a
cut end of the strap towards the buckle.
3. The tool of claim 1, wherein the straight edge of the tool bends
the deformable retainer of the buckle over the cut end of the
strap.
4. The tool of claim 1, wherein the tool has a curved portion
extending from the first end to the second end, whereby the curved
tool provides clearance for enabling installation of adjacent
buckles.
5. The tool of claim 4, wherein the tool secures the strap in the
metal buckle with the curved portion facing upwards.
6. The tool of claim 4, wherein the tool secures the strap in the
metal buckle with the curved portion facing downwards.
7. A method of securing a metal strap to a metal buckle using a
buckle bender tool, wherein the metal buckle having a strap
entrance end, a strap exit end, and a deformable retainer with a
tab at a distal end and an opening adjacent the tab, the method
comprising the steps of: positioning a bent edge at a first end of
the buckle bender tool in the opening in the buckle with the bent
edge of the buckle bender tool positioned over a cut off end of the
strap; engaging the cut off end of the strap with the bent edge of
the buckle bender tool; pushing the cut off end of the strap
downwards with the bent edge of the buckle bender tool until the
cut off end of the strap is positioned on the buckle; and pulling
the buckle bender tool to bend the deformable retainer of the
buckle 30 degrees over the cut-off end of the strap.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of
positioning the second end of the buckle bender tool in the opening
of the buckle and over the bent cut-off end of the strap; pulling
the buckle bender tool to further deform the retainer and position
the retainer over the cut-off end of the strap; and removing the
buckle bender tool.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional
Application No. 61/865,163, filed Aug. 13, 2013, the subject matter
of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a tool for installing a
buckle, and more particularly to a tool for closing a metal buckle
and securing a strap within the metal buckle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Metal buckles, as opposed to buckles made of other material,
such as plastic, are characterized by desirable properties, such as
high tensile strength, high and low temperature resistance,
abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and radiation
resistance. A variety of buckles, such as Panduit.RTM.
Pan-Steel.RTM. buckles and Band-it.RTM. Ear-Lokt buckles are known.
The Panduit.RTM. Pan-Steel.RTM. buckles are related to U.S. Pat.
Nos. 4,866,817; 7,171,729; and 7,329,570, which are incorporated by
reference in their entireties.
[0004] Typically, as illustrated in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No.
8,793,841, metal buckles are secured to metal straps or ties by
hand and with a screw driver. The cut end of the metal strap is
bent by hand into the metal buckle. Next, the flat edge of a screw
driver is used to push the metal buckle over the cut end of the
metal strap. This process is time consuming and difficult in small
areas. As result, there is a need for a tool that easily positions
the metal strap and bends the metal buckle over the strap to secure
the strap and the buckle even in a confined area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a buckle bender tool
that secures a strap in a metal buckle. The metal buckle has a
strap entrance end, a strap exit end, and a deformable retainer.
The deformable retainer of the buckle has a tab at a distal end and
an opening adjacent the tab. The buckle bender tool has a main body
with a first end and a second end. The tool has a bent edge at a
distal end of the first end of the main body. The bent edge forms
an acute angle with respect to the main body of the tool. The tool
also has a straight edge at a distal end of the second end of the
main body. The buckle bender tool positions the cut end of the
strap in the buckle and bends the deformable retainer of the buckle
to position the buckle over the cut-off end of the strap thereby
securing the strap and the buckle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the buckle bender tool of
the present invention positioned to secure the metal buckle.
[0007] FIG. 2 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 1
positioned to install the cut end of the metal strap in the metal
buckle.
[0008] FIG. 3 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 2
engaging the metal strap and the metal buckle.
[0009] FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of one end of the buckle bender
tool of FIG. 3 engaging the metal strap and the metal buckle.
[0010] FIG. 5 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 4
pushing the metal strap into the metal buckle.
[0011] FIG. 6 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 4
with the metal strap positioned on the metal buckle.
[0012] FIG. 7 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 6
positioned to close the metal buckle.
[0013] FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of one end of the buckle bender
tool of FIG. 7 positioned to close the metal buckle.
[0014] FIG. 9 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 8
positioned in the closed metal buckle.
[0015] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the closed metal buckle of
FIG. 9, with the tool removed.
[0016] FIG. 11 is an enlarged perspective view of the closed metal
buckle of FIG. 10.
[0017] FIG. 12 is a side view of the buckle bender tool of FIG. 1
positioned to close an adjacent metal buckle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate the buckle bender tool 20 of the
present invention positioned to be installed in a metal buckle 40.
An example of the metal buckle 40 is described in commonly owned
U.S. Pat. No. 8,793,841, herein incorporated by reference in its
entirety. The buckle 40 includes a bridge 42, a deformable retainer
44 with an opening 46 and a retainer tab 48, a strap entrance
passageway 50 and a strap exit passageway 52.
[0019] The buckle bender tool 20 includes a curved main body with a
first end 22 and a second end 26. The first end 22 of the tool 20
includes a bent edge 24. The bent edge forms an acute angle with
respect to the main body of the tool. The second end 26 of the tool
20 includes a straight edge 28. The tool 20 may also be
manufactured as a straight tool, if desired.
[0020] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the metal strap 60 is
installed around a cable bundle 70. The metal strap 60 has been
tensioned and cut-off by an installation tool. FIGS. 1 and 2
illustrate the buckle bender tool 20 positioned to be installed in
the opening 46 in the buckle 40 and over the strap cut end 62.
[0021] FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the first end 22 of the buckle
bender tool 20 positioned in the opening 46 of the metal buckle 40.
The first end 22 of the buckle bender tool 20 also engages the
cut-off end 62 of the metal strap 60.
[0022] Once the buckle bender tool 20 is positioned in the metal
buckle 40, the tool 20 is pulled. As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6,
as the buckle bender tool 20 pulls the deformable retainer 44 of
the buckle 40, the bent edge 24 of the tool 20 pushes the cut end
62 of the metal strap 60 downwards towards the buckle 40. As
illustrated in FIG. 6, the metal strap cut end 62 is bent and is
positioned on the buckle 40. As the buckle bender tool 20 pulls the
buckle 40, the deformable retainer 44 is bent over the cut-off end
62 of the strap 60 approximately 30 degrees.
[0023] Next, the straight end 28 of the buckle bender tool 20 is
installed in the opening 46 of the buckle 40 from the opposite
side. The tool can be used in either direction with the curved
portion facing upwards or downwards. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and
8, the straight end 28 of the buckle bender tool 20 is positioned
through the opening 46 and over the bent cut-off end 62 of the
strap 60. Next, the buckle bender tool 20 is pulled thereby
deforming the retainer 44 and positioning the retainer 44 over the
cut-off end 62 of the strap 60, as illustrated in FIG. 9. Once the
deformable retainer 44 has been positioned over the cut-off end 62
of the strap 60, the buckle bender tool 20 is removed.
[0024] As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the deformable retainer
44 and retainer tab 48 of the buckle 40 secure the cut-off end 62
of the strap 60 and the cable bundle 70.
[0025] Often multiple bundles are positioned adjacent each other
along the ladder rung. The buckle bender tool of the present
invention facilitates the closure of metal buckles positioned in
close proximity to each other. FIG. 12 illustrates the buckle
bender tool positioned to close a metal buckle positioned adjacent
to a second metal buckle. The curved tool can be used with the
curved portion facing upwards, as illustrated in FIG. 12, to
provide extra clearance when the bundles are positioned in close
proximity. As a result, the buckle bender tool of the present
invention easily secures a metal buckle in a confined or restricted
space.
[0026] Furthermore, while the particular preferred embodiments of
the present invention have been shown and described, it will be
obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications
may be made without departing from the teaching of the invention.
The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying
drawings is offered by way of illustration only and not as
limitation. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be
defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper
perspective based on the prior art.
* * * * *